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valkyriejoy7's review against another edition
3.0
This is the book that got me in to horror. It was opened up the eyes of good little Christian kid Valerie, informing her: spooky is your jam!
I wanted to see how it held up, now that I am a "seasoned" horror reader.
And you know what?
It's still spooky. I barely remembered what happened, so the suspense was built nicely. I wish I got more of the historical bits, and less of the preachy bits, though. The first third of the book was great, and then it just kind of unraveled for me. I was left unsatisfied by the ending. And yes, I know this is Christian fiction, but I felt like he tried a little too hard to work it in.
I wanted to see how it held up, now that I am a "seasoned" horror reader.
And you know what?
It's still spooky. I barely remembered what happened, so the suspense was built nicely. I wish I got more of the historical bits, and less of the preachy bits, though. The first third of the book was great, and then it just kind of unraveled for me. I was left unsatisfied by the ending. And yes, I know this is Christian fiction, but I felt like he tried a little too hard to work it in.
marlo_c's review against another edition
4.0
Riveting. It's been quite awhile since I read Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness; it's just not my typical genre. The Oath kept me on the edge of my seat. I appreciated the symbolism and the storyline.
mermaidmommy19's review against another edition
slow-paced
4.0
I really enjoyed this. It was pretty predictable in that all Christian novels of this sort have similar endings, but it was thought provoking and engaging nonetheless. I will say that it was very slow, but the characters were great and the symbolism was stellar.
princessleia4life's review against another edition
5.0
So amazing! If I didn't have to sleep or work I would have finished it sooner.
fistofmoradin's review against another edition
4.0
Good Monster Thriller. Creepy at parts. It was hard to put down. Not the best writing in the world but it was entertaining and fun. The Gospel was there and fundamental to the story yet not so beat you over the head that it took away from the story. As Christian fiction it made the mistake of making the bad guys not quite bad enough (the way they spoke was not very believable). The characters had real flaws but they just didn't quite seem too real.
dannb's review against another edition
2.0
So much promise.... so much disappointment... and I listened to him read... and really a female police office with a screechy voice?
leighanneslit's review against another edition
3.0
This novel centers around Hyde River, a mining town in the mountains. The people that have lived there have been there for years, and it used to be a prosperous, but has since fallen into somewhat of a state of disrepair. However, there were some events that happened when the town was first founded about 100 years ago that the townspeople refuse to speak of. And by refusing to speak of it, they fall further and further into the sin that the townspeople committed so many years ago. Then a stranger comes to town to investigate his brother’s death and it all begins to unravel as he begins to investigate the bizarre string of "accidents" that have happened and are beginning to happen again.
For this book being over 600 pages, I still read it pretty fast. There aren’t really any ‘slow’ parts to speak of and the plot steadily unfolds for the reader. I picked this novel up not realizing that it was Christian Fiction, only going on the jacket summary and though I’m not one to read Christian fiction, I actually enjoyed it. At certain parts I forgot it was a Christian novel. There are some supernatural elements that are here, which I didn't expect and you really have to suspend your disbelief to wrap your head around that.
Overall, I would give this book a 3.5 out of 5.
For this book being over 600 pages, I still read it pretty fast. There aren’t really any ‘slow’ parts to speak of and the plot steadily unfolds for the reader. I picked this novel up not realizing that it was Christian Fiction, only going on the jacket summary and though I’m not one to read Christian fiction, I actually enjoyed it. At certain parts I forgot it was a Christian novel. There are some supernatural elements that are here, which I didn't expect and you really have to suspend your disbelief to wrap your head around that.
Overall, I would give this book a 3.5 out of 5.
sibertooth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Body horror
Moderate: Infidelity, Animal death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
kwagner's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun and thrilling read for October but not something I would usually pick for myself. A super creative and original concept and metaphor. It was really fun to listen to on Hoopla. The only thing I would have liked to see was more diversity in the sins the people of Hyde River had to atone fore. It felt like everyone in that town were either murderous or adulterous. Tbh I was glad to see Tracy be eaten by the dragon...oops...she was just too wishy washy for me. Not in an inner character growth type of struggle but in a 'I can't determine if I trust you or not or like you' kind of vibe'. But perhaps that was the intentional vibe? I can't wait to talk about this one at book club.