Hexes

Rating:
Summary: Just read on...
Review: As the (former, for reasons too sad to mention) Italian editor of Tom Piccirilli, I'm familiar with most of his efforts: horror novels, hard boiled capers, "cozy" whodunits, whatever. To my way of thinking, the guy is a true "writer" in the real sense of the word. Call me partial, call me biased, call me stoopid, I couldn't care less <>. Well, to cut a long story short, lemme say HEXES is one of Tom's best. Oh yeah, disgusting and disturbing, just like Poppy Brite stated, but! I'd add eerie and definitely creepy, with more than a tinge of sadness and good ole nostalgia for the good measure. A marriage made in neither heaven nor hell between -say- Ray Bradbury and the nastiest Thomas Harris, HEXES is not simply a good horror novel. It is a very good *novel*, period. And where's horror, anyway, if not in the mind of the writer, and the writer only?

Rating:
Summary: Best Horror Novel in a loooong time!
Review: HEXES returns Tom Piccirilli to the top ranks of horror writers. HEXES takes place in Summerfell, under Summerfell and around Summerfell's asylum, Panecraft. Matthew Galen's father created and ran Panecraft...he killed himself and maybe his wife. Matthew leaves, but after 5 years, returns to Summerfell to right some wrongs that happened during his high school years. In between, Piccirilli dreams up some of the most vile, hateful and vivid scenes of horror I've ever read. Think his DARK FATHER was intense? Check out HEXES! Characters that are all too-real, scenarios that are out of whack but realistically rendered and a climax to end all climaxes.. Researched in occultism well, HEXES succeeds on all levels. Highly Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Incredibly powerful occult horror
Review: A friend of mine recommended this book to me and I'm glad she did. HEXES is one of my new all-time favorite books. This is a top-notch horror novel that will claw its way under your skin. There are some wonderfully chilling scenes in here, but there's also a light, playful air about much of the story as well. There's a real sense of poetry here as certain scenes just sing off the page. There are many funny characters stuck in strange situations, and there's one of the most memorable dogs in horror fiction this side of Dean Koontz's Einstein from Watchers. An odd mixture of thrills, chills, and tongue in cheek satire. I can't wait to also read A Lower Deep, The Night Class, and A Choir of Ill Children, which has one of the most amazing titles I've ever seen.

Rating:
Summary: Just read on...
Review: As the (former, for reasons too sad to mention) Italian editor of Tom Piccirilli, I'm familiar with most of his efforts: horror novels, hard boiled capers, "cozy" whodunits, whatever. To my way of thinking, the guy is a true "writer" in the real sense of the word. Call me partial, call me biased, call me stoopid, I couldn't care less <<wink>>. Well, to cut a long story short, lemme say HEXES is one of Tom's best. Oh yeah, disgusting and disturbing, just like Poppy Brite stated, but! I'd add eerie and definitely creepy, with more than a tinge of sadness and good ole nostalgia for the good measure. A marriage made in neither heaven nor hell between -say- Ray Bradbury and the nastiest Thomas Harris, HEXES is not simply a good horror novel. It is a very good *novel*, period. And where's horror, anyway, if not in the mind of the writer, and the writer only?

Rating:
Summary: storytelling is hexed
Review: First the good news-- Piccirilli has a unique writing style that gives an otherworldly feel to the events unfolding in the novel, a mixture of matter-of-factness mixed with a skewed view of reality that evokes a combination of vintage Bradbury and Ramsey Campbell. On the negative side, both the story and the characters are somewhat unfocused, the writer assumes the reader has a fair amount of knowledge about magick (which, I believe, he writes as *magik*), and the ending degenerates into the usual bloody massacre in which numerous characters meet an ugly death. In short, he has an intriguing writing style which, once I warmed up to it, I really liked. Too bad the story fell short of expectations.

Rating:
Summary: characterization is weak
Review: This book is dreadful, and not in a good way. I read it with high expectations, having enjoyed his short story "Voice C" in Cemetery Dance. The short story works, but in a novel, unlike a short story, you need to flesh out the characters. Tom can't seem to do this. His female characters, espcially, show about as much depth as a soap opera housewife. They smile a lot, then frown, then they smile some more. Also, the dialog stinks. I just think that if people talked the way they talk in Hexes, I would shoot myself out of sheer annoyance.

Going along with the simple-minded characters is a simple-minded plot. Mostly it's just this farcical build-up towards a awful climax. He might as well have written in all caps at the begining of each chapter, "THE CLIMAX IS AT THE PARTY!" I think he wanted it to be shocking. Instead it's dumb and as annoying as getting a parking ticket. It is truly the most unbelievable party setting ever. All it was missing was maybe a pharoh and the wolfman.

AVOID AVOID AVOID!

Rating:
Summary: An occult masterpiece
Review: Piccirilli's particular style of horror is one of the most interesting I've ever come across. It's a witches brew of action, atmosphere, and literate affectation that works on so many levels I'm still boggled. He's one of the most ambitious of all the new horror wave of stylists. He writes with a burning passion, the sorrow and pain of his characters bleeding through on every page. Good and evil aren't portrayed in terms of black and white--all of the characters are human and filled with interesting faults that make them authentic even in the most bizarre and supernatural situations. A chilling novel with some of the finest dark milieu you're likely to ever come across.

Rating:
Summary: 'bad attempt'
Review: This is very confusing book, are we suppose to know all about black art and all? 'Debbie is Dead' is irritating. What is the meaninig of it? I dont know. Some secreat clue? and people use hexes as if they are firing bullets! laughable. Even kids wont be afraid. And how the main guy talk to his friend in prision without talking? were they talking telepaty kind of ? NO way, dont read this book. Is this his first horror book or? hopefully last!

Rating:
Summary: Perfect Occult Novel
Review: Tom Piccirilli is one of those authors that's at least two steps above most everyone else out there. His writing goes down like fine wine as he pulls you into his dark tales of love and evil; as you start out laughing, then gasping, then cringing in fright. And finally sated and in awe of his language skills.

And this book has one of the coolest fictional dogs as a character!

Rating:
Summary: A REAL PAGE TURNER !!!!
Review: Hexes is an dark, suspensful descent into a world where demons walk the earth...and men wield dark magic to protect the innocent. A cross between Silece of the Lambs and It, the book keeps you interested in the whole chain of events that takes place (both past and present).

My only complaint about the book is that it's too short for the story. If Tom Piccirilli wrote about 100 more pages, and gave more information about the backstory I would have given it 5 stars.

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