Strangewood

Rating:
Summary: great stuff
Review: haunting, whimsical fun, with realistic characters - the interaction between Golden's characters was over half the fun...

Rating:
Summary: This Book Rocks!
Review: I figure I'll just copy basically what I posted to Chris about his fabulous book (edited for nonsensicalness):

OK, so I just finished reading Strangewood. Can I just say that it rocked? And so twisted and evil.

Some books have compelling plots but marginal prose, and other books have wonderful prose but lackluster plots...but this book....so much the compelling plot that I walked around the house reading it as to not put it down. And prose that I need to go back and re-read now that I'm not racing through it to see what happens next.

Many books disappoint me in their ending. Sometimes really great books don't have an ending that lives up to the earlier parts. But Strangewood's ending remains true to the rest of the book and not only did not disappoint, but exceeded expectations.

I'm encouraging everyone I know to read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Strange Chris
Review: I have to agree with the review posted by "sarahphin". While the episodes that take place in the world of Strangewood itself are wonderful, I truly DESPISED the characters of Emily and Thomas, so much so that I found myself skimming over those parts of the book, only reading the minimum amount I needed to keep up with the story. Their constant "agonizing" over their son's plight, the "guilt" over the divorce, the ridiculous romance between Emily and her unrealistically understanding sex slave professor, etc. was WAY overdone. It almost completely ruined what could have been a pleasurable reading experience.

Mr. Golden has great promise, but needs to learn one of the finer points of writing a good book - SHOW, don't TELL (most of us can safely assume that parents love their children; we do not need to have it hammered into our heads like that. It was almost as if the characters were trying to convince THEMSELVES) (hint: read Graham Joyce, a master of "less is more" storytelling).

I will continue to look for Mr. Golden's work in the future, and hope to see him evolve as a writer. I think he has great potential.

Rating:
Summary: Maybe not true horror..but a fascinating tale just the same
Review: I would nitpick and say this book was more dark fantasy than horror. However, a visit to the world of Strangewood is fascinating and worth the time spent reading it.

The characters of Strangewood are well drawn and quickly became more vivid to me than the "real life" characters. I found the romance in the book (Joe and Emily) to be jarring, less interesting and eventually tiresome. Perhaps I just hated spending time on the romance when I was so fascinated with what was happening in Strangewood. I also enjoyed discovering the relationships between the Strangewood residents and the "real life" folks who were able to visit them. The characters in the story struggled against things they could not control and against their own weaknesses while in a world of suprises and mysteries.

The story is engrossing and Golden is a writer I will look forward to further books from.

Rating:
Summary: Distinctive
Review: It took me a while to get into this book about a child's fantasy land gone bad, and I never did develop much fondness for the real life characters. Thomas Randall's `divorced father angst' was reiterated until it got tiresome, and Emily's sexual neediness seemed over-emphasized and out of place, which had the effect of making her mind-numbingly boring. The fantasy land characters were far more interesting and better delineated. Some of the conflict at times became comic book-like, which may please you or not, depending on whether you like your action fast and snappy or descriptive and complex. The plot is imaginative and the story does eventually redeem itself and overcomes some of the weak points. Given the poor quality of the horror genre at the moment, this is one of the better books of its type that I've read recently, and it's nice to see an author trying for creativity rather than another `formula' story.

Rating:
Summary: More dark fantasy than horror
Review: The plot reads like a mix between The Neverending Story and a Barker-like rendition of Winnie The Pooh. Although this particular brand of tale has been told a jillion times, golden does add his, albeit unusual, touch to it. With a comic book feel to it, Golden often strays from the plot and delves a little too close for comfort into the often distracted parents. The pace in the book is rambunctious and disorderly. The introduction is painfully slow to only pick up speed just after the beginning of chapter four. Afterwards the pace maintains a rapid flow only to fizzle out at the climax.

The atmosphere is constantly changing and morphing into another mood entirely. It would have even worked if the transitioning had been a little smoother and a lot less obvious. The style of writing is Golden's most endearing and lasting talent. The man can weave a sentence with untouchable finesse. He writes as if he were talking directly to you without presumption or arrogance.

Okay now here is where Golden completely lost me, the characters. The parents come off as self-involved adults who spend more time in their own heads and less focusing on their immediate concern- their son. The characters in Strangeland reminded me so much of Cap'n Crunch, Puff the Magic Dragon and Beauty and The Beast that I spent half the time laughing. The only authentic player in the story was the boy. Although Golden does seem to have trouble writing adults, he can put on the skin of a child with skillful ease.

My rating? I give it a 2 . Next time you're at the library, pick this book up. If nothing else, you'll get a kick out of re-visiting old childhood pals.

-Bloodymary

Rating:
Summary: A uniquely creative genre-blending thrill ride
Review: The serious battle of good vs. evil has never been so much fun. In this book, some very real humans interact with some very twisted storybook characters. The result pleasantly recalls childhood memories, and slyly releases thoughts of what might have been. The tale includes some personal truths that are thought-provoking without being too "preachy."

The author has an expert handling of genre blending that makes the reader appreciate the real talent on display here. Elements of fantasy, horror, and good old-fashioned human drama all contribute to some pretty impressive suspense. The page-turning plot cleverly built to a logical conclusion, but still left enough room for guesswork. All of characters created for the land of Strangewood are lovable in their own way. You'll become attached to all of them just as easily as you'll relate to the central family whose emotional drama constitute the story's backbone.

Simply put, Strangewood is a grand tale that is a great pleasure to read. It is escapist fiction at its best.

Rating:
Summary: A Fun, Horror/Dark Fantasy that should be a Series!
Review: This book is one of those books that must be read to be explained, it's that good. Part Horror, part Dark Fantasy Strangewood is the story of a writer's creation come to disturbing, very real life. When Thomas Randall's son falls prey to an inexplicable coma he finds that his son has been taken (well, in spirit, I guess) to the "fictional" world of Strangewood. A world that is supposed to be a figment of Thomas Randall's imagination. But Strangewood is real. Strangewood is at war. Strangewood is dying. And only Randall can save this world from collapse. Only Randall can save his son from a fate worse than death.

The idea of a writer having to face the very reality of his/her creation has been done before, but in Strangewood the story is so expertly crafted, the characters so startling in their vibrancy that you forget the idea that the plot has been done before. Because in this case it hasn't. The world of Strangewood (and its inhabitants) would itself make a very entertaining fantasy series (and in case you haven't heard of Harry Potter there is a market for this). Christopher Golden's talent is excruciatingly apparent in this novel and while I read this I kept thinking to myself "man, this is a fun read" which it was. Probably one of the most memorable and enjoyable reads of 1999 and a book I can't recommend enough. For fans of Horror or Dark Fantasy this is a book for you!

Rating:
Summary: Christopher Golden is a Rare Talent, & Strangewood is a Gem!
Review: This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I trust her opinion. I ordered it the same day she told me about it, and read it the same day I received it. It's unique, excellent, and well crafted. Christopher Golden is a rare talent. He has the ability to put you into a situation in such a way that you almost feel you are THERE, walking with his characters. And sometimes that can be scary. Although there were a few moments where a note fell flat (the truth of the Peanut Butter General....and his ultimate ULTIMATE fate being the biggest), this book was still one of the best I'd read in years. It's a keeper, which I'll reread several times in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Unique and Engrossing!
Review: This was the most original book I've read in years. Golden created characters so real that you feel like you know them, and easily empathize with them. The land of Strangewood is what dreams and nightmares are made of. The book reminded me of my childhood with its imagination, yet proved itself worthy of the dark fantasy/horror genre by making me think twice about that noise in the hallway, or the shadow in the window. Great work!