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A review by zoe_e_w
The Reach by Nate Kenyon
4.0
It took me a long time to read The Reach, but not because the writing is bad, or scary for that matter. In fact, I wouldn't call this horror, more like a paranormal thriller. Even when the book reaches the explosive conclusion, it's not graphic enough to inspire any feelings of horror or fear. It is a solid ending, and the writing is good. It's just not what I was expecting when I first opened the book.
So to simplify the premise, it's basically Firestarter. All the same elements are here; a shady organization tampering with psi powers, a young child with powers that the organization covets, and a big finish illustrating the folly of their ways. I of course liked Firestarter, and so this story worked for me for many of the same reasons.
So why did I take so long to read it? Because the psi child in question, Sarah, has been locked up and drugged most of her life. Being stripped of her free will brought up some really dark stuff inside me about my own childhood, and and despite the wildly different circumstances Sarah is in, I had to walk away from the book for a long, long time. But once I finally came back to it, the second half wasn't nearly as hard to read.
The protagonist, Jess Chambers, is well written, and easy to sympathize with throughout the story. She initially is told that Sarah is schizophrenic, and that she's being brought in as a consultant in an effort to reach the young patient. But it quickly becomes clear that Sarah isn't crazy, and that she possesses incredible psychic powers that the secretive Dr. Wasserman is trying to control. But to what end? And why was Jess brought in? The twist revealing why Jess was chosen isn't surprising, and the way it's revealed feels too rushed before the story moves to the big finale where Sarah does her best Charlie McGee impersonation. But that's a minor complaint, and it doesn't change my enjoyment of the story.
I've seen a lot of comparisons of Nate Kenyon's writing style to Stephen King, and I think it's a fair assessment. Kenyon has the same ability to make "real" characters who I can believe in even under the most fantastic circumstances. I know I keep comparing this to Firestarter, and I need to go back again because the tone of the stories is quite similar. Firestarter never quite reaches a proper horror vibe, and neither does The Reach. Which is not a bad thing. But if you were going into this expecting something super scary, you're going to be disappointed.
I wasn't disappointed, though, so I give The Reach four stars and would recommend it to fans of paranormal fiction.
So to simplify the premise, it's basically Firestarter. All the same elements are here; a shady organization tampering with psi powers, a young child with powers that the organization covets, and a big finish illustrating the folly of their ways. I of course liked Firestarter, and so this story worked for me for many of the same reasons.
So why did I take so long to read it? Because the psi child in question, Sarah, has been locked up and drugged most of her life. Being stripped of her free will brought up some really dark stuff inside me about my own childhood, and and despite the wildly different circumstances Sarah is in, I had to walk away from the book for a long, long time. But once I finally came back to it, the second half wasn't nearly as hard to read.
The protagonist, Jess Chambers, is well written, and easy to sympathize with throughout the story. She initially is told that Sarah is schizophrenic, and that she's being brought in as a consultant in an effort to reach the young patient. But it quickly becomes clear that Sarah isn't crazy, and that she possesses incredible psychic powers that the secretive Dr. Wasserman is trying to control. But to what end? And why was Jess brought in? The twist revealing why Jess was chosen isn't surprising, and the way it's revealed feels too rushed before the story moves to the big finale where Sarah does her best Charlie McGee impersonation. But that's a minor complaint, and it doesn't change my enjoyment of the story.
I've seen a lot of comparisons of Nate Kenyon's writing style to Stephen King, and I think it's a fair assessment. Kenyon has the same ability to make "real" characters who I can believe in even under the most fantastic circumstances. I know I keep comparing this to Firestarter, and I need to go back again because the tone of the stories is quite similar. Firestarter never quite reaches a proper horror vibe, and neither does The Reach. Which is not a bad thing. But if you were going into this expecting something super scary, you're going to be disappointed.
I wasn't disappointed, though, so I give The Reach four stars and would recommend it to fans of paranormal fiction.