There are things in Winter, Wisconsin, folks just don't talk about. The murder way back in '45 is one. The near-suicide of a first-grade teacher is...
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Jul 13, 2011
karen
rated it: 
this is one of those three-star situations where i am giving it three stars for me, karen, and not for the larger world. i liked her writing a lot, and i liked the premise, but i have been around the literary block a few too many times for this story to own me. i am certain its audience; those far younger and less handled by literature, would like it more.
it would have made a fantastic amazing stories episode. (you see how old i am??)
without giving too much away, i think that More...
it would have made a fantastic amazing stories episode. (you see how old i am??)
without giving too much away, i think that More...
25 comments
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Jan 14, 2012
Donna
rated it: 
Reading this book was kind of like riding the TGV train in Europe. It starts off kind of slow, just chugging along, until it gets it footing in wide open fields and starts barreling at its full potential: ramming down the countryside at 200 miles per hour and you're sitting there wobbling with the carriage enjoying the ride but somewhere deep in the back of your mind you're hoping the brakes are good.
This was such an amazing book. The more I read, the more I wanted to devour. I didn't More...
This was such an amazing book. The more I read, the more I wanted to devour. I didn't More...
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(3 people liked it)
Oct 22, 2011
Cillian
rated it: 
Although Barnes and Noble classified it as Non Fiction, it is Supernatural Fiction, already sent the title correction...
The author was full of good ideas that she unfortunately failed to develop. Slow paced and boring, too many lose ends, and the ending was an insult to the reader's intelligence, I found myself re-reading the same paragraph because I couldn't believe that the author thought that the conclusion was anywhere close to clever.
I'm sorry to say that the best part of this b More...
The author was full of good ideas that she unfortunately failed to develop. Slow paced and boring, too many lose ends, and the ending was an insult to the reader's intelligence, I found myself re-reading the same paragraph because I couldn't believe that the author thought that the conclusion was anywhere close to clever.
I'm sorry to say that the best part of this b More...
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(6 people liked it)
Feb 17, 2012
Dark Faerie Tales
rated it: 
Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick and Dirty: The mysteries that surround Winter, Wisconsin and Christian Cage make this an interesting and surprising read.
Opening Sentence: So. Everything I need to leave is here: My brushes. Paint. The wall.
The Review:
Christian Cage wakes up one morning after an intense dream about a kid pleading with his father with red paint covered hands, but no notion of how it got there. After being accused of vandalizing a ba More...
Quick and Dirty: The mysteries that surround Winter, Wisconsin and Christian Cage make this an interesting and surprising read.
Opening Sentence: So. Everything I need to leave is here: My brushes. Paint. The wall.
The Review:
Christian Cage wakes up one morning after an intense dream about a kid pleading with his father with red paint covered hands, but no notion of how it got there. After being accused of vandalizing a ba More...
Nov 04, 2011
Pamela
rated it:
Draw the Dark by Ilsa J. Bick is an unusual book for young adults. It's a combination of historical fiction, psychological fiction, fantasy and mystery all rolled up into one very interesting read.
The protagonist, Christian, is a different kind of kid. He has few friends, the townspeople think he's odd, and -- worst of all -- he thinks he's almost a kind of monster. Because he thinks he caused the death of his second grade teacher and his aunt (and perhaps he did), he suffers emotional More...
The protagonist, Christian, is a different kind of kid. He has few friends, the townspeople think he's odd, and -- worst of all -- he thinks he's almost a kind of monster. Because he thinks he caused the death of his second grade teacher and his aunt (and perhaps he did), he suffers emotional More...
Apr 26, 2011
Emily
rated it:
I first heard of this book from a tweet extolling the awesomeness of an "Ilsa Bick" twist ending. Being a sucker for such things, I checked out Draw the Dark from the library and read it in an afternoon, eagerly anticipating what the ending might be. Suffice it to say, I was disappointed...
<spoiler>I won't expose too much here, but I will say that I figured out most of the mystery before things were revealed, so nothing was too shocking. I agree with other reviewer More...
<spoiler>I won't expose too much here, but I will say that I figured out most of the mystery before things were revealed, so nothing was too shocking. I agree with other reviewer More...
Apr 06, 2011
Sarai
rated it:
It's taken me a while to write my thoughts on this book. I gave it four stars because by the end things had mostly been explained and wrapped up so that the book made sense to me, but I struggled through the first few chapters kind of wondering what I was reading. Are these real wolves? Werewolves? Or just people being called wolves? A child's nightmare turning a person into a wolf? Those were just my questions about one issue. I had lots of questions about other things.
I did kind of l More...
I did kind of l More...
Oct 28, 2010
Chibineko
rated it:
Sometimes first impressions can be misleading. When I first took a look at this book, I have to admit that I passed it over in favor of other flashier titles that were out there in the YA categories on NetGalley. I kept coming back to it though- the idea of the book just sounded interesting. I have to keep reminding myself that sometimes some of the best books can be the most unassuming.
Christian would like to tell you that he's just your average teenager, but that'd be far from the More...
Christian would like to tell you that he's just your average teenager, but that'd be far from the More...
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Sep 26, 2010
Becky
rated it:
Wow. This was a fantastic read. Mysterious and intense and creepy, this YA novel is definitely not for younger readers.
Christian is a boy who is trouble and isolated, ostracised by many in town. But unlike many YA stories, he has the benefit of a loving and very present parental figure in his Uncle Hank. Hank may not always understand what Christian is going through-- it would take a leap of faith that a logical, law and order type like Hank has trouble making. But he always lov More...
Christian is a boy who is trouble and isolated, ostracised by many in town. But unlike many YA stories, he has the benefit of a loving and very present parental figure in his Uncle Hank. Hank may not always understand what Christian is going through-- it would take a leap of faith that a logical, law and order type like Hank has trouble making. But he always lov More...
Jun 30, 2010
Ian
rated it:
I wanted to like this book a lot more, but I had two major gripes with it. But let's start with the good: the story is both an accurate portrayal of the growing pains of an outcast boy, someone who doesn't 'fit' with the mold and actually has odd seizure-like episodes, and an interesting murder mystery from the past, 1946 to be precise, dealing with the relatively unknown history of the US using German POWs as cheap labour during and after WW2.
That said, I still don't know what to m More...
That said, I still don't know what to m More...
Feb 11, 2012
Tintenelfe
rated it:
„Was ich zeichne, wird lebendig. Und manchmal bringe ich damit jemanden um. So wie letzte Nacht.“
Die ersten Sätze des Klappentextes fassen grob die Einleitung des siebzehnjährigen Christian zu seiner Geschichte zusammen. Christians Eltern sind in frühester Kindheit aus seinem Leben verschwunden, seitdem zeichnet er die Augen seiner Mutter, mit der Hoffnung so sehen zu können, was sie sieht und einen Blick auf die andere Seite erhaschen zu können. Und manchmal bekommt er beim Zeichnen, More...
Die ersten Sätze des Klappentextes fassen grob die Einleitung des siebzehnjährigen Christian zu seiner Geschichte zusammen. Christians Eltern sind in frühester Kindheit aus seinem Leben verschwunden, seitdem zeichnet er die Augen seiner Mutter, mit der Hoffnung so sehen zu können, was sie sieht und einen Blick auf die andere Seite erhaschen zu können. Und manchmal bekommt er beim Zeichnen, More...
Aug 27, 2010
Melissa (i swim for oceans)
rated it:
Since his parents mysteriously disappeared, Christian Cage has been living with his uncle in the sleepy town of Winter, Wisconsin. He's an outsider, an outcast, and he's labeled the weird kid because his only means for self-expression and comfort is his art. He's begun having vivid dreams though, and he finds that in these dreams, he's a boy named David, and he can slip in and out of time - learning his town has a lot of secrets, and many of them involve the Nazi occupation of Germany. As he sli
More...
Jan 13, 2012
FasterKillFastPussycat
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 30, 2011
Maureen
rated it:
I love it when a book takes me by surprise!!! This book was awesome! I could really relate to the main character and his issues with being the outsider at school. I found his dreams and fears rivetting.
This is a story about a 17 year old boy, Christian, whose parents disappeared from his life at an early age. He lives with his uncle whose wife died when when Christian was 14. One of Christians teachers died. All of these he blames himself for. Christian is an artist. When he gets lost in More...
This is a story about a 17 year old boy, Christian, whose parents disappeared from his life at an early age. He lives with his uncle whose wife died when when Christian was 14. One of Christians teachers died. All of these he blames himself for. Christian is an artist. When he gets lost in More...
Aug 14, 2010
Jane
rated it:
Christian is a talented artist with some dark shadows in his past. His ability to "draw out" memories from other people onto paper has set him apart as a loner and a freak at school. When the process gets out of his control and he begins slipping into memories from the history of his small Wisconsin town, he has to turn away from his preoccupation with his own past in order to solve a 60-year-old mystery.
This is a great YA read: dark, with a strong historical background and f More...
This is a great YA read: dark, with a strong historical background and f More...
Aug 06, 2010
Kate
rated it:
Pretty much from the moment I first saw this cover I wanted to read this book... and lucky me got the chance via Netgalley (it doesn't come out until October). Somehow the red barn looked really creepy.
Ever since his mom disappeared into the sideways place, Christian has been drawing on his walls, drawing things OUT. People in the small town of Winter, Wisconsin are leery of him since that incident with his first grade teacher... and his Aunt Jean... and now he's being blamed for pa More...
Ever since his mom disappeared into the sideways place, Christian has been drawing on his walls, drawing things OUT. People in the small town of Winter, Wisconsin are leery of him since that incident with his first grade teacher... and his Aunt Jean... and now he's being blamed for pa More...
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Jan 02, 2011
Kendra
rated it:
Hmm...this is a really crazy book, and I really liked it. I can't give it 5 stars though because the writing style is a little random and might be hard for some people to get through. The main character, Christian, is a teen boy who lives with his uncle because his mom and dad both disappeared under strange circumstances. Christian is struggling with voices in his head and mysterious images he is compelled to paint or draw while asleep or in sort of waking comas. Yes, it's weird, but it turns ou
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Aug 15, 2010
Alisha
rated it:
Draw the Dark is a fantasy young adult novel unlike anything I've ever read. No, seriously, the idea behind it was just so unique that I really couldn't help but want to get back to this book immediately. Does it really get any better than a guy (our hero) who can draw your death? Okay, so realistically I'm sure it must suck for the drawee and it definitely must suck to be the drawer since he has no idea what's going on with this power most of the time, but for us as readers, it's really pret
More...
Feb 07, 2012
Laura
rated it:
I have glorious news everybody. I'm in love! I know. It's a beautiful thing. Let me explain before my husband reads this over my shoulder and gets the wrong idea. After reading and reviewing Ashes fairly recently, I kept my eyes open for more of Ilsa J Bick's work. When I saw Draw The Dark on Audible I had to make it my own! After listening to it, I've decided that I'm in love with Bick's writing.
You all know my love for Stephen King runs deep and I think one of the things I love ab More...
You all know my love for Stephen King runs deep and I think one of the things I love ab More...
Aug 16, 2010
E.
rated it:
Christian Cage lives with his uncle, the town sheriff, since his parents disappeared when he was young. He's an outsider, picked on at school for being the weird kid. He's socially awkward and his only release is his art. He's an amazing artist, but he has a secret -- he believes his art is responsible for some of the bad things that have happened to him and his family.
Lately Christian has been having vivid dreams, so vivid that they almost seem like visions. When he sleepwalks himse More...
Lately Christian has been having vivid dreams, so vivid that they almost seem like visions. When he sleepwalks himse More...
Sep 04, 2010
Bibliotropic
rated it:
I am a ghost in a land of phantoms and remembered nightmares.
To be perfectly honest, the only reason that this book didn't get a 5-teacup rating is because of the method of narration toward the beginning of the story. It was written as people talk, complete with an overuse of "well," "like," and an ellipsis ended every third sentence. That thankfully ended after the first chapter or so, but while it was there, it was bordering on painful to read.
The re More...
To be perfectly honest, the only reason that this book didn't get a 5-teacup rating is because of the method of narration toward the beginning of the story. It was written as people talk, complete with an overuse of "well," "like," and an ellipsis ended every third sentence. That thankfully ended after the first chapter or so, but while it was there, it was bordering on painful to read.
The re More...
Sep 06, 2010
Ziaria
rated it:
I loved this book. In fact I enjoyed it so much, I'm not sure how to even put into words why.
Draw the Dark starts off slow and it pulls you in, steadily weaving the story. Wrapping itself like vines around you and not letting go until the very last page. It has a very realistic feel yet there's some fantasy included as well. It's hard for me to explain really, mostly because I'm not sure how it all fit together so seamlessly.
I found myself liking Christian immediately and fee More...
Draw the Dark starts off slow and it pulls you in, steadily weaving the story. Wrapping itself like vines around you and not letting go until the very last page. It has a very realistic feel yet there's some fantasy included as well. It's hard for me to explain really, mostly because I'm not sure how it all fit together so seamlessly.
I found myself liking Christian immediately and fee More...
Oct 14, 2011
Nicole
rated it:
I had a couple of false starts with Draw the Dark. I'd pick it up, start reading, and get distracted by something else. A few days later I'd repeat the process. I began to worry the book wasn't for me.
While admittedly it took me a while to get into the novel (I guesstimate I didn't really start getting interested until about halfway through), I enjoyed the climax and ending. In fact, the ending is exactly the kind of ending I appreciate -- a little ambivalent and open-ended. I also enj More...
While admittedly it took me a while to get into the novel (I guesstimate I didn't really start getting interested until about halfway through), I enjoyed the climax and ending. In fact, the ending is exactly the kind of ending I appreciate -- a little ambivalent and open-ended. I also enj More...
Nov 07, 2011
Karolinde (Kari)
rated it:
It's very hard to describe my feelings about this book. It did give me the heebie jeebies at times and I really shouldn't have stayed up to read it. Having said that, I enjoyed the writing style and the main character. Christian was real in many ways and I liked that he got told that part of his popularity problem was really his own fault.
The supernatural mystery was intriguing and didn't turn out quite the way I expected, except for the identity of one of the bad guys posterity More...
The supernatural mystery was intriguing and didn't turn out quite the way I expected, except for the identity of one of the bad guys posterity More...
Aug 19, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
Mystery/horror/historical fiction. Set in Wisconsin, flashbacks to a murder mystery during WWII. A modern teen can draw stuff, the past, his missing mother, other’s memories. Interesting premise, for the most part well executed. They mystery is compelling, the murder gruesome, the contemporary teen angst believable and the main teens and adult characters are nuanced and not stock. All this plus Nazi’s! Good for all teens who like mystery, and any adults who like teen novels. A few moments of roc
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Apr 20, 2011
Pam
rated it:
I love finding wonderful new authors, especially when they hail from WISCONSIN!!!
Set in Winter, Wisconsin, Draw the Dark tells the story of a 17 year old orphaned misfit who suffers from terrible dreams. Now he suspects that his dreams are not foretelling terrible events, but actually causing the tragedies. This novel of psychological suspense links the present with a World War II mystery concerning German war prisoners held in a camp close to Winter. History buffs, mystery buffs, More...
Set in Winter, Wisconsin, Draw the Dark tells the story of a 17 year old orphaned misfit who suffers from terrible dreams. Now he suspects that his dreams are not foretelling terrible events, but actually causing the tragedies. This novel of psychological suspense links the present with a World War II mystery concerning German war prisoners held in a camp close to Winter. History buffs, mystery buffs, More...
Aug 16, 2011
Vick
rated it:
Good book. Didn't like the ending much. Maybe there will be a sequel to clear it all up..or maybe you're to wonder where the hell he went. Other then that it was well plotted, good charactered, and different from the usual handsome/super-awesome-spectacular supernatural dude and the boring chick/wood plank who are in loves forever..
I typed up a review twice before only to have it baweeted.(cause I'm an idiot who can't hit the save button) So I am grumpy and don't want to do it again, More...
I typed up a review twice before only to have it baweeted.(cause I'm an idiot who can't hit the save button) So I am grumpy and don't want to do it again, More...
Feb 03, 2012
Rhiannon
rated it: 
After finishing up Ashes I was at a loss, I wanted more. You know how it is sometimes; it makes picking up the next book a bit harder. However, I had Draw the Dark in my BEA pile and since it was Ilsa's book prior to Ashes it was the closest I was going to come, not more Ashes but more Ilsa Bick.
From Goodreads:
"The things I draw: They tend to die."
There are things the people of Winter, Wisconsin, would rather forget. The year the Nazis came to town, for on More...
From Goodreads:
"The things I draw: They tend to die."
There are things the people of Winter, Wisconsin, would rather forget. The year the Nazis came to town, for on More...
Nov 12, 2011
Mti Librarian
rated it:
Nice creepy book! I had a bit of trouble getting into this book, it doesn't really pick up until after page 50. The first bit of this book makes you think paranormal, but I'd relate it more to Chronicles of Narnia. Not overtly religious, which I prefer, it is all between the lines. The author, Ilsa Bick, is a child psychiatrist and you can tell. I enjoyed the background and analysing, I'm not sure if this would turn off teens. There's also so much cramed into this book, multiple intertwini
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May 26, 2011
Angelina
rated it:
I loved this book. It was a supernatural, history mystery. The characters are engaging. The story stays tense without being melodramatic and the plot resolution wraps up loose ends nicely while still allowing the readers imagination to fill in the blanks. I learned some things I didn't know about past, foreign prisoners of war on American soil. I love it when a book teaches me something new, while also telling a great story.
The ending also lends itself to a sequel. One can only h More...
The ending also lends itself to a sequel. One can only h More...
