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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Friday Night Lights meets American Horror Story. An easy quick read that I couldn't put down until finished.This is the best spook I have read in years! I can't wait to see what else John Fram releases in the future.
So my gut says 3.75 so wasn’t quite a 4 star read however I rounded up. I really enjoyed this story a lot. It felt so relatable growing up playing sports all myself (that was a joke) I know how important those Friday night lights were to our community for those who played and those who used to play, also being a closeted athlete.
I thought this was gonna be more of a coming of age story but was way off. Right away one of the main characters is dead and we don’t know why. An investigation into the incident leads to a deep dark secrecy both of this world and out of this world.
A great blend of thrilling mystery and cosmic horror elements.
Now the negative. this is my opinion only; I did get a lil confused at times, dealing with so many characters it was hard to keep track of who’s who. Besides the main characters anyway. I also felt like the story was so big that it was hard to real it in without getting out of hand.
OVERALL A GREAT READ. I would definitely recommend this one.
I thought this was gonna be more of a coming of age story but was way off. Right away one of the main characters is dead and we don’t know why. An investigation into the incident leads to a deep dark secrecy both of this world and out of this world.
A great blend of thrilling mystery and cosmic horror elements.
Now the negative. this is my opinion only; I did get a lil confused at times, dealing with so many characters it was hard to keep track of who’s who. Besides the main characters anyway. I also felt like the story was so big that it was hard to real it in without getting out of hand.
OVERALL A GREAT READ. I would definitely recommend this one.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Review in the June 2020 issue of Library Journal and on the blog: https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=horror-reviews-column-june-2020-adam-cesare-josh-malerman-malorie
Three Words That Describe This Book: supernatural mystery, shifting pov, terrifyingly realistic
Draft Review:
Bentley, Texas loves its football, and when star quarterback, Dylan, contacts his older brother, Joel, their unsettling conversation leads Joel back to the town where his personal demons still thrive. But when Dylan goes missing, it quickly becomes apparent that something even more sinister is happening, and has been happening in Bentley for quite some time. Written in a style that is an homage to Bentley Little, a satisfying supernatural mystery where the town itself is at the heart of the evil, the point of view bounces quickly between multiple, well developed characters, all harboring their own destructive secrets, and a creeping darkness builds relentlessly, increasing the anxiety and the dread, until it bursts, encapsulates the town, its characters, and the reader in a terror denser than the “Friday night lights” can ever hope to penetrate.
Verdict: Fram refers to himself as “Stephen Queen,” and while it is an apt sound bite, it sells this debut short. More than a gay, King readalike, this is a confident, thought provoking tale that manages to honestly explore complex issues issues like family dynamics, sexuality, religion, and coming of age anxieties, within a solid horror frame. A great choice for fans of character centered, occult mysteries with strong world building like those by Victor LaValle or Ania Alhborn.
Three Words That Describe This Book: supernatural mystery, shifting pov, terrifyingly realistic
Draft Review:
Bentley, Texas loves its football, and when star quarterback, Dylan, contacts his older brother, Joel, their unsettling conversation leads Joel back to the town where his personal demons still thrive. But when Dylan goes missing, it quickly becomes apparent that something even more sinister is happening, and has been happening in Bentley for quite some time. Written in a style that is an homage to Bentley Little, a satisfying supernatural mystery where the town itself is at the heart of the evil, the point of view bounces quickly between multiple, well developed characters, all harboring their own destructive secrets, and a creeping darkness builds relentlessly, increasing the anxiety and the dread, until it bursts, encapsulates the town, its characters, and the reader in a terror denser than the “Friday night lights” can ever hope to penetrate.
Verdict: Fram refers to himself as “Stephen Queen,” and while it is an apt sound bite, it sells this debut short. More than a gay, King readalike, this is a confident, thought provoking tale that manages to honestly explore complex issues issues like family dynamics, sexuality, religion, and coming of age anxieties, within a solid horror frame. A great choice for fans of character centered, occult mysteries with strong world building like those by Victor LaValle or Ania Alhborn.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was refreshing in a lot of ways, and also a well done LGTBq+ thriller. There are parts that I was really pulled into, and if you really cringy descriptions, the kind I live for. Honestly. I read so much that I want to cringe, I want to be surprised by descriptions and this definitely got there a couple times. I also actually liked the supernatural element in this book, I think it can be hard to pull off in a realistic horror even though this is technically more of a thriller. But supernatural elements were definitely applied and not too heavy handed and I appreciated that.
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
This would actually be a really great introduction to horror novel for people who love fast-paced mystery or crime novels looking to branch out. I am notoriously not a fan of the multi-POV situation, but Fram paced it so so well that I cannot imagine it being told another way.
CW: use of the word f****t, homophobia, racism, sexual assault of a minor, murder, use of assault rifles
CW: use of the word f****t, homophobia, racism, sexual assault of a minor, murder, use of assault rifles