PSYCHIC FAIR

Rating:
Summary: Psychic Fair
Review: A creepy supernatural plot gets hampered by the author's undistinguished style.

Three boys--Adrian, Boylan, and Welcome--start fiddling around with a mysterious old Ouija board, and come into contact with spirits suffering unrest over horrible crimes committed during the American Civil War. An overpowering spirit named Wolf, motives and morals not totally to be trusted, uses the board to guide the youths on an adventure that soon involves secrets of the past that are hidden in a house owned by one of their teachers at Justin Martyr Jesuit School, a man named Sweeney who surprises them by showing up at the same psychic fair they attend. Adrian develops a weird bond with a dark-eyed beauty named Marian, who deals in Tarot cards, knows helpful hints about spectres reaching out from the afterlife, and turns out to know Sweeney!

The suspense culminates on Hallowe'en Night, and it involves eerie tunnels under a dank old house haunted by Wolf, his powers growing as he draws energy from the unsuspecting boys; plus, throw in an otherworldly owl, a head in a jar, eight boxes marked 'Dynamite' that have been hidden for decades, and two women, Prudence and Marie Doucet, who's tragic lives are revealed in several flashbacks spanning a century, and whose fates get decided by the bravery of Adrian and his friends.

Overall, this book, rife with supernatural menace, should be a lot scarier. O'Har's style is never up to making it so, though he does manage to make the book feel a bit creepier with every chapter. But there's a difference between wanting to know what's going to happen next, and being out-and-out scared. All the elements were set in place to make this a truly memorable chiller, and the author presents things in a rather wooden style. He also refuses to really let us inside the characters' heads, so the reader only "watches" the action from an observer's position, not an insider's position. The book is all dialogue and descriptions, whereas I prefer a look at what's going on inside characters, as well. Also, the Ouija board sequences are drily depicted, and should have produced more of a chill, especially in the early-going.

Highly readable, if not altogether successful.

Rating:
Summary: Sensational
Review: Devoured it; loved it. O'Har's story spans decades - indeed, centuries - and he has managed to create vivid, dialogue-driven characters in all time periods. This, I don't have to tell the avid reader, is no small feat. His narrative creates both fear and contemplation; in fact, just for kicks, he invented his own language (which made me think of Russell Hoban). At different times while reading, I was also reminded of Salinger, Fitzgerald, Harper Lee, and... surprisingly... Henry Adams. In all respects, the novel is a triumph, and potential consumers - and critics - are doing themselves a tremendous disservice if they don't carve out some time for themselves, pick up Psychic Fair, and give it a well-deserved read.

Rating:
Summary: great author!
Review: hey,
just wanted to let you all know that the author is my professor- and he's a really great guy. i'm waiting for my copy of the book, but i am SURE the book is GREAT too!

Rating:
Summary: great author!
Review: hey,
just wanted to let you all know that the author is my professor- and he's a really great guy. i'm waiting for my copy of the book, but i am SURE the book is GREAT too!

Rating:
Summary: Great book to curl up with
Review: I can imagine that this book would appeal to a wide spectrum of readers: horror fans; fans of revenge thrillers; readers fascinated by the occult; lovers of historical fiction; even sophisticated young adults. I read it simply because it was an excellent psychological thriller punctuated by O'Har's perennially crisp style and excellent knack for characterization--young Adrian Sparke as a character is as strong as the plot.

Rating:
Summary: Get ready for a great ride...
Review: Lucid, captivating and richly entertaining - George O'Har's razor-sharp wit, artful use of characterization and passion for historical context makes Psychic Fair a genuine page turner for thriller aficionados and mystery buffs alike. O'Har blends history, humor, adolescent kinship and the supernatural into a lively and sometimes chilling hands-down great read. I can't wait to see what O'Har has in store for us next.

Rating:
Summary: Great story
Review: This is one of those 'can't put it down until you find out what happens' kind of books. The mystical, other-worldly aspect of the story adds an unusual and unique flavor to an already highly entertaining story. Suspenseful, amusing, and very good reading.

Rating:
Summary: Great story
Review: This is one of those 'can't put it down until you find out what happens' kind of books. The mystical, other-worldly aspect of the story adds an unusual and unique flavor to an already highly entertaining story. Suspenseful, amusing, and very good reading.