Customer Reviews

Fear Me

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

 

 

Although they come from three distinct walks of life, Bernice, Jacqueline and Yvonne all have something in common--each has fallen victim to the man named Gideon, a supernatural sexual predator who has been slowly draining their vitality. Learning of each other's existence, they decide to strike back at their tormentor, luring him to an underground parking lot where they shoot him several times, then flee, leaving him for dead. Their troubles are only just beginning, though, as Gideon, who is far more resilient than they expect, launches a bloody supernatural campaign of revenge against them.

FEAR ME (originally published as GIDEON in 1993) provides an intriguing take on the vampire myth, positing a creature that feeds on his victims' life forces, rather than on their blood, leaving them wizened husks. Like a traditional vampire, Gideon has also achieved a form of immortality. Every twenty years or so, he impregnates several women, who bear children who, upon reaching young adulthood, seek each other out and literally battle each other to the death for the privilege of becoming the next vessel to house his essence.

Laws structures his book around these essential differences, alternating between Gideon's pursuit of the three women and the troubles of a young man named Paul Shapiro, who belatedly discovers that he is one of the succubus' progeny. These two plotlines eventually converge, as Paul is forced to confront his true father to save one of the women Gideon has victimized.

Along the way, Laws relates some terrifying and harrowing set pieces guaranteed to set readers' nerves jangling. Scary, smart, and edgy, FEAR ME is a horror novel that doubles as a thriller, a prime example of dynamic, purposeful storytelling.

This is a great book, but I won't be like others and go into all the story details. It's not just about the vampire getting revenge against the women, there is a lot more to it. (Read to find out) There are a good amount of characters like another reviewer said, but I thought they were handled well and fit into the story. The book has some awesome horror scenes, and if you do like horror novels this is a must. (Might be a little slow at first, but what isn't)

Three women, Yvonne, Bernice, and Jacqueline meet in an underground parking garage with plans to kill a certain man who has literally made their lives a living hell. Yvonne seems the most fragile and frightend of them, but when the man they know as Gideon makes his hidious appearance they each, in turn, fire the gun that finally leaves him unmoving and dead. PERHAPS!

Laws knows how to build suspense and keep the spook factor high. This is not a book to read on a dark and stormy night although even as I say this I must admit that yesterday evening I was so engrossed in the story that I kept reading even with a terrifically loud thunder storm overhead. Fortunately the lights stayed on.

Fear Me is a typical dark horror novel that doesn't shy away from pain, death, or red stuff. Characters aren't too grating and I can understand their motivations, and the ending is anything but wimpy. Still, Fear Me lacks some luster by not standing out enough, using a quick enough pace to stay interesting but not riveting. The villain isn't explored too deeply and just comes across as cruel - which, for this type of book, is good - but I couldn't care less about his fate either. Mild cheesiness during moments brought it down more points. A book worth reading but not seeking out.

An interesting variation of the vampire theme: the vampire as sexual predator. However, I found one important element missing.

The chapters varied the focus on the different characters, but there were not any chapters telling the story from the vampire's point of view. We never got into Gideon's head to see what made him tick.

And though there were detailed horror scenes, we saw only one detailed, but too brief description of Gideon in action as a sexually predatory vampire.

Good idea, but could have been better.

This is a disappoint novel about a vampire seeking
vengeance against three women. There are just two
many characters in this novel which slows the pace of
the plot. Also there are too many unanswered questions
about the vampire. The story has it moments but they're few.