Possession. I can’t even begin to know where to start. It’s excellent, in my opinion. I really did enjoy it. It’s paranormal, and very convincingly done it is too. J is blind but can see auras, working out what the colours are from what she had been told they represented as a child. She lives alone, has a helper friend who cleans up and pays her bills for her, and I got a huge insight into what it must be like to be blind. Her helper knows she mustn’t move anything, and if she does, she’s to tell J so she doesn’t trip and hurt herself. I can’t imagine what it’s like—I even tried it on a break from reading, walking around with my eyes shut—and I have the utmost respect and admiration for blind people who continue living as much of a “normal” life as seeing people do.
So, I learned a lot, got to think deeply about something because of this book, and I’m grateful for that. Sometimes we tend to forget there are people out there so much worse off than we are, and when a book like this comes along that gently shows us how others live—Ms Mooney doesn’t bash the reader over the head with it, she guides you along—it makes me sit up and think. Thank you, Ms Mooney.
**plot spoiler ahead**
Kiel is dead. Yes, our hero is dead but can make himself seen to living people. Fab-u-lous! He woke to find himself dead and went to his brother, knowing he would help him try and find who had killed him and the other people found dead recently. Together, he and Sam (his brother) aim to find the killer with the help of J, who the police enlist from time to time to help them solve cases.
Kiel and J are attracted to one another, and she knows he is dead right away. It may seem strange to some that a dead person can exist as a living person, make you wonder how Kiel and J’s relationship can possibly develop, but it can, due to Kiel being able to make himself seen. Their love is real, it’s romantic, and what cinched it for me, Possession wasn’t all about the sex. Yes, it has sex in it, lovely scenes, I might add, but it focussed more on the budding emotions and feelings, about how they interacted with one another, how they each fought to deal with what they knew would eventually happen: When Kiel found his dead body (he had no idea where he’d been killed), there was a strong possibility he as a spirit person would finally die properly.
J and Kiel know their time is limited, but they can’t spend all their time together as they undoubtedly wish they could (who wouldn’t, knowing he’ll be taken from her?). Instead, they have to work towards finding the monster who is killing people. And a monster it is, but I won’t spoil the plot here. Although he’s a monster, he does have some redeeming qualities, and I felt empathy for him a couple of times, especially at the end, when he did something that made me cry.
**Best Bits**
Her forehead was a canvas for him on which to paint his kisses.
“Yeah, well, get used to it quick because I’ve got stubborn all but tattooed across my butt…”
Her eyes were enormous hazel pools, so wide Sam could see the gory room reflected in their surface.
Under the gray skies the apartment building looked like the discarded husk of an insect that had outgrown it and moved on. (Wow. Just…wow!)
Their footsteps rang like out-of-tune chimes… (another wow!)
She whipped around to see the immense black figure standing a few feet away. (Shivers!)
“I fixed him.” (I know you’re not meant to feel empathy for the bad guy, really, but here I did. I wanted to hug him for what he had done.)
**Verdict**
Possession is well written with an easy-going voice that sucks you in. The plot, the blind woman, the dead hero, all culminate into a rip-roaring book that I urge anyone and everyone to read. It rocks big-time.
I've been really good throughout this review and haven't cursed once, but a Miz Management review without cursing just wouldn't be the same, so I'll slip it in here. POSSESSION KICKS AZZ!
