...
Show More
I wasn't really a fan of this novel. I thought that a few of the beginning chapters were quite unnecessary. They ended up spoiling any potential tension or mystery that could have been present in the later parts of the story. The actual concept of the novel did sound interesting, but it was somewhat clumsily executed. This led to haphazard pacing and the dumping of exposition every fifty pages or so. However, I did find some of the characters to be interesting, and the last forty pages provided a decent enough climax. From what I understand, McCammon isn't overly proud of this particular novel. But I do believe that the book is important enough as it allows us to see an author in the early stages of his career developing his style. It is well-written enough, with many beautifully descriptive passages. And when compared to a Laymon novel, it can even be considered a masterpiece. If you have an interest in '80s horror shlock, then this novel is serviceable enough. But for me personally, I just wasn't into it.
