Risen

Rating:
Summary: Chilling novel!
Review: Risen is a chilling novel that left the hairs on my arms stand on end. It kept me biting my thumbnails long after I turned the last page! What happens when a woman takes revenge on her abusive husband by murdering him? He is risen from the dead by a dark force ready to take over the town of Anderson in Cooves County. Reporter Brant Kettering and rebellious teen, Tom Culler realize there is something evil lurking in this close-knit town. First one is risen, then another, and another. They can't trust a soul, but must discover the truth before the entire town has "Risen." Does immortality have a price? How can you defeat something that can keep coming back, night after night? Jan Strnad's descriptive voice is first-rate. This literally nail-biting novel kept me turning page after page, each filled with plenty of action and horror. Could this actually happen? If so, would we ever know? I can't wait to see this one on the big screen! This is one of the more exciting E-books I have read. Many kudos to Mr. Strnad.

Rating:
Summary: A nice angle on the zombie idea
Review: People have compared this story to something by Stephen King, and while it's not as intriguing as King's work, it does bear a resemblance to some of his older work, like "Salem's Lot". When people start coming back from the dead in the town of Anderson, it's up to a reporter and his girlfriend's troubled teenage son to solve the mystery and stop the town from being overrun with the "Risen". The characters are likeable and well-developed, the pacing is good. It wasn't scary enough to keep me up at night or anything, but it was certainly an enjoyable and easy read, and well worth the e-book price.

Rating:
Summary: A good read, looking forward to more from this author
Review: I'm not sure if J. Knight is a new author, but he/she reminds me of early Bentley Little, rather than Koontz or King. I loved the beginning of the book. The characters were real and fleshed out. I felt like I knew what made them tick. I am somewhat disappointed in the ending. I don't know if I was expecting a completely happy one, and upon not getting one became disappointed, or if it is because the ending was not as well developed as the beginning. All in all, I liked this book and would recommend it. I can't wait to read more of J. Knight as his/her style matures.

Rating:
Summary: A nice angle on the zombie idea
Review: People have compared this story to something by Stephen King, and while it's not as intriguing as King's work, it does bear a resemblance to some of his older work, like "Salem's Lot". When people start coming back from the dead in the town of Anderson, it's up to a reporter and his girlfriend's troubled teenage son to solve the mystery and stop the town from being overrun with the "Risen". The characters are likeable and well-developed, the pacing is good. It wasn't scary enough to keep me up at night or anything, but it was certainly an enjoyable and easy read, and well worth the e-book price.

Rating:
Summary: Horror at its best
Review: Once in a blue moon a horror novel comes along and frightens me enough to keep me awake at night. Risen did just that. I tossed and turned as all the events replayed themselves in my head and every shadow in the room looked menacing. Reading Risen was like watching a horror movie when I was a child. I wanted to find a way to read it between my fingers while clutching a blanket to throw over my head during the scary parts. Unfortunately, that is impossible to do while reading, so I kept reading, as the hair on the back of neck stood straight up. Risen is set in a small town called Anderson, but it could be small town Anywhere. This sleepy town was filled with interesting characters, bored teen-agers, and something very, very frightening. Without giving any of the story away, you truly don't know if you can trust anyone. The pace is suspenseful and relentless. The mystery of what is happening unfolds meticulously, and the end left me gasping for air. If you devour good horror, then this book will grab you on page one and not let you go until the final chapter. No, it won't let you go even then, because I'm still thinking about it. I highly recommend Risen.

Rating:
Summary: Zombies According To Seth
Review: The dead are rising but this is not a typical zombie story. These risen are better than new and go back to their old lives. The phenomenon is also quite local, occurring in the small town of Anderson.

One night an abused wife kills her husband and the deputy is accidentally shot. The woman's husband returns to life and forgives her. The town is aghast. The deputy returns to life but only his accidental killers knew he was dead. Why is he keeping it secret?

We follow a reporter, the woman he is most interested in, and her young son as they all become involved in the strange events going on in the town. They come to suspect that there may be more risen in town than those they know.

The risen return to life, many in secret, and all become devoted to Seth. Seth is the one who led them back to life. Seth has a plan. Seth is in charge and is not questioned as Seth's motives are his own.

This is a very interesting tale. I enjoyed it quite a lot but would have like just a little more information. Maybe a little more about who or what Seth is. Maybe an explanation on why some of the deaths are handled they way they are or why some are left for later. These details could have made a good book into a great book.

If you like creepy horror books where the action keeps escalating and keeps you guessing, then you will probably really enjoy this one. But if you want one that is gorier, you should try The Rising by Brian Keene.

Rating:
Summary: Good pacing, interesting characters, fun read
Review: The blurb on the cover of this book compares this story to those of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. While I don't necesarily agree with that statement for a variety of reasons, I must say that this was a fun book to read. There isn't anything here that is deep or philosophical--just some chilling back-from-the-dead scenes, a growing sense of doom, and a good vs. evil tale.

The residents of small-town Anderson go about their daily lives as normal until a miraculous event brings back one of their citizens from the dead. Miracle? Maybe. Brant Kettering chose to move to Anderson in order to escape his own personal ghosts in the big city. Running the local newspaper isn't exactly brain surgery, but he gets to know the locals and tries to adjust to small-town life. When his girlfriend's moody teenage son, Tom, confesses a horrible crime and an even more horrific resurrection mystery, Brant decides that he cannot just sit back and watch his new town be destroyed. Tom and Brant work together in a frantic effort to save Anderson, but with no way to tell who the Risen are, paranoia and terror quickly set in.

I like that this author doesn't pull any punches. I may have gasped a couple of times over some events in the book, but all the action is logical given the frame of what is happening in this little town. The roach scene (one of my personal phobias) was enough to make me put down the book several times before I finally managed to get through it all. No, this book is nothing like what I've long admired of Stephen King's work, but it is deserving of its own niche in the horror genre, and let's face it--really GOOD zombie novels are few and far between (if these characters can even be described as zombies, which is debatable), so it's good to have another on the shelf.

Rating:
Summary: Loads of fun for horror fans...
Review: J. Knight's impressive first novel gives us a cool spin on the theme of the undead. He knows what horror fans want, and does an excellent job of delivering the goods. I'm genuinely looking forward to his next effort, he's really talented.

Rating:
Summary: Nothing new here....
Review: I read through Risen in a couple of days, and, though it was enough to keep my interest, it wasn't anything overly exciting. I felt the ending was too quick and forced to really build the suspense necessary to make the book as fascinating as it could have been. Some of the characters were developed partially, but not as far as needed because I wasn't truly concerned about the fate of any of the population. I was actually almost offended by the suggestion that this could hold any sort of light next to King's or Koontz's work. It's a nice brain candy read, but nothing more. I understand this isn't a die hard zombie fan book, but if you want serious zombie fiction, look back to 'The Book of the Dead" anthologies published in the late 80s and early 90s.

Rating:
Summary: Quirky good read, but...
Review: This one is hard to pin down. It is a good book, well written and graphic enough in the gore to keep horror fans happy (The "Death by undead roach swarm attack" made me wince). BUT...

It doesn't give one much explanation (in the end) for WHY it is happening, most of the characters are hard to care about and the one or two that are are not explored much. Worst of all, after investing time and effort; this book has one of the SUCKIEST endings I have ever read. Unsatifying!

Read it in a waiting room...