Horror Books

this was one of the better books ive read lately. unlike some of the other erotic novels this one actually had a rather intresting story line. i would recomend that you purchase the 2nd book 'the mark of the vampire queen' as well. both books are rather long and well writen. this was one book i actually didnt find myself fliping through and skiping segments to try and keep my attention. i only wish there were more.

I have many of Joey Hill's books and the series I am in awe of.She tells a story of love and devotion.It goes beyound the mistress/sub genre.I truely felt the feelings of these two.And esp. Lysaa. She has a deep hurt she hides and uses those fears to guard her heart and life..Wonderful book

As a long time fan of JWH, this one was a great disappointment. I can't even get the concluding book to finish this story. I found the story and dialogue so so slow bordering on long-drawn and tedious, that I found myself skimming half way through. I did not feel the strong emotional and romantic pull that I've come to expect from JWH's books. I was so excited that JWH was venturing into the vampire genre because I love reading and watching vampire stories (ie Underworld, Delilah Devlin's My Immortal Knight series) which naturally have alot of eroticism and action adventure. This is a gifted writer but unfortunately she must be going through a different spell or inspiration because this is the second book of hers that I've read in a row which I've found lacking (Mistress of Redemption being the other one). I understand in order to grow, authors like to challenge themselves with different themes and genre, but the story still needs to be engaging, passionate, and keep moving forward. There were sections that felt like forever filled with internal battle/dialogue. Okay I get it she's hesitant about making Jacob her servant but does the whole book have to be about that struggle. I realize her other books (Ice Queen, Mirror of My Soul, Natural Law, If Wishes were Horses) were also about guy likes girl, girl is scared but drawn to guy, girl pushes guy away, guy pushes back, and eventually guy gets the girl, BUT those books had good pacing that made them engaging and the stories were aways moving forward with good character and story development not to mention action (ie kicking the heck out of that perverts, base jumping between buildings, Wiccan rituals). Now I will definitely be hesitant about picking up another JWH book without reading the reviews.

I love erotica, expecially explicit. I've always been curious about the D/s roles. The fact the book was about a dominant Vampire Queen and a Alpha Submissive interested me. As another reviewer has previously stated, it is a little bit of a slow read, but is graphic and compelling. It has all these twists and turns. This is NOT a book for the faint at heart. It is also not a traditional love story, that part really peaks my interest more. This book as had me reach into depths of my mind that I never have really explored.

This book has tickled my fancy and has me wanting more. Not ever wanting to leave the story of Jacob & Lyssa. Do not read this book if you are not ready to experience something you have never experience before. It will take you places you've probably only about as a surface of an idea for mere seconds.

I would definantly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good erotica, D/s themed genre.

First book I have read of J.Hill. Beautiful phrases,her sensual words, her dynamic power struggle,her beautiful servant, her erotic,exotic,lonely vampire queen.
The level of sexual tension and angst created by Joey Hill to show the dynamics of this love/hate,dominant/submissive, dominant/dominant,Master/servant, man/woman,antangonist/protangonist and ultimately two people who are attracted to one anther; is some of the best writing I have read!
She captures the essence of their relationship in the simplest of settings: he giving her a manicure and he kisses her instep or visiting the mall and they run in the fountain.(one of my favourite scenes)
At the same time you never know when you will hear the 'crack' of a belt or the slap on a face!
Excellent secondary characters, excellent narratives, touching backstory of her dead servant Thomas who gifted Jacob to Lady Lyssa.
Vampires,sex,eroticsm,bondage,pain, love..everything you want in a vampire novel.
Words from the Bryan Adams song rings in my mind with this provacative novel:"Don't tell me you're not worth fighting for",everything I do, I do it for you."

EVIL STAR is the second book in the Anthony Horowitz series called THE GATEKEEPERS.

In book one, titled Raven's Gate (The Gatekeepers), main character Matt discovers he is one of five specially chosen teens. Their purpose is to save the world. Matt doesn't know the other five and must "close" Raven's Gate on his own. As the second book, EVIL STAR, begins, Matt finds himself in Peru meeting up with Pedro, who turns out to be one of the chosen five.

Matt and Pedro join forces, although it isn't easy since Matt speaks only English and Pedro speaks Spanish. Their unusual connection does allow them to communicate while in a dream state. They learn each others' stories and realize that their paths will someday cross the paths of their remaining team.

Together Matt and Pedro must find and prevent the opening of the second gate. Its history is intertwined with the ancient Incas and the Peruvian culture. As they search the seamier side of Peru, they encounter kidnapping, gun battles, the evil "big headed" Salamanda, high altitude jungle treks, and terrifying helicopter rides. Exactly what is the Evil Star and can they find the next gate in time to close it and save the world from the Old Ones?

Horowitz provides his usual fast-paced, non-stop action in this new series. It is sure to impress his already established fans and create plenty of new ones.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

The second book of the Gatekeeper series "Evil Star" is about a boy named Matt Freeman who has special powers. The bad thing is he can't control them. He first noticed them when he was 5 and his parents died. Matt knew his parents were going to die because he saw it in a dream. Now he lives with his friend Richard Cole. Matt is one of the five kids who have to save the world from creatures called The Old Ones. He gets sent on a mission to Peru by a secret organization called the Nexus, to find one of the gates that release the Old Ones.
Matt has these dreams where he sees three boys and one girl on a beach. He is on a rock in the water. When Matt goes to Peru he starts getting shot at and almost gets captured like his friend Richard did. He meets a boy named Pedro who is one of the five chosen to save the world. Pedro speaks Spanish and they can only understand each other in their dreams. They go all around Peru trying to find Richard and finally find him in a place called Cuzco. They meet the ancestors of the Incas and they help them along their way.
They go to Nazca, where there are the Nazca lines. These are a series of lines that were dug to look like animals and other pictures. They meet a woman who has been studying the lines for her whole life. Her name is Professor Chambers. She thinks that on a day called Inti Raymi the stars are going to line up with the pictures and that alignment will open the gate. There is a man named Salamanda who is going to use a artificial star to open the gate. Matt isn't going to let that happen.
I really liked this book because it has a lot of action and the author used a lot of description to explain what is happening in the book. I recommend this for kids in their teens that enjoy action, adventure and suspense. The main characters in some of his books are around 13-14 years old. I have read two book in this series and four books in a different series by the same author. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

By Brian Williams

Cycle of the Werewolf, by Stephen King. It sounds promising, and starts off pretty good, but as the calender months start going by(the whole book is one giant calender) it starts to lag. By lag, I mean that the story begins to repeat itself, and once cool ideas turn boorrrrrinnnng. The artwork though(one for every month, the months are like chapters) is incredibly chilling and original, well worth the 15.95 cover price of the book alone. Berni Wrightson(the illustrator) should get the credit for this book, not Stephen King. A werewolf tale, this book is well worth reading for some scenes, but not most. Only for a die-hard fan of Stephen King. Basically, good for a quick, short scare but not much else. 3 stars, or Grade: C-.

I'm a reader and one day I did not, seemingly, have anything to read. I asked my son if he could suggest anything and he said Stephen King. He did not see me for about three months after that, and we live in the same apartment. I read almost everything Stephen King wrote. This book is a special book - I mean in general. Berni Wrightson's illustrations make it a book I would grab to save if there was a fire, and I have a lot of books. This story is not like the video. The book is nicely framed in twelve sections according to months, and so we are treated to a woodcut-like black and white picture first thing, and then to a color, very well executed, scary picture of a pivotal event, in every chapter. Good versus evil at its very best! - no spoiler. (And then Stephen King, in one of his books, turned me on to Stephen Dobyns, for which I am very grateful . . .)

Cycle of the Werewolf is a small book only about 130 pages but within those pages stephen king puts some great story telling you've herd about the Werewolf but now King puts pen to paper to tell about there as the title states there cycle and how they act. The book has amazing drawings by Bernie Wrightson.

During Each month the Full moon comes out and with each full moon so dose the werewolf, The werewolf comes killing something each time it comes out it starts out small but it progresses as it goes along eventuly killing humans.

Cycle of The Werewolf is a good short read for King Fans with (as i states very nice drawings by Bernie Wrightson) a good read that i would highly recomend 5/5 The Drawings by Bernie Wrightson also get 5/5.

The title of this book--"Cycle of the Werewolf"--is fairly self-explanatory. It's as simple as this; a small town, Tarker's Mills, has a big problem to worry about. One of its residents has become a werewolf. Once a month, during the--you guessed it--full moon, the werewolf attacks, each incident having a different outcome or repercussion.

Stephen King masterfully writes each of his characters, major or inconsequential, as fully fleshed out people with unique traits. Truly, no one can write about a small-town terror like King. Though a few chapters of this book (one for every month in the year that this story spans) don't seem to have an effect on this story--this short novel doesn't really 'find itself' until the sixth chapter (July)--when read as a whole, the random victims and the lives/stories cut short in the earlier chapters in this book are actually a reminder of the mindless, emotionless, random murder that the titular creature is best known for. However, as I favor character driven novels over plot-driven stories, the aspect of this book that I enjoyed the most were the three chapters told through the eyes of Marty Coslaw. To reveal any more about the way this story works and the aspects that I enjoyed would be to venture into spoiler territory, and I certainly don't plan on doing that.

The format of this book is very interesting. It's designed like a trade paperback (comics fans will know the term), though its size is that of a 'digest' novel. Berni Wrightson's art is gory and rough, and--though it isn't my 'kind' of art--it certainly suits the book. However, readers, be warned; there isn't as much content here as it may first appear. There are many illustrations and other material taking up the pages and, in my opinion, it adds to the overall effect. As this was meant to be a straightforward story, I'm glad that each chapter was short and to the point. But it's only fair that I warn everyone else, who may not agree with me.

8/10

This is a short, not particularly interesting novel told in twelve parts. It also has some illustrations by famous comic artist Bernie Wrightson.

When the killings in a small town in yes, Maine, keep mounting up, the townspeople come to the conclusion a werewolf is at work. Redneck drunk hunters aren't too useful though, and a young crippled boy has to work it all out.

Aura is a strange work by Carlos Fuentes that incorporates realism and magic, brujeria (witchcraft) and religion, and linear and cyclical time. Good book to read if you know a fair amount of Spanish.
The descriptive setting cannot get much better; Fuentes keeps the reader guessing from chapter to chapter. Although it was written by a Mexican author, this novella can be appreciated and understood by a global audience.

AURA by Carlos Fuentes, translated by Lysander Kemp, is a short read that I found wonderful and highly recommend. My Spanish is only mediocre so I was only able to take small advantage of the parallel text format. The plot has been reviewed by others, my only comment on the lists of comparisons, is to add Henry James' TURN OF THE SCREW that I kept thinking of while reading AURA. To those interested in gothic romance, I believe this novella represents the epitome.

The English translation in this bilingual edition is very well done. Reading the Spanish at first was a bit laborious, but with the help of the side-by-side translation, I soon became quite engrossed in the story and the imagery. If you are looking for a book that helps you learn sentence structure and Spanish syntax, this isn't particularly helpful as Fuentes departs from normal patterns and waxes poetic to the point of being a bit bizarre. However, I became so interested in the story that I switched to reading the English first and then went to the Spanish to fill out the imeragery.

A friend recommended I read this book after I heard Carlos Fuentes read from his work at an event.

Fuentes is a high-profile, politically involved writer, but this novella has no overt political content, although Fuentes would say all writing is political. It is an elegantly written, if slight, story of a young scholar engaged to write a memoir of sorts. The characters are interesting--I cared about them and what would happen to them even as events become more and more eerie and supernatural.

The strength of this edition is that you can read the Spanish version alongside the English translation--and even quibble with the translation if you are given to that.

Overall, a quick and enjoyable introduction to Fuentes' work.

This review refers to the Bilingual Edition of "Aura" by Carlos Fuentes..

This was my first read of Carlos Fuentes, and I was very impressed. I am already adding others by Fuentes into my cart. "Aura" is a novella that will keep you involved from the first page to the last. The story, told as if you the reader are the main character,pulls you right into the emotions he is feeling, from the joy of a new job, to the love and lust towards a beautiful woman, to the fear of the unknown. As others have said, the style is akin to Poe. The words flow beautifully, the story is chilling.

Sr. Montero finds an ad for a chance at the job of a lifetime. The pay will keep him comfortable fo quite a while, and that at first is a big draw. He will be organizing and rewriting the journals and memoirs of a distinguished gentlemen for his very old widow. It must be done before she dies. The old woman is an fragile figure, over 100 years old. She insists he stay at the very dark and gloomy home during his employment.

Aura is the beautiful niece of the Senora, and Montero is immediately under her spell. He begins to notice strange and eerie events going on around him, but his love for Aura, overshadows it all. The Sra. and Aura hold a powerful and mystical secret, and getting to it is an engrossing read.One that may give you a nice little twist at the end.


An excellent translation of this mysterious story from Spanish to English by Lysander Kemp. The book is a fast read with Spanish on the left page and English on the right side. It's one that left me thinking about it for quite a while after the read. It will keep you good company and make the time pass on a plane trip or waiting room. Also nice for those learning Spanish or English, to have this bilingual edition to use.

A eerily lovely way to spend a couple of hours.
Enjoy....Laurie

Bought this book for my grandaughters birthday, she loves unicorns and dragons,etc. She read this book immediately she loved it has read it several times said it is a great magical adventure. Mystical adventure that especially girls about 8- 10 will love reading. so my granddaughters states.I asked her more about it and she told me to read the book !!

This was a Christmas present from my sister-in-law last year. I completely loved Anansi Boys and was eager to tear into this one.
I must say, I really thought Anansi Boys was a better book. That isn't to say I didn't like this one, I just thought that Anansi Boys flowed better.
I really loved how he took ancient mythology and breathed new life into the old stories. I honestly found myself wishing more of the story was from the perspective of the old gods rather than the main character, Shadow. I just didn't find the main character all that engaging. I thought it was really clever plot and I love his writing style.
It reminded me a lot of another book I read years ago by the title of Shadows Fall by Simon R. Green.
Overall, a fun book that just didn't match up to Anansi Boys.

truly one of Gaiman's best. I adored this book so much, that I'm hoping he'll continue to write stories about Shadow in the future. He's written a short story titled "Monarch of the Glen", (included in "Fragile Things") that takes on Shadow's journey after the events of this novel...another excellent example of Gaiman's storytelling.
This book is a must for anyone interested in Neil Gaiman's work, or mythology or both.

this book was good i guess . it was enticing to begin with. also it contained a new type of plot but i do agree it is dark and that there is not a clear protagonist but the muddling of charachters gives it some flavor p.s. it is long

I have a particular weakness for irreverent humor, satire, and surreality, so when I was recommended to read "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman I was agreeable. I had loved Sandman and his joint-venture with Terry Pratchett in Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (Discworld). However, I was surprised and found myself eagerly devouring this novel because it was unique, not many books are able incorporate mythology, satire, and humor so successfully.

As always, Gaiman brings together an adventure that matches wit and fantasy with mythological themes and contemporary storytelling. In the heartlands of America, its settlers and immigrants brought with them the beliefs and myths of their homelands. Those gods and other mystical creatures from folklore and mythology are now living amongst us, getting by and dealing with the day-to-day issues all mortals face...mortgages, money, death, and taxes.

It is this world to which an ex-con, Shadow, is slowly introduced as he takes employment with a mysterious man named, Mr. Wednesday. Here he meets a drunk leprechaun, talking animals from old folk stories, and a cacophony of deities as he helps his employer gather up the old gods in a defensive bid against the rise of the new gods of modern America such as the internet, credit cards, and media, Shadow finds himself a pawn in a very dangerous game.

On the whole the novel progressed smoothly through the plot. Only a few chapters interrupted the flow. These occasional interruptions were origin tales describing an Old World god's introduction to America. On their own, they were intelligent and gripping, I would have loved to learn more about Odin, or the woman who brought the Little Folk with her from Ireland. As part of a whole, they simply broke my immersion in Shadow's story and served no clear narrative purpose. You would be reading along minding your own business and then a new chapter would be come up and it would feel as if was a completely different story tucked in the middle. Perhaps if they were presented in a different way it wouldn't have felt so out of place.

Gaiman's tale was easily read and pulled you along an engaging adventure. To see these once-great beings acting just like regular people down on their luck gave the book just the right amount of irony and humor without it being preachy, corny, or even religious. I was pleased that "American Gods" features increasingly odd and surreal moments that made me eagerly turn each page to see what happens next.

Blue chip dark fantasy. Although readers of Gaiman's Sandman books will find some familiar territory retreaded here, it's Gaimans first major novel to really stand on its own in the literary medium, a showcase of one of the best minds in modern fantasy, and an easy recommendation to make.

Here this book goes deep in the realm of psychology and Science fiction. Very short. But not for the short attention span. You mustn't get lost in the extremely intense personification and imagery for this will make the book monotonous.

I am a new but HUGE fan or R.L. Stevenson but this is not his best work of his stories I would suggest getting a complete tales of R.L. Stevenson collection because this would include his best work in my opinion the suicide club and rajah's diamond.

Enjoy but I suggest getting a different print of this story one that includes his greatest short stories.

Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde was a very good book filled of suspence. For example when the laywer goes to talk to Dr.Jekyll the Doctor gives him an a letter he got from Mr.Hyde but was not thinking and burned the envolope but did say there was no return adress. After the lawyer left the room and asked the door man if there has been any letters droped off and he said no. Then he asked if anyone personly droped off a letter and the door man said no.

This is one of the hardest and boring books in life! It deals with strict men of Science, for instance, Dr. Hastie Lanyon. This book, like the Invisible Man, is a novel that has WAY too many details and should be strictly enforced not to be read. Who wants to read a book about science-fiction and not to mention the cuss words on every page? Who likes minor details around every corner. But, I must admit, there are fabulous descriptions of the characters and them themselves are quite interesting! But, this book is not good.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
By: Robert Louis Stevenson
Reviewed by: E. ...
Period:6

This book is about a man that has somehow brought out an evil side of him. He is a scientist and he makes a concoction that has brought out the evil part. At first the man is able to be somewhat aware of what the other person does, but it gets worse and he looses control. He has few conscious moments and often wakes up not knowing what has happened. His friend learns about the evil side, but has no idea that both of the men are the same. As the friend learns more, he becomes closer and closer to the horrible truth. Then the evil side kills a man and he hides by becoming the good man and hiding in his house. The friend thinks the evil man has killed the good one, but he soon finds out something is very strange about the whole situation. Then the friend receives a letter from the man and he gets the supplies asked in the letter. A man meets the friend and makes a concoction. Then he drinks it and all of a sudden the man turns into his friend that seems to have been revived from the evil side. The whole story is a mystery as the friend finds more clues.

The thing I liked was how the story was set up and how the whole thing was a mystery so that it kept you interested in finding out the answer. It got confusing at times and I had to re-read parts to find out the clues and truly understand it. "pale and shaken, and half fainting, and groping before him with his hands, like a man restored from death-there stood Henry Jekyll! " The good man had only a little power left and he needed the concoction to make himself regular again. The person that his friend saw was a mixture of evil and good with the good barely holding out. After that, the friend was told everything and he listened in shock. This part didn't come until near the end so that it was a twist in the story that is unexpected.

The book may have been good for its story line, but parts of the story got to be repetitive and it got to the point where it was boring and it was hard to keep going. The end really disappointed me, because the story was pretty decent and then the end came and it was bad. The end was supposed to be a letter written from the last words of the good man that was losing his power to stay in control. The letter was at least twenty pages and was filled with confusing sentences and the same information being repeated over and over. It got tiring and boring very quickly, so that I struggled to keep reading. I finally made it through and the end of the letter said that the good man was saying he was going to end his miserable life. "Here, then, as I lay down the pen, and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end. That ending would have been good if it wasn't after the most boring part in the book.

My favorite part of the book was when the friend and the butler of the good man break into the study to get the materials wanted by the man. It was my favorite part because lots of clues start to come out and it's the point right before finding out the truth of the evil and good man. My least favorite part is the end when the same information is repeated and the words are so confusing that it is very boring. Overall the book has a good way of keeping the reader suspenseful, but it also does the opposite with the repeated parts and the story may seem a little over stretched.

Since I am a contributor to this volume, I will not offer a "review" in a conventional sense, but I will offer a list of contents, which this website otherwise does not offer. As there are a number of competing paperback editions of Stevenson's novella and the text of the story is essentially the same (allowing for minor editorial variants), readers should consider the issue of what else besides the main text they will be getting for their money, and this edition is unusually rich in supplementary features, so that the original story makes up only 55 of its 222 pages.

In addition to the text of Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," with explanatory notes by the editor, this volume also contains:

A preface by the editor, a "textual appendix" about textual variants in the manuscripts, a map of 19th century London marking places mentioned in the story, a timeline of the major events in the life of author Robert Louis Stevenson, and a bibliography. Plus...

An excerpt from a biography about Stevenson by Graham Balfour about the circumstances of the story's authorship...

A brief excerpt from Stevenson's "A Chapter on Dreams," which discusses the influence of his dreams on the story...

12 letters by Stevenson that discuss aspects of the "Dr. Jekyll" story...

10 contemporary reviews and comments about "Dr. Jekyll" that show how the story was originally received...

Another horror-oriented short story by Stevenson entitled "Markheim"...

A brief non-fiction piece by Stevenson, "How I Came to be such a student of our Penny Press," together with some examples of 19th century book advertising...

Three essays about the literary context of "Dr. Jekyll": Karl Miller, "The Modern Double": Jenni Calder, "Stevenson's Scottish Devil Tales"; and Judith Halberstam, "An Introduction to Gothic Monstrosity"...

Four essays about the scientific context of Stevenson's story: Stephen Jay Gould, "Post-Darwinist Theories of the Ape Within"; Frederic W. H. Myers, "Multiple Personality"; Norman Kerr, "Abject Slaves to the Narcotic"; John Addington Symonds, "This Aberrant Inclination in Myself"...

Two essays about the socio-historical context of Stevenson's story: Judith R. Walkowitz, "London in the 1880s"; and Walter Houghton, "Hypocrisy"...

Three essays and a filmography about theatrical and film adaptations of "Dr. Jekyll": C. Alex Pinkston, Jr., "The Stage Premiere of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"; Charles King, "Themes and Variations" (about film); Scott Allen Nollen, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Paramount, 1931)"; and Katherine Linehan, "A Checklist of Major Performance Adaptations"...

And five additional critical essays: G. K. Chesterton, "The Real Stab of the Story"; Vladimir Nabokov, "The Phenomenon of Style"; Peter K. Garrett, "Instabilities of Meaning, Morality, and Narration"; Patrick Brantlinger, "An Unconscious Allegory about the Masses and Mass Literacy"; and Katherine Linehan, "Sex, Secrecy and Self-Alienation in Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde".

For sheer range of commentary, I do not think that you could point to a comparable volume.

I had seen the film, I liked it very much. A horror masterpiece. But soomething in me always told me I wasn't sattisfied with the film, I wished to see more intense parts. Few weeks ago I came to know about the book, I dont know what came in my mind but I thought the book might have the whole story more in detail.. and I was right. The book unlike the film scared me even more... since its much more in detail, dont get me wrong.. the film is good, but the book is even better. It scared me a lot, and there were certain parts not mentioned in the film at all, just certain minor details. If you love horror novels, this is a book just for you. Dont miss it.

I'm spinning around, spewing my way, and I like it like that.

One place where your learned religious type can come in handy is dealing with your basic demonic possession. They earn their funny outfits then, that is for sure. Particularly if a rather canny denizen of the nether regions decides your youngish virgin girl is a good vessel to choose for maximum disturbing effect.

The Angel Hunter
Human suffering caused to the loved ones of the addicted. That is the archetype of Regan McNeil. It could be drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, whatever. The demon simply makes the story more demonstrative. For in the end, Regan remembers nothing. The lives of two dedicated priests are gone and Chris McNeil and countless others have been forever scared by what they lived through. For any of us who have loved an addict, you'll know what I mean. Read the book. It is NOT like the movie. The Exorcist is a master piece of modern literature in my opinion that paints a clear picture of how the people who love the problemed, the afflicted, and the addicted members of our society suffer more than the addicts themselves. Read the book and then ask yourself, how farfetched is this novel really? Look at the world around you and you'll agree with me....not very farfetched at all.

Hey folks,

Welp, we've all seen the movie. Most of us agree that the movie is one of the scariest films ever created. The book, contains all of those scenes. The vomiting, shrieking of obscenities, "Dimmy, please!", etc...And a whole lot more.

With this book you receive the horror and suspense. You receive the gross-out moments, and subtle dark humor. You receive the cunning grotesqueries of the demon inside Regan, you receive the angst and the drama, as well as some funny situations, all extremely well written. You also receive a basic education in psychology, ethics, philosophical ideology, demonology, and Christianity. The book concentrates not quite on proving that Regan is possessed, but more so to disprove the possibility that she's not. It is a battle of faith in the era of modern medicine and psychoanalysis and the power of believing - Pulled to the limits and breaking point of desperation and sanity, when all hope in modern science leaves questions but no answers. An atheist mother turns to God's servants, 2 priests to help her fight for her daughter's life. The angst that Regan and her actress mother are put through, by the end yields positive results. Their own doubts are put to rest, as former atheists.

Regan, an innocent victim, is anted on the table in a struggle between the forces of good and evil. It is both heart-wrenching and compelling. The doctors constantly suggest theories, finding themselves dumbfounded, etc. You begin to ask the questions "Is she really possessed?" "Does she have split personality disorder"? "How much more can she possibly take?" And possibly questioning your own ethics on how far you would go to save this poor girl? It's a lesson learned that even in the grip of overwhelmingly impossible circumstances, perhaps God will not give you more than you can bear.

You'll find the horrors of the movie in the book, if that's all you're looking for. You'll also find the subtle and not so subtle wisdom of 2 priests - One who while struggling with his own faith issues, has a basic idea of what he's fighting against. Another with a more profound understanding, who personifies faith and humanity, if only for the short time he appears with us. Moreover, you receive substance.

The movie is 2 hours. 2 hours and you're done. What isn't explained or expounded upon is left up to the watcher to come to his/her own conclusions. The book gives us insight into Regan, her mother, the situation around which they find themselves, those involved, the minds of the priests, and the mind of the demon himself. The movie doesn't really do that. The movie is a horror-fest, lacking the subtleties and substance contained within the book. To me, the book is really for any horror fan, but most specifically, a good read for Christians who've lost their faith. It's a study of good versus evil, of faith, of the frailties of the human condition, and acts of love, acceptance, and finally belief.

In conclusion - A fantastic read with some misconceptions, 400 pages, I finished it in one sitting, quite memorable. I'm proud to have this book amongst my growing home library.

Why it has taken me so long to get around to reading this genius book I will never know, the same as why I will never know why I was in college before I watched the film (considering both the book and movie are older than I am). This book sat in my pile of "to be read" books for months, and finally I got around to digging it out and starting to work on it. At just under 400 pages, this is slightly longer than most horror novels put out today (which for some reason are all between 300 and 320 pages), however it is not so long as to be daunting (see "The Stand"). I'll admit that the first 30 pages or so had me worried, this book was very slow to start, and the opening scene doesn't make much sense until the book is almost over. If you can keep trucking through the beginning the book really picks up and weaves it's way into a dark character study of loss, pain, doubt and faith.

Summary (as if you don't know): Regan, 12 year old daughter of Chris MacNeil the famous actress, suddenly begins complaining of her bed shaking and knocking sounds coming from her room. Chris assumes that this is a cry for attention until Regan's behavior makes a 180 degree turn toward the dark and sinister. Seeking help first from doctors, then psychiatrists, and finally the local Jesuit priest, everyone is mystified by Regan's bizarre and dangerous behavior.

I'll admit that I was worried at first, because we spend so much time with Chris and to be honest, she's a bit of a dope... rather shallow, self centered, with dreams of being a big director. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it through a whole book revolving around Chris, fortunately to get us through the beginning with its focus on her, we have a wonderful cast including the Housekeepers, Chris' secretary/Regan's Tutor, and the Director of Chris's most recent film (warning he's a drunk with a potty mouth). As readers we really don't get a glimpse into the mind of Regan, all that we know about her is her mother's perception.

The most interesting part of this book is when Father Karras becomes involved. Karras is a deeply troubled priest who has recently lost his mother. Feeling deeply guilty over her death, Karras's faith comes into question. When he is called in to assist Chris with Regan his true doubts come to the surface as he tries again and again to disprove the theory of possession. From this point the story reads almost like a crime novel as Karras collects clues and mentally battles with different theories and possibilities.

When comparing this book to the movie, I can't really say that one is better than the other. True the visual aspect of the film really brings to light the shocking aspect of Regan's condition. As someone else stated, "It's one thing to read about a head spinning around, it's another to see it." The aspects of the possession are far more defined and easy to buy into if you are watching the pea soup fly across the room and listening to the evil blasphemy that come from Regan's mouth. The book however, is far more internal, there is so much more to the story in regards to the character's inner turmoil, Karras's difficulty with his mother's death and the effect it has on his faith, Chris's atheism and her reaction to the concept that her child might be possessed, the kind thoughtfulness of the two caretakers and the difficult life they live. I will admit that the ending in the movie is much clearer than what you are left with in the book. Though the reader is left feeling that they are supposed to be a bit confused, questioning what really happened. Was Regan actually possessed? Or was it a severe case of multiple personalities gone amuck? Was the final act of the play preplanned by the demon? Who won? But as I said... the reader feels that this was the author's intention.

Though I did not find this book to be particularly scary, I did find it unbelievably engrossing. I was reluctant to close it and look forward to the sequel. I highly recommend this book to horror fans that are looking for a more psychological horror than a physical one. Fair warning - parts of this book are a bit gross, and the language is what one would expect from a possessed child, it is very foul.

If I could give this book less than 1 star, I would. Not good zombie fiction, or any fiction for that matter. I would not recommend wasting your time with this title.

I don't personally know Mr. Ibarra, but I think after reading this book, one gets a pretty good idea of what he's like.

1) He HATES America...well, the government anyway. Apparently, he thinks this great country is run by people and institutions whose sanities are literally hanging by a thread, just waiting for an excuse to come completely unhinged and go around imprisoning its citizens, while murdering and raping at any opportunity. The Zombie Apocalypse provides that very opportunity here.

2) As a teacher, it is his biggest fantasy to have sex multiple times with one or more of his colleagues.

3) He dreams of being a super-hero in the apocalypse, a man of few words, willing to fight or kill anyone and anything that gets in his way.

There's more, but you get the idea. George, the protagonist of the story, is the author.
So, we get an inside look into the mind of Mr. Ibarra.

Honestly, some of the story is good...but I actually find it easier to find things I don't like.
I mean, come on...if there was a plague of any kind here in America, the author believes that our military and government would literally become a Nazi regime. FEMA camps are nothing more than recreations of Nazi internment camps, where peoples' wills are beaten down, soldiers kill indiscriminately, and choose women to rape...even young girls.
The author literally beats the reader about the brain with very clear, anti-government conspiracy theories. The book is filled with them...not just from the FEMA camp situation, but even minor characters' conversations.
It's a bit too much.
And George...he can do anything. He can have sex multiple times with gorgeous women. Even with chaos and death all around him, he knows how to please a woman.
He can fight, he can murder police officers at the very beginning of the outbreak just to get to a memento of his lost love!
That's right...didn't I mention through most of the book, he is mourning the loss of a woman he loves, all while bedding as many women as he can, because he LOVED HER.
Wow...what a noble guy!

The only part of the entire story that I actually thought was clever, was the ending. After everything George goes through, it is an interesting way to wrap up the tale.

The author clearly has issues with the government...possibly reinforced by the situation with Hurricane Katrina, or Waco, TX.
Unfortunately, the book almost seems like an excuse to lure people to his deranged beliefs.
As another person said in their review on this site, I would NOT want this man teaching my children.

The book started off well, but quickly went downhill. While the writing itself isn't bad, the behavior of the people in the book is simply too unbelievable. Certain parts reminded me of the plot a a cheap porno. Example: while hordes of zombies are literally on the other side of the wall, and could break in at any time, the main character has sex multiple times with a colleague (who was grading papers in the middle of the apocalypse) in various different rooms of a school. Perhaps a bit unrealistic? The ruthlessness of the common American soldier is also unrealistic. They are portrayed as mindless killers who blindly follow the orders of the government to kill all people who refuse to go to a FEMA camp. Members of the military are our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends and relatives. Do you really think they would go around killing helpless Americans simply because they were told to? The ATF would (and has), but as a member of the US military, I can tell you that most of us are normal people who would never obey an order to fire on unarmed Americans. Basically, the characters in this book are just too two dimensional and ruin what could be a good story.

Down the Road is the tale of one man's attempt at surviving a plague of zombies overtaking the nation. George Zaragosa, like many Americans, did not believe the news reports of the dead rising until it was nearly too late. He finally decides to flee his apartment in Austin and head "home" to San Uvalde. This is the tale of that trip. I like how the author works in the book's title more than once throughout the text, the addition is clever and not forced.

As George makes his way through a city torn up by zombies, looters, police and other survivors the reader learns bits and pieces of his past. These story elements are inter-mixed with the ongoing "current" plot as flashbacks and memories. The author handles this rather well, blending something from the survival plot with character development.

Down the Road is a relatively short read, wrapping up in 168 pages or so. I read it in one day while traveling across the state of Wisconsin. The adventure George has throughout the book is a fun and scary read for anyone who enjoys zombie fiction. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the sequel.

Didn't really care for this book, felt short and low class. This book will sell at any trailer park gift shop.