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A review by joshuamarsella
Tome by Ross Jeffery
5.0
I was lucky enough to be given an ARC copy of Tome from Jeffery. I was a huge fan of Juniper with its grotesque yet humorous qualities, so I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book. Tome, his first full-length novel totally blew away my expectations. Not only does Jeffery write like a veteran author with dozens of publications, he continues to evolve with his beautiful writing style and expert storytelling.
Tome tells the story of Juniper Correctional Facility which, if you read Juniper, takes place prior to the events of that story. It follows several characters throughout the prison including the inmates, prison staff, the warden, and a team of investigators who were hired to investigate several mysterious and disturbingly brutal suicides. You never get lost among the diverse cast and each character is intricately detailed with a distinguishable personality all their own. That's as far as I'll go in describing the story so as to not spoil anything.
If I had to describe this story to someone, I would say it's a perfect blending of Shawshank Redemption with Lovecraftian cosmic horror. If the evil that is living within the cell blocks of JCF aren't enough, the supernatural horrors festering in the dark corners will gladly do the job. Tome is a must-read and although it's a prequel, it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel. I highly recommend this book to any horror lover and I look forward to book III that is currently in the works.
Tome tells the story of Juniper Correctional Facility which, if you read Juniper, takes place prior to the events of that story. It follows several characters throughout the prison including the inmates, prison staff, the warden, and a team of investigators who were hired to investigate several mysterious and disturbingly brutal suicides. You never get lost among the diverse cast and each character is intricately detailed with a distinguishable personality all their own. That's as far as I'll go in describing the story so as to not spoil anything.
If I had to describe this story to someone, I would say it's a perfect blending of Shawshank Redemption with Lovecraftian cosmic horror. If the evil that is living within the cell blocks of JCF aren't enough, the supernatural horrors festering in the dark corners will gladly do the job. Tome is a must-read and although it's a prequel, it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel. I highly recommend this book to any horror lover and I look forward to book III that is currently in the works.