Sineater

Rating:
Summary: Great little horror novel
Review: Massie plays with the expectations of horror fans in the same way she plays with the rural superstitions of her characters. It's a very good read, except for the weak conclusion to the 'whodunit.'

She also does an excellent job of giving voice and motivations to the young, something most writers miss. There's a subtlety there that most writers miss.

Rating:
Summary: Original and Chilling Horror Novel
Review: Sineater is truly one of the best horror novels I have ever read. Sineater stands apart from many other novels in the horror genre for two reasons: it is extremely well written and original and the story is based on reality instead of the supernatural. Sineater is based on the traditions of an ancient religious culture set in the back woods of Virginia. The Sineater is a man who is shunned by society because he eats the sin of people who have died in order to free their souls for heaven. Unlike other horror novels that are based on the supernatural (vampires, ghosts, etc.) the sineater is a human, a man with a wife and children. This story is truly fascinating. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an original horror novel.

Rating:
Summary: A Keeper
Review: The problem with genre fiction is that so much of it is cruft. Sineater, however, is a daimond in the rough. Massie's writing style is evocative and vivid without becoming florid. Reading this novel I had a definite feel for exactly what things looked like, how they felt, and how they smelled. The characterizations were strong and even her touches on the minor characters leave the reader feeling like they are actual people with full lives outside of their small parts in the unfolding story.

The plot is a bit slow and wanders off track in a few places, but this book is not about the plot. This is a novel of human interactions and reactions, a novel about people. The true story lies in the way in which the town is dealing with their own changing traditions. That said, I was very impressed with the fact that the action sequences are unusually well-done and, occasionally, exciting.

I read this novel straight through in one sitting and would recommend it to just about anyone, horror fan or no. I wish I'd waited and got a hardback edition.