Title: Pink Mountain
Author: P.H. Sparks
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 978-1450205726
Pages: 206
Genre: Horror/ Suspense
Reviewed by: Ella Vincent
Pacific Book Review
Pink Mountain is a suspenseful and action packed novel from Phil Sparks which will keep readers on the edge of their seats. It is a book readers will love to get lost in if they want to be scared. Pink Mountain tells the story of Bryan, a software developer who is terminated from his job after a co-worker steals his work contract. After a violent confrontation with his co-worker, Bryan goes to the Canadian rural area of Pink Mountain with his best friends. While there, he encounters a First Nations man, Anton, who threatens the area. Bryan also encounters unexplained spirits which haunt him and his friends while he’s at Pink Mountain. As Bryan investigates the spirits and asks questions of a mystical old man, he finds himself getting involved in sinister events and learns he is closer to the spirit world than he could have ever imagined.
Bryan is an engrossing character and an intriguing protagonist. His conflicted feelings about the spirit world and his place in it makes him a fascinating character. His confusion about the spirits of Pink Mountain and how he relates to them add depth to him in this story. Anton is the perfect villain as the antagonistic First Nations man who feels White Canadian people like Bryan are encroaching on his ancestral land. Anton’s misplaced rage and hypocrisy about the sacredness of Pink Mountain fuels the dark undercurrents throughout the novel.
Pink Mountain’s supernatural elements of the novel add drama and suspense to the book. Sparks’ descriptive writing about shape shifters and monsters are so vivid, readers will almost believe they’re real. The dialogue in the book also is fast-paced and full of tough talk between the characters. Sparks also describes the setting so well, readers will feel like they’re in the snow-capped Canadian mountains in log cabins.
Pink Mountain would be great for fans wanting short and suspenseful novels about ghosts and spirits. Sparks’ writing would also be best for fans of supernatural horror authors such as Stephen King. Fans of fantasy novels from authors like Neil Gaiman may also like the spirits and shape shifters that dominate the novel. Additionally, the book would be best for readers who like action-packed scenes of powerful fist fights. Pink Mountain is a short novel, but will make a lasting impact on readers who want a good read. Sparks has written a book that will draw readers into the mysterious world of Pink Mountain.
