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readingvicariously's review against another edition
5.0
I’ll say this right off the bat: Tome is dark and brutal horror done right. I’ve had several conversations recently about the use of highly disturbing or taboo subjects in horror, and how poorly things can go when they’re not handled properly. Anything that values shock over substance is a hard pass from me. However, it is possible to weave traumatizing scenes involving rape, gore, rancid racism, and so on into a story, but those scenes certainly must exist for a reason beyond just triggering a reaction.
I want to be honest with you when I say that, for me, Tome was an emotionally heavy and distressing read. Not just because of the rape scenes and not just because of the abhorrent racism, but also because of how depressing it all is. It’s a dark and grimy story about dreadful people who do unspeakably awful things. There were several times I had to set the book aside for a bit to decompress after a specific chapter or event. And yet, I always returned eager to dive back in. The story, in spite of its ugliness, is also utterly compelling.
The book is set almost entirely in Juniper Correctional, a decaying prison full of despicable inmates and corrupt guards led by the truly atrocious Warden Fleming. A recent string of suicides inside the facility prompts a visit from two black U.S. Marshalls, who believe (correctly) that there is something more going on behind the scenes of JC. This is a place of dark secrets and there are those, both human and demonic, who will do anything to keep certain information covert. Like I said, this is a book full of terrible people. We expect the guards and ruinous spirits to be evil, but even the Marshall Dolores Fink has her own less-than-benevolent motivations. The only slim beacon of purity is Frank, a prison guard who lives his life right but will eventually have his light put to the test by the darkness.
Don’t get me wrong though, I loved this book! If this is sounding like a negative review it’s definitely not. The characters, though immensely flawed, are all fascinating and multifaceted. In fact, I think the reason they were so upsetting is because of how realistically they were written. The story line is full of twists and scenes I will never forget. Even though a certain twist I could see coming from a long way off, the revelation is still shocking. It felt like staring down an oncoming train, wanting to move but unable to look away.
The excellent writing in general is what really elevates this story for me. The descriptions and imagery are incredibly powerful and vivid. I could feel the damp, cold of the cells, sense the dreariness of the constant storms, see the festering rot in certain scenes, and smell every bit of cigarette smoke, perspiration, and whiskey on Warden Fleming. All of the details are graphic and disgusting, but that’s the nature of the story that author Ross Jeffery has written.
If you like the perverse mystery of Fincher’s Se7en (but with demons), the violent prison setting of Brawl in Cell Block 99, or the literary quality and bleak humanity of much of Cormac McCarthy’s writing, then you will absolutely enjoy this! I know this book is set in a series all based around the town of Juniper. And though Juniper is a place I desperately don’t want to visit, I will absolutely be checking out more books from this author!
I want to be honest with you when I say that, for me, Tome was an emotionally heavy and distressing read. Not just because of the rape scenes and not just because of the abhorrent racism, but also because of how depressing it all is. It’s a dark and grimy story about dreadful people who do unspeakably awful things. There were several times I had to set the book aside for a bit to decompress after a specific chapter or event. And yet, I always returned eager to dive back in. The story, in spite of its ugliness, is also utterly compelling.
The book is set almost entirely in Juniper Correctional, a decaying prison full of despicable inmates and corrupt guards led by the truly atrocious Warden Fleming. A recent string of suicides inside the facility prompts a visit from two black U.S. Marshalls, who believe (correctly) that there is something more going on behind the scenes of JC. This is a place of dark secrets and there are those, both human and demonic, who will do anything to keep certain information covert. Like I said, this is a book full of terrible people. We expect the guards and ruinous spirits to be evil, but even the Marshall Dolores Fink has her own less-than-benevolent motivations. The only slim beacon of purity is Frank, a prison guard who lives his life right but will eventually have his light put to the test by the darkness.
Don’t get me wrong though, I loved this book! If this is sounding like a negative review it’s definitely not. The characters, though immensely flawed, are all fascinating and multifaceted. In fact, I think the reason they were so upsetting is because of how realistically they were written. The story line is full of twists and scenes I will never forget. Even though a certain twist I could see coming from a long way off, the revelation is still shocking. It felt like staring down an oncoming train, wanting to move but unable to look away.
The excellent writing in general is what really elevates this story for me. The descriptions and imagery are incredibly powerful and vivid. I could feel the damp, cold of the cells, sense the dreariness of the constant storms, see the festering rot in certain scenes, and smell every bit of cigarette smoke, perspiration, and whiskey on Warden Fleming. All of the details are graphic and disgusting, but that’s the nature of the story that author Ross Jeffery has written.
If you like the perverse mystery of Fincher’s Se7en (but with demons), the violent prison setting of Brawl in Cell Block 99, or the literary quality and bleak humanity of much of Cormac McCarthy’s writing, then you will absolutely enjoy this! I know this book is set in a series all based around the town of Juniper. And though Juniper is a place I desperately don’t want to visit, I will absolutely be checking out more books from this author!
ejmealer's review against another edition
4.0
Jeffery weaves a suspenseful tale of horror, layered with characters that feel real, relatable, and very dead. (OR ARE THEY??)
I am not a horror fan. But I would read this book more than once.
I am not a horror fan. But I would read this book more than once.
janinepipe's review against another edition
5.0
Here is my buddy read video review with Ben Long.
https://youtu.be/3O0fO4ftgfQ
We also have reviews on our blogs.
https://janinesghoststories.wordpress.com/2020/12/18/buddy-read-book-review-ben-and-i-talk-tome-by-ross-jeffery/
https://youtu.be/3O0fO4ftgfQ
We also have reviews on our blogs.
https://janinesghoststories.wordpress.com/2020/12/18/buddy-read-book-review-ben-and-i-talk-tome-by-ross-jeffery/
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