Customer Reviews

Drowned Sorrow

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

 

 

It's been a long time since I've read a good horror story. There are only a few authors I trust that can truly give me the creeps. A horror story must have creep factor. The kind that makes you lock your doors at night, but wondering if locks will be enough to keep you safe. In a good horror book you have to make the reader believe that something truly horrible can, in fact, happen otherwise you lose the effect.

Vanessa Morgan's Drowned Sorrow definitely had creep factor. The villagers of Moonlight Creek sent chills down my spine as I pictured them grouping together, slowly following the main characters with their blank stares. The unique use of water as the object of fear in this book has renewed my trepidation of ever going into an ocean, lake, or river again. Jaws is no longer alone. It may take years again to get me back in.

There are a few things that bothered me about Drowned Sorrow to keep it from being a 5 star book, in my opinion. There were many times that the main character, Megan, had a chilling experience at Moonlight Creek that would have sent any normal person packing. She described being horrified, but the next minute she was reading a book on the shoreline. There were also descriptions of fear that were repeated exactly the same way throughout the book, such as, "the hair on the back of her neck rose." While I felt that Vanessa's decription of emotions in Drowned Sorrow was excellent, this was one downfall that had me irritated.

The ending left me somewhat aggravated also. I felt that the actions of the main character throughout the book did not match her final resolution. It left me feeling disconnected.

Overall I thought Drowned Sorrow was a great, creepy read. Vanessa Morgan provides excellent description to chill the bones of the reader. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting a good scare.

Lou of Reader Recommended
[...]

A home and family are tragically destroyed by the unintentional suicide of a son. In a cry for help and an attempt to get attention, he slits his wrists, believing he would be found and rescued. His mother, Megan, feels her shame to the bone; her work had always come first. With the death of her son, her marriage also crumbles. Everything is disintegrating around her. Leaving her work to spend some quality time with her daughter and to pick up the pieces, she makes a decision to get away, and a friend recommends the small town of Moonlight Creek, a beautiful lakeside town as a place to go for healing and to strengthen their relationship.

In Drowned Sorrow, Vanessa Morgan has crafted an extremely creepy story. The town of Moonlight Springs, while a beautiful and restful place on the surface, has dark and dangerous currents known only to the inhabitants. It is a kind of a cult, but not like anything you have ever imagined. This is the kind of story you often find in a Koontz or King novel. I began reading it and was alternately annoyed at how Megan was portrayed and really not liking her persona. I could feel that the story would be one that would not be comfortable to read. I put it off for a bit, and then one night took the plunge. What I would have to really reiterate to you is, do not read this book at night. I was appalled at the extreme horror of the story and while there was a bit of, that is just weird; it still was able to pull me in with the intricate and well thought out creepiness. The ending was so uncomfortable I could not sleep for the rest of the night.

If you love a horror novel this would be one for you. I am not really a horror fan, and it is a book like this that reminds me of why that is. Vanessa Morgan may have found her genre, and how someone could have this kind of nightmare roiling around in their imagination just never ceases to amaze me. And while I am not a horror fan, I do know when a book is gripping, and this is that at its absolute. Reading the nightmare as it unfolded, and even understanding that I would not like the outcome, I could not put it down. Once I was in, I was hooked.

I would recommend this book for those that love the horror genre. I do not think it would be a book for teens, so even if your teen loves horror, you may want to read it for yourself first. I will be passing this book on to my sister who really loves this kind of thing, and she will be the one to read it over and over. This will make her library of macabre books. So if you have the fortitude for horror, here it the book that will bring it home, my recommendation though, lock the doors, have some friends over, just for company, but do not read this after dark.

If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water. - Loran Eisely, The Immense Journey, 1957


Megan Blackwood is a successful investigative reporter for national television. her teenage son's suicide irrevocably alters her world. she divorces her husband Michael and quits her job to be with her daughter Jenna. 7 months after her son's death, they head off to Moonlight Creek for the summer. the small village seems like a great spot to get away from it all. there is something, however, about the lake, the water and the inhabitants that does not add up. their perfect vacation becomes the perfect setting for a horrifying tableaux that neither of them wanted to be a part of.
this is my second Vanessa Morgan read and she always gets into me. i mentioned in my review of The Strangers Outside how that short story creeped me out. this time, i had a strange dream the very night i was done reading Drowned Sorrow. i was in a room with some members of my family and water was rushing inside. somehow i found myself on top of a bookshelf and was screaming at everyone to avoid the water at all cost! i woke up relieved to find out that i was in bed - warm, safe and very dry.
Drowned Sorrow is more than just a scary, fast-paced ride into the unknown. it is also a story of a mother's struggle to cope with the loss of a loved one. i read somewhere that one of the most painful human experiences is for a mother to lose her child and vice-versa. i have gone through that when i lost my Mom and believe me, it is anything but painful.
water sustains life and without it every living thing would perish. that is a given. Vanessa Morgan takes this reality further and fancifully twists it into something so original and frightening that dying of thirst might prove to be a better option.
read this book to find out why and the next time you drink water or go for a swim, think again. don't say that i didn't warn you.


Disclosure of Material Connection: i received a pdf copy of Drowned Sorrow from the author herself. i did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was I obligated to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

"I wanna go live with my father." Giselle paused a moment to take it in. Why didn't his answer surprise her? In fact, somehow she had been expecting this. "That's out of the question and you know it." Miserably, she started to wash up the dirty dishes while Mark turned to wait on the customers. She scrubbed furiously, more than was actually necessary, but she bent her mind to the task, glad that she had this activity to clear her mind. There was no way that Mark was going to leave Moonlight Creek. No one ever left this place. If he ever left, he wouldn't survive. She was sure about that. Her mind turned to several directions, looking for solutions, but couldn't find any. There had to be something, something she could do to make her son stay. "It's not completely impossible," Mark said. "I warned you," Giselle said, her voice gentle and without a trace of anger. "It's not safe." "I don't care." "I care. You're my son." She paused. "If I were you, I'd just forget all about it. There's nothing you can do about it. Moonlight Creek isn't like other places. Things work different here."

Megan Blackwood had been a reporter for national television for eight years. With a growing reputation as an authority on international politics, she was regarded as a leading light in journalism. But that all came to an end with the death of one of her two children. It had been seven months and still nothing seemed to ease the pain that Megan felt. So at the suggestion of a friend, she and her daughter Jenna would be taking what would hopefully be a time for the two of them to bond and hopefully put some of the past behind them. Their vacation was to take place in a small secluded village called Moonlight Creek.

Upon arrival, Megan began to wonder about her destination decision. Moonlight Creek was beautiful, nestled around a beautiful, peaceful lake, but the people were different. She knew that life in a small town moved slow but these people seemed to move at a pace slower than any she had ever encountered. And the smell. Everything had a moldy, musky smell, even the rooms of the small hotel she and Jenna would be staying in. But Megan finally decided this was due to the almost continuous rain that seemed to fall on Moonlight Creek. And then there was the lake itself. There was something simply not right about the lake that scared not only Megan but the family dog too that had come along for the trip.

Drowned Sorrow took me completely by surprise. I have to admit that I never saw the ending coming. Or for that matter, I was surprised throughout most of the book. The characters created by Author Vanessa Morgan were perfectly cast, as was the setting. This has been a very enjoyable read. But I will tell you that I will probably think twice before spending even a weekend at a small town with a lake.

Drowned Sorrow, by Vanessa Morgan is the story of a work driven mother, Megan Blackwood, who just doesn't make time for her children. Megan is hard at work when she ignores several calls from her daughter, Jenna. It isn't until too late that Megan finds out the reason for Jenna's calls; her son is dead. With the death of her son, Megan walks away from her high powered job to devote her attentions more thoroughly to her daughter. Several months after the funeral of her son, Megan and her daughter, Jenna, take a recommended trip to a secluded lakeside town called Moonlight Creek. But where are the townsfolk? And what's with all the water?


The premise of this book is very strong. The water plays a significant role in the creep factor of this book, and it is done really well. However, I feel that there needed to be more character development of several of the characters, as well as more back story to the "why" or "how" of the lake. With this book being shy of 200 pages, I feel there was a lot of room to expand.

There were also a few areas of the book that I found were either confusing, or didn't tie in well with other parts of the book. For instance, the ex-husband's role in the beginning of the story is very vague. The reader gets a sense of the love and loss between Megan and her ex, but that's it. There isn't a lot of back story. Then all of a sudden, the ex-husband pops up later and I just felt that his appearance at that juncture was a bit misplaced. It could have been great, but some elements were missing that were crucial for making the connection.

Overall, I think this book was good. It has a great premise and decent writing. If it were expanded on, and a few of the missing pieces were drawn into the story, it would be great.

On a scale of 1-4, I give this book a 3. Good concept, just needs a bit of clarification and more back story.

This book was published by Llumina Press.
ISBN: 9781605941622

Thank you to Vanessa Morgan for the gift of this book.

A thirst-quenching blend of sci-fiction with a twist of horror. The fear factor is accomplished not with blood and guts, but through what is not seen. Moonlight Creek provides the perfect setting to intrigue horror fans. It's isolated, mysteriously vacant and strangely damp. Simple elements like air, water and fire are used to enhance the claustrophobic entrapment that makes this story a great rainy night read. It's not often that a horror book can be recommended to young adult readers, but this one fits the bill. It's not juvenile in any way, but brings the chills without gore, drugs or sexual violence. How, you ask? You've got to read it to find out.

I'm still trying to figure out why a dog was written into the story. If anyone can tell me why, I'd really appreciate it. I have a few other unanswered questions, which leads me to believe either I missed something or the author did. A couple ends are obviously and neatly tied up, but others are left dangling.

Great book! In the same vein as Stephen King. It tells the story of a strange village by a strange lake. It reminded me of The Wicker Man. Good rhythm... It keeps you gripped until the end.

This is the first book I read from author Vanessa Morgan, but it will certainly not be the last one. I found Drowned Sorrow to be extremely creepy and entertaining, but more than a thriller, it is also a touching story of a mother who is about to lose a second child. An excellent blend of thriller and drama. Highly recommended

This book was a waste of time. Forgettable and unrealistic characters, horribly ridiculous premise, and writing style of a 10th grade english student. Not scary or suspenseful in the least.

One of the worst books I've ever read, thankfully there was only 170 pages of badness.

Drowned Sorrow by Vanessa Morgan

Once you enter Moonlight Creek, you might as well say goodbye to the life you used to know. Moonlight Creek has its secrets, dark, foreboding secrets that could reach out and snatch you whenever the mood strikes. The lake is filled with bodies that are bound to the small village, bodies that have either made a choice, or the choice had been made for them. A vacation for ex-television journalist, Megan Blackwood and her daughter, Jenna, turns into a nightmare.

Megan had just lost her son seven months ago, divorced soon after, and now she quit her job as a journalist to spend more time with her daughter. Suffocation can be too much for a teenage girl. Moonlight Creek was supposed to be a relaxing bonding trip for the two of them, but it seems someone you never suspect has been watching, waiting for the moment to show Megan that there are others in the world... and they want her!!!

Drowned Sorrow by Vanessa Morgan is a gripping horror novel that young adults can enjoy along with any other horror fan. Not too detailed, or bloody-gory. If this makes any sense it was actually a clean horror read that was quite entertaining. I'd read another Vanessa Morgan novel : ) 4 Hearts