Rating: Summary: I am going to try again Review: I didn't particularly enjoy this book. The writing was great, and the plot was interesting, but the character of 'Krissy' was not to my liking. The Patterson family goes on vacation in rural, swampy, Florida to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. When their daughter, Krissy, disappears the action of the book picks up. It seems Krissy is the naive participant in the resurrection of an ancient voodoo priest who died in the swamp 200 years ago. The evil spirit of the voodoo priest, known only to Krissy and a Seminole Indian by the name of Jimmy Cypress, has been waiting patiently for his bones to be discovered, so that he can become flesh and continue his reign of terror. I would have really liked this book, except for Krissy. I found her character to be tedious and exhausting. At times I was actually hoping that the voodoo priest would win the battle. I will however read another of Mr.Goingback's books.
Rating: Summary: EVIL IS EVIL Review: I found this novel a pleasure to read. Why? Goingback took pains to create family values between main characters and their daughter. One feels the pain when the daughter is caught up in an evil that has waited for centuries to find a host. He even has the animals, which usually sense more than humans, sensing the evil of this dark entity. The setting is perfect for the novel. Again, I found this novel a pleasure to read.
Rating: Summary: Disappointment Review: I picked up this book because the cover promised an author worthy of the Bram Stoker award. I finished it wondering what happened to that author. Although shelved with the adult fiction, this book had a vocabulary and reading style perfect for the juvenile shelves. In fact, with the number of times the author kept repeating himself, the reader wonders if he had an ADD juvenile reader in mind.Beyond that, the book is extremely predictable and the foreshadowing is bluntly obvious. There was nothing especially spooky or horrific in it, and what little might have been there, was so foreshadowed by the author that nothing came as a surprise. If this author was ever worthy of any literary award, it was not for this book. Don't waste your time.
Rating: Summary: Goingback keeps the action brisk... Review: I would call this book a good read not outstanding just good. One thing i didn't like in the book was that it was to magical. to many unreal things happened. But over all i give this book a 4.
Rating: Summary: Sure to Please! Review: I'd heard Evil Whispers was a really good read, but I disagree--it's terrific! I never felt bored with any part of it. The action begins right away, as we learn about Mansa Du Paul, who uses his gifts for evil, sacrificing children to his dark gods. Mansa gets his comeuppance, but it's only a temporary setback, as he's much too powerful to be kept silent. Many years later, a Native American guards the area where Mansa is buried, but the evil escapes and possesses a little girl. Her parents and the Native American (I've forgotten his name, but "Jimmy" keeps coming to mind) have only a short time to save the girl. This is a real page-turner, and well worth the money.
Rating: Summary: Perfect Summertime Reading! Review: If you enjoy a fun, fast-paced "beach read", and you like something suspenseful and scary, then the latest book by award-winning horror novelist Owl Goingback is a terror-rific choice for you! Like the author's previous novels, EVIL WHISPERS doesn't waste any time jumping into the action. Set in a Central Florida "fish camp" near Orlando, the Patterson family from Missouri decides a nice, quiet backwoods vacation is what they need. But what they don't know is there's an evil force lurking in the swamp, waiting... And when young Krissy Patterson wanders into the woods one day, she starts to hear something unseen whispering to her. Written in straightforward prose with no "hit-you-over-the-head" paragraph-long descriptions, EVIL WHISPERS is easy, enjoyable reading and hard to put down. As is the author's signature, the book has one Native American character and is filled with some Indian mysticism, but nothing that gets in the way of the plot. And although some think this type of story is a bit cliche, this reviewer has one last comment: Who better to tell a horror story filled with some elements of Indian mysticism than someone who is one!
Rating: Summary: Perfect Summertime Reading! Review: If you enjoy a fun, fast-paced "beach read", and you like something suspenseful and scary, then the latest book by award-winning horror novelist Owl Goingback is a terror-rific choice for you! Like the author's previous novels, EVIL WHISPERS doesn't waste any time jumping into the action. Set in a Central Florida "fish camp" near Orlando, the Patterson family from Missouri decides a nice, quiet backwoods vacation is what they need. But what they don't know is there's an evil force lurking in the swamp, waiting... And when young Krissy Patterson wanders into the woods one day, she starts to hear something unseen whispering to her. Written in straightforward prose with no "hit-you-over-the-head" paragraph-long descriptions, EVIL WHISPERS is easy, enjoyable reading and hard to put down. As is the author's signature, the book has one Native American character and is filled with some Indian mysticism, but nothing that gets in the way of the plot. And although some think this type of story is a bit cliche, this reviewer has one last comment: Who better to tell a horror story filled with some elements of Indian mysticism than someone who is one!
Rating: Summary: Couldn't put it down. Review: Loved it. For a horror book, it was actually almost believable. The child involved acts her age. You can almost see yourself at her age doing the exact same things. I do wish there was more emphasis on the ancient legends. It would have made the book a much more fascinating read. If you want to be kept awake with nightmares - this is NOT the book. It is really quite tame for its genre. Still, a very good book.
Rating: Summary: One of Goingback's best Review: Owl Going back knows how to grab the reader and pull them along until the hair-raising end. He is one of the best horror writers out there today. And EVIL WHISPERS demonstrates why. I sat down with this book on a Saturday morning and didn't come up for air until late, LATE Saturday night, when I was finished with the book. This is an enthralling book.
Rating: Summary: Gory Fun about a Voodoo Spirit Review: Owl Goingback doesn't have very many books to his credit, but already he has won a Bram Stoker Award for his novel "Crota." I have only read two of his books, but I must say I like his voice. Owl is a Choctaw/Cherokee Indian, a background that sets him apart from the mass of writers who usually pen horror novels. Ever since I read "Ghost Singer" by Anna Lee Walters, I have wondered why more Indians aren't writing horror books. Nearly every Indian tribe has a distinct set of religious rituals and stories, and many of these tales recognize the evil side of the natural world as often as they encompass the good aspects of life. In "Breed," Goingback wrote about an otherworldly creature called a Shiru set loose in a modern city. "Evil Whispers" tells about a visit to this world by another evil spirit, this one by a deceased voodoo practitioner named Mansa Du Paul. "Evil Whispers" begins with a description of the demise of Mansa Du Paul, a man who built a village of ex-slaves out in the Florida boonies in the early part of the 19th century. Du Paul's appetite for warped rituals involving children leads him to kidnapping white and Indian youngsters in the area. The local band of Seminoles quickly tires of Du Paul's activities, and after the disappearance of the local chief's child the Indians launch a raid on the evil settlement. Du Paul's followers, those not killed outright, flee forever into the surrounding area. The Seminole warriors capture and execute Du Paul in a particularly painful way, then scatter his remains in an attempt to dissipate his power in the spirit world. Moreover, the Indians forever after post a man trained in the ways of medicine in the area as a sentinel against the return of this powerful voodoo priest. Flash forward to the present day. The region once inhabited by Du Paul and his followers now houses a resort serving tourists and local fishermen. Robert and Janet Patterson, with daughter Krissy in tow, decide to stop off at the small resort in order to take in some of the local wildlife. The proprietors of the motel are friendly, river trips in canoes are fun, and with the exception of warnings about a bellicose Indian named Jimmy Cypress living in the area, it seems like a few days in the wild will do the family good before they set out for Disney World. It isn't long before Robert has a run in with Jimmy, who wants to keep people away from the site of Mansa Du Paul's old village. Then Krissy mysteriously disappears, sparking a huge manhunt and an increasingly dangerous series of encounters between this world and the realm of the spirits. Fortunately for the horror fan, bloody carnage ensues as Jimmy and Robert join forces in a race against time and a powerful evil spirit. The standout scene in "Evil Whispers" isn't the background concerning Mansa Du Paul, or the disappearance of Krissy, or even the eventual emergence of the evil voodoo priest. The best sequence in this novel is the lengthy and enormously bloody massacre in the local tavern. Goingback strings this incident out for dozens of pages, and its great fun for gorehounds. One by one, bodies hit the floor as Du Paul wreaks havoc amongst the local population. There's a reason why so many minor characters die in this event, but it still seems delightfully gratuitous. This section of the novel must have been enormously fun to write, which probably explains why Goingback spends so much time wallowing in excess here. Ultimately, "Evil Whispers" is all done in good fun. It's not high literature by any means, just a good way to spend a few hours.
|