Nightmare [Paperback]

Robin Parrish (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2010

Ghost Town is the hottest amusement park in the country, offering state-of-the-art chills and thrills involving the paranormal. The park's main ride is a haunted mansion that promises an encounter with a real ghost.

When Maia Peters visits during her senior year of college, she's not expecting to be impressed. Maia grew up as the only child of a pair of world-renowned "ghost hunters," so the paranormal is nothing new. In fact, the ride feels pretty boring until the very end. There, a face appears from the mist. The face of Jordin Cole, a girl who disappeared from campus a year ago.

Convinced what she saw wasn't a hoax and desperate to find answers to Jordin's disappearance, Maia launches into a quest for answers. Joined by Jordin's boyfriend--a pastor's kid with very different ideas about the spirit realm--Maia finds herself in a struggle against forces she never expected to confront.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Nightmare is Coming...

Ghost Town is the hottest amusement park in the country, but when Maia Peters visits, she's not expecting to be impressed. The daughter of two world-renowned "ghost hunters," she's grown up around the paranormal and to her most of the park is just Hollywood special effects. Until the very last attraction.

There, in a haunted house, a face appears from the mist. The face of Jordin Cole, a girl Maia knows. A girl, Maia discovers, who has gone missing.

Convinced what she saw wasn't a hoax and desperate to find Jordin, Maia launches into a quest for answers. Joined by Jordin's boyfriend--a pastor's kid with very different ideas about the paranormal--the two soon find themselves in a struggle on the edge of the spirit realm as dangerous forces try to keep the truth from emerging.

About the Author

Robin Parrish has written for over a decade and as a journalist on the cutting-edge of Christian culture, from books and music to film. Robin, his wife, and their son live in High Point, North Carolina.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House; 1 edition (July 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764206079
• ISBN-13: 978-0764206078
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #565,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"Robin Parrish is a keen-eyed, passionate pop cultural savant, whose writing is as incisive and insightful as it is entertaining."
- Allan Heinberg, Executive Producer, Grey's Anatomy

Robin Parrish wants to take you on a ride.

A wild ride -- which is exactly what you're in for when you pick up one of his books. And he's adamant that it will never be the same kind of experience twice.

Robin's stories mix, mingle, and meld various genres together to create thoroughly original suspense/thrillers. His Dominion Trilogy, for example, mashed up superhero action, secret societies, ancient myths, and an apocalyptic setting to create an entirely new take on the classic "hero's journey." Offworld mixed science fiction and an end-of-the-world scenario with high-octane action. Nightmare, his 2010 novel, is a spine-tingling examination of the world of the paranormal, paired with can't-put-it-down mystery. He describes his 2011 novel, Vigilante, as a story about a man who sets out to do something that no one has ever done before.

Always pushing the envelope, ever on the edge of where modern storytelling is going, Robin Parrish will gladly and unapologetically tell you that he's an entertainer, a weaver of stories that ignite the mind and delight the heart. Defying labels and refusing pigeonholes, his imagination is fueled by the possibilities of asking "What if...?", and as anyone who's read his work knows, he has a very big imagination. Readers will be happy to know that he has an endless supply of wild stories with enormous scope, that are still yet to come.

As a journalist, Robin has worked for About.com, CMCentral.com (RIP), INFUZEmag.com (also RIP), PopCultureGeek.com, b5media, SplashPress Media, and many more. His writing has been printed in numerous magazines and newspapers.

His influences as a novelist range from television and film storytellers like Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams, to masters of the modern myth like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Akin to Philip K. Dick's search for the meaning of identity, most of what Robin writes about boils down to his own ponderings and examinations of just what this thing we call "existence" really is.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars . . . The Killers Said It Best, June 26, 2010

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Nightmare (Paperback)

Robin Parrish is one of the most imaginative writers I know, particularly within the constraints of Christian fiction. From his Dominion Trilogy to "Offworld", he has shown an uncanny ability to make the unbelievable seem realistic, using tight prose and taut action scenes to speed readers toward often surprising endings. Never, though, have I been as unsure of his story's direction as in "Nightmare."

On the surface, this is a ghost story along the lines of the films "White Noise" and "The Haunting in Connecticut." Maia Peters is a college student with famous parents. Mr. and Mrs. Peters have a worldwide audience with their TV show that explores the paranormal, eschewing the hokey orbs and cheap thrills of typical ghost-hunters, going for more scientific and logical explorations of the unknown. Maia's celebrity status draws the interest of another student, rich and orphaned Jordin Cole. With Jordin's money and Maia's connections, they make a trek of well-known haunted sites in America, from Alcatraz to Gettysburg. They have some disturbing encounters, told with bravado and with cards held close to the chest by Mr. Parrish. I kept wondering where this story was going, and Jordin's motives remained mysterious for much of it.

In the second half, Parrish provides more biblical ground and, ultimately, delivers a heart-pumping showdown between good and evil. He doesn't try to explain everything, which I appreciated. On the other hand, I would've liked a little more background on the power behind a certain glyph and cube. That said, Parrish offers up some unique and thought-provoking ideas here, all of which point to the true Author of Life while encouraging readers to live their lives to the fullest. His characters are flawed and intriguing, and the first-person narrative moves quickly. The rock group, The Killers, has a song that says, "I've got a soul, but I'm not a 'souldier'," and this story provides a twist to those lyrics.

Once again, Robin Parrish proves he belongs in the ranks with Frank Peretti and Mike Dellosso, telling a creepy story with a powerful underlying purpose.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Theme That Glimpses Beyond the Mortal Realm, June 26, 2010

By 

Joshua Olds (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nightmare (Paperback)

What would you do if you saw a ghost? Maia Peters, the daughter of famous TV-show paranormal investigators, might answer that question differently than most. But now she's in college and getting away from it all. Or so she thinks.

Jordin Cole is one of the richest people in the world. Her parents died when she was young, leaving her an inheritance that she could live on for the rest of her life. But not everything in her life is as happy as it should be and for deep, dark reasons known only to herself, Jordin wants to see a ghost.

Jordin seeks out Maia and the adventure begins. Nightmare is the story of flashbacks that recount Jordin and Maia's paranormal adventures one year prior which give a foundation for the present storyline where Jordin's gone missing and her boyfriend, Derek, and Maia must find her. Far beyond just one missing person, Jordin and Derek stumble upon a shocking plot that could have earth shattering consequences.

In Nightmare, Robin Parrish gives us a one of a kind tale of ghosts and ghost hunting. Going beyond the classic "Christian" conception that evidence of ghosts can be chalked up to demonic activity, Parrish plays a what-if game and treats the ghosts as if they are actually that. The result is a bold and unique story that is creepy, fun, and thought-provoking.

Parrish's ghosts aren't the only ethereal things in Nightmare. His ability to create a creepy story with lifelike characters is out of this world and Nightmare's theme gives us a glimpse beyond the mortal realm as well. What happens when we die? Are ghosts real? Where is the soul within the human body?

All of these questions in no way clutter up the story and instead drive it towards the exciting and completely unpredictable conclusion. The story is well-researched and despite its "out there" nature, comes across as chillingly plausible. There is one chapter where the characters encounter a demon that resides in an abandoned church that really stands out to me as exceptionally well written and realistic.

In the end, I am sure that Parrish will take some criticism for this foray into "Christian paranormal fiction;" most folks who first branch out of the norm are. But just as Frank Peretti made it okay to write about demons, maybe Parrish will make it okay to talk about ghosts. One can only hope, because I personally want to see what other stories Parrish has to offer. This may have been my first Robin Parrish novel, but it will not be my last.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sleepless Nights Guaranteed, June 28, 2010

By 

MasterAP (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nightmare (Paperback)

Robin Parrish delivers another ace with Nightmare.

I love how Parrish is not a one-hit wonder. Say you're into Koontz or Dekker; you're pretty much guaranteed a cookie-cutter story with some interesting twist.

Not so with this guy.

He gave us a superhero trilogy that reignited the passion for heroes. These were Relentless, Fearless and Merciless. Merciless has the best final battle story of anything I have ever read.

Next we were given the NASA version of LOST with its mysterious disappearances and answers-that-led-to-questions in Offworld.

For this latest outing, Parrish gives us a glimpse into paranormal activity:

There's a new theme park called Ghost Town which promises to offer guests a real-life encounter with a ghost. Maia Peters, the daughter of ghost hunters, gives the theme park a try. While in a haunted house, she hears the voice of Jordin Cole - a friend who's been missing for a year.

Nightmare is divided into two parts: you get the story of Maia and Jordin traveling the world, hunting ghosts, a year ago and you also follow Maia and Jordin's boyfriend as they attempt to find Jordin in the current day.

Parrish keeps the mystery alive so that you'll be forced to read this book in one sitting.

Featuring authentic haunted places as locations and believable paranormal encounters, a lack of sleep is almost guaranteed once you open the pages.

Nightmare is the perfect companion to the movie, Paranormal Activity.

This book was provided for review by Bethany House Publishing