Crooked Tree

Rating:
Summary: Don't Read Alone!
Review: A MUST READ for any horror story, outdoor or Native American aficionado. "Crooked Tree" evokes an old Ottawa Indian legend as it explores the strange and increasingly violent behavior of some large furry woodland denizens. An evil spirit is threatening the balance of nature and the lives of local residents, and it's growing in power. Soon, it's affecting more than just the bears...

For a book set in the woods of Northern Michigan, "Crooked Tree" keeps a remarkably fast pace. And despite the pace, the character development doesn't suffer.

The book is superbly timed and is as scary as any Steven King novel I've ever read (and that includes Carrie, The Shining, Cujo and Christine). I join the ranks of Amazon.com reviewers calling for a movie adaptation. This would put any recent "horror" film to shame, and they wouldn't have to go hog-wild on the special effects budget. In fact, to any movie execs reading this and considering a screenplay (fat chance): I beg of you, please don't! If I have to watch another movie like "The Haunting" I may just poke my eyes out.

And speaking of eyes, you'll be doing double takes with people and pets for quite some time after you read this... just to be sure...

The book should also appeal to any Michiganders with ties to the North Woods or hunters in general. Readers interested in more background on the legend of the Crooked Tree should check out the book of the same name by John Couchois Wright that describes the history and legends of Michigan's Little Traverse Bay region and the Ottawa Indians.

- Reviewed by Todd V.

Rating:
Summary: Smokey the Bear will eat you
Review: I got this gem of a horror tale on a whim at a local used bookstore. Grabbed by the nutso cover art I sat down to read an amazingly effective tale of Indian legends and supernatural terror brought vividly to life by Robert Charles Wilson. This gory thriller doesn't pull any punches and it has an insane vibe with some serious cult potential. With instances of terror and trauma that are just shy of brilliant this book deserves a reprint. I found myself actually flinching at details and cringing at circumstances and to make me do that is no small feat. This is one of those books that makes me wish I was a film producer, it's startling imagery and well drawn characters just scream MOVIE! Most people just don't understand how much damage a bear can do to a human body but Mr. Wilson sure does.

If you can find this book read it, it's worth seeking out. Especially if you live near bear country.

Rating:
Summary: ANCIENT INDIAN DEMON BEAR RUNS AMOK!!!
Review: I READ THIS BOOK BACK IN THE EARY 80'S AND I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS REVIEW,IT IS EXCELLENT!!!. THE SCENE WHERE A WOMAN IS VISCIOUSLY ATTACKED IN HER CAR WAS SO BRUTAL AND REALISTICALLY TERRIFYING I CLOSED THE BOOK AND DIDN'T PICK IT BACK UP FOR A WEEK, PLEASE GIVE THIS AUTHOR A TRY, HE'S AN EASY READ AND KNOWS INSTINCTIVELY HOW TO SCARE THE HELL OUT OF THE READER. AFTER FINISHING THIS BOOK TRY "COLD FIRE" AND "SECOND FIRE" HIS OTHER TWO NOVELS, THEY ARE OUTSTANDING EXAMPLES OF GREAT STORYTELLING. TRY "WHERE THE CHILL WAITS" BY T.CHRIS MARTINDALE QUITE POSSIBLY THE SCARIEST OUTDOOR HORROR STORY EVER WRITTEN "CROOKED TREE" RUNS A CLOSE SECOND.

Rating:
Summary: Haunting!
Review: I read this book over fifteen years ago and I still think about it, so vivid is the imagery. Everytime I see a small pouch, for example, I am reminded of certain events as clearly as if I had actually experienced them myself. Yes, this would make a great movie!

Rating:
Summary: Don't Read Alone!
Review: I read this probably 25 years ago and could not put it down. One of our sons read it and gave it to another son who could not finish it as it was just too scary for him at the age of 19 or 20. He lost it and we have been trying to find another copy for years. It was so vivid you could live it as you read. The bear breathing down your neck and the indian references were all too, too real! Not a book for someone who scares easily.

Rating:
Summary: Magical
Review: Robert Wilson's "CROOKED TREE": This is the second time I have read this book. It held your interest and would not let you put it down.

Do not read this while hunting or spending time in the woods as I did. I could feel the bear's breath and hear them padding through the woods. I knew they would be between me and my blind. I went back to my blind, sat and just waited. You will hear things that are not there. If you concentrate, you'll think you see them (the bears).

Several of us think this novel would make a fantastic motion picture. The discriptions are so vivid, you can see this all unfolding before your eyes. Your excitement level is high; you are compelled to continue reading. You want to shout "Don't go there", Don't do that".

Things happened so quickly in the closing chapters, I had to read some of the passages twice to grasp them. I read on.

I will re-read this novel again for the third time. The only difference is I will wait until after hunting season.

Rating:
Summary: -the legend of "the bearwalk"-
Review: Something very strange is going on in Crooked Tree State Forest in the state of Michigan. Several people are savagely attacked and killed by black bears. The Ottawa Indians suspect that an ancient legend has come to pass where the spirit of Shawonabe, an evil man has taken over the mind and body of a living person and is inciting the bears to murder. Shawonabe called "the evil one from the south," is buried somewhere in Crooked Tree State Forest, and the legend is referred to as "the bearwalk."...

This is a story that kept me reading late into the night. I also learned that pound for pound, the black bear is the strongest animal alive.

I ...would love to see this story made into a movie!

Rating:
Summary: Thriller, not by the sci-fiction writer
Review: This book is NOT by Robert Charles Wilson, the highly regarded science fiction writer. It is by Robert C. Wilson, a different writer altogether. That said, the book is a well constructed horror story that is likely to appeal to fans of Stephen King and his genre.

Rating:
Summary: Thriller, not by the sci-fiction writer
Review: This book is NOT by Robert Charles Wilson, the highly regarded science fiction writer. It is by Robert C. Wilson, a different writer altogether. That said, the book is a well constructed horror story that is likely to appeal to fans of Stephen King and his genre.