Customer Reviews

Naomi

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In Douglas Clegg's newest paperback novel, NAOMI, Jake Richmond has moved to Manhattan to escape the ugly memories of Carthage, Virginia. It was in Carthage that Jake fell in love with his childhood friend, Naomi Cross. When something bad happened to Naomi as a teenager...something that she couldn't even talk to Jake about, she eventually left and moved to New York City. It wasn't long before Jake followed her. Though Jake looked for his lost love, he never found her until it was too late. Instead, he started a career as a writer, got married, and had a wonderful child. When Jake's wife leaves him for another man, he once more begins his search for Naomi, only to find out that she committed suicide by jumping in front of a subway train a few months before. The body of Naomi may have been torn apart by the train, but not her spirit for she is destined to return to help destroy an evil that caused her death hundreds of years before when she was a young girl, living on a plantation in old New York. In order to win this battle, Naomi's spirit will need the help of Jake, as well as the help of a woman named Maddy (who owns an old brownstone in Manhattan where the bones of several murdered witches are found buried beneath the basement floor) and a homeless boy who calls himself Romeo and knows the subway tunnels like the back of his hand. All the players are gradually drawn together to finish their roles in a drama that was started in a previous lifetime, and only a few of them will survive the final confrontation between light and darkness. While not having the action and intensity of YOU COME WHEN I CALL, Mr. Clegg's newest book has great characters that drive the story forward and a premise that held my interest. The author is extremely skillful when writing about the ambiance of teenage life, especially where young love is concerned. He's able to capture the innocence, the hope, and the melancholy with stark clarity that brought back memories of my younger years. Mr. Clegg also knows how to weave the intricate details of a story, creating an atmosphere of suspense and dread that permeates each layer of narrative as it gradually unfolds. I found myself loving the characters of Jake and Naomi, wishing that they could have found each other as adults and fulfilled the possibilities that their long relationship seemed to promise. I also liked the details of Manhattan's subterranean caverns that house the old subway tunnels, and where hundreds, if not thousands, of homeless people live. I found the City of the Forbidden where the Serpent (evil incarnate) lives underneath Manhattan to be well-drawn and frightening in nature. I did think, however, the ending was a little too quick and that the novel could've used another twenty pages or so to wrap things up in greater detail. Anyway, I believe NAOMI is a wonderful weekend read and is recommended to those who enjoy a well-written tale of the supernatural. Though Mr. Clegg has yet to write his breakout novel (a novel that hits the top ten on the bestseller lists), I feel confident that it will soon happen. This author has a talent that keeps drawing me back to him. There's only one thing I would like to say to Mr. Clegg: please work something out with your previous publisher and have your out-of-print novels reprinted for your growing mass of fans. You have several that I would like to read. Perhaps Leisure Books could buy the publishing rights and print them under their logo. These would certainly add to your popularity as an author.

I was really impressed with this book when I devoured it over a couple of days earlier this summer. Normally, I'm a VERY slow reader, but I really flew through this one.

Reading Douglas Clegg reminds me of playing the electric guitar in the evening in the garage while I was in high school. His writing is raw and full of emotion and yearning. It's alive in your hands--you can feel the book hum and vibrate as it leads you through colorful fields under its own sinewy rhythm.

I've read everything that Clegg has out in print (I found out about him last summer here at amazon.com) and I think "Naomi" is one of his best, up there with "You Come When I Call You" and "The Halloween Man". A must for any fan of Clegg's other work. And if you like horror and haven't read Clegg, you should really give this one a chance. Just remember to keep it down after eleven.

I somehow missed this novel when it first appeared as an e-serial -- but here it is at last in "hard copy" form for me and (hopefully!) lots of other folks to read and enjoy.

I have to say this is one of my favorites of Doug's. He's quite possibly the best author working in the horror field today and he really pulls out the stops with this one. I love the sense of place, whether it's the hidden world beneath the streets of Manhatten or a creepy little Virginia town where all manner of nasty things can and do happen, and the characters are wonderful (my favorite -- Maddy Sparkle). The juxtaposition between the story's modern events and a tale of Colonial witchcraft is also great. And the ending -- Wow! I'm still thinking about it.

Definitely another 5-star book for all horror fans. Also highly recommended for anyone who may have enjoyed J.G. Passarella's WITHER.

I picked up this one after reading a short story by Clegg. I enjoyed the underground setting and the link to the past. With short sections and loads of tension, it read fast. The concept and the plot were great. The biggest fault was some of the telling could have been replaced with more action. It was predictable why the main character was being haunted by the ghost. Overall, I enjoyed it and will definately read this author again.

This is not as good as other books by Clegg, but mysterious, dark, compelling with tragic characaters who must redeem their lives. Witchcraft plays a major role here. The book is very gothic and dark, but that's Clegg's style: he's better than anyone out bthere in creating such dark fiction in horror and human tragedy.

I got turned on to Douglas Clegg by my favorite author Bentley Little, who mentioned in an interview that Clegg is one of HIS favorite authors. I can see why. He'd not trendy or cool, just a fine writer with a lot of talent. I look forward to reading the rest of his books.

Not too often I get so caught up in a novel that I read it in one day, but I did this one.

It started a bit slow -- too much fancy writing and not enough story. But it picked up, and I was hooked.

Douglas Clegg has the talent of Stephen King to keep you wondering, keep you turning the pages. Unlike King, this novel was not totally depressing and utterly gruesomely morbid, which is why I usually avoid King novels.

The variety of characters was fascinating. For me in the Midwest, just the descriptions of New York City were interesting. Since I never intend to go there, it's nice to have a skilled writer show it to me through words.

Clegg's skill in weaving the stories of all the characters together is remarkable. All in all, a very enjoyable read.

Clegg's NAOMI is one of the best books Leisure has ever published. Fast paced and exciting with no filler, not to mention some very ghoulish imagery, which is something that has been missing from many "horror" novels lately. ....A must read for real horror fans.

The ending of this book was bit confusing with the dreamlike state the characters are in, it seemed rushed. A good read up until then.
I liked the humanity of the book, particularly the look into New Yorks underworld. The whole books theme was about outcasts. The witches were outcasted from their town, Naomi and Jake were outcasts from their town, and the subway dwellers in New York were outcasted from the city. For me, a books theme is more important than conform to a particular genre. Clegg lets the human struggles take the foreground instead of horror cliches.

This is one of the most gripping books I have read in recent memory. What really makes this book special is that we read about three very different characters who are destined to follow the same path. Jake, Romeo and Maddy oh and we can't leave out Naomi, all take us on a journey that is both captifying as well as terrifying. All I can add without giving away anything is that I wish the book had continued and went on to follow the paths of a couple of characters to feel the real aftermath of their ordeal. For all of you who can't wait for the newest King, Koontz etc get this novel and discover an equally great writer. I already have his newest, The Infinite, on preorder as the bonus preview included with Naomi was great as well.