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Book Review: The Final Transmission by Brian F.H. Clement

The Final Transmission by Brian F.H. Clement
Damnation Books, 2013
ISBN: 978-1629291109
Available: paperback, ebook

The Final Transmission is what I call a kitchen sink book. The story follows occult detective Benoit Michaud as he investigates the deaths of a group of cultists and their victim, and the consequences of those deaths. The first-time author has thrown all his ideas and flights of fancy into this brief novel. As a result it is cluttered, creating a surreal blur of frantic scenes. In this case, that works to his advantage, to heighten the sense of urgency and set a relentless pace that will keep the reader glued to the narrative.

Equal parts horror, science fiction, and detective novel, the story defies easy classification, and that is part of its charm. With a rich, diverse cast, anchored by Detective Michaud, Clement does an excellent job of creating unique voices and near-cinematic exposition that lends to the overall atmosphere of fear and dread.

While there are missteps, this is a fine first novel and one I would suggest without reservation, especially if occult detectives are your cup of tea. Recommended.

Contains: occultism, adult situations, violence

Reviewed by Bob Freeman

 

Posted on May 4, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: The Thickety: The Whispering Trees by J. A. White

The Thickety: The Whispering Trees by J.A. White, illustrated by Andrea Offermann

Katherine Tegen Books, 2015

ISBN-13: 978-0062257291

Available:  Hardcover, Kindle edition

After the shocking conclusion of A Path Begins, the first book in The Thickety series, Kara Westfall has been forced to leave her village of De’Noran behind and flee with her brother into the darkness of the Thickety,

Although still full of dark events and violent situations, The Whispering Trees contains each of these elements on a lighter scale than the first book in the series. Readers are introduced to a world full of magical, fairytale-like creatures living in the Thickety, and Kara’s ability to connect with animals gives us a glimpse into the minds of the Thickety’s inhabitants, blighted by the dark magic of the Forest Demon Sordyr.

The encompassing theme of good vs. evil, and strength of character development, is still strong in The Whispering Trees. Kara and her brother Taff form an unlikely alliance with the witch Mary Kettle, introduced in A Path Begins as a murderer of children. The Whispering Trees is full of suspenseful situations and unpredictable turns of events as Kara learns that goodness and hope can prevail.

The Whispering Trees shows readers a growth in Kara’s understanding of her powers, and her discovery of the responsibility that comes with such power, She is forced to make difficult decisions that weigh her deep desire to protect and free the creatures of the Thickety against her need to occasionally put them in harm’s way, for the greater good of defeating Sordyr. Readers will also see growth in young Taff as he develops wisdom, and a keen ability to become a strong force in the challenges he and Kara face in the Thickety.

The illustrations of Andrea Offermann are again a perfect complement to the tone of the story. The cover pulls readers into the dark, ensnaring branches of the Thickety and the chapter illustrations provide a perfect visual introduction to the tone of each chapter.

While The Whispering Trees contains less human violence than the first book in the series, it still contains enough frightening imagery and violent events that younger readers should be cautioned. However, those who are looking for a YA series that doesn’t sugarcoat the darker side of a fantastic and wonderfully-told scary story won’t be disappointed. Recommended for ages 10 and older.

 

Contains: Violence, witchcraft

Reviewed by Heather Hurley

Posted on May 4, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian


Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

Doubleday, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-0385534833

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edtion, audio CD, Audible.com audio

 

After a nuclear reactor meltdown near her home in northeastern Vermont kills her family, troubled teen Emily Shepard is doing her best to disappear. The disjointed narrative of Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is her story, told in bits and pieces, moving backward, forward, and sideways in time. Her memories of her parents, both good and bad; her time as a troubled teen; her journey from home to Burlington, Vermont; and her downward slide as a homeless teen fill up more than half the book. The rest is centered on her relationship with Cameron, a nine year old runaway, and her eventual trip back to where it all began.

Taking place in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion, I was surprised at how untouched the people around Emily seemed. Outside the “exclusion zone” near the event, there doesn’t seem to be the kind of panic or outrage you would expect nearby, or with refugees flooding in. They come, and then they’re gone. The environmental damage is localized, so once Emily reaches Burlington, there isn’t any imminent danger. It’s an apocalyptic story without much of the impact of the apocalypse visible to the reader, at least as we see through Emily’s eyes.

Emily herself is a perceptive writer with a love of Emily Dickinson, but as she tells her story, she’s oddly detached (not surprisingly, though, as it’s a reasonable strategy for dealing with grief when your priority is survival). While it’s understandable that she wouldn’t want to go into details of some of her experiences, it leaves strangely shaped gaps in our understanding of her. Emily lives through horrifying events and goes to some very dark places, both physically and emotionally, but while I couldn’t put this down, it’s more of a testament to Bohjalian’s skill in pulling me along than any sympathy I felt for her.

The ending is fairly predictable, with Emily returning home for closure and developing radiation sickness– it is the journey that kept me going. I wanted to know what happened next, to fill in the blanks of Emily’s story, and had to keep reading to find out if she would fill those in, and how. Bohjalian got a physical reaction out of me with his descriptions of Emily’s cutting and her encounters as a prostitute, and he certainly kept me going, but Emily herself, and the novel as a whole, were unconvincing to me. It just never seemed quite real.

I am a huge fan of Bohjalian’s The Night Strangers, so I know he’s capable of building atmosphere and doing detailed world-building, and Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands, while it kept me reading, does not measure up to it. The idea is great, but this isn’t his best work, and for creepiness and character building, it does not measure up to The Night Strangers. As he’s a fairly well-known mainstream author, and it’s overall a well written book, it’s worth it to have it in libraries, but horror readers may not want to put it at the top of their list. Recommended.

Contains: violence, sexual situations

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

Posted on May 1, 2015 by , Reply
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