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chellecmorgan's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
4.0
blatdriver's review
5.0
This book is outstanding!
I was expecting a good creature feature, but this book is so much more, yeah there is a creatures but it's the characters and the journey that make this book stand out, it reminds me of the movie 'Stand By Me' which I love, The Stand by Stephen King, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
Now to try and track down any other stories set in Fear County.
I highly recommend this book.
I was expecting a good creature feature, but this book is so much more, yeah there is a creatures but it's the characters and the journey that make this book stand out, it reminds me of the movie 'Stand By Me' which I love, The Stand by Stephen King, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
Now to try and track down any other stories set in Fear County.
I highly recommend this book.
runjohnnyrun845's review
adventurous
dark
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? No
5.0
ghostinthepages's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
I have had this book on my shelves for quite a while. I kept wanting to start it because I just knew I would love it but it wasn’t the right time yet. I’m so glad to have finally been in the right mindset to enjoy this one. It completely sucked me in and I was so invested in the characters
itcamefromthepage's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I found this an incredibly POWERFUL story with a lot of depth. All of the minor issues I've had with Kelly's work in the past was completely absent in this one.
Won't be for everyone as it does touch on some very important but touchy subject. Primarily the racism of the south.
This handles those topics with WAY more tact and skill than King does in 'IT'.
Great characters, great creatures, and all around great book.
Won't be for everyone as it does touch on some very important but touchy subject. Primarily the racism of the south.
This handles those topics with WAY more tact and skill than King does in 'IT'.
Great characters, great creatures, and all around great book.
stayshiny's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Hate crime, and Racism
pbanditp's review against another edition
5.0
Ronald Kelly is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine and is definitely on the instant buy list. The settings and characters feel familiar like you are coming home, Kelly reminds me of Robert McCammon with the southern atmosphere and charm.
FEAR is a coming-of-age story about a 10 year old boy named Jeb, although the poor kid has already had to grow up plenty. Jeb lives at his sick grandmothers along with his father Sam who was injured in the war and resulted in him having the mind of a child.
Jeb’s problem with bully’s at school turns into a minor inconvenience when the family’s prize pig is taken by a vicious nightmare creature leaving only the pigs ear behind. Things go from bad to worse when children start to disappear from their bedrooms in the middle of the night.
Jeb knows where the creature is taking the children and when the sheriff won’t help him, Jeb gathers a ragtag group to seek answers in the only place that might be more dangerous than the creatures lair, Fear County.
Can Jeb, his father Sam, a traveling musician named Roscoe, and Jeb’s dog Buckshot find a way to defeat the creature and save the children, and will Fear County let them live long enough to try?
FEAR is a coming-of-age story about a 10 year old boy named Jeb, although the poor kid has already had to grow up plenty. Jeb lives at his sick grandmothers along with his father Sam who was injured in the war and resulted in him having the mind of a child.
Jeb’s problem with bully’s at school turns into a minor inconvenience when the family’s prize pig is taken by a vicious nightmare creature leaving only the pigs ear behind. Things go from bad to worse when children start to disappear from their bedrooms in the middle of the night.
Jeb knows where the creature is taking the children and when the sheriff won’t help him, Jeb gathers a ragtag group to seek answers in the only place that might be more dangerous than the creatures lair, Fear County.
Can Jeb, his father Sam, a traveling musician named Roscoe, and Jeb’s dog Buckshot find a way to defeat the creature and save the children, and will Fear County let them live long enough to try?
cdanziger's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.5
kittykallen's review against another edition
5.0
Wowwwwwwww!
I'll start by saying that the cover art might steer a lot of people away - not that I could draw anything better of course. But the illustration on the cover compared to the depth of the book is much different. It's a very "Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover" type of deal.
This easily is one of the best books I've ever read, and I mean that.
I stumbled across this book suggestion on Reddit when I was looking for books that gave off the same kind of energy of a podcast I follow called Old Gods of Appalachia and I was not disappointed.
This was a southern-style horror as well as a coming-of-age tale. Detailed characters. Small old town vibes. Fantasy. Creature folklore. Gore. Genuine love. Amazing food descriptions. Villains that will make you squirm with rage. Southern Charm. All of it. Many times through the book I laughed or cried and managed to finish this 400+ page book in a couple of days because I couldn't put it down during any of my free time.
It was a magical experience and really moved me. Do read this book. I'll be back in the future to peep new reviews on it that I haven't yet read.
I'll start by saying that the cover art might steer a lot of people away - not that I could draw anything better of course. But the illustration on the cover compared to the depth of the book is much different. It's a very "Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover" type of deal.
This easily is one of the best books I've ever read, and I mean that.
I stumbled across this book suggestion on Reddit when I was looking for books that gave off the same kind of energy of a podcast I follow called Old Gods of Appalachia and I was not disappointed.
This was a southern-style horror as well as a coming-of-age tale. Detailed characters. Small old town vibes. Fantasy. Creature folklore. Gore. Genuine love. Amazing food descriptions. Villains that will make you squirm with rage. Southern Charm. All of it. Many times through the book I laughed or cried and managed to finish this 400+ page book in a couple of days because I couldn't put it down during any of my free time.
It was a magical experience and really moved me. Do read this book. I'll be back in the future to peep new reviews on it that I haven't yet read.
paperbackstash's review
4.0
I read this years and years ago...most books not long after I read them, even if I really loved them during the read. I read so many books, they become like broken records after awhile. Fear, however, always stayed with me. I loved it then, and after I found another copy recently, I love it now just as much.
It reads almost like an adult fairy tale type. Young adults could read and enjoy this one as much as adults, but that shouldn't put off the 'grown up' readers. It almost seems like Kelly took every horrible thing he could think of out of his brain and placed it in this book. There’s not just one monster there’s this one, that one, and even that one over there. The atmosphere in different areas of the county the woods, or the water, or the cabin all were amazing.
Much of the beginning is focused on the internal issues Jeb has, so some may feel impatient to get the action moving, but while there isn't as much action present, it was all interesting and fun. I really felt drawn to the characters in a real, emotional way, cheering them on the whole time.
Dialogue is told through a small-town, hickish type dialect, with words such as "'ol," "how're," "gonna," and "dangrum." Surprisingly this doesn't get annoying. The style of writing is easily comprehended, straightforward, and consistent. The ending was one that was happy and miserable at the same time. Kelly relies on as much internal dialogue as external. "Fear" is written in multiple POV viewpoints, mainly third person flexible, but the majority is seen through the eyes of the child 'Jeb.'
I heard from somewhere that Kelly hasn’t been writing anymore; if this is true, it’s a shame, because he has talent.
It reads almost like an adult fairy tale type. Young adults could read and enjoy this one as much as adults, but that shouldn't put off the 'grown up' readers. It almost seems like Kelly took every horrible thing he could think of out of his brain and placed it in this book. There’s not just one monster there’s this one, that one, and even that one over there. The atmosphere in different areas of the county the woods, or the water, or the cabin all were amazing.
Much of the beginning is focused on the internal issues Jeb has, so some may feel impatient to get the action moving, but while there isn't as much action present, it was all interesting and fun. I really felt drawn to the characters in a real, emotional way, cheering them on the whole time.
Dialogue is told through a small-town, hickish type dialect, with words such as "'ol," "how're," "gonna," and "dangrum." Surprisingly this doesn't get annoying. The style of writing is easily comprehended, straightforward, and consistent. The ending was one that was happy and miserable at the same time. Kelly relies on as much internal dialogue as external. "Fear" is written in multiple POV viewpoints, mainly third person flexible, but the majority is seen through the eyes of the child 'Jeb.'
I heard from somewhere that Kelly hasn’t been writing anymore; if this is true, it’s a shame, because he has talent.