Review: "Everything The Darkness Eats" by Eric Larocca, 2023

Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca, 2023
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eric LaRocca's "Everything the Darkness Eats" is a novel that masterfully intertwines the cosmic and the personal, creating a haunting narrative set in the deceptive tranquility of Henley’s Edge. LaRocca crafts a story that not only delves deep into the human psyche but also explores the profound impact of otherness in a world marred by bigotry and homophobia.

At the heart of the narrative are two compelling, interwoven stories. First, we have Ghost Everling, a grieving widower grappling with the loss of his wife and unborn child. Ghost’s journey is a poignant exploration of grief and the supernatural, as he encounters the enigmatic Heart Crowley. Crowley's introduction into Ghost's life opens up a pathway to understanding the town's dark secrets, including the unsettling disappearances that plague Henley’s Edge. Ghost’s story is beautifully written, capturing the essence of loss and the desperation to find meaning in the inexplicable.

Parallel to Ghost's narrative is the story of Nadeem Malik, a gay police officer, and his husband Brett. Their experiences in Henley’s Edge are a stark depiction of the violence and prejudice faced by LGBTQ individuals. LaRocca doesn’t shy away from portraying the brutal realities of homophobia, making their story a powerful commentary on the societal challenges the queer community faces. Despite the darkness they encounter, Nadeem and Brett's love and resilience shine through, offering a beacon of hope amidst the despair.

LaRocca’s prose is both elegant and accessible, weaving these two narratives together with a skill that keeps the reader engaged and invested. The author’s ability to portray complex emotions and the subtleties of human (and inhuman) interactions is exceptional.

As the stories of Ghost and Nadeem converge, LaRocca masterfully brings together the themes of loss, otherness, and the fight against pervasive evil. The climax is not only a resolution of the novel's mysteries but also a profound statement on the endurance of the human spirit against overwhelming odds.

"Everything the Darkness Eats" is reflection on the human condition, the pain of loss, and the relentless struggle against societal evils. It’s a testament to LaRocca's skill as a storyteller and his ability to craft narratives that are as thought-provoking as they are moving. This book is a fantastic horro-read for anyone who appreciates emotionally resonant storytelling, especially those interested in LGBTQ themes and the exploration of grief and otherness in modern society.

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Review: "The Night House" by Jo Nesb0, 2023

The Night House by Jo Nesbø, 2023
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jo Nesbø's foray into the domain of horror with "The Night House" marks a daring pivot from his famed crime-thriller series featuring Inspector Harry Hole. Notably known for his multi-faceted career, including his roles as a rock band vocalist and children's book author, Nesbø's latest release cements his status as a maverick in genre-bending narratives.

"The Night House" is artistically split into three distinct parts, each unraveling with increasing

complexity and depth. The initial section sends readers spiraling into the 1980s, where nostalgia interweaves with a young adult (YA) horror vibe. Here, we meet Richard Elauved, a fourteen-year-old whose life in Ballentyne morphs into a living nightmare as his acquaintances begin disappearing under bizarre and terrifying circumstances. The narrative in this part, reminiscent of a Lovecraftian tale gone awry, unfolds through the eyes of Richard, whose unlikable persona as the school bully makes him a suspect and, paradoxically, a victim of the hauntingly mysterious events. This section has been likened to the dark, eerie undertones of "Stranger Things," albeit through a lens that seems to simplify the complexities of the supernatural.

The second part of the book is a paradigm shift, a jolt that catapults the reader fifteen years forward, where Nesbø masterfully executes a twist that reshapes the entire storyline. This revelation is not entirely unprecedented in horror literature, but in Nesbø's hands, it becomes a fresh and captivating narrative device that enhances the suspense.

In the third and final segment, Nesbø delivers yet another volte-face, plunging the narrative into an even more profound psychological maze. It's a testament to his ingenuity, drawing comparisons to the likes of Catriona Ward in crafting mind-bending turns that leave readers questioning their grasp on the plot's reality.

Throughout the novel, Nesbø teases the reader, embedding clues and foreshadowing that might seem heavy-handed in retrospect but are easily overlooked during the first encounter with the story. Literary and cinematic references abound, providing a tapestry of cultural touchstones that enrich the reading experience.

"The Night House" steps beyond what you might expect from a typical horror story. Instead of just scary

moments, it gives us a deep dive into the main character's personal struggles and his journey to figure out who he is, all while spooky, supernatural things happen around him. Jo Nesbø's writing may be different from the usual horror fare and not as dark as his detective stories, therefore comes across as intended for YA. The book invites readers on a unique and creepy adventure that really gets into the mind of the hero/anti-hero.

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Review: Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle, 2023

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Chuck Tingle's "Camp Damascus" invites readers into a world where the absurd intertwines with the horrific, crafting a narrative that is as darkly humorous as it is chillingly reflective of real-world traumas within the LGBTQIA+ community. The story, set against the eerie backdrop of Neverton and the sinister Kingdom of the Pine sect, unfolds through the eyes of Rose, whose journey through supernatural horrors and self-discovery forms the crux of this unique tale.

The plot twists managed to hold my interest, weaving through unexpected turns and revealing secrets that kept me on the edge of my seat. However, the climactic reveal, while undoubtedly fantastical, teetered on the brink of being too absurd for my taste. I found myself wishing for either a dash more of Tingle’s renowned absurdity to tip the scales towards a humorously surreal ending or a slightly more grounded resolution.

As someone with friends who have endured the real-life horrors of religious gay conversion camps, the
LGBTQIA+ themes within "Camp Damascus" resonated. The supernatural horrors experienced by Rose mirror the tangible nightmares endured by many, providing a poignant, albeit fantastical, reflection of such experiences. The question that lingered for me was whether the supernatural lens amplified the emotional impact.

Tingle’s writing, with its dark humor and easy-to-digest prose, manages to guide readers through a story that, while embedded in dark and serious themes, occasionally lightens the atmosphere with playful nudges of absurdity. The blend of dark themes and humor created a unique tone.

In conclusion, "Camp Damascus" offers a thought-provoking and uniquely engaging reading experience, even if it doesn’t, for me, fully hit the mark in balancing its absurdity and horror. It reflects poignant themes through a lens that is distinctly Tingle’s own, providing a narrative that is both a mirror and a window into the traumas and supernatural horrors within its pages.

A Twist Too Far, Or Not Far Enough?

The plot, with its unexpected twists and turns, manages to keep readers on their toes, navigating through the eerie town of Neverton and the sinister undertones of the Kingdom of the Pine sect. However, the climactic reveal, which catapults the narrative into realms of the fantastical and absurd, may leave readers perched on a precipice of disbelief. For some, the extremity of the absurdity might teeter towards humor, while for others, it may fall short of achieving a comedic or satirical impact. Could a dash more of Tingle’s renowned absurdity have tipped the scales towards a more humorously surreal ending?

Anchoring Fiction to Reality

The LGBTQIA+ themes embedded within "Camp Damascus" resonate on a deeply personal level, especially for those familiar with the tangible horrors of religious gay conversion camps. The

supernatural horrors experienced by Rose, the protagonist, mirror the real-life nightmares endured by many within the queer community, providing a poignant anchor to the otherwise fantastical elements of the story. Does the supernatural lens through which these themes are explored amplify the emotional impact, or does it risk diluting the stark reality of such experiences?

A Darkly Humorous Narrative

Tingle’s writing, with its undercurrents of dark humor, oscillates between subtlety and blatancy, crafting a narrative that is as engaging as it is easy to digest. The flow of the prose guides readers through a story that, while embedded in dark and serious themes, occasionally winks at the audience with its playful nudges of absurdity. How does this blend of dark themes and humor impact the overall tone of the book, and does it enhance or undermine the gravity of the issues being explored?

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Review: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay, 2018

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay, 2018
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Review: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay, 2018

I rate this book 1 out of 5 stars.

"They expect us to believe that Wen's death isn't a good enough sacrifice for their god," says Andrew. "So you know what? Fuck them and their god." 

A Frustrating and Aggravating Read: Ambiguity Overload. "The Cabin at the End of the World" left me feeling frustrated and aggravated throughout my reading experience. The characters' reasoning and actions often seemed irrational when simpler and more straightforward choices were available. This lack of sensibility made it challenging to connect with the story and its progression, even considering the possibility of supernatural influences on their decisions.

However, there were a few redeeming qualities in the novel. The portrayal of the family unit, consisting of two men and their adopted daughter, added an element of relatability, particularly in terms of the LGBT aspect. 

I understand that the author probably intentionally used ambiguity to create tension and that without all the irrational, aggravating actions and ways the characters behaved, there probably wouldn't be a draw to read the book. However, the use of ambiguity at every single plot point is just too much for me. This approach might be okay for others, but it was not enjoyable for me. At several points, I found myself wanting to slam the book shut or throw it across the room.

While "The Cabin at the End of the World" has its moments, my overall experience was marred by aggravation and frustration due to the excessive use of ambiguity to create tension. The characters' irrational actions and the book's pacing made it a #HateRead for me, even with the potential for supernatural influences on their decisions.

I rate this book 1 out of 5 stars.

#TheCabinAtTheEndOfTheWorld #PaulTremblay #BookReview #FrustratingRead #AmbiguityOverload #SupernaturalInfluences #LGBTRepresentation #HorrorNovel #PsychologicalThriller #Horror #fiction #Thriller #Suspense #LGBT #PsychologicalHorror #HATEREAD

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get it here or here

Review: Woom by Duncan Ralston, 2016

Woom by Duncan Ralston, 2016
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you're looking for a horror novel that will take you to some very dark places, "Woom" by Duncan Ralston is definitely worth checking out. The book follows the story of Colin, a man with a troubled past who becomes obsessed with a cult-like organization called the Woom. Along the way, he hires a prostitute named Kiera and becomes involved with her, while his girlfriend Veronica tries to save him from the dangerous path he's on.

As Colin delves deeper into the world of the Woom, he discovers that their practices are far more sinister than he initially thought. The Woom claims to offer a unique and life-changing experience to its members, but Colin soon realizes that the reality is much more gruesome and twisted.

The writing is graphic and visceral, with a no-holds-barred approach to body horror and sexual violence that is not for the faint of heart. Readers who can handle the graphic descriptions will find "Woom" to be a gripping and unsettling read.

The characters in "Woom" are complex and flawed, with Colin's obsession driving much of the plot. Kiera, the prostitute that Colin hires, also plays a significant role in the story, with her own motivations and secrets that are slowly revealed over the course of the book. Veronica, Colin's girlfriend, is a sympathetic character who tries to help Colin but ultimately becomes caught up in his dangerous obsession.

Overall, "Woom" is a well-crafted and disturbing horror novel that will leave a lasting impression on readers. Just be warned, the graphic descriptions of body horror and sexual violence are not for everyone. For those who can handle it, "Woom" is an enjoyable read in a train-wreck kind of way, with a twisted plot and complex characters that will keep you turning the pages.

I rate the novel 4.75 out of 5 stars.

#BizarroFiction #Horror #Fiction #SexualHorror #Cults #ExtremeHorror #MessedUp

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Review: Yellow Jessamine, by Caitlin Starling, 2020

Yellow Jessamine by Caitlin Starling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yellow Jessamine, by Caitlin Starling, 2020

Yellow Jessamine is a fantasy horror novella with sapphic undertones that started strong. The atmospheric details, creepy vibes, and strong plot teased for a fantastic ending but ended up venturing into the "left field."

I enjoyed this intense novella-- filled with fierce lesbians, poisonous herbal gardens, and a mysterious creepy sickness; it's a have-to-read book.

I rate this novella 4.25 out of 5 stars.

"Evelyn Perdanu is a shipping magnate, the only living survivor of her family. She walks the city veiled and hidden away from the eyes of those around her. Her country is slowly dying, rotting away like food left out to spoil. Arriving from her last voyage, she discovers that a plague has visited her city, which is traced back to her crew. They act erratically and slip into catatonia. She begins to investigate the plague as much for the city's sake and those in it as for her own company and family name. What she finds is complicated and horrific." -- from the book jacket

#YellowJessamine #CaitlinStarling #LGBTQ

 

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Review: Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca, 2021

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, by Eric LaRocca, 2021

Agnes and Zoe develop a relationship over the internet circa the 2000s. The story is told in a series of emails and chatroom messages. What starts as a wholesome exchange of negotiations for an antique apple peeler between two women becomes a story about obsession, loneliness, sadomasochism, control, and delicious body horror.

I was gripped from page one by this uniquely bizarre love story. Though at times I was giddy with the squeamishness I knew was coming, I still squealed with guilty pleasure as the author unfolded gory details. The level of absurdity was just right enough for me to stomach the depraved activities.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

#ThingsHaveGottenWorseSinceWeLastSpoke #EricLaRocca #BizarroFiction #LGBTQIA #Horror #HorrorLit

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Review: The Rats by James Herbert, 1974

The Rats by James Herbert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

During the 1970s, London became infested with rats that began to prey on the human population while Harris, our hero, raced against time to stop the vermins.

What a great start. Within a few pages, I was hooked by people with sordid lives getting ravenously eaten or mutilated by mutant rats. Ladies of the night and their Johns, unattended babies and their canine companions, lovers and their "young" object of affection-- no one is safe. The level of gruesome and gore was pretty tough to outdo at every rat-feasting event; when the author failed to amp it up, the scene came across as comical and camp. 

This horror classic is simple, direct, and full of action-packed graphic mutilations. The Rats may have had sharp "teeth of horror" at the time of its writing, but its edges have dulled as the novel aged.

I rate the book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

#TheRats #JamesHerbert #ClassicHorror #Horror #Fiction

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Review: I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, by Harlan Ellison, 1967

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, by Harlan Ellison, 1967

First published in 1967 and won a Hugo Award in 1968,  "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" is a post-apocalyptic science fiction horror story. A mad maniacal supercomputer AI has a hand in being a cruel, relentless, misanthropic god. 

The story follows a group of five people, the last survivors of an apocalypse brought on by a sadistic and god-like AI. The survivors are tortured repeatedly in ever-increasing cruel ways over the years while they struggle and look for ways to escape.

Short, diabolically creative, and hopelessly horrific, I rate this story 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The following is a link if you would like to read this short story:

https://wjccschools.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/01/I-Have-No-Mouth-But-I-Must-Scream-by-Harlan-Ellison.pdf

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Review: A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay, 2015

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay, 2015

The Barret family from Massachusetts comes under financial and emotional strain when their fourteen-year-old daughter, Marjorie, exhibits signs of severe mental illness or demonic possession. They decide to allow a production company to film and air the events in their household as a reality tv show.

Roshomon in full effect! Without a doubt, the author intended for us never to know the truth of what happened the night of the central premise the novel is written around. We get three perspectives from the same narrator, all unreliable; when she was eight (8) years old, then as an adult after the trauma had been processed, and from her alter-ego blogger persona. I feel that the blogger persona "breaking the fourth wall" can be distracting, but in this case, it was not only necessary to achieve the Roshomon effect but was done pretty well. It was "Meta" just enough.

It took me a couple of false starts to get going with the book, but once I got about a quarter of the way in, I could not stop. I looked up, and several hours had passed, and it was past midnight when I reached the story's climax. While the book isn't much of a horror, I got goosebumps and frights at the climax and the final twist at the end. 

Typically not the type of book I would read, but I was glued and enjoyed it very much. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

#AHeadFullOfGhosts #PaulTremblay #RoshomonEffect #FourthWall

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Review: The Hole: A Novel, by Pyun Hye-young, 2017 (translated by Sora Kim-Russel)

The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Hole: A Novel, by Pyun Hye-young, 2017 (translated by Sora Kim-Russel)

A bestseller in Korea, The Hole tells the tale of the horrors of isolation and neglect. Some comparisons are made to this novel with Stephen King's novel Misery.

The Hole is a character-driven novel but has the suspense of a thriller. Oghi becomes paralyzed after a car accident that killed his wife. Without any of his own family to care for him, his mother-in-law becomes his caregiver. With Oghi as the driver of the car crash, he questions his mother-in-law's motives and does not trust her.

With only the ability to blink as his form of communication, Oghi struggles and panics through everyday banalities. With the only view out of his window being his mother-in-law digging a huge hole, Oghi searches for a way to escape.

I rate this book 3.75 stars our of 5.

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"NOS4A2", Joe Hill, 2013

"NOS4A2", Joe Hill, 2013

The book starts off with the childhood of Victoria McQueen, who can manifest a magical but startlingly detailed, corporeal bridge to any lost object she’s seeking. Hill describes her as a “strong creative,” someone whose inner world is powerful enough to affect the physical world, and he takes his time in revealing what this means, how it affects her life, and the painful price her power exacts on her. But eventually, the bridge leads her into contact with Charlie Manx, another strong creative with his own powers and a horrifying agenda. Their initial encounter sparks an enmity that extends into Vic’s adulthood, when she’s built a shaky life for herself in spite of the damage done by the profound traumas of her youth. As information revealed in her childhood suggests, she may be the only person capable of stopping Manx.

Manx is a profoundly Stephen King villain—not the simple, implacable evil of Heart-Shaped Box or the secretive mystery of Horns, but a thoroughly playful evil with an elaborate philosophy, a fondness for chattering about it, and a gleeful, almost childish personality. He comes across as a blend of It’s Pennywise and Needful Things’ Leland Gaunt, with some Randall Flagg thrown in. (The book’s title comes from the vanity plate on his powerful, malicious car, which recalls the title character of King’s Christine; in a typical bit of whimsy, Manx acquired the plate to echo the words of someone who pointed out that he’s akin to a vampire.) Vic is a King-esque protagonist, characterized in a flurry of tiny, closely realized details and a strong personality, and disintegrating from her own internal stresses even as she’s fighting her external battles. And the other point-of-view characters, including Vic’s overweight, good-hearted, nerdy husband and her valiant young son, echo familiar King types as well.

But none of the familiarity in any way gets in the way of NOS4A2’s profoundly satisfying narrative. At his best, King has always been about grounding fantasy and horror in a level of detail that makes it feel real. Hill accomplishes the same thing here. He dives deep into his characters and his startling imaginary world, then explores them at length. NOS4A2 is less stylish than his past novels, and more playful. It’s funnier than his previous books without letting up on the tension. The humor, particularly found in Manx and his crazed, deluded servant Bing (the Trashcan Man parallel, though there’s a good deal of Renfield in him as well), is wry and poisonous, without being casual or contrary; it ramps up the stakes when the antagonists are not just unjustly powerful and savage, but also never stop grinning mirthfully. The book’s only significant misstep is in falling back too often on mundane, toxic misogyny to instantly demonize bad guys. Compared to their unsettling humor, their sexism just seems petty and crude.

The most gratifying part of NOS4A2 is its scale: It’s a big, meaty, 700-page steak of a book that tells many distinct stories while weaving them all into a fabulous larger picture. Hill captures Vic’s internal voice at different stages of her life, making her into a series of memorable characters without losing the throughline that connects them. And for all Manx’s tonal familiarity, he’s a distinctive, mesmerizing villain. The book is imaginative to the point of mania, particularly in the outsized climactic confrontation. But it’s also warmly human in a way that again recalls King at his best. Where Heart-Shaped Box was about scares and Horns was about big, strange ideas, NOS4A2 at its heart is about people. It isn’t a King copycat or pastiche so much as an acknowledgement of all the things King does best, incorporated into an entirely new story. It’s a song played with familiar instruments, but following its own tune.

Easter eggs of every shape and color are scattered throughout the novel. Amanda Palmer gets name-dropped, as do Firefly, Batman, and Supergirl. The Keyhouse, Maxwell’s silver hammer, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, and Pennywise the Clown, among others, are there if you know where to look. But the best part of NOS4A2 aren’t the inside jokes, the deeply disturbing plot, or even his literary eloquence. The characters take a really good book and kick it into awesome. Hill has the enviable talent of creating characters that don’t just feel real but are real. Reading his books is like watching these people’s lives unfold, as if the action and plot are determined by their personalities and experiences rather than authorial dictation. You can almost see their lives outside what we see in the book. I can easily visualize Lou Carmody dropping Wayne off at school, Vic guilt-tripping her way through AA meetings, and Bing doing unspeakable things to his victims, and not because Hill describes those things but because he’s so deftly shaded out his characters. I feel like I know them in a way that goes beyond the fictional construct.

I savored and hung on every word to the very end.

My rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars) - I loved it!

"Parasite (Parasitology #1)" by Mira Grant, 2013

"Parasite (Parasitology #1)" by Mira Grant, 2013

In Parasite, Mira Grant imagines a near future in which genetically modified tapeworms are a universal health-care solution. Once implanted, the worm provides immune-system support, making its human host healthy for the duration of its life — though like any good piece of commodified progress, the worms have planned obsolescence and need to be replaced regularly.


Sal Mitchell owes her life to her parasite, which brought her out of a coma after a serious car accident. Unfortunately, her memories vanished, and her current personality is only 6 years old. She lives a life that's half lab rat and half surreal puberty, living at home, dating a doctor (though not one of hers), and relearning language and social idiosyncracies in a treading-water existence. Something's got to give — and does; people start contracting a bizarre sleepwalking sickness just as Sal starts getting cryptic messages about what she already suspects. This pandemic is no accident.

As the first of a series, Parasite often feels like groundwork: characters are dutifully introduced, horrors steadily unrolled, and ethical arguments sedately hashed out, so that even increasingly frequent zombie outbreaks can't stir up real urgency. An Everyperson can be a compelling center for a conspiracy story — but Sal's so slow on the uptake that we figure out plot twists far ahead of her. The suspense often stretches thin, and some of the most promising thematic parallels fizzle out in service of the plot. And though it's a refreshing change for a thriller heroine to have a trustworthy boyfriend, many others in the supporting cast — the awkward family, the stalwart dog, the mysterious CEO, the mysterious scientist, the quirky girl — never quite come into focus.

Parasite succeeds most in capturing the frustration and administrative dread that's part and parcel of recovering from a traumatic medical incident. Being exposed to a zombie pandemic seems less dangerous to Sal than having to undergo the subsequent poking and prodding by indifferent doctors; it's a well-grounded medical wariness that gets at the heart of what the Parasitology series is.

My rating ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5 stars) - It was ok.

"The Fold" by Peter Clines, 2015

"The Fold" by Peter Clines, 2015

Our main character Mike is one of the smartest people in the world with a sky-high IQ and perfect memory recall (photographic memory) of anything he has seen. He teaches English in a small-town high school until he gets recruited by DARPA to work with a group of scientists who developed a functioning teleportation device.  His job is to sort-of investigate the device and scientists to suss out an explanation for the oddity or strangeness of the project.

The premise appears fairly simple. The concept of teleporting is fairly ubiquitous in popular culture. However, the twist in how the device works turns this story from a mystery novel to a horror novel set with a science-fiction backdrop.

The characters are well developed and very distinct from each other in terms of personality. The dialog among them feels natural and unforced-- from casual conversations to action scenes.

As the book progressed, elements from the novel "14" by the same author appear to provide possible hints or clues as-if to suggest where the author may take the story.  While not really a necessity to read "14" prior to reading this book, I think it would be a great idea to start there. For example, towards the end of this novel (or as epilog) a brown-ish skinned woman described as Indian and a man named Nate appears to assess the "event" and ultimately recruit Mike. These were two of the main characters in the novel "14".

This book pretty much stands on it own and entertaining in it own quirky, twisty-turny kind of way. From Clive Cussler to Lovecraft's Cthulhu, this book starts fast & strong, goes for the marathon, and ends with a sprint.

My rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5 stars) - I really liked it.

http://peterclines.com/books/the-fold-hc

Book description from Amazon.com

STEP INTO THE FOLD.
IT’S PERFECTLY SAFE.

The folks in Mike Erikson's small New England town would say he's just your average, everyday guy. And that's exactly how Mike likes it. Sure, the life he's chosen isn’t much of a challenge to someone with his unique gifts, but he’s content with his quiet and peaceful existence.

That is, until an old friend presents him with an irresistible mystery, one that Mike is uniquely qualified to solve: far out in the California desert, a team of DARPA scientists has invented a device they affectionately call the Albuquerque Door. Using a cryptic computer equation and magnetic fields to “fold” dimensions, it shrinks distances so that a traveler can travel hundreds of feet with a single step.

The invention promises to make mankind’s dreams of teleportation a reality. And, the scientists insist, traveling through the Door is completely safe.

Yet the evidence is mounting that this miraculous machine isn’t quite what it seems—and that its creators are harboring a dangerous secret.

As his investigations draw him deeper into the puzzle, Mike begins to fear there’s only one answer that makes sense. And if he’s right, it may only be a matter of time before the project destroys…everything.

"I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson, 1954

"I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson, 1954

Honestly heart-wrenching and will hold you hostage in horror.

Written in 1954 but set in a post-Apocalyptic 1976 in the Inglewood area of Los Angeles-- whereby a turn of fate Robert Neville is the only living human remaining. Everyone has been afflicted by some virus that resulted from a worldwide biowarfare and spread via dust storms. The afflicted turns into a sort of "vampire."

"I Am Legend" is probably one of the first fusions of horror and science fiction. It's powerful and disturbing reworking of the vampire myth has made it a classic and enduring novel that had and will continue to have a profound impact on generations of writers and movie makers alike.

The author easily and effortlessly conveyed Robert Neville's loneliness and ennui with his harrowingly consequential states of mind and being. The heart-wrenching relationship between Neville and the dog brought tears to my eyes and profound sadness. Ruth's behavior was unexpected; her betrayal to him followed by her betrayal to her kind.

In the end, there was nothing left to be said but, "I am Legend."

I can't recommend this novel highly enough.

My rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars)  It was amazing!



From Wikipedia:
I Am Legend is a 1954 horror fiction novel by American writer Richard Matheson. It was influential in the development of the zombie genre and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease. The novel was a success and was adapted to film as The Last Man on Earth in 1964, as The Omega Man in 1971, and asI Am Legend in 2007, along with a direct-to-video 2007 production capitalizing on that film, I Am Omega. The novel was also the inspiration behind the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead.

From Goodreads.com:

Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth... but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for Neville's blood.

By day he is the hunter, stalking the undead through the ruins of civilisation. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn.

Hissers, by Ryan C. Thomas, 2011

Hissers, by Ryan C. Thomas, 2011

I know what you are wondering, so I will start by saying, "Yes, it's another <groan> zombie story."  In a sea of zombie novels out there, the only thing that sets this book apart is the main cast of characters happens to be all junior high teens kids. And as such, the story is told from their immature point of view.

In the prologue, the dialog between a general and scientist in a government lab pretty much sets up the entire story to come. While the epilogue doesn't do much except sets up the sequel.

The meat of the story contains no plot twists or surprises. It's fairly straightforward; survive while starting at location A and travelling to location B. What might some find of some interest is how the teens thought process worked and placed them in several bad situations. In essence, lack of information coupled with immaturity led them to some bad decisions.

Somewhere in zombie groans, grunts, and grabs, a teen coming of age tale was buried. It wasn't until the latter half of the book when I finally got a whiff of it.

author: Ryan C. Thomas

For me, I found it hard to relate to the point of views of the teens nor believable. A few times, I felt some inconsistencies with how, I thought, a teen behave given the predicament.

Others reviewers claimed the story to be fast-paced and full of action. I mostly disagree. With the exception of a few scenes, most of everything with importance to the plot occurred at a humdrum pace. While I get, the entire story takes place over one weekend, adding chapter opening lines that state date and time to elicit urgency and haste didn't work for  me. Instead, it had the reverse intended effect.

My rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 out of 5 stars) - I did not like it.

Ex-Patriots (Ex-Heroes #2) by Peter Clines, 2013

Ex-Patriots (Ex-Heroes #2) by Peter Clines, 2013

Ex-Patriots is the second novel in Peter Clines' Ex series and takes place two years after the first novel. This time instead of our lineup of heroes fighting Los Angeles gangsters, super-villains, and zombies, they are fighting the U.S. Military super-soldiers, super-villains, and zombies.

This installment in the series introduces us to some new characters who become welcome additions to our Ex-Heroes; Captain Freedom and the Driver join  St. George, Cerebus, Zzap, and Stealth

The story is told similarly to the way as Ex-Heroes with the "Now" and "Then" times; cleverly introducing flashback moments for showing the history of several characters and how their actions or events they lives by led up to the actual set of events in the "Now" time.

Unfortunately, a lot of the flashbacks, "Then" time, of the supersoldiers were of no interest to me. I didn't see the importance of the backstory or history of a super-soldier that was a secondary character in the story. I simply found myself speed-reading through those portions.

What I liked best about is the pop-culture infused tale of superheroes surviving the zombie-apocalypse is that it takes in Hollywood; mentioning and describing sites and landmarks I am very familiar with.

Overall, the climax left much to be desired. At best, it petered out and for me, didn't feel like an ending.

On the entire series, I would say the Ex-Purgatory (#4) is the best and stands on its own with prior knowledge of the previous books. Ex-Heroes (#1) comes to a second best and serves as a good introduction the entire series.  Ex-Communicated (#3) ranks the same for me as Ex-Heroes. The addition of Corpse Girl to the team was fantastic. And that leaves Ex-Patriot in last place for me.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5 stars) - It was ok.