5.0 out of 5 stars
A concise, thrilling read!, June 9, 2014
By
Stuart Keane "SK" (Ipswich, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Dead Game (Paperback)
The beauty of the horror genre is variety. With
so many sub-genres, you can always find something to read, something to
take your fancy. Be it serial killers, ghosts, haunted houses,
thrillers...you get the point. From a personal perspective, I love
stories about 'small towns'. That's right, when a group of characters go
to a town and discover all manners of evil lurking within. It's one
sub-genre I think speaks to everyone in some way. All the masters of
horror have done it. King did it was It, Laymon with Funland, Herbert
with The Fog. For me, it's the type of tale I can read multiple times.
The Dead Game was a surprise to me. Initially, the cover didn't give much away. It's been mentioned in several reviews, but this book throws you straight into the story. True, it develops the characters a little before unleashing the town's horrors on them - something we know is inevitable - but for some reason, it doesn't feel rushed or forced. There's no loitering, The Dead Game wants our attention from the start and garners it with crisp dialogue and excellent character development. When the characters receive their invite to the game of the title...you can feel the hairs standing on end. Invited to an isolated house on the hill? Yep, we all love a story that does this.
A supernatural thriller needs characters to push it along. The Dead Game has that in abundance. The characters are intriguing, realistic and very normal considering the chills on display. We feel for them and when the town starts to unleash unknown terrors, you can't help but get swept away by the story and feel like you're living the horror with them. This along with the pacing, frantic but never overbearing, and a simple premise that's heightened by some excellent storytelling, makes for a gripping read, one that will keep your attention throughout.
5* - Totally. I don't want to give too much away - this book deserves to be read blind - but this novel has something for everyone. For horror fans, there's plenty to keep you busy and for non-horror, well, it contains a bit of something for you too. A chilling tale of things that go bump in the night, and day, and will keep you thoroughly entertained. Great stuff!
The Dead Game was a surprise to me. Initially, the cover didn't give much away. It's been mentioned in several reviews, but this book throws you straight into the story. True, it develops the characters a little before unleashing the town's horrors on them - something we know is inevitable - but for some reason, it doesn't feel rushed or forced. There's no loitering, The Dead Game wants our attention from the start and garners it with crisp dialogue and excellent character development. When the characters receive their invite to the game of the title...you can feel the hairs standing on end. Invited to an isolated house on the hill? Yep, we all love a story that does this.
A supernatural thriller needs characters to push it along. The Dead Game has that in abundance. The characters are intriguing, realistic and very normal considering the chills on display. We feel for them and when the town starts to unleash unknown terrors, you can't help but get swept away by the story and feel like you're living the horror with them. This along with the pacing, frantic but never overbearing, and a simple premise that's heightened by some excellent storytelling, makes for a gripping read, one that will keep your attention throughout.
5* - Totally. I don't want to give too much away - this book deserves to be read blind - but this novel has something for everyone. For horror fans, there's plenty to keep you busy and for non-horror, well, it contains a bit of something for you too. A chilling tale of things that go bump in the night, and day, and will keep you thoroughly entertained. Great stuff!
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