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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Siren of Depravity in Books
May 16, 2018
The idea of a story about a dark, tormented, and dysfunctional family with Lovecraftian undertones is definitely something I'm interested in; however, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed at the execution.
Written in first person perspective, Siren of Depravity is narrated by the main character, Harry Keyes. Harry is anything but the perfect husband: he's cheated on his wife and has a habit of lying to her. His pride and joy is his little girl, Eva. Harry also has a brother, Dexter, who just found out that he's actually adopted: they have different mothers.Coming from abusive childhoods, the two are haunted by their monster of a father. While Harry grew up, married, and found a career, Dexter bought the family house from his parents and became a bit of a recluse, burying himself in necromantic studies. The other characters, including Harry's wife and child, are largely minor characters until the end and, while most of them are fairly flat and static, Eva appears to be the only one that undergoes any sort of change.
Upon discovering the nature of his maternity, Dexter calls his brother up on the telephone for the first time in ages, divulging to Harry that he has discovered something that he absolutely must show him. Naturally, Harry casts aside all reason to travel two hours to visit his brother and learn what he has discovered, despite knowing how dark Dexter's interests are. It is at this point that Siren of Depravity starts hinting at old and terrible creatures that are inspired by Lovecraft, suggesting that they are buried deep underground. Dumbfounded by the knowledge that Dexter has a different mother, Harry takes it upon himself to solve the mystery and thus readers are led on a journey filled to the brim with horror after horror, from necromancy to human experimentation, Fry doesn't hold back on the grisly details that define the Keyes family's past.
Though the book begins a bit slowly, the action is nonstop and picks up speed further along. Fry has a knack for painting gruesome images with his words; however, I feel that his writing style would be better suited in third person, rather than first. Harry's perspective seems to be a bit heavily diluted by his own personal regrets, and the constant mention of his affair and of being swatted with a newspaper by his father throughout the book really takes away from many of the scenes. What bothered me more than how repetitive these moments were, was the constant beginning of a sentence with the word "but." "But" is a conjunction, and as such is meant to connect two thoughts. Many of the instances in which it was used, the word could have been omitted entirely, which would have helped the flow of the story. Instead, it gives the book a bit of a jerky feeling. Hopefully this will be addressed before publication.
I would like to thank NetGalley, DarkFuse, and Gary Fry for the advance review copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Written in first person perspective, Siren of Depravity is narrated by the main character, Harry Keyes. Harry is anything but the perfect husband: he's cheated on his wife and has a habit of lying to her. His pride and joy is his little girl, Eva. Harry also has a brother, Dexter, who just found out that he's actually adopted: they have different mothers.Coming from abusive childhoods, the two are haunted by their monster of a father. While Harry grew up, married, and found a career, Dexter bought the family house from his parents and became a bit of a recluse, burying himself in necromantic studies. The other characters, including Harry's wife and child, are largely minor characters until the end and, while most of them are fairly flat and static, Eva appears to be the only one that undergoes any sort of change.
Upon discovering the nature of his maternity, Dexter calls his brother up on the telephone for the first time in ages, divulging to Harry that he has discovered something that he absolutely must show him. Naturally, Harry casts aside all reason to travel two hours to visit his brother and learn what he has discovered, despite knowing how dark Dexter's interests are. It is at this point that Siren of Depravity starts hinting at old and terrible creatures that are inspired by Lovecraft, suggesting that they are buried deep underground. Dumbfounded by the knowledge that Dexter has a different mother, Harry takes it upon himself to solve the mystery and thus readers are led on a journey filled to the brim with horror after horror, from necromancy to human experimentation, Fry doesn't hold back on the grisly details that define the Keyes family's past.
Though the book begins a bit slowly, the action is nonstop and picks up speed further along. Fry has a knack for painting gruesome images with his words; however, I feel that his writing style would be better suited in third person, rather than first. Harry's perspective seems to be a bit heavily diluted by his own personal regrets, and the constant mention of his affair and of being swatted with a newspaper by his father throughout the book really takes away from many of the scenes. What bothered me more than how repetitive these moments were, was the constant beginning of a sentence with the word "but." "But" is a conjunction, and as such is meant to connect two thoughts. Many of the instances in which it was used, the word could have been omitted entirely, which would have helped the flow of the story. Instead, it gives the book a bit of a jerky feeling. Hopefully this will be addressed before publication.
I would like to thank NetGalley, DarkFuse, and Gary Fry for the advance review copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Providence: A Novel in Books
Mar 10, 2019
Weirdly fascinating novel
As kids, Jon and Chloe are best friends, even though she realizes that Jon is a little different from the other kids. Then one day Jon vanishes after taking a shortcut on his way to school. The town searches for him, but it's a bit halfhearted they must admit, as he is not one of the popular and beloved kids. But his absence strikes Chloe in the heart. She finds solace in her art and begins fitting in better at school, making more friends. Still, she cannot forget Jon or how much he meant to her. Imagine her shock when Jon turns up four years later, after escaping from a kidnapper, and revealing himself to be viral and strong--everything he wasn't before the kidnapping. He also quickly learns that he has a strange and uncontrollable power over people, especially when he's feeling strongly about something. This power drives Jon into seclusion, isolating him from his beloved Chloe. Jon begins to search for the truth about what has made him this way, while Chloe tries to figure out her place in the world, with or without Jon.
Well, this was an interesting one and nothing like what I expected. Obviously Kepnes is well-known for her novel, You, which is a story of love and obsession gone wrong. Supposedly many reviewers felt that this new book was a far twist from YOU, but I couldn't help but feel that parts of it reminded me of that novel, due to some of Jon's obsession and focus on Chloe. Still, I can understand that feeling, as PROVIDENCE also has a bit of an almost paranormal science fiction twist to it. That is a change. It requires a little suspension of disbelief, but once you go with it, the book is incredibly addictive and hard to put down. I read it in one day while on vacation, completely addicted to the strange and fascinating plot.
There's no denying that Kepnes can write, and you become immersed in her characters. I was intrigued by Jon and a bit by Chloe as well. I didn't adore them, but they were multi-faceted, and their dilemma unique. I'll admit that I didn't even know that Lovecraft--the author on whom Jon's situation is based--was real, so obviously all of those references went right over my head. Ha! I might have gotten into that scenario more if I knew the author, but the whole "turned you into a monster--or did I?" concept isn't exactly difficult to follow, and it's an interesting idea.
The novel is told from the points of view of Jon, Chloe, and a detective named Eggs. I enjoyed Eggs' perspective; he added a much-needed third viewpoint to the tale. Eggs is tracking Jon, but we also get a nuanced look at his relationship with his wife.
In the end, this is a weirdly fascinating novel that is hard to describe. I'm glad I read it, as I can't imagine not reading any of Kepnes' books, truly. It's a story of dysfunctional and potentially misguided love, but I enjoyed how you could feel Jon and Chloe's need for one another stretching and pulling across the pages. Kepnes is just so good at obsession and oddity (and love) that I couldn't stop reading. I enjoyed this one.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley/Librarything in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Well, this was an interesting one and nothing like what I expected. Obviously Kepnes is well-known for her novel, You, which is a story of love and obsession gone wrong. Supposedly many reviewers felt that this new book was a far twist from YOU, but I couldn't help but feel that parts of it reminded me of that novel, due to some of Jon's obsession and focus on Chloe. Still, I can understand that feeling, as PROVIDENCE also has a bit of an almost paranormal science fiction twist to it. That is a change. It requires a little suspension of disbelief, but once you go with it, the book is incredibly addictive and hard to put down. I read it in one day while on vacation, completely addicted to the strange and fascinating plot.
There's no denying that Kepnes can write, and you become immersed in her characters. I was intrigued by Jon and a bit by Chloe as well. I didn't adore them, but they were multi-faceted, and their dilemma unique. I'll admit that I didn't even know that Lovecraft--the author on whom Jon's situation is based--was real, so obviously all of those references went right over my head. Ha! I might have gotten into that scenario more if I knew the author, but the whole "turned you into a monster--or did I?" concept isn't exactly difficult to follow, and it's an interesting idea.
The novel is told from the points of view of Jon, Chloe, and a detective named Eggs. I enjoyed Eggs' perspective; he added a much-needed third viewpoint to the tale. Eggs is tracking Jon, but we also get a nuanced look at his relationship with his wife.
In the end, this is a weirdly fascinating novel that is hard to describe. I'm glad I read it, as I can't imagine not reading any of Kepnes' books, truly. It's a story of dysfunctional and potentially misguided love, but I enjoyed how you could feel Jon and Chloe's need for one another stretching and pulling across the pages. Kepnes is just so good at obsession and oddity (and love) that I couldn't stop reading. I enjoyed this one.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley/Librarything in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Re-Animator (1985) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019
Herbert West is no ordinary doctor. He's brilliant and obviously knows quite a bit about the field of medicine, but something is peculiar about him. He acts strangely and tends to keep to himself while getting absorbed into his work. Throughout his research, Dr. West may have finally perfected his serum. A serum that brings the dead back to life. The consequences of the serum are hectic, as expected. The sooner the serum is injected into a fresh corpse in comparison to one that's been lying around for a few hours, the better the results. Based on the H.P. Lovecraft tale, Herbert West-Reanimator, West finds himself at a medical college when his stint in Switzerland ends a bit abruptly. There he meets Dan Cain, a student at the college who is held in high regard, and Dan's girlfriend, Meg, whose father is the dean to the medical college. When Dan puts a notice up looking for a roommate in his dorm, West comes knocking. Things seem to be a constant downward spiral from there as West continues his research and the bodies begin to pile up.
Re-Animator is one of the few cult classics that I'll stick up for. I usually wind up feeling like most classic horror films that are recommended or held in such high regard aren't good at all or are extremely overrated. This film is a lot of fun though. It's definitely got its campy qualities with a headless corpse stumbling around the third act of the film, but it doesn't feel out of place for a film built around a concoction that's injected into the brain to bring corpses back from the dead. The music, especially the opening theme, tends to get a bad wrap because it blatantly rips off (or pays homage, depending on how you look at it) the Psycho score. While the similarities are crystal clear once they're heard, I honestly didn't mind it. It's kind of hard to imagine this film with different music, so I have no complaints.
The Herbert West role really fits Jeffrey Combs like a glove. His attraction to weird and quirky roles pretty much began with films like this one. As West's unusual personality is revealed throughout the film, you can't help but get a sense of uneasiness as his character traits unravel before your very eyes. The best example is when West brings Dan's cat Rufus back to life. After it's been killed for the second time, Dan is shocked to discover it's Rufus and turns to look at West. West points at the cat and tells Dan to, "Look out!" Dan quickly turns his attention back to poor Rufus, who's still lying there motionless. West begins to burst into maniacal laughter as Dan looks on in horror. With the upcoming remake on the horizon, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Herbert West especially with Jeffrey Combs confirmed for a cameo.
While Re-Animator could definitely be considered cheesy and campy at times, its strengths outweigh its flaws. The story is simple, but tends to unfold nicely and the acting is solid (David Gale as Dr. Hill is up for debate though). The film is pretty much exactly what you would expect a horror film to be like from the eighties; gory, cheesy, tons of nudity and sex, and a few creative twists along the way. And when it comes to horror, what else could you really ask for?
Re-Animator is one of the few cult classics that I'll stick up for. I usually wind up feeling like most classic horror films that are recommended or held in such high regard aren't good at all or are extremely overrated. This film is a lot of fun though. It's definitely got its campy qualities with a headless corpse stumbling around the third act of the film, but it doesn't feel out of place for a film built around a concoction that's injected into the brain to bring corpses back from the dead. The music, especially the opening theme, tends to get a bad wrap because it blatantly rips off (or pays homage, depending on how you look at it) the Psycho score. While the similarities are crystal clear once they're heard, I honestly didn't mind it. It's kind of hard to imagine this film with different music, so I have no complaints.
The Herbert West role really fits Jeffrey Combs like a glove. His attraction to weird and quirky roles pretty much began with films like this one. As West's unusual personality is revealed throughout the film, you can't help but get a sense of uneasiness as his character traits unravel before your very eyes. The best example is when West brings Dan's cat Rufus back to life. After it's been killed for the second time, Dan is shocked to discover it's Rufus and turns to look at West. West points at the cat and tells Dan to, "Look out!" Dan quickly turns his attention back to poor Rufus, who's still lying there motionless. West begins to burst into maniacal laughter as Dan looks on in horror. With the upcoming remake on the horizon, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Herbert West especially with Jeffrey Combs confirmed for a cameo.
While Re-Animator could definitely be considered cheesy and campy at times, its strengths outweigh its flaws. The story is simple, but tends to unfold nicely and the acting is solid (David Gale as Dr. Hill is up for debate though). The film is pretty much exactly what you would expect a horror film to be like from the eighties; gory, cheesy, tons of nudity and sex, and a few creative twists along the way. And when it comes to horror, what else could you really ask for?