Dark Hollow by Brian Keene Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Dark Hollow
Book Review: Darkly Depressing
Summary: 2 Stars
To be perfectly honest, I was hugely dissapointed with Dark Hollow. In fact, of all of Keene's books I have read, this was by far his weakest.
First, take the story line...a satyr that somehow comes from some other world and seduces women by playing a magical flute? And then some bogus backwoods magic that seems to cause trees to become possesed and has the power to make crappy cars start on belief? C'mon!
Then add in the rampant sexual undertones. I'm not against sex in horror. I mean they always go hand-in-hand (what horror film isn't complete with the young couple getting it on, only to be murdered by some pyscho killer or ravenous beast) but Keene took it much too far in this one. I honestly don't want to know all the graphic details about the satyr's anatomy, or what his flute also does to the men in the story.
The one thing this book did have going for it was it's speed. Keene has that amazing ability to hook a reader and not let them go. I read this 305 page novel in less than 24 hours because I just had to get to the next section
Book Review: Emotional ride into darkness
Summary: 5 Stars
I won't say much about this book, other than it was a phenomenal story written by a phenomenal author. You've read the synopsis. You know what it's about.
I will say this. I loved the realness of the story, you know, passages like knowing about Big Steve getting his nails cut, the length of time it took the guys to get back home on foot, etc. There was so much of this in this book, nothing was skimmed over or pushed to the side. No unanswered questions. There was thought put into this story. There was so much emotion. And yes, I'm being cliche here, it tugged at the heartstrings. Just be surprised for who the real hero is in this story....or not.
Book Review: Faun all over this!
Summary: 4 Stars
I am a huge fan of Brian Keene's zombie books, he isn't afraid to get all disgusting and politically incorrect and that's refreshing. Naturally I picked up Dark Hollow to read as soon as I saw the author's name. I loved it, up until a certain point, and I have realized that with Keene's books, this happens a lot, as if he just runs out of steam at the end.
Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing horror novel with Keene's visceral signature all over it. He can write strong erotic overtones, right next to decisively stomach churning heave worthy descriptions, and the next second carry you off into oblivion. I love that he laid down the zombies, and Ob for a change, and introduced us to a new character that will make you think twice the next time you read Greek mythology, or see a statue in the woods.
My only problem is the ending, and it could just be me, but I felt like it didn't have the same brilliance as the other 3/4ths of the book. That said, I would still recommend anyone who loves horror, and needs a refresher on how it should be done.
Book Review: Fauns and Trees and Doggies, Oh MY!
Summary: 4 Stars
Keene is quickly working his way into my heart as a favorite author, and "Dark Hollow" may have clinched it. If you had told me two days ago that I would read a horror story about satyrs or fauns and actually like it I probably would have cocked an eyebrow at you and asked if you were feeling okay. But I more than "Liked it," this book was an absolute blast!
Short Summary: Adam Senft is a mystery writer who lives with his wife Tara and their dog "Big Steve" in a nice house in a quaint town, bordering an ancient mysterious wood. One day while walking Big Steve though the woods, Adam and Big Steve come across one of their female neighbors performing questionable acts on a statue... or at least it looked like a statue until it turned its head and stared at Adam. Suddenly the women in town are disappearing and the men are turning up headless... Adam and his neighbors believe it has to do with something that happened many years ago at the LeHorn farm... in the center of the dark and sinister woods.
My favorite character by far is Big Steve (yes, he's the dog) who at times seems to be the most human of characters, and unlike most stories that include a dog, Big Steve is always there, being a good boy. The characters in this book are very real, flawed, scarred, and honest. I have always like that about Keene, his people are believable. This book grabs you right from the beginning and it's very hard to put down. At just over 300 pages you can feasibly read it in a day. I stayed up way later than I had intended to finish this book. And the ending is typical of Keene, no the world doesn't come crashing to the end, but there is that sense of apathetic loss that even his "happy ending" books leave you with. I wondered if Keene would have the courage to go where this book needed to go, and he did. There was quite a bit of sex and gore (the gore comes in mostly at the end) though not as much as a Laymon or Lee novel.
Now don't get me wrong, this is no work of literary genius... what it is however, is a fun, fast paced read with a single story line (unlike many of his other works) that the reader can't turn their eyes from. This is one of the few horror novels I've read in a while that makes you actually care about most of the characters, you become involved in their lives, and their routine and truly worry about them... particularly if you have read other Keene novels and know that there is a very high chance that most of them won't make it through the book alive. I highly recommend this book to Keene fans, it is my favorite of his works so far, and I feel that this book is the type of read that fans of old school Steven King would really enjoy.
Book Review: Good Old Fashioned Horror
Summary: 4 Stars
Keene is an exceptional writer! I look forward to each new work and DARK HOLLOW was no exception. Here Keene offers up a scare-fest others just aren't producing these days. Centered around a group of male, middle-aged neighbors and friends, Keene introduces the Big Bad early and keeps the tension high and the pages turning as wives and girlfriend's begin to disappear. The guys grab their guns, their town's history, and a couple cases of beer and set out to bring down the oogie boogie with the cloven hooves. Several very scary set pieces show off Keene's talent quite nicely. With all of that said, I just can't bring myself to grant 5-stars. Why? I just found the Big Bad and all of the sex a bit silly for me. Can't wait for the next one, Brian. You are a MUST-READ for me.