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chaizor's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this book because I love his Hyperion books, and maybe part of it was the narrator I had, but I found this book to be spread all over the place and the paranormal baddie was so vague until the very end that it was hard to be scared by it.
nyx89's review against another edition
3.0
Other reviewers have stated what this book lacks much more clearly and concisely than I can, but basically the faults can be summed up thus: inconsistencies, needless repetition of description, long uneventful "fillerish" scenes, forgettable characters and conspicuous derivation from more popular works such as IT by Stephen King, which is a far better work in every respect. In addition to the problems already mentioned, the author's prose was not up to par and felt very mediocre in many passages. Expect faulty grammar and illogical, confusing syntax.
Now for the good. The book isn't entirely bad, otherwise I could not have finished it. This book would have been a lot better if it were shortened by about 200 pages. There are some great descriptions in this book and instances of lovely writing. Unfortunately, they are just too few and far between. When action does occur, which is rarely, it is very entertaining and suspenseful. You can tell Simmons is a good writer, but it just seems as if this is the original manuscript copy and no editing or revision has been done at all. Too bad.
Now for the good. The book isn't entirely bad, otherwise I could not have finished it. This book would have been a lot better if it were shortened by about 200 pages. There are some great descriptions in this book and instances of lovely writing. Unfortunately, they are just too few and far between. When action does occur, which is rarely, it is very entertaining and suspenseful. You can tell Simmons is a good writer, but it just seems as if this is the original manuscript copy and no editing or revision has been done at all. Too bad.
rainsage's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Really enjoyed reading this. Dan Simmons does a great job of leaning into tension and ratcheting up the stakes in the book over time. I loved all of these characters. The story was different and kept me guessing, what a wonderful, spooky, haunting, roller coaster!
caitpoytress's review against another edition
2.0
Cut out half the pages, the author's maddening overuse of the verb 'scrabble', and the saccharine ending, and this would be a pretty good book.
adbond's review against another edition
3.0
Solid. Not great, not best simmons I have read, but solid.
dantastic's review against another edition
5.0
When Tubby Cooke goes missing on the last day of sixth grade, Mike O'Rourke and his friends, the Bike Patrol, go looking and stumble upon Elm Haven's secret history of missing children and a turn of the century lynching. But what do those things have do with mysterious holes in the ground and a strange soldier stalking Mike's invalid grandmother?
While I loved the Hyperion and Joe Kurtz books, Dan Simmons has been hit or miss for me. This was definitely a hit.
Honestly, the first chapter almost made me throw it back on the pile. It's overwritten as hell and I was afraid the rest of the book would be suffering from the same malady. While there was some excessive wordiness, Summer of Night quickly clamped on to me like a lamprey.
Set in the summer of 1960, the summer after the end of sixth grade for most of the boys, Mike and friends get caught up in a mystery, a mystery that may or may not be be linked to a lynching at the turn of the century. Wait, a small town with a history of missing kids? Haven't I read this before?
Yes. Summer of Night has a lot in common with Stephen King's It but I found it more focused and it also had 100% less underage gang-bangs than It. People who've read It know what I'm talking about. Anyway, Simmons had me nostalgic for my childhood summer vacations, when summer lasted a hundred years and days could be spent exploring the woods, reading, or whatever the hell else you wanted to do.
The writing kept me enthralled and the boys rang true to me, even though they didn't swear nearly as much as the twelve year olds I knew did. Cordie Cooke wound up being my favorite of the supporting cast. Duane, chubby farm kid, and Lawrence, the fearless tagalong little brother, were my favorites overall, though the book was Mike's story for the second half.
The horror aspect was very well done, something I didn't suspect from Simmons. Some of it was in the realistic vein, like claustrophobia, or having a truck or dog bear down on you. The supernatural horror was also nicely executed but I'm not going to spoil anything.
That's about all I want reveal. I can't recommend this enough for horror fans. Coming of age horror is my favorite kind of horror and Summer of Night is now at the top of the pantheon, surpassing both It and Boy's Life. Five out of five stars.
While I loved the Hyperion and Joe Kurtz books, Dan Simmons has been hit or miss for me. This was definitely a hit.
Honestly, the first chapter almost made me throw it back on the pile. It's overwritten as hell and I was afraid the rest of the book would be suffering from the same malady. While there was some excessive wordiness, Summer of Night quickly clamped on to me like a lamprey.
Set in the summer of 1960, the summer after the end of sixth grade for most of the boys, Mike and friends get caught up in a mystery, a mystery that may or may not be be linked to a lynching at the turn of the century. Wait, a small town with a history of missing kids? Haven't I read this before?
Yes. Summer of Night has a lot in common with Stephen King's It but I found it more focused and it also had 100% less underage gang-bangs than It. People who've read It know what I'm talking about. Anyway, Simmons had me nostalgic for my childhood summer vacations, when summer lasted a hundred years and days could be spent exploring the woods, reading, or whatever the hell else you wanted to do.
The writing kept me enthralled and the boys rang true to me, even though they didn't swear nearly as much as the twelve year olds I knew did. Cordie Cooke wound up being my favorite of the supporting cast. Duane, chubby farm kid, and Lawrence, the fearless tagalong little brother, were my favorites overall, though the book was Mike's story for the second half.
The horror aspect was very well done, something I didn't suspect from Simmons. Some of it was in the realistic vein, like claustrophobia, or having a truck or dog bear down on you. The supernatural horror was also nicely executed but I'm not going to spoil anything.
That's about all I want reveal. I can't recommend this enough for horror fans. Coming of age horror is my favorite kind of horror and Summer of Night is now at the top of the pantheon, surpassing both It and Boy's Life. Five out of five stars.
fearnerd's review against another edition
4.0
Summer of Night is a coming of age horror novel that often gets mentioned in the same breath as King's It and Robert Mccammon's Boy's Life as the subgenre standouts. I have yet to read Boy's Life, but I have read It. Summer of Night's inclusion with It is certainly warranted as the book delivers plenty of childhood nostalgia for simpler times (1960 for this book) when kids got to really enjoy summer by riding their bikes everywhere, playing baseball, camping out, and other activities two decades before satanic panic and predators around every corner. However, there is an evil lurking in the book's town of Elm Haven that will reveal itself to our group of 11 to 12-year-old characters.
I can understand why a lot of people cherish this book as it feels like a blend of the great American novel with a horror story. There are plenty of chapters where the book's kid characters are just doing kid things. I found this charming but also tedious and boring at times. If you lived during the '60s, it might resonate more with you, just like the '80s and '90s resonate more with me. But these moments often felt like detours or distractions from the bigger story of what was happening in the town. I can understand Simmons padding his story this way as King does it all the time as well.
When the horror does come, Simmons does it quite well, and the book's closing chapters are exciting and tension-filled, though it's funny to picture 12-year-olds battling the town's evil with guns and molotov cocktails. The '60s were different, I suppose.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5. Fear Nerd says, "Check it out!"
I can understand why a lot of people cherish this book as it feels like a blend of the great American novel with a horror story. There are plenty of chapters where the book's kid characters are just doing kid things. I found this charming but also tedious and boring at times. If you lived during the '60s, it might resonate more with you, just like the '80s and '90s resonate more with me. But these moments often felt like detours or distractions from the bigger story of what was happening in the town. I can understand Simmons padding his story this way as King does it all the time as well.
When the horror does come, Simmons does it quite well, and the book's closing chapters are exciting and tension-filled, though it's funny to picture 12-year-olds battling the town's evil with guns and molotov cocktails. The '60s were different, I suppose.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5. Fear Nerd says, "Check it out!"
jared_the_jerry's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
saitu282's review against another edition
5.0
One of the most fucked up ways to experience the "kids on bikes" genre. Take Stranger Things, dial up the violence, madness, paranormal up to a million, and you get this. Those poor kids, man, bloody hell. Absolutely recommend if you think your life sucks. At least it does not suck as much as the lives of the kids in this book suck, lol. Honestly makes you feel thankful.
mamarabbit87's review against another edition
4.0
My love/obsession with Dan Simmons started with Drood which was published atleast a decade after Summer of Night and other horror novels by him which I plan to read. This novel was the first of his earlier works that I have read. Its definatly a Dan Simmons book, but an easier read despite 550 pages. His science fiction books are dense and mentally exhausting reads! I loved them, but to read more then 10 pages at a time was tiring! This was still written in his wonderful prose and style but with a much easier to read rhythm! Perhaps I am seeing a tiny bit of a transition that Dan Simmons went through in his novels and how his prose changed over the years.