P.A. Woodburn's "Cries in the Dark" is the story of Alex Buchanan, a researcher who winds up as an initially reluctant animal activist. Following a bicycle accident that leaves her comatose for a time, Alex awakens with the ability to communicate telepathically with animals. There were some inconsistencies throughout the book; for example, at one point Alex finds herself no longer able to eat meat because she feels the sensations of the dead animal and can "see" their experiences in the slaughterhouse. Yet, at another point in the story, she cannot feel or "see" anything from a dead animal's body part.There were also some confusing time/location transitions, such as when Alex is loading a pistol at a range and suddenly (in the very next paragraph) reading something in her living room.The ending was also rather unfortunately abrupt; I kept thinking, "But there has to be more," because it was so sudden. It felt a little rushed.All in all, I think this was a fine effort -- despite the complaints I had along the way. I found myself moved by the characters and their plights, and really wanted to know more about them. To me, that is the mark of some good storytelling.
