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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
Quick fix
Pleasant horror with gruesome body gore. Love a story that takes place in isolated small towns. Enjoyed the plot and the main characters but some parts felt disjointed and more of a distraction from the main entree of the story. Still have so many questions.
Pleasant horror with gruesome body gore. Love a story that takes place in isolated small towns. Enjoyed the plot and the main characters but some parts felt disjointed and more of a distraction from the main entree of the story. Still have so many questions.
“Devil’s Creek” was honestly better than I anticipated going into it. Celestial horror is either hit or miss for me, very rarely between the two, and I thought this would be just another cult horror story. I’m pleasantly surprised to say I was wrong, and while on the surface this seems like another “small town horror” trope, it had so many facets that built it into a very well done story.
The first 75% is a bit teasing, building backstory and character profiles, giving us an idea of what we’re in for with little snippets of the children’s lives before and after their father was killed. The last 25% was a rollercoaster of nightmare fuel, where your worst fears about gods and evil come true.
A culmination of religious horror, some witchcraft, and ancient gods leaves us with a story that’ll stick in my brain for ages.
The first 75% is a bit teasing, building backstory and character profiles, giving us an idea of what we’re in for with little snippets of the children’s lives before and after their father was killed. The last 25% was a rollercoaster of nightmare fuel, where your worst fears about gods and evil come true.
A culmination of religious horror, some witchcraft, and ancient gods leaves us with a story that’ll stick in my brain for ages.
Wow what a story. She is thicc and she is long af but it’s worth it. The whole novel played out like a movie without being boring or going over the top descriptive. It follows six half siblings who have grown up in the shadows of what their father , a cult leader, did years ago. They are still paying the price but justice shall prevail. Well not until a little blood is spilt first. It was a tad read I really enjoyed it. This review isn’t too long because there’s too much to say that will definitely ruin it for you. So do me a favor, check it out! Happy
Reading
Reading
Honestly, I hate writing this review because I hated this book and would love to move on. Yet, here I am. You’re welcome. Devil’s Creek by Todd Keisling is another brawl book. This one takes place in Kentucky and follows the aftermath of a cult’s mass suicide. Six kids survived, but when one of their grandmothers passes away, buried secrets come to light. Maybe the cult isn’t as dead as everyone thought. I listened to the audiobook of this and maybe that is part of my problem. Or maybe not, since we have such gems as the cult leader, when addressing his history of sexual assault, saying, “You could say I came in the name of the lord”. You can’t beat that solid writing. The narrator sounds ancient and it’s a weird juxtaposition to the story. I heard some iteration of the word “writhe” so many times that I now want to throw things when I hear the word. Buy the author a thesaurus, please. “Rivulets” was said often as well, and our narrator says it oddly. Took me right out of the story every time. This is a knockoff, DG, wannabe version of The Stand. It tries very hard, and in doing so, falls flat. Every single little thing is sexualized in this book. Cat crossed the road? Boner. I found it all so unnecessary and uninteresting. 1/5 stars.
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adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
We come into this book in the middle of a group of people rebelling against a religious cult, trying to save the children from the murderous sexual deviant Rev Jacob Masters. Only six kids are saved and the rest of the members engage in murder suicide and the Church of the Holy Voices Burns down.
30+ years later survivor Jack Tremly comes back to town to settle the affairs if his grandmother, one of the people who helped rescue the Six. He meets with some of his "siblings" and as he goes through his grandmother's things he sees that the church isn't quite gone.
Stauford Kentucky is a fictional town but it feels so alive and lived in. I definitely got King Derry or Castle Rock vibes, but set on Appalachia. Especially once things go off the rails Keisling is channeling Salems Lot or Needful Things!
Also the religious and occult horror, which leads to some excellent cosmic and body horror, is really influenced by H.P. Lovecraft.
Really enjoyed this book, I heard Keisling plans to write more in this "Southern Mythos" and I'm all for it!
This is a big book (over 500 page, almost 16 hours on audio) which is also reminiscent of King. Much of the horror I typically read is in the 300-400 page range. But it didn't feel bloated or overstuffed.
Great narration my Danny Campbell as well.
30+ years later survivor Jack Tremly comes back to town to settle the affairs if his grandmother, one of the people who helped rescue the Six. He meets with some of his "siblings" and as he goes through his grandmother's things he sees that the church isn't quite gone.
Stauford Kentucky is a fictional town but it feels so alive and lived in. I definitely got King Derry or Castle Rock vibes, but set on Appalachia. Especially once things go off the rails Keisling is channeling Salems Lot or Needful Things!
Also the religious and occult horror, which leads to some excellent cosmic and body horror, is really influenced by H.P. Lovecraft.
Really enjoyed this book, I heard Keisling plans to write more in this "Southern Mythos" and I'm all for it!
This is a big book (over 500 page, almost 16 hours on audio) which is also reminiscent of King. Much of the horror I typically read is in the 300-400 page range. But it didn't feel bloated or overstuffed.
Great narration my Danny Campbell as well.
challenging
dark
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
What an epic tome of a book! Fantastic characters that became like family to me while reading this, and a story that was frightening and deep. Todd weaved an incredible story of a town called Stauford in Kentucky where their god doesn’t live above, it lives below. The MC Jack is an artist who creates macabre paintings that depict a traumatic experience that happened as a child, and he becomes famous for it. He returns to Stauford to visit his grandmothers grave and things start to go south from there. So well crafted and beautifully designed, this book needs to be at the top of your tbr!