Annie Wilkes: meet Mary Terror. I think you two are going to be good friends!

Wow. Just...wow. What an incredibly relentlessly twisted and ruthless monster of a woman Mary Terror is. She is truly one of the most terrifying and despicable villains I've ever encountered on the printed page. This book presents a fascinating dual character study. It offers an in-depth exploration of the inner workings of an utter psychopath, and also delves into the life of a woman who transitions from a life of comfort to being completely thrust into a nightmarish cross-country life-or-death mission to find her baby at all costs. This was easily some of the strongest character work I've witnessed from Mr. McCammon so far.

The pacing in this novel was yet another remarkable aspect. The plot advanced at a breakneck speed and never became stale or dull. The book is filled with compelling, adrenaline-inducing moments, seamlessly integrating thriller, horror, and action elements. It was done so extremely well.

Honestly, I can't really identify too many flaws in this book at all. I can clearly understand how it won the Stoker Award. If it weren't for Swan Song and Boy's Life, both of which I regard as masterpieces, this would毫无疑问 be my favorite McCammon book to date. It is strongly recommended, but be forewarned that this story ventures into some extremely dark and violent territory. If you are prepared for that, you will definitely relish the ride.

Violence 'R Us

Mindfuck State: Mary Terror's term for The Establishment

I've been engrossed in this book titled Mine by Robert McCammon. It features this truly insane woman, Mary Terror. She has a penchant for doing LSD frequently, which might be related to her being so crazy. She steals a baby from a poor lady whose husband is cheating on her. The police are helpless as they can't find her. Mary was part of radical militant groups in the 60s, so she knows all about taking people down and using violence. But the problem is, she hasn't been keeping in shape for her role as an agent of chaos. She used to be fit when she was young and did training for such actions. Now, she works as an assistant day manager at a Burger King. When off work, she lies around, does LSD, watches TV, and tries to find men to have sex with. So, how is she supposed to be in any condition to carry out the actions described in the book? Well, we have to suspend our disbelief, right?

This mama, Laura, chases after Mary across the country. She endures all kinds of abuse from Mary, including being cut up, beaten up, and facing dog attacks and car wrecks. There's an incredible amount of violence in this book, but it's strangely fascinating.

At the Silver Cloud Inn, Mary and her "Drummer" (David) have been staying. The lobby is full of cots and sleeping bags as all the rooms are booked due to a winter storm. Laura and Didi catch up with them. When they see each other, chaos erupts. Mary pulls out her gun and starts shooting. The hotel manager brings out an ax and throws it at her. Laura and Didi rush at her. Mary escapes into the cold, leaving her coat behind and David zipped up in a man's parka. This scene is just unreal.

Amid the snow, Mary trudges on. She left her gloves and warm coat behind. Her thigh and forearm wounds from dog attacks have reopened, and she can feel the blood oozing. But she's not afraid. She believes God (her hallucination of Jim Morrison) is watching her. She has to keep going as Jack, the leader of their militant group, is waiting for her in California. Jack wanted a baby, a son, and Mary lost the one he gave her. So, she kidnaps David with the fantasy of bringing "their" baby to Jack.

At her grungy apartment, she has a neighbor named Shecklett. She needs money to kidnap the baby and go on her journey, so she kills Shecklett after only finding $543 in his drawers. She also takes her mother's wedding ring and pawns it for $2,500 at a pawn shop. They stay in a series of seedy places where the clientele is a mix of whores, johns, dope heads, and hustlers. Mary always keeps her gun handy and knows the quickest way out.

The funniest part comes when she finally finds Lord Jack. He's a middle-aged man who, along with his wife, makes up family crescents and coats of arms. He wants nothing to do with her, so she shoots him.

There's also an FBI man who she thought was dead but who saw news footage of her kidnapping and murder. He decides to join the chase for Mary, along with Laura and Didi.