A terrifying nail-biting thriller from the Queen of Plot Twists!Marie-Therese is about to take in another child in foster care. But Edwina is no ordinary girl as Marie-Therese is about to discover. Stories of death and destruction follow her trail and soon events in the small Danish town will take a decidedly macabre turn on one horrifying and endless night.
EDWINA is a spinoff from the third book in Willow Rose's Rebekka Franck Series Five, Six...Grab Your Crucifix, but can be read separately.
Willow Rose is a multi-million-copy best-selling Author and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 100 novels.
Several of her books have reached the top 10 of ALL books on Amazon in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three million books all over the world.
She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.
Willow's books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won't see coming. That's why her fans call her The Queen of Scream.
Willow lives on Florida's Space Coast. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Can't remember how this one came to be in my eReader, but since I left the book I was reading in the office i gave it a go. Sometimes that really pays off and you find yourself with a new and unexpected favorite. This was not one of these times, because the writing in this one was a bit like listening to finger nails against a black board while chewing aluminum foil. Now, I don't have a clue about how to write a really good story, but I do have an Idea of what to avoid - and much should have been avoided here. In an effort to provide the reader with background and additional information without actually writing about these, the dialogue is shock-full of ludicrous questions, ranting explanations, inappropriate comments and general improbabilities. The rest of the narrative reads like written by a talented but impatient 12-year-old.
Not for the faint of heart, was the impression I got from reading the blurb at the back of the book. Since I am very much faint of heart, it was with much trepidation that I began to read this book.
There was so much potential to scare the reader. As a device, the possessed child frightens people like few other elements can. But Willow Rose seemed to want to tell a larger story about the neighbourhood than the one the title gave us to understand.
There were so many things that this book got wrong. There were moments that were really scary, especially when the book talked about Edwina, and particularly from the viewpoint of Marie-Therese and Ida. But the scary parts were few and far between.
The book was all over the place. For a book called Edwina, there wasn’t so much about Edwina. So all the effect that Willow Rose achieved was undone. There were far too many chapters devoted to the neighbours.
At some point, the book shifted into fantasy mode; the girl being tormented by the big rats made sense in a horror story but the unicorn that rescues her made absolutely no sense to me. If there was some symbolism there, something rooted in Danish culture, it totally eluded me.
The Sisters of Pain back story to Emma’s life, the fact that Paul had been deserted by his mother while still a child, Thomas’ so-called affair with a one-time colleague, all of these had no place in a horror novel, unless they had also had an interaction with Edwina.
As the titutar, eponymous heroine, Edwina was badly shortchanged, with everyone else trying, and being, central to the story.
The only part that had potential was the subplot of the shadow of her mother’s fundamental religiosity under which Marie-Therese had belaboured all her life, and how she finds herself turning into her mother, but that element was not pursued.
There should have been some amount of closure, even if the book was meant to be a part of a series. The conclusion was no conclusion at all; I do not appreciate being made to read an incomplete book, under the guise of it being a part of a series. By all means, spin off into newer books, but let each one have a beginning, a middle and an end.
So, after reading Willow Rose's 'To Hell In A Handbasket' and loving it, I took a listen with this one.....what a huge difference this one was! So, this story started out great with Edwina being taken into foster care because after being orphaned by her mother dying of Cancer due to radiation poisoning from the Chernobyl accident, and being so terribly deformed. What secrets does this 6 year old, and glow in the dark green eyed little demon keep inside her 'grunting and weird little self'? You soon get hooked into this tale of this creepy little girl who LOVES to masturbate wildly in front of other kids at the foster home, that you think, what the hell am I reading and where is this going? Well it goes to the darkest of darkness in a tale of demonic possession, that takes place in a small Danish town where nothing or nobody is safe from Edwina.
As this story gets darker and darker, and which is a good thing, it all of a sudden goes bat shit crazy with an ending that ruined the entire book. Yes, without ruining anything.....it involves an exorcism.....and ready for this; a UNICORN!!
This book wasn't terrible. It was a great concept, it just felt rushed. It was really creepy in places and held my interest enough to finish it, but the writing was all over the place. I found myself not really following the story as it was confusing at times. I know this is part of a series, but it was marketed as a stand alone story. Although I'm thinking that I probably would have understood it better if I read the other books. It was definitely creepy and suspenseful, but it just didn't deliver.
This book was grueling. It was a series of (mostly) bad people having bad things happen to them, and there wasn't a character I could really root for. The title character really doesn't feature in the story much, and we spend too much time with different, uninteresting characters. But the writing was clean and while this particular story was a pass for me, I'm happy to try more by the author. I also loved that the author's daughter posed for the book cover.
Is this supposed to be a book for young adults? Seems like it or that it was written by one. Oddly phrased sentences and grammatical errors aside, this book was maybe a 2.5 until the last 6 or 7 chapters and then I just couldn't wait to finish. Terrible, just terrible.
There is a difference between horror and shock-effect/gore, and I found this to be mostly the latter. It was just crude and gross more than scary or suspenseful, and there was only 1 decent character in the whole book who ended upcoming across as mentally insane. I just couldn't get into it, but at least it was a quick read.
Absolutely brilliant story about like the exorcist. A old spinster takes in foster children after her mother dies. But there is something strange about Edwina from the lump on her head to her piercing green eyes.2 This author weaves a tense edge of the seat story definitely recommend
This is an excellent horror story. There are many things people fear, fire which is part of this story, rats yuck they are a big part of the horror in this book. I have a lot of books by Willow Rose, I must say I am a fan, her writing is to die for,lol. Edwina is a girl who is disfigured, unwanted, unloved, and tossed from foster home to foster home, and sometimes at the state ran shelter in between homes. She also seems to have a demon living inside of her, who controls her every thought and move. This story can stand lone but if you want more it continues in Five Six Grab Your Crucifix. Note: This story is not for young readers, since it touches subjects like masterbation , child abuse as punishment, and has a lot of gore. It is however acceptable reading for those 13 and up, I read stories as a teen with gore and sexual content and it didn't have an ill effect.
From the one and two star ratings you'd think this book is nothing but torture and sexual content involving a child.
Tiny tiny spoiler: The kid literally touches herself twice to freak out the lady who took her in.
Slightly bigger spoiler? I have a feeling that people didn't like that a "Priest" was horrid and didn't fix anything
All in all a good demonic possession book. And it doesn't end all bad for everyone, despite what the low reviews would have you believe. No one gets out unscathed but there's strength and nobility in some that is quite heartwarming.
What a book this is! I read it non stop from beginning to end. Very scary and not for the faint of heart. The book sucks you in. Willow Rose creates fascinating characters. They are easy to feel like you wish you could help. I definitely will read more of her novels but will have to calm down some and get the laundry done before another book of Willow Rose's.
I have read better from this author this was more of a horror story and again an in-depth excerpt of another one of her books which I might read later on so I don't want to start reading an excerpt now which means I've got to finish it or start at the beginning when I do read it. Quite naughty really as you don't know how long the actual book is which I can tell you is very short.
Always hate to give Willow Rose only 3 stars, because I love most of her books. I'm not really into paranormal but still enjoyed a lot of the story. What I could not enjoy is the brutal deaths with the suffering detailed. Edwina is a girl who's been in and out of foster homes, because bad things always happened wherever she went. The present is no exception, as those in and close to her foster home are experiencing strange and usually tragic deaths.
I'm going to go find a nice sunny spot after finishing this book. Willow Rose really knows how to make a horror utterly terrifying. Edwina is a little girl surrounded by bad circumstances......our so her social worker thinks. But it all starts again when she is placed with a new foster family. This book is creepy as hell
Trust me when I say this is one twisted and creepy book. If you don't have the stomach for it don't start it because it's not for the weak that's for sure. Still gives me the shivers and shakes from reading it. There is another book started in the back of this one but after reading EDWINA I just don't think I could try handling another book like this at least for now so I left it there.
This book had some really great, scary scenes. But then it also was just all over the place! It got so bad once, that I started to just stop reading. Then it got my attention again... but then a unicorn??? (I do get where it ties in) but a unicorn??? I'll give 3 stars for the good parts.
I have loved Willow Rose's books thus far but this one really was too disturbing for me. It's unusual for me to not finish a book, I will usually push my way through just to finish what I started but I can't do it with this one. Sorry Willow.
I really enjoyed Willow Rose for a while but lately I have been finding her books to be rushed and not very well written. This one is a prime example. I was disappointed and will not be reading any more Willow Rose books.
Willow Rose writes interesting stories and Edwina, although full of grotesque descriptions, is a good story. Her genre is horror. Grotesque, horrible, weird, and gross descriptions are what the genre is all about. I will write positive things about the story but there is one thing about this Kindle edition of Edwina that I find extremely annoying, almost to the point that I do not want to read further things by the author. It is a structural thing.
Edwina is listed on Amazon as a 322-page novel. It sells for USD 3.99 but is a free read through Kindle Unlimited. I read it for free and would have tried to get a refund if I had paid the full purchase price. The story is over at the 61% point. Advertising for other books by the author begins at the 63% point. If I had paid full price for the 322-page novel, I would have ended my reading experience on approximately page 195. After that, everything is advertising, samples, and selected chapters from other stories. The term “rip off” comes to mind. So much for the rant. On to the story.
Line Petersen is a social worker with responsibility for placing children into foster homes. Edwina was considered a special case and Line was careful to ensure that Marie-Therese understood Edwina’s status. Line was no novice at this; she handled many special cases. As she would later remark in one of the memorable lines from this novel “a one-eyed thirteen-year-old who spoke to imaginary unicorns was harder to sell.” (Kindle locations 2065-2066). Edwina, however, was special in different ways.
Edwina would be the third foster care child Marie-Therese took in. She just loved to help children. Also, this third child with a two thousand dollar per month government stipend would allow Marie-Therese to quit the nursing job she didn’t like and stay home to provide quality care to the children. She was able to overlook the disfiguring lump on Edwina’s face and the strange looks from the girl’s glaring and glowing green eyes. Edwina made sounds more than she spoke; she could speak but chose to make sounds. Doctors had examined Edwina for the physical deformity as well as a speech problem but all had given up and ascribed all of Edwina’s problems to Chernobyl, a place where Edwina had lived with her birth mom. Mom and Dad were dead and Edwina had moved through a series of unsuccessful foster care assignments. Social workers made sure Marie-Therese knew all the facts. She did, she accepted all conditions and was ready to help.
Marie-Therese returned home with Edwina and introduced her to the other two foster care children. Ida was cooking, as she usually was. Marie was lucky to have such a talented foster care child who could do all the cooking, shopping, and household chores. Edwina had her own room which she stayed in most of the time. Because Marie had locked the door. After a couple of neighborhood incidents, there was a growing feeling that bad things happened when Edwina was around. Edwina probably had nothing to do with the neighbor girl, Linda, who had fallen to her death from a treehouse. Probably. And she couldn’t have had anything to do with Thomas, the neighbor next door and Linda’s father who had grown mysteriously ill and spent much time in the hospital almost to the point of dying. After Linda’s death, he had gotten better and returned home. Doctors were not sure what had caused his illness. Marie-Therese didn’t blame Edwina for these things. She just kept the door to Edwina’s room locked.
During periods of contemplation, while watching soap operas, a time while Ida was cooking, cleaning, and running household errands, Marie decided that increased praying and renewed church attendance would solve Edwina’s problems and make her a more social person. Even if Edwina didn’t go to church, Marie-Therese would go and pray for Edwina. Marie would discuss her situation and get guidance from other Godly people. Two of the parishioners, the elderly Bering twins, recognized the evil that was Edwina. According to the twins, either Edwina would end up destroying the town or The Priest would do battle with evil and save them all.
If you are a fan of horror, this is fun to read. If you are not a fan, you should not read it and then complain about how horrible some events and descriptions are. I have never understood the inability of many to close a book, change a channel, or turn off a television. I gave this story four Amazon stars despite my irritation with its structure. And because I was able to read it for free.
This is a chilling horror story to keep you from sleeping. Chose a quiet, good time of day to be swept away by the Queen of Scream. As she says, this short story is not for the fainthearted. In Denmark in 1992, Marie-Therese is taking in another child to foster care. But Edwina is not your ordinary girl. Edwina is small for a six-year old. Her birth in Ukraine was just after the nuclear explosion at Chernobyl. At night, the neighbor, Thomas, was returning to bed. He looked out the window and started screaming!! His nightmares of his youth have returned. Wow, this story leads to chaos for the entire community. It's a story not to be forgotten ... just don't let it be your nightmares. Enjoy this horror story, but I hope you still have warm and cozy dreams!
You talk about blood & guts 😈This was a biggy,🤣Yes Willow keeps your attention in this one. I had a terrible time trying to get it to open on Kindle Fire.Reloaded it at least 3 times. Was desperate to try to finish it. Good luck you guys’ it was a pain ———!! Finally finished on my phone. Telling you this so you don’t give up it was worth not giving up to get to read to the end.Bet you was awake a few nights doing this one huh Willow? That puppy of yours would be a good night time partner writing this one for sure🐶. Beautiful dog 🐩 by the way. Stay with it guys it’s worth it. You’ll be blown away at the ending. I sure was. Would recommend to anyone who likes “bugger books”haha love ‘em , keep ‘em coming better than murder any day.😈👻👺👹🐀🐲 “Chain Letter “ coming up, I am up to your challenge!!! Tweety 🦜🦜
This is yet another by Willow Rose. It is part horror and part thriller. It is scary! I enjoyed it but as is so often the case with Willow's books I wasn't too happy with the ending. I want to know what happens to Edwina next but of course that is another book. I guess it is done deliberatly in the hope that you will buy the next one. The book like many of Willow's books isn't too long and personally I would prefer for the complete story to be in one longer book. Still very good though and scary!
************
Marie-Therese is about to take in another child in foster care. But Edwina is no ordinary girl as Marie-Therese is about to discover. Stories of death and destruction follow her trail and soon events in the small Danish town will take a decidedly macabre turn on one horrifying and endless night.
This is a story of a little girl who is moved into a new foster home. From the moment she arrives tragedy begins to consume the town. Is she possessed by some evil bent on distruction? I didn't know at the time that this was a spin off novel of the Rebekka Franck series by Willow Rose. Its kind of 3.5 in the series, and I haven't read the series, although I have it. Can be read as a stand alone, but I found myself wishing I had read the others first. This is a very tragic story. It would be easy to find villians in most books, but in this one, no one is, even the little girl, Edwina. Reminded me of Stephen King's The Outsider a little bit, as the destruction caused by this evil is only content with absolute devastation. It is a book that will stay with you long after you finish it.