Matt McAvoy Book Review

This untaxing, easy read is a pretty entertaining way to fill a few hours.  The story is a simple one, yet intriguing and engaging right from the outset, the cosy mystery of the scarlet chair keeping me attentive enough to read the book in one sitting.  This is a warm and affectionate paranormal romance for young adults, and whilst the supernatural qualities of the chair are indeed somewhat malevolent, they are generally more mystical and superstitious than particularly dark.  Almost metaphorical in nature, the cynical chair highlights and accentuates the negative energy in a relationship, like some bitter divorcée - or the jilted spirit which haunts it.  In fact, this book probably firmly crosses these fantasy genres and it does it well.

It is unusual for me to receive a fictional book set in the Philippines, and from my point of view it would have been a nice opportunity to learn a little more about the culture.  That said, what Janice does share about the “Land of Affection” and its respectful people is clearly motivated by her own experiences and familiarity with the country, and particularly its capital, Manila.  There is a love letter in The Girl in the Scarlet Chair, and by that I refer to the one written by the author, rather than the characters.

There is a lot of dialogue driving this tale, and some it is quite stilted, I guess.  Otherwise, this nicely pleasing and well written book could be a nice, pleasant opening to a cosy paranormal romance or mystery series, and I cannot deny that it had me gripped.  Its low word count probably does benefit it, compounding the overall feeling that it is not to be taken too seriously, but if you’re looking for a warm, relaxing way to fill a few hours on a rainy day, and aren’t interested in investing too heavily in a read, this is definitely worth putting your feet up with, I’d say.

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