Customer Reviews

Doctor Who: Wishing Well

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It might not win any awards for being the most original novel, but that's not really the point, right? There are some familiar elements here to anyone who's seen or read the Doctor's adventures. But that doesn't stop the story from being a fun, quick read.

The central mystery and threat in the story is suitably creepy, and in some ways quite frightening considering the all-ages intent of the books, and quite good for it. As well as getting the Doctor and Martha right in tone, the author also successfully creates some interesting guest characters for you to care and worry about.

This was the first Doctor Who book that I had read. I enjoyed it so much that I've been buying them ever since. They're all so much fun to read.

So I'm a fan of David Tennant from way back in his Casanova days. I really liked him as the 10th Doctor, but I can not stand the companion in this book! Nor can I stand her in the series. If you've ever seen the show. It's just like that. Thought the book might tweak the character to less of a whine, but no!

The TV series of "Doctor who" has always had to perform a delicate balancing act ,as it tries to scare its audience by featuring monsters ,and some often quite intense themes while traditionally being seen as family viewing ,and usually transmitted (in the UK at least)in family viewing time slots.This has been reflected also in the novels devoted to the character and some of the more recent examples have been a tad too whimsical ,even flippant ,for my personal taste."Wishing Well" is a return to some of the more adult "Doctor Who "novels and works as creepy slice of gorror for the juvenile market.

It is a tale of aliens lurking at the bottom of an old wishing well in the peaceful Derbyshirre village of Creighton Mere .The well also purports to be the site of treasure dating back to the eighteeenth century .A somewhat obnoxious young man ,one "Nigel Carson " is leading an exhibition to unearth the treasure when he is possessed by the creature and charged with the task of re-uniting it with its brain ,;on the completion of this task the creature will be able to break free of its subterranean prison and engulf the whole countryside .The Doctor and his companion "Martha Jones" battle the malign entity ,aided by a redoubtable pair of senior citizens ,"Angela" and "Sadie",and the local squire.

The creature is quite a vivid creation and some scenes are quite disturbing ,although there are also passages of the facetious humour that is an ineascapable part of the TV programmes and books .
Would probably be enjoyed by those who devour Young Adult horror .If the basic theme of terror based around ancient wells in the British countryside appeals to you then unearth a copy of Ramsey Caampbell's masterly "The Hungry Moon" for a genuinely terrifying exploration of the same fictional territory.

Top notch. The story unfolds with captivating mysteries and alluring characters. The Doctor and Martha are both presented true to form - humor and eccentricities et al. Highly recommended.