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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I was so excited to order/read this book!! And let me tell you, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4.5 stars
This was a phenomenal story! I dont know why it took me so long to read. John writes in such a way that you are automatically drawn in. The characters are so relatable (flaws and all), and the descriptions so well written that I can really see the characters, actions, and scenery (which is very difficult for me to achieve). I went through a wide range of emotions while reading this as well as a good helping of nostalgia. I only docked one half of a star because I was left with a few questions (nothing major), that I hope might be explained in a follow up book 🤞🏻
While the end had a finality it also seemed to leave it open just enough to work in another story.
10/10 I recommend this for readers of all genres and ages
This was a phenomenal story! I dont know why it took me so long to read. John writes in such a way that you are automatically drawn in. The characters are so relatable (flaws and all), and the descriptions so well written that I can really see the characters, actions, and scenery (which is very difficult for me to achieve). I went through a wide range of emotions while reading this as well as a good helping of nostalgia. I only docked one half of a star because I was left with a few questions (nothing major), that I hope might be explained in a follow up book 🤞🏻
While the end had a finality it also seemed to leave it open just enough to work in another story.
10/10 I recommend this for readers of all genres and ages
I really wanted to love this book. The synopsis was great, but it just didn’t quite get there.
The characters felt one dimensional, the dialogue was so unrealistic and at times made me cringe with second hand embarrassment. Besides the prologue, the creep factor never manifested, and the action scenes were rushed but it felt like it never amounted to much.
The premise had everything I normally love in a horror book, and at its length I figured it would be a constant thrill factor, but it wasn’t, and still felt like it needed more fleshing out.
Any and all explanation felt like an afterthought.
I enjoyed the nostalgia and slasher film feel of this book, I just wish it had a little more to it.
The characters felt one dimensional, the dialogue was so unrealistic and at times made me cringe with second hand embarrassment. Besides the prologue, the creep factor never manifested, and the action scenes were rushed but it felt like it never amounted to much.
The premise had everything I normally love in a horror book, and at its length I figured it would be a constant thrill factor, but it wasn’t, and still felt like it needed more fleshing out.
Any and all explanation felt like an afterthought.
I enjoyed the nostalgia and slasher film feel of this book, I just wish it had a little more to it.
What a great story line. It is creepy and dark. Secrets and cover ups abound. This book will make you hesitate going into the woods. The writing is on par. I can’t wait to read more by John Durgin - he needs to publish soon!!
This is a great first novel by John Durgin. He writes the four main boys with such familiarity and I was reminiscing about my own childhood reading this watching horror movies, having sleepovers and getting up to mischief. I felt a connection with them in the opening chapters and then all the death and bloodshed starts! John describes the scenes very well and I could visually feel how putrid Jessica looked at how well he wrote. This has a YA feel to it but its not a YA novel. For a first time writer this was alot of fun will definately check out his future releases.
True Horror
Take some Carrie-esque elements and a little slasher action reminiscent of Halloween, toss in some demon possession and a lot of gore and you have The Cursed Among Us. A true horror of a story and a fun ride!
Take some Carrie-esque elements and a little slasher action reminiscent of Halloween, toss in some demon possession and a lot of gore and you have The Cursed Among Us. A true horror of a story and a fun ride!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
The Cursed Among Us by John Durgin is a horror-thriller that is packed with action, terror, and gore! But among all the blood and violence is a wonderful friend group that will do anything in their power to save their town.
In the small town of Newport, New Hampshire, a group of friends pass the time by creating a horror movie to honor the slashers they all love to rent from their local video shop. The filming is going well, but one day, they enter the woods to film a chase scene and stumble over something that looks like a grave. Already a bit nervous about being in the woods in the first place, once this area was disturbed, they learn very quickly why their parents had a rule to stay out of this forest.
The format of this book has two of my all time favorite things with horror stories; one, an opening that dives right into a terrifying scene before we jump to a different scene to slow things down before they ramp up again, and two, an ending that made me jump up and say, “WAIT, WHAT?!”
I was totally hooked from the very first sentence of this book. I mean, John kicked things off with: Henry Black trekked through the dense forest as dawn approached, dragging the girl’s body behind him. How could you not want to know more immediately?!
The darkness that had a grip on the town was super chilling. Seeing how tight-lipped everyone was about it only made the friend group more antsy to get answers, and readers will be right there with them, ready to roll up their sleeves and dive into the dusty archives!
The author does a killer job when hinting at what is to come. There were a handful of instances where I read a sentence and immediately thought “oh no…”, and a bit later, that line would pop to mind after seeing that had occurred. This was mostly around the more horrific elements! And man, the author doesn’t shy away there! So many scenes had me cringing over the violence or body horror. These scenes were wonderfully written, playing on all of the senses to really immerse the reader in the action.
And my goodness, this friend group. I loved to see how much they cared for one another, even when tempers ran hot. Their dynamics with one another was so realistic, you’ll feel like your part of the group!
And one last note, the ending of this one had me crying. But no spoilers here as to why! I’ll let you discover that for yourselves.
My Favorite Passages from The Cursed Among Us
The way Howie and his friends saw it, rules were meant to be broken. Now they were seeing firsthand why those rules had been put into effect.
He grabbed the remote off the coffee table and turned the television off when something caught his eye. As the screen went blank, Todd could see the reflection of a figure standing behind him at the couch.
The glow of her eyes revealed her facial features, but she remained mostly hidden in darkness, as though the shadows worked for her.
Howie glanced below anyway and immediately regretted it. He’d never thought he feared heights, but he was second guessing that right now. Down below, he could see jagged ends of trees sticking out of the ground after their top half had fallen beneath years of New England weather taking its toll. A sick thought crossed his mind that the broken pieces looked like the ground’s teeth, awaiting victims to fall so it could chew them up.
My Final Thoughts on The Cursed Among Us
If you’re looking for a horror-thriller that will totally sink it’s claws in you, then look no further.
From start to finish, I absolutely loved this book! As this was John’s debut novel, I already cannot wait to see what he does next!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
can't spill the beans as to what happens next, it's a great horror novel, with black magic, and an evil spirit, typical of the 90's horror movies, full of suspense and gore throughout.
This is John Durgin's debut and as debuts go it was a great read, and very entertaining. It grabs you from the first page and won't let you go. It reminded me of "Stranger Things", of which I need to see the last series.
Hope to read more from Mr Durgin and added to my small list of auto-buy authors.
This is John Durgin's debut and as debuts go it was a great read, and very entertaining. It grabs you from the first page and won't let you go. It reminded me of "Stranger Things", of which I need to see the last series.
Hope to read more from Mr Durgin and added to my small list of auto-buy authors.
Holy hell!!! This book scared the living shit out of me!!! What a great read. Gripping from beginning to end. Nice job, John Durgin....I should sleep nice and peacefully the next few nights...NOT!!!