Anthony Hains ‘Birth Offering’ Review

Posted on August 26, 2014 in Authors A-L // 0 Comments

Written by: Vitina Molgaard

I see it all perfectly, there are two possible situations- one can either do this or that. My honest opinion and my friendly advice is this: do it or do not do it- you will regret both.

Soren Kieregaard

Gothic horror runs throughout this book and it took me to a place that felt realistic and tangible. That’s always a wonderful experience, and speaks volumes to the quality of Anthony Hains’ tale. Twisted and a bit dark, Birth Offering is an underrated piece of fiction.

Meet Ryan Perry, a fourteen year old boy who has recently had to deal with the death of his father, and now his mother has decided to return home to South Carolina to live with his grandmother. Life is about to change drastically, and Ryan is about to learn some interesting family secrets. The most startling being the fact that he was born with a twin brother that did not survive birth.

But Ryan’s brother’s death was no accident, it was actually a part of an ancient evil ritual, an ungodly offering which he was never meant to survive. That evil still remains lurking around Ryan as he becomes aware of a malevolent entity in the disguise of his twin brother. It is this evil being and two other menacing boys that begin to torment Ryan and others in the community. It also ignites a desire within Ryan: he wants to survive, and he wants to maintain a firm grasp on his sanity. In order to do so, he’ll be forced to confront this evil.

Secrets abound in this small community and one of the keepers of the horror and threatening entity is the young man’s own grandmother. The terror continues to build as Ryan realizes that most people just refuse to believe him. It is not until he meets a police agent named Jeremy Lund that he discovers there is someone to aid him in resolving his problems.

Burnt Offering is a rich coming-of-age story that reads quite smoothly. Hains brings the feel of the south to life as well as the angst of the teenager caught in a horrific situation during some of the hardest years of life. It’s beautifully crafted and completely mesmerizing. Hains has a must read on his hands here!

Order it here.

Rating: 4/5