Naomi

Rating:
Summary: Shoulda had the chocolate cake...
Review: "PURITY" was an excellent appetizer for one who's never read a Douglas Clegg novel.

"THE HALLOWEEN MAN" was a pretty decent main course, although I found parts a little stale with too many ingredients.

"NAOMI," however, was a poor choice for dessert. What started out as a very intriguing plot (man discovers long-lost girlfriend has committed suicide and learns of her dark past but still claims to see her, believing that she isn't dead yet) ends in a ball of silly confusion and rather too quickly. I'm not for one to really dwell on the negative, but it's difficult not to when you expect something more from a talented author. Douglas Clegg has created in "NAOMI" a handful of charaters that are truly hard to appreciate: Maddy is completely unbelievable; Jake is often too sweet and sincere for his own good; Laury often speaks like an adult rather than the child she is. Only Romeo and Naomi (who only really lasts for the first few pages) seemed to have more than one dimension. Unfortunetely, neither get the story-line they really deserve. Then there's the interwoven plot of 18th century witches that seems to pick up so suddenly that the reader doesn't get much time to digest the first few chapters of the novel that revolve around Naomi, Jake and their lives apart following an intense love for one another (a subject often repeated in Clegg's stories). Despite all of this, I did find "NAOMI" a fast read due to the short chapters and not a complete waste of time. The witch-massacre storyline was incredibly vivid as well as the world beneath the NY subway lines, both working very well together as two entirely different backdrops. And I also enjoyed the the hunt for ancient witch graves and artifacts underneath Maddy's home -- just not her as a character. All in all, "NAOMI" may not be up to par with Clegg's other novels (granted, this one was written online, a few chapeters a week), but it's a decent summer-time, red-eye flight type of book.

Rating:
Summary: Shoulda had the chocolate cake...
Review: "PURITY" was an excellent appetizer for one who's never read a Douglas Clegg novel.

"THE HALLOWEEN MAN" was a pretty decent main course, although I found parts a little stale with too many ingredients.

"NAOMI," however, was a poor choice for dessert. What started out as a very intriguing plot (man discovers long-lost girlfriend has committed suicide and learns of her dark past but still claims to see her, believing that she isn't dead yet) ends in a ball of silly confusion and rather too quickly. I'm not for one to really dwell on the negative, but it's difficult not to when you expect something more from a talented author. Douglas Clegg has created in "NAOMI" a handful of charaters that are truly hard to appreciate: Maddy is completely unbelievable; Jake is often too sweet and sincere for his own good; Laury often speaks like an adult rather than the child she is. Only Romeo and Naomi (who only really lasts for the first few pages) seemed to have more than one dimension. Unfortunetely, neither get the story-line they really deserve. Then there's the interwoven plot of 18th century witches that seems to pick up so suddenly that the reader doesn't get much time to digest the first few chapters of the novel that revolve around Naomi, Jake and their lives apart following an intense love for one another (a subject often repeated in Clegg's stories). Despite all of this, I did find "NAOMI" a fast read due to the short chapters and not a complete waste of time. The witch-massacre storyline was incredibly vivid as well as the world beneath the NY subway lines, both working very well together as two entirely different backdrops. And I also enjoyed the the hunt for ancient witch graves and artifacts underneath Maddy's home -- just not her as a character. All in all, "NAOMI" may not be up to par with Clegg's other novels (granted, this one was written online, a few chapeters a week), but it's a decent summer-time, red-eye flight type of book.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome Modern-gothic horror tale
Review: Clegg's NAOMI is one of the best books Leisure has ever published. Fast paced and exciting with no filler, not to mention some very ghoulish imagery, which is something that has been missing from many "horror" novels lately. ....A must read for real horror fans.

Rating:
Summary: Another Clegg Classic
Review: I also checked out this book in e-form, and I have to say, I really found it even better going through it in hard copy the second time around. I find it to be another great Douglas Clegg novel, chilling and very absorbing.

Rating:
Summary: Dissapointing
Review: I am a huge fan of Cleggs and always heard this one is one of his best. Unfortunately, that rumor didn't prove to me to be true.

The story held promise, in a way - its fun to read about witches from older times and some of the characters, like Maddie, are easy to latch on to. For the bad side of things, other characters weren't given the focus they deserved, the story was muddled and poorly paced too much of the time, and a lot of it was just plain confusing.

The style is a bit too distant and literary, and some of the action in certain scenes was uneven. The ending was a slight saving grace, being strong with it's impact. If you're a fan of Clegg, give this one a try, but if you're a virgin of his work, try another by him instead.

Rating:
Summary: Really Good
Review: I got turned on to Douglas Clegg by my favorite author Bentley Little, who mentioned in an interview that Clegg is one of HIS favorite authors. I can see why. He'd not trendy or cool, just a fine writer with a lot of talent. I look forward to reading the rest of his books.

Rating:
Summary: Ended way too quickly . . .
Review: I read the e-novel version of this book, meaning I recieved weekly installments for approximately three months. It was worth the wait, having each week a new chapter. Until Doug announced that the final weeks were coming. To me the book was only half way through! Very good read with imaginitive scenes and plots, but ending was way too abrput and left me with too many unanswered questions.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Clegg
Review: I somehow missed this novel when it first appeared as an e-serial -- but here it is at last in "hard copy" form for me and (hopefully!) lots of other folks to read and enjoy.

I have to say this is one of my favorites of Doug's. He's quite possibly the best author working in the horror field today and he really pulls out the stops with this one. I love the sense of place, whether it's the hidden world beneath the streets of Manhatten or a creepy little Virginia town where all manner of nasty things can and do happen, and the characters are wonderful (my favorite -- Maddy Sparkle). The juxtaposition between the story's modern events and a tale of Colonial witchcraft is also great. And the ending -- Wow! I'm still thinking about it.

Definitely another 5-star book for all horror fans. Also highly recommended for anyone who may have enjoyed J.G. Passarella's WITHER.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Clegg
Review: I somehow missed this novel when it first appeared as an e-serial -- but here it is at last in "hard copy" form for me and (hopefully!) lots of other folks to read and enjoy.

I have to say this is one of my favorites of Doug's. He's quite possibly the best author working in the horror field today and he really pulls out the stops with this one. I love the sense of place, whether it's the hidden world beneath the streets of Manhatten or a creepy little Virginia town where all manner of nasty things can and do happen, and the characters are wonderful (my favorite -- Maddy Sparkle). The juxtaposition between the story's modern events and a tale of Colonial witchcraft is also great. And the ending -- Wow! I'm still thinking about it.

Definitely another 5-star book for all horror fans. Also highly recommended for anyone who may have enjoyed J.G. Passarella's WITHER.

Rating:
Summary: One of his best
Review: I was really impressed with this book when I devoured it over a couple of days earlier this summer. Normally, I'm a VERY slow reader, but I really flew through this one.

Reading Douglas Clegg reminds me of playing the electric guitar in the evening in the garage while I was in high school. His writing is raw and full of emotion and yearning. It's alive in your hands--you can feel the book hum and vibrate as it leads you through colorful fields under its own sinewy rhythm.

I've read everything that Clegg has out in print (I found out about him last summer here at amazon.com) and I think "Naomi" is one of his best, up there with "You Come When I Call You" and "The Halloween Man". A must for any fan of Clegg's other work. And if you like horror and haven't read Clegg, you should really give this one a chance. Just remember to keep it down after eleven.