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biblio_beth's review against another edition
4.0
NetGalley provided ARC.
Another excellent read from Jonathan Janz. What I thought was going to be a haunted house type of story turned into a creature feature of epic proportions.
Another excellent read from Jonathan Janz. What I thought was going to be a haunted house type of story turned into a creature feature of epic proportions.
ericarobyn's review against another edition
4.0
The Sorrows by Jonathan Janz is suspenseful tale about two composers on a quest to become inspired. When they rent a month long stay at a castle on an island in the middle of nowhere in order to finish composing works for a horror flick, they had no idea what horrors were actually in store for them.
Full disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
First things first, I cannot believe that it took me THIS LONG to read a Jonathan Janz book. I have others on their way to me, so I’m hoping to dive into those soon!
My goodness… where to begin with this review! This is very much a book that you just need to dive right into, so I will keep this very light.
This novel had an awesome mix of likable and unlikable characters, each of which were very compelling in their own ways. Claire was my personal favorite and I couldn’t help but root for her and hope that everything was going to work out in her favor.
The writing style was wonderful;
- The dialogue was very realistic,
- The descriptions were vivid,
- The action was perfectly choreographed,
- The relationships between each of the characters was interesting,
- The pacing kept me hooked,
- And the overall plot was super captivating!
I’ll leave the rest of the discovery up to you!
My Favorite Passage
He’d shut the window. He knew he had. Christ, had he been able, he would have nailed two-by-fours over it.
And now it’s open.
My Final Thoughts
Going into this one dark was SO much fun as I had no idea where it was going. Of course, I had some guesses after looking at the cover… but what actually happened? Terrifying and heartbreaking!
If you enjoy horror with splashes of sex-related scenes, then this one will be a hit for you!
Just a heads up for those that need trigger warnings, there is some sexual assault that occurs or is thought about by a couple of characters.
Full disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
First things first, I cannot believe that it took me THIS LONG to read a Jonathan Janz book. I have others on their way to me, so I’m hoping to dive into those soon!
My goodness… where to begin with this review! This is very much a book that you just need to dive right into, so I will keep this very light.
This novel had an awesome mix of likable and unlikable characters, each of which were very compelling in their own ways. Claire was my personal favorite and I couldn’t help but root for her and hope that everything was going to work out in her favor.
The writing style was wonderful;
- The dialogue was very realistic,
- The descriptions were vivid,
- The action was perfectly choreographed,
- The relationships between each of the characters was interesting,
- The pacing kept me hooked,
- And the overall plot was super captivating!
I’ll leave the rest of the discovery up to you!
My Favorite Passage
He’d shut the window. He knew he had. Christ, had he been able, he would have nailed two-by-fours over it.
And now it’s open.
My Final Thoughts
Going into this one dark was SO much fun as I had no idea where it was going. Of course, I had some guesses after looking at the cover… but what actually happened? Terrifying and heartbreaking!
If you enjoy horror with splashes of sex-related scenes, then this one will be a hit for you!
Just a heads up for those that need trigger warnings, there is some sexual assault that occurs or is thought about by a couple of characters.
ctgt's review against another edition
4.0
I bought this book shortly after joining the HA group here on GR. The author is a member and guess what? He's not just there pimpin' his stuff! He's an active participant in many threads, not just the author promotion pages.
A little background, I'm not the splatter/gore/blood and guts type horror reader, that's disgusting but not really scary, at least not to me. I prefer the psychological, anticipatory dread that creeps up on you. This book was a very good mix of both types.
The story centers around a family curse that extends back several generations from the current time frame. Our main characters get caught up in the curse in a somewhat unique way. Ben and Eddie write and compose music for movies and decide to inspire Ben by paying for the right to use Castle Blackwood which sits on an private island off the coast of California. The castle has plenty of stories that swirl around the Blackwood family and several unexplained incidences. The history of the castle and Robert Blackwood are told through journal entries made by Calvin Shepherd from the early 1900's. I thought the background of the main characters was well done and added a nice depth to the story. There are some of the "what the hell are you thinking/don't go down there" moments but the author pokes at those tropes a bit by having his characters say the same things to themselves.
There were some gross out moments but not enough to make me put the book down(which I have done on occasion). The balance between gore and creepy was spot on for me. A very entertaining read.
A little background, I'm not the splatter/gore/blood and guts type horror reader, that's disgusting but not really scary, at least not to me. I prefer the psychological, anticipatory dread that creeps up on you. This book was a very good mix of both types.
The story centers around a family curse that extends back several generations from the current time frame. Our main characters get caught up in the curse in a somewhat unique way. Ben and Eddie write and compose music for movies and decide to inspire Ben by paying for the right to use Castle Blackwood which sits on an private island off the coast of California. The castle has plenty of stories that swirl around the Blackwood family and several unexplained incidences. The history of the castle and Robert Blackwood are told through journal entries made by Calvin Shepherd from the early 1900's. I thought the background of the main characters was well done and added a nice depth to the story. There are some of the "what the hell are you thinking/don't go down there" moments but the author pokes at those tropes a bit by having his characters say the same things to themselves.
There were some gross out moments but not enough to make me put the book down(which I have done on occasion). The balance between gore and creepy was spot on for me. A very entertaining read.
mikekaz's review
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
In looking over the other reviews for this book, I'm finding myself in the minority. Most people seem to really love it; I found the book good but not great. There were a couple items that detracted from me enjoying it more. However, I am with the majority in liking Janz as an author and wanting to continue reading more of his books.
Ben Shadeland and Eddie Blaze are two film composers who are having problems writing the score to their latest project: a big budget horror movie by Lee Stanley. To find their muse and get the music completed, they isolate themselves on the Sorrows: an island and castle owned by Chris Blackwood, the gambling-addicted heir to the Blackwood fortune. They really aren't isolated since Claire (a fan of Ben and want-to-be composer) and Eva (Lee Stanley's assistant) join them. When mixing those four characters (and more) with the haunted history of the island and of the Blackwood family, the result spells doom for several of them.
While there were a lot of characters, I didn't have any problems keeping track of them. Each fit their character-type enough to remember. However, they were more cliche than real. Chris' father was the work-focused, unforgiving father who completely rejects his son. Ben's ex-wife's new boyfriend was a sleaze who physically abuses one kid and sexually abuses another. And Eva played the role of hot woman who solves things with sex. She was actually the most annoying because it was never clear why she was on the island other than to be a sexual catalyst. Plus when we readers discover her motivation, she became more confusing. In order to get revenge on the man who hooked her mom on drugs and then sexually abused her, Eva gets into a sadomasochistic relationship with the same guy so she can write an expose about it? WTF?! Then the whole second helicopter flying out to the island was too convenient. Anyway, I don't want to vent. Overall, the book is good but with a bit too much suspense of belief. I'm rating it 3.5 but rounding it up to 4 since it was written by Janz and I would prefer he get more positive attention than negative.
Ben Shadeland and Eddie Blaze are two film composers who are having problems writing the score to their latest project: a big budget horror movie by Lee Stanley. To find their muse and get the music completed, they isolate themselves on the Sorrows: an island and castle owned by Chris Blackwood, the gambling-addicted heir to the Blackwood fortune. They really aren't isolated since Claire (a fan of Ben and want-to-be composer) and Eva (Lee Stanley's assistant) join them. When mixing those four characters (and more) with the haunted history of the island and of the Blackwood family, the result spells doom for several of them.
While there were a lot of characters, I didn't have any problems keeping track of them. Each fit their character-type enough to remember. However, they were more cliche than real. Chris' father was the work-focused, unforgiving father who completely rejects his son. Ben's ex-wife's new boyfriend was a sleaze who physically abuses one kid and sexually abuses another. And Eva played the role of hot woman who solves things with sex. She was actually the most annoying because it was never clear why she was on the island other than to be a sexual catalyst. Plus when we readers discover her motivation, she became more confusing. In order to get revenge on the man who hooked her mom on drugs and then sexually abused her, Eva gets into a sadomasochistic relationship with the same guy so she can write an expose about it? WTF?! Then the whole second helicopter flying out to the island was too convenient. Anyway, I don't want to vent. Overall, the book is good but with a bit too much suspense of belief. I'm rating it 3.5 but rounding it up to 4 since it was written by Janz and I would prefer he get more positive attention than negative.
kamisha's review
4.0
This was my first Jonathan Janz book and it definitely will not be my last! I love the horror genre, but honestly before recently hadn‰ŰŞt ventured too far into horror books rather than just horror movies, and what a great intro!
The Sorrows reads like you are watching a really well done horror movie. You‰ŰŞre scared, unsettled and hoping for vengeance in equal measure throughout the story! Janz‰ŰŞs writing really sucked me in and had me consistently coming back to the story for more. I loved that the book never felt like it lagged in any place and every character‰ŰŞs story added more content to the overall plot. The overall sinister feel of the island was present in every single scene. I really enjoyed how subtly Janz was able to add a creepiness or uneasiness to scenes without being overtly horrific, especially at first.
Another great aspect of this book for me was how well Janz writes his characters. Some I really enjoyed, some were mediocre because they were supposed to be mediocre, and some I could not wait until they reached their bitter ends! One of the terrifying and fascinating aspects of the island was that it played off of each character‰ŰŞs flaws, mistakes and worst fears. So, not only does the reader get to ultimately see what supernatural monster haunts the island, but we also get to see how far seemingly normal people can go when their most monstrous tendencies are brought to the forefront.
I had so much fun reading this and will definitely be checking out more of his work!
The Sorrows reads like you are watching a really well done horror movie. You‰ŰŞre scared, unsettled and hoping for vengeance in equal measure throughout the story! Janz‰ŰŞs writing really sucked me in and had me consistently coming back to the story for more. I loved that the book never felt like it lagged in any place and every character‰ŰŞs story added more content to the overall plot. The overall sinister feel of the island was present in every single scene. I really enjoyed how subtly Janz was able to add a creepiness or uneasiness to scenes without being overtly horrific, especially at first.
Another great aspect of this book for me was how well Janz writes his characters. Some I really enjoyed, some were mediocre because they were supposed to be mediocre, and some I could not wait until they reached their bitter ends! One of the terrifying and fascinating aspects of the island was that it played off of each character‰ŰŞs flaws, mistakes and worst fears. So, not only does the reader get to ultimately see what supernatural monster haunts the island, but we also get to see how far seemingly normal people can go when their most monstrous tendencies are brought to the forefront.
I had so much fun reading this and will definitely be checking out more of his work!
kalventure's review
4.0
Happy book birthday to The Sorrows! You can now read this creepy book! 🎉
The Sorrows is the first of many re-published backlist titles from Jonathan Janz and was his first book. It was originally published in 2012 and has been out of print for some time, and I am so glad that this and his other work is being re-released!
Holy crap what a ride that was! Friends, I know you have seen me screaming about The Siren and the Specter and The Children of the Dark, so I am sure that it will come as no surprise to you that I thoroughly enjoyed The Sorrows as well.
The story follows Ben Shadeland and Eddie Blaze, a Hollywood composer duo trying to beat the deadline for the score for the next horror film from renowned director Lee Stanley. Ben's had a bit of creative block since hishorrible wife divorced him, and Eddie has taken to haunting legends in Northern California to scare Ben into inspiration.
The characters honestly are the gem of this story. Honestly, the exposition and character description in the first 20% of the book was incredible and never felt info-dumpy. I felt like these were real people that I knew. Which makes it more alarming as the characters stop acting like themselves; or rather, the darkest parts of themselves are amplified. Every character is fighting their own personal demons... and real ones.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I did struggle with the many characters and multiple perspectives, and the pacing was a little inconsistent in the middle. Some of the first flashback asides felt really disjointed to me; however, the payoff was incredible: the multiple perspectives tied together and the extra time dedicated to exposition when I was looking for action was made up for in spades. For me personally, I wish that there were a few less characters woven together and that the journal exposition was somehow tied into the plot (like Ben or someone finding them and reading along with the reader), but honestly for a first book I am utterly impressed.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Sorrows a lot, and cannot wait for the sequel because THAT FINAL LINE! There is a lot of intricate backstory and interesting exposition, the horror doesn't really get started until 60% or so. But the book is scary and the payoff for multiple characters and POVs is there. I actually think this would adapt well to the screen and make an incredible movie. If you like Edgar Allan Poe and films like The Amityville horror, I highly recommend this book!
content warnings: torture, gore, abuse of power (a Harvey Weinstein-like character), murder, abuse, fatshaming (challenged and addressed), voyeurism, attempted rape
Many thanks to Flame Tree Press for sending me an eARC for review. Quotations are taken from an uncorrected proof and may change upon publication.
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The Sorrows is the first of many re-published backlist titles from Jonathan Janz and was his first book. It was originally published in 2012 and has been out of print for some time, and I am so glad that this and his other work is being re-released!
Holy crap what a ride that was! Friends, I know you have seen me screaming about The Siren and the Specter and The Children of the Dark, so I am sure that it will come as no surprise to you that I thoroughly enjoyed The Sorrows as well.
The story follows Ben Shadeland and Eddie Blaze, a Hollywood composer duo trying to beat the deadline for the score for the next horror film from renowned director Lee Stanley. Ben's had a bit of creative block since his
Despite the fact that they'd mind for inspiration in eerie places several times, Ben felt the old thrill. Sometimes the tale inspired him, sometimes it was the setting. Often, the music didn't come until days later, when a specific memory triggered his imagination.Eddie has one last trick up his sleeve before their time is up: a month on an isolated island off the coast of Northern California called The Sorrows with an unsolved mystery attached to it.
The characters honestly are the gem of this story. Honestly, the exposition and character description in the first 20% of the book was incredible and never felt info-dumpy. I felt like these were real people that I knew. Which makes it more alarming as the characters stop acting like themselves; or rather, the darkest parts of themselves are amplified. Every character is fighting their own personal demons... and real ones.
"It won't let us leave," Eva whispered."Having read both his latest and now first works, I can see the growth Janz has experienced as a writer but his raw talent is palpable. He has a command of writing that sucks the reader into the story and grips them start to finish. I enjoy that Janz juxtaposes supernatural horror elements with the horror and depravity of the human condition. I also appreciated the many allusions, implicit and called out, to the work of Edgar Allan Poe.
She stayed behind a moment and gazed up at the castle. Yes, she decided. There was an intelligence in its towering pallid contours. Something corrosive and upsettingly sly. It reminded her very much of another Poe story, 'The Fall of the House of Usher.' Except this building did not look like it could fall. It looked like it would stand forever, far outliving its inhabitants.The downside to having his latest work published before his first novel is of course that the average reader may not dig to find out that this is a re-released title. This is a really good book, but after the success of Siren and the Specter it pales in comparison to how Janz has grown as a writer. I hope that the final publication does make note of this.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I did struggle with the many characters and multiple perspectives, and the pacing was a little inconsistent in the middle. Some of the first flashback asides felt really disjointed to me; however, the payoff was incredible: the multiple perspectives tied together and the extra time dedicated to exposition when I was looking for action was made up for in spades. For me personally, I wish that there were a few less characters woven together and that the journal exposition was somehow tied into the plot (like Ben or someone finding them and reading along with the reader), but honestly for a first book I am utterly impressed.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Sorrows a lot, and cannot wait for the sequel because THAT FINAL LINE! There is a lot of intricate backstory and interesting exposition, the horror doesn't really get started until 60% or so. But the book is scary and the payoff for multiple characters and POVs is there. I actually think this would adapt well to the screen and make an incredible movie. If you like Edgar Allan Poe and films like The Amityville horror, I highly recommend this book!
content warnings: torture, gore, abuse of power (a Harvey Weinstein-like character), murder, abuse, fatshaming (challenged and addressed), voyeurism, attempted rape
Many thanks to Flame Tree Press for sending me an eARC for review. Quotations are taken from an uncorrected proof and may change upon publication.
expendablemudge's review
3.0
I read the Samhain version waaay back in 2014, but I see this is the second edition via Flame Tree Press. I'll give it a go again.
The first time through, I skipped the sexual parts...I got no dog in the man-woman fight, left that arena last century...and eye-rolled my way through some of that ever-unappealing manly-man stuff...but the horror and the eerie atmosphere have stuck with me for six years. Castle Blackwood was a stark and powerful picture. I'll see what Author Janz has done in the second edition, and review it on the appropriate edition page.
The first time through, I skipped the sexual parts...I got no dog in the man-woman fight, left that arena last century...and eye-rolled my way through some of that ever-unappealing manly-man stuff...but the horror and the eerie atmosphere have stuck with me for six years. Castle Blackwood was a stark and powerful picture. I'll see what Author Janz has done in the second edition, and review it on the appropriate edition page.
alwaysneedmorebooks's review
4.0
This is my second book by Jonathan Janz having enjoyed The Siren and the Spectre earlier this year. The Sorrows is actually his first novel, and was named by Brian Keene as "the best horror novel of 2012". Recently reissued by Flame Tree Press, I was lucky enough to be invited on the blog tour.
The Sorrows is an island off the coast of California. The castle has been empty since a series of gruesome murders in 1925, but the owners needs money to pay off gambling debts, so allows movie composers Ben and Eddie, along with some female friends to stay for a month in Castle Blackwood. Totally cutoff from the outside world, Ben is hoping the isolation and the spooky location will inspire him to come up with a film score. But they soon discover something is waiting for them at the castle, a malevolent being that has been trapped for nearly a century and wants to feed.
Ben and Eddie have been friends for a while and work together on film scores. Ben is morning the loss of his marriage and lack of access to his young son. Eddie is a playboy who wants Ben to get on with the score to meet their deadline to horror movie maker Lee Stanley. With them is Claire, a music intern and Eva, who is sent along by Lee Stanley to keep an eye on them.
Janz is excellent at hitting the ground running with his stories. Almost as soon as they arrive on the island, things get spooky with each of the members having strange dreams. The horror is gruesome and quite discusting in places (but I don't mind that being a lover of all things horror). There is also lots of sex and swearing.
I also liked the way we see the history of Blackwood Castle and discover the origin of the horror that occurs there.
Intense and entertaining, this is definately a book for grown up fans of horror! I look forward to readings more books from Janz!
The Sorrows is an island off the coast of California. The castle has been empty since a series of gruesome murders in 1925, but the owners needs money to pay off gambling debts, so allows movie composers Ben and Eddie, along with some female friends to stay for a month in Castle Blackwood. Totally cutoff from the outside world, Ben is hoping the isolation and the spooky location will inspire him to come up with a film score. But they soon discover something is waiting for them at the castle, a malevolent being that has been trapped for nearly a century and wants to feed.
Ben and Eddie have been friends for a while and work together on film scores. Ben is morning the loss of his marriage and lack of access to his young son. Eddie is a playboy who wants Ben to get on with the score to meet their deadline to horror movie maker Lee Stanley. With them is Claire, a music intern and Eva, who is sent along by Lee Stanley to keep an eye on them.
Janz is excellent at hitting the ground running with his stories. Almost as soon as they arrive on the island, things get spooky with each of the members having strange dreams. The horror is gruesome and quite discusting in places (but I don't mind that being a lover of all things horror). There is also lots of sex and swearing.
I also liked the way we see the history of Blackwood Castle and discover the origin of the horror that occurs there.
Intense and entertaining, this is definately a book for grown up fans of horror! I look forward to readings more books from Janz!
prettyinpapercuts's review
3.0
Its girth was suffocating. Its knees pinned his arms, its scimitar teeth dripping with slaver. Ben thrashed but could not rid himself of the beast's bulk. With a swipe of its claws it tore through Ben's cheek, the blood spraying everywhere. Ben stared in dim fascination as its tongue slid out of its open mouth and licked at the droplets.
Ben and Eddie lead a crew to a deserted island castle, nicknamed The Sorrows, to find inspiration for a musical score they're composing for a horror movie. But as you can imagine, a place called The Sorrows doesn't have a happy history.
Let me first say that the writing in this novel was spectacular. It was visceral, brutal. It made the story very cinematic - so cinematic that I had creepy dreams about the story every night I read it. I could picture everything that was happening so clearly. I also really liked the inclusion of the journal excerpts from Calvin Shepherd. Something about those were very reminiscent of Dracula and Jonathan Harker's journal entries.
Things started to go awry for me near the end. There were so many things going on at once, so many evil forces coming together. It all got a little muddled and I thought it lost some of the spark. Instead of being scary, it got a little ridiculous. There was one part, where within about thirty pages, there were three different entities that were trying to murder the main characters. That got to be too much for me, even in a supernatural horror novel.
I will definitely pick up more of Janz's work in the future though - I can see a lot of greatness in his writing.
A big thank you to NetGalley, and to the publisher Flame Tree Press, for letting me enjoy an ARC copy of this book.
Ben and Eddie lead a crew to a deserted island castle, nicknamed The Sorrows, to find inspiration for a musical score they're composing for a horror movie. But as you can imagine, a place called The Sorrows doesn't have a happy history.
Let me first say that the writing in this novel was spectacular. It was visceral, brutal. It made the story very cinematic - so cinematic that I had creepy dreams about the story every night I read it. I could picture everything that was happening so clearly. I also really liked the inclusion of the journal excerpts from Calvin Shepherd. Something about those were very reminiscent of Dracula and Jonathan Harker's journal entries.
Things started to go awry for me near the end. There were so many things going on at once, so many evil forces coming together. It all got a little muddled and I thought it lost some of the spark. Instead of being scary, it got a little ridiculous. There was one part, where within about thirty pages, there were three different entities that were trying to murder the main characters. That got to be too much for me, even in a supernatural horror novel.
I will definitely pick up more of Janz's work in the future though - I can see a lot of greatness in his writing.
A big thank you to NetGalley, and to the publisher Flame Tree Press, for letting me enjoy an ARC copy of this book.
astoldbybex's review
4.0
A big thank you to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of The Sorrows by Jonathan Janz in exchange for an honest review!
Gosh, I have been meaning to pick up a Jonathan Janz novel for the past couple of months; especially with all the hype that came with The Siren and the Specter (which, yes — this will definitely be my next Jonathan Janz read). So, I’m extremely thankful that I was given the opportunity to read & review the recently re-published The Sorrows. The Sorrows is Jonathan Janz’s first book & was originally published in 2012, but as of December 4th, it’s been re-published with Flame Tree Press.
Ben Shadeland and Eddie Blaze, have been given the job of a lifetime — Lee Stanley wants them to score his upcoming big-budget horror film. Unfortunately, Ben is feeling very uninspired after his divorce and custody battle that he hasn’t written a note of music. Maybe a month spent in Castle Blackwood, a property resting on the Sorrows, will trigger some inspiration. What they run into though is a lot scarier than any horror film they’ve seen.
Before we begin, I would like to place a disclaimer here that states that I don’t frighten very easy. I practically eat horror for breakfast, lunch & dinner — & it’s been like that for as long as I could remember. So, when entering a horror novel or film, I can’t rate it on the fear factor alone. However, if you are looking for a scream — I have heard from others (& very trusted friends) that The Sorrows is actually quite terrifying.
I, on the other hand, am looking more at the disturbing factor; which, yes, Jonathan Janz nails it in The Sorrows. & this is definitely not an insult, but instead very high praise coming from me. One thing I love about good horror is that it stays with you for days, sometimes even weeks or years. I know that for a fact, there are some scenes in The Sorrows that I’m going to keep thinking about & for that I say, good job Jonathan Janz.
There are some issues that I had with The Sorrows; I didn’t quite enjoy the journal entries/flashback scenes, but towards the end of the book, these scenes are very much needed to tell the story. Also, why were all the men complete pieces-of-shit?! I guess I’m not throwing this shade at Ben (get it? Shade.. Shadeland, okay bye), but more so at every other man that arrives on the scene. Specifically, I have so much hate & anger towards Eddie. But, alas, this was also needed to add to the story. & because of that, I again salute Jonathan Janz — because even the parts that left a vile taste in my mouth turned out really well.
On top of my opinion on the men in The Sorrows, we truly get to know all of the characters in this book; especially during the beginning. Although I can’t say this was my favorite portion (give me violence! give me action!), it did not feel as if it dragged at all, and before the conflict reared its ugly head, I felt as if I knew all of the characters personally.
In the final act of The Sorrows, there is so much occurring & so many antagonists come out to play. This is probably the last 40% of the novel, and quite easily, my favorite part of the read. When you think everything is fine & dandy, another issue arises from the corners & it just keeps going. During this time, you also see Claire grow in strength. When originally meeting her, she appears to suffer from low self-esteem, shyness, etc. etc. But, by the end, she a bad bitch & I absolutely love her.
— & to sum everything up, wow, I didn’t realize how passionate I was about The Sorrows by Jonathan Janz until writing this review. I strongly recommend this read for anyone who loves horror & being hella disturbed.
Gosh, I have been meaning to pick up a Jonathan Janz novel for the past couple of months; especially with all the hype that came with The Siren and the Specter (which, yes — this will definitely be my next Jonathan Janz read). So, I’m extremely thankful that I was given the opportunity to read & review the recently re-published The Sorrows. The Sorrows is Jonathan Janz’s first book & was originally published in 2012, but as of December 4th, it’s been re-published with Flame Tree Press.
Ben Shadeland and Eddie Blaze, have been given the job of a lifetime — Lee Stanley wants them to score his upcoming big-budget horror film. Unfortunately, Ben is feeling very uninspired after his divorce and custody battle that he hasn’t written a note of music. Maybe a month spent in Castle Blackwood, a property resting on the Sorrows, will trigger some inspiration. What they run into though is a lot scarier than any horror film they’ve seen.
Before we begin, I would like to place a disclaimer here that states that I don’t frighten very easy. I practically eat horror for breakfast, lunch & dinner — & it’s been like that for as long as I could remember. So, when entering a horror novel or film, I can’t rate it on the fear factor alone. However, if you are looking for a scream — I have heard from others (& very trusted friends) that The Sorrows is actually quite terrifying.
I, on the other hand, am looking more at the disturbing factor; which, yes, Jonathan Janz nails it in The Sorrows. & this is definitely not an insult, but instead very high praise coming from me. One thing I love about good horror is that it stays with you for days, sometimes even weeks or years. I know that for a fact, there are some scenes in The Sorrows that I’m going to keep thinking about & for that I say, good job Jonathan Janz.
There are some issues that I had with The Sorrows; I didn’t quite enjoy the journal entries/flashback scenes, but towards the end of the book, these scenes are very much needed to tell the story. Also, why were all the men complete pieces-of-shit?! I guess I’m not throwing this shade at Ben (get it? Shade.. Shadeland, okay bye), but more so at every other man that arrives on the scene. Specifically, I have so much hate & anger towards Eddie. But, alas, this was also needed to add to the story. & because of that, I again salute Jonathan Janz — because even the parts that left a vile taste in my mouth turned out really well.
On top of my opinion on the men in The Sorrows, we truly get to know all of the characters in this book; especially during the beginning. Although I can’t say this was my favorite portion (give me violence! give me action!), it did not feel as if it dragged at all, and before the conflict reared its ugly head, I felt as if I knew all of the characters personally.
In the final act of The Sorrows, there is so much occurring & so many antagonists come out to play. This is probably the last 40% of the novel, and quite easily, my favorite part of the read. When you think everything is fine & dandy, another issue arises from the corners & it just keeps going. During this time, you also see Claire grow in strength. When originally meeting her, she appears to suffer from low self-esteem, shyness, etc. etc. But, by the end, she a bad bitch & I absolutely love her.
— & to sum everything up, wow, I didn’t realize how passionate I was about The Sorrows by Jonathan Janz until writing this review. I strongly recommend this read for anyone who loves horror & being hella disturbed.
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