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gsatori's review against another edition
4.0
Great Fun
This is a fun read, with clean prose fuelling a solid narrative reminding me of something F. Paul Wilson or John Shirley might write.
The story follows a group of empathic nuns and a priest as they check out a house to see if its history is related to demonic activity.
This is a fun read, with clean prose fuelling a solid narrative reminding me of something F. Paul Wilson or John Shirley might write.
The story follows a group of empathic nuns and a priest as they check out a house to see if its history is related to demonic activity.
mad_about_books's review against another edition
5.0
I've been reading horror, in its many forms, for a very long time. There is supernatural horror and psychological horror, but what about religious horror? Is there such a thing? Looking back, I am asking myself now if THE EXORCIST was supernatural horror or religious horror. Either way, it was disturbing. Actually, there is more horror in the teachings of the Catholic church than I've ever found in anything else I've read. Be it Stephen King, or Jack Ketchum or Bram Stoker, the whole burning in hell thing seems so much worse than mere vampires, werewolves or ghosts. I have long believed that religion, in general, is responsible for more earthly atrocities than any other institution.
It would seem that the Catholic church is in sync with Newton's Third Law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In other words, if there is God there has to be Satan; if there is a heaven, there must be a hell. One of the reasons I have been drawn to the horror genre is to escape the real-world horrors that surround us on a daily basis. No matter how gruesome, written fictional depictions of evil are only as bad as the picture I can paint in my mind's eye.
It is difficult to review a book so antithetical to my own belief that we must live our lives here on earth for the good of our fellow man and not for the demands of some mythical god or demon. That being said, the writing is, for the most part, excellent. If I am not a god follower, I am a follower of good writing. There are some genuinely horrific scenes that will make your toes curl. Tony Tremblay has gotten the point across that although we are meant to see this as a tale of the supernatural, it is also a story of corruption of the agencies on which we must depend for our safety. How do you tell local law enforcement that it is a demon at work and not a serial killer? It is also an account of personal weakness so despised by religion. The conflict between reality and the Catholic church is tangible.
It would seem that the Catholic church is in sync with Newton's Third Law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In other words, if there is God there has to be Satan; if there is a heaven, there must be a hell. One of the reasons I have been drawn to the horror genre is to escape the real-world horrors that surround us on a daily basis. No matter how gruesome, written fictional depictions of evil are only as bad as the picture I can paint in my mind's eye.
It is difficult to review a book so antithetical to my own belief that we must live our lives here on earth for the good of our fellow man and not for the demands of some mythical god or demon. That being said, the writing is, for the most part, excellent. If I am not a god follower, I am a follower of good writing. There are some genuinely horrific scenes that will make your toes curl. Tony Tremblay has gotten the point across that although we are meant to see this as a tale of the supernatural, it is also a story of corruption of the agencies on which we must depend for our safety. How do you tell local law enforcement that it is a demon at work and not a serial killer? It is also an account of personal weakness so despised by religion. The conflict between reality and the Catholic church is tangible.
raforall's review against another edition
4.0
On Blog and in horror debuts Readers Shelf column in Library Journal 10/1/18 issue: http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/2018/10/31-days-of-horror-day-2-my-annual.html
Three Words That Describe This Book: flawed protagonists, violent, intense
Another promising haunted house debut is THE MOORE HOUSE by horror reviewer and Con organizer Tony Tremblay, but this one is more violent and intense than Sorensen’s and comes with a side of seriously flawed protagonists and a healthy portion of terrifying demons. After something gruesome happens in a New Hampshire home a priest and three excommunicated nuns are asked to come and cleanse the building, but it is only after they give it the all clear that the demons truly begin to unleash their wrath and power. Tremblay deftly works his realistic characters, a well framed, super creepy New England setting, and a terrifyingly compelling backstory to keep readers up all night, unwilling to stop turning the pages, both to find out what happens and because they are too frightened to turn out the lights.
Three Words That Describe This Book: flawed protagonists, violent, intense
Another promising haunted house debut is THE MOORE HOUSE by horror reviewer and Con organizer Tony Tremblay, but this one is more violent and intense than Sorensen’s and comes with a side of seriously flawed protagonists and a healthy portion of terrifying demons. After something gruesome happens in a New Hampshire home a priest and three excommunicated nuns are asked to come and cleanse the building, but it is only after they give it the all clear that the demons truly begin to unleash their wrath and power. Tremblay deftly works his realistic characters, a well framed, super creepy New England setting, and a terrifyingly compelling backstory to keep readers up all night, unwilling to stop turning the pages, both to find out what happens and because they are too frightened to turn out the lights.
raforall's review
4.0
On Blog and in horror debuts Readers Shelf column in Library Journal 10/1/18 issue: http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/2018/10/31-days-of-horror-day-2-my-annual.html
Three Words That Describe This Book: flawed protagonists, violent, intense
Another promising haunted house debut is THE MOORE HOUSE by horror reviewer and Con organizer Tony Tremblay, but this one is more violent and intense than Sorensen’s and comes with a side of seriously flawed protagonists and a healthy portion of terrifying demons. After something gruesome happens in a New Hampshire home a priest and three excommunicated nuns are asked to come and cleanse the building, but it is only after they give it the all clear that the demons truly begin to unleash their wrath and power. Tremblay deftly works his realistic characters, a well framed, super creepy New England setting, and a terrifyingly compelling backstory to keep readers up all night, unwilling to stop turning the pages, both to find out what happens and because they are too frightened to turn out the lights.
Three Words That Describe This Book: flawed protagonists, violent, intense
Another promising haunted house debut is THE MOORE HOUSE by horror reviewer and Con organizer Tony Tremblay, but this one is more violent and intense than Sorensen’s and comes with a side of seriously flawed protagonists and a healthy portion of terrifying demons. After something gruesome happens in a New Hampshire home a priest and three excommunicated nuns are asked to come and cleanse the building, but it is only after they give it the all clear that the demons truly begin to unleash their wrath and power. Tremblay deftly works his realistic characters, a well framed, super creepy New England setting, and a terrifyingly compelling backstory to keep readers up all night, unwilling to stop turning the pages, both to find out what happens and because they are too frightened to turn out the lights.
hugacheesecake's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
readbydusk's review against another edition
4.0
It’s been a while since I’ve read a horror book that is very obviously supernatural and this is a wild, nasty read. I loved the brisk writing and the relentless action. The book is pretty short so I do wish we could have spent more time with the characters when they were are showing their abilities. But the horror in this book is real, and I'm looking forward to reading other books by the author.
book blog | twitter | instagram
book blog | twitter | instagram
inky_bat's review against another edition
5.0
This was a really modern exorcist tale of 3 nuns and a priest determined to rid their region of demons. Then they are faced with the disreputable Moore House. I would say this isn't any more shocking, gruesome, or sacrilegious than The Exorcist. Not only was the story interesting, engaging, and couldn't put the book down, but you really got to know each character, their personalities, backstories, and personal philosophies. Really well written, I am looking forward to more from Tony Tremblay!
charshorrorcorner's review against another edition
4.0
When I read Tony Tremblay's THE SEEDS OF NIGHTMARES, I knew that I had discovered a very special author. THE MOORE HOUSE only serves to prove that I was right!
In Goffstown, New Hampshire there stands a house-a house with a history. After a particularly gruesome occurrence there, Father MacLeod and his team of 3 excommunicated nuns, (specialists in identifying demonic possessions), are called in to evaluate the home. They came, did their thing, and it looked like the house was fine. But after Father MacLeod left, the door of the Moore House opened on its own and soon? What the house really is becomes clear to them all. Will they escape the machinations of the house? Will they survive at all? You'll have to read this to find out!
This story has a distinct New England feel to it that I recognized instantly. I don't know how to explain it unless you live here. It's the perfect setting for stories like this and Mr. Tremblay takes full advantage of the location. (The fact that many character names used are actually those of New England dark fiction writers also contributed to that feel.)
The characters here are all very real. You might think because 3 of the main characters are nuns, (albeit excommunicated nuns), they would all be boring or perfect. That is not the case. Each and every character here, priest included, are altogether human-with all the faults and foibles that go along with that. This fact lent the story a credible feel, which made all of the demonic things even more easy to believe. Not every author can pull this off, but Mr. Tremblay does- and he does it with style.
The only problem I had with this tale, and it's a slight one, was the overuse of the phrase "pawnshop owner", or some variation thereof. That's it!
The story surprised me in the fact that it's not your typical haunted house tale. It's a story of demonic possession, more than one in fact, which I thought was unique. The level of tension fairly hummed throughout and I had a hard time putting it down. With short chapters and lots of action, this book flew by and I was sorry when it was over.
THE MOORE HOUSE is definitely worth your time. To recap: we have demons, we have layered characters that are realistic, we have a cool house with a history and we have the age old fight against evil. What more can you ask for from an excellent dark fiction writer? Nothing!
Highly recommended for fans of haunted house tales and/or demonic possession stories!
Available for pre-order here: https://www.amazon.com/Moore-House-Tony-Tremblay/dp/1949140997/chashorcor-20
*I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it. Further, I consider Tony Tremblay to be a friend in real life, but this did not affect the honesty or content of my review.*
In Goffstown, New Hampshire there stands a house-a house with a history. After a particularly gruesome occurrence there, Father MacLeod and his team of 3 excommunicated nuns, (specialists in identifying demonic possessions), are called in to evaluate the home. They came, did their thing, and it looked like the house was fine. But after Father MacLeod left, the door of the Moore House opened on its own and soon? What the house really is becomes clear to them all. Will they escape the machinations of the house? Will they survive at all? You'll have to read this to find out!
This story has a distinct New England feel to it that I recognized instantly. I don't know how to explain it unless you live here. It's the perfect setting for stories like this and Mr. Tremblay takes full advantage of the location. (The fact that many character names used are actually those of New England dark fiction writers also contributed to that feel.)
The characters here are all very real. You might think because 3 of the main characters are nuns, (albeit excommunicated nuns), they would all be boring or perfect. That is not the case. Each and every character here, priest included, are altogether human-with all the faults and foibles that go along with that. This fact lent the story a credible feel, which made all of the demonic things even more easy to believe. Not every author can pull this off, but Mr. Tremblay does- and he does it with style.
The only problem I had with this tale, and it's a slight one, was the overuse of the phrase "pawnshop owner", or some variation thereof. That's it!
The story surprised me in the fact that it's not your typical haunted house tale. It's a story of demonic possession, more than one in fact, which I thought was unique. The level of tension fairly hummed throughout and I had a hard time putting it down. With short chapters and lots of action, this book flew by and I was sorry when it was over.
THE MOORE HOUSE is definitely worth your time. To recap: we have demons, we have layered characters that are realistic, we have a cool house with a history and we have the age old fight against evil. What more can you ask for from an excellent dark fiction writer? Nothing!
Highly recommended for fans of haunted house tales and/or demonic possession stories!
Available for pre-order here: https://www.amazon.com/Moore-House-Tony-Tremblay/dp/1949140997/chashorcor-20
*I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it. Further, I consider Tony Tremblay to be a friend in real life, but this did not affect the honesty or content of my review.*
pandemoniumpizza's review
3.0
This was good and entertaining read. It was easy to fly through the pages because I really wanted to know what was happening.
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