Rating: Summary: It didn't keep me awake Review: Rather than jangling my nerves it almost put me to sleep. Who could be intrigued by this poppycock? The writing was satisfactory but not worthy of being published by a major publishing company. Too many stereotypes and too few gripping moments. Contrary to many other readers, I found the early part of the book superior to the later chapters where Mr. Ambrose seems to have lost his way. Where was the editor to allow the use of the word "Chinaman"? The ending, however, did catch me by surprise.
Rating: Summary: Hell hath no fury Review: SUPERSTITION is my introduction to David Ambrose. I just happened to stumble across him surfing through amazon.com one lazy evening. I can now say I am an Ambrose fan and will go on to his other novels. SUPERSITION might take some a few pages to "get into". But once you get going, you just have to find out how it ends. The love story between Sam and Joanne adds a bit of spice without bogging down the ghost story. This isn't a gory slasher novel. It deals with the psychology of fear, alternate universes, the powerful effect of the human mind, and plain 'ole revenge! Read this book for the ending if for nothing else. At times it rambles, but everything pulls together (trust me). This was definitely a good read, and I highly recommend it if you like your horror to present a bit of intelligence along with the chills.
Rating: Summary: Original and Thought Prevoking! Review: Superstition was an excellent book, filled with refreshing and original ideas. The thought that ghosts could be nothing more then creations of our OWN mind is truely an interesting theory. Using this theory David Ambrose writes an excellent fiction novel. While I feel the novel breaks down near the end, and weirds out a little too much I still feel that this is one of the best books I have read in awhile. After reading it, I immediately went out and did some research on parapsychology. Grab this book!
Rating: Summary: Frightening but compelling Review: The mark, for me, of a good book is one that makes me think long after I've finished it. Yep, the final scene has been with me for days, and the whole book has kept me thinking, reenacting, deliberating. While it compelled me along like a King novel, it still has the depth of a more literary novel. This said by someone who doesn't watch X-Files or follow the supernatural. HIGHLY recommended if your not too freaked by a bump in the night...
Rating: Summary: Amazing twist at the end Review: The story captured my attention from the get go. The characters were developed with eloquence and the strange twist of the end is still embedded in my mind. I even did some research on the background that motivated Ambrose, which is astoundingly true.
I believe there is a movie in the making that will be available sometime this year.
If you enjoyed this story, you'd definitely enjoy Simon Cleveland and his "Basenji Revelation".
Rating: Summary: Interesting, but confusing Review: This book did not get really moving for about the first 100 pages. It was well written, but I didn't think it was THAT scary! Endings are such a large part of a good story in my opinion, and I was left feeling disappointed and confused by the twists at the end. What happened to Adam? It wasn't a complete waste of time to read, but it's not one I'd go around recommending either.
Rating: Summary: Horror or Sci/Fi? Scary either way Review: This book really scared me. I literally couldn't put it down. I read it straight through in one sitting, took a deep breath, and started over again from the beginning. Finally, the sun came up and I was able to go to sleep. It's very odd that the Amazon readers' reviews range from "ho-hum" to "extremely scary." I guess it depends on the reader's idea of just what's scary. For example, Stephen King has yet to give me the creeps, but how can you deny his almost universal popularity? If you like gory, monster/madmen-filled fiction, you may not like "Superstition." I think Ambrose pulled off a very difficult feat: after reading this book for a while, you get the feeling that something real, or at least possible, is happening. In addition to creating a very believable ghost, Ambrose gets into some interesting speculations along the lines of Sci/Fi's "Alternate Universes" theory. Does the past create the present? Or could the present create the past? Can you "make up" a ghost that takes on a life of its own and becomes a "real" ghost? Real to such an extent that he's able to change reality for the participants in the experiment? Ambrose touches on these ideas and even a smattering of quantum physics, but these enhance the story line and do not interfere with the good old-fashioned ghost story fun. FYI, the film rights to this book were sold to a company called Interscope for one million dollars. The foreign film rights were sold to a Netherlands/United Kingdom production company in October, 2001. I hope the movie version is able to capture the creepy but believable feel of the book and doesn't resort to cheap thrills. Oh, there are plenty of scenes of violence and mayhem, but it's the IDEAS that make this such a scary read. If you love ghost stories, ouija boards, and table-tapping but also enjoy speculative sciences such as parapsychology, ESP, and mind over matter, this is the perfect book for you.
Rating: Summary: Horror or Sci/Fi? Scary either way Review: This book really scared me. I literally couldn't put it down. I read it straight through in one sitting, took a deep breath, and started over again from the beginning. Finally, the sun came up and I was able to go to sleep. It's very odd that the Amazon readers' reviews range from "ho-hum" to "extremely scary." I guess it depends on the reader's idea of just what's scary. For example, Stephen King has yet to give me the creeps, but how can you deny his almost universal popularity? If you like gory, monster/madmen-filled fiction, you may not like "Superstition." I think Ambrose pulled off a very difficult feat: after reading this book for a while, you get the feeling that something real, or at least possible, is happening. In addition to creating a very believable ghost, Ambrose gets into some interesting speculations along the lines of Sci/Fi's "Alternate Universes" theory. Does the past create the present? Or could the present create the past? Can you "make up" a ghost that takes on a life of its own and becomes a "real" ghost? Real to such an extent that he's able to change reality for the participants in the experiment? Ambrose touches on these ideas and even a smattering of quantum physics, but these enhance the story line and do not interfere with the good old-fashioned ghost story fun. FYI, the film rights to this book were sold to a company called Interscope for one million dollars. The foreign film rights were sold to a Netherlands/United Kingdom production company in October, 2001. I hope the movie version is able to capture the creepy but believable feel of the book and doesn't resort to cheap thrills. Oh, there are plenty of scenes of violence and mayhem, but it's the IDEAS that make this such a scary read. If you love ghost stories, ouija boards, and table-tapping but also enjoy speculative sciences such as parapsychology, ESP, and mind over matter, this is the perfect book for you.
Rating: Summary: Outstanding reading, I love King,Koontz . Great.... Review: This is a fast paced, exciting tale of the supernatural that sounds like it could actually take place in this day and age. I liked the characters and the ghost of Adam was superbly done. Trust me if you like King and Koontz this one will knock your socks off. I read it in (3) settings. I wish I would have saved it for a plane trip. You won't be dissapointed. Excellent author. I am going to try his book "The man who turned into himself"
Rating: Summary: An excellent high-tension thriller with a mindtwisting plot! Review: This is a must-read! I bought the book after having read 'Mother of God', by David Ambrose which I also found extremely good. I must say that this was truly a worthy follow-up to a previous masterpiece.
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