Customer Reviews

The Pack (Serenity Falls, Book 2)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you haven't read the first book in the Serenity Falls Trilogy, Writ in Blood, you should. Writ in blood sets the stage, with a horrible and brutal rape/torture and murder of accused witch Elizabeth miles. Then comes The Pack. It is strongly written but reads slower than the first book. Moore is laying all the ground work for the climax of the story in book three. Even though slower reading, it is still creepy and fun. Jonathan Crowley, one of the best and strangest "good guys" I have read about, and I was happy to have him show up in the second half of this book.

I am hooked, and will read the last of the three books just as soon as I can get my hands on it in paperback. Well worth your time to read, worth the cost to purchase too.

Book two of Serenity Falls. Not really going to rehash the story here, but give my opinion of it. Story was alright, not what I expected with the title "The Pack" which was a pleasant surprise cuz you're figuring werewolves. The rest of the book though was pretty darn slow. Far too many characters to keep track of and it takes forever for Jonathon Crowley to show up. I am interested in how this will conclude so it's still worth reading to keep up with the story for "Dark Carnival". Overall, just not enough suspense and too slow of pace to rate anymore stars.

I found this book completely by fluke. It caught my eye on the quick-picks shelf as I was leaving the library. I thought it was a werewolf book, so I snatched it up and left. It was the first of Jim's books I read, so, out of order, yes, but it really didn't matter to me. I bought the entire new Serenity Falls books within a week, and soon after, I bought Under the Overtree. I adore Jim's writing, and The Pack is no exception.

James does a great job creating characters ... lots of them. I was eagerly awaiting the return of Jonathon Crowley and wasn't disappointed. Can't wait for the third one!

After setting up the dark historical background and giving a brief introduction to present day Serenity Falls in the first book of this trilogy, Writ in Blood, Moore gets down to telling the story of the curse taking effect in the town. The social fabric of the town is efficiently set out, particularly those who will become a tool for the coming evil.

As with the first book, Moore has crafted a real page turner that is difficult to put down. He can let his most memorable character not make his entrance until halfway through without impacting this reader's enjoyment. Moore gives just enough description to fire the reader's imagination, allowing the rare piece of graphic detail to have a larger impact.

Looking forward to reading the final book.

In depth characterization grounds this spooky tale, giving it a people-down-the-street feel, though the expansive character list and multiple points of view work to dilute reader identification somewhat.

A good read, and an excellent resource for those interested in methods of bringing characters to life. No pun intended.

I read the first one in the series (which I gave 5 stars) and this one is very good, but gets a little confusing with the number of characters.

Still I would recommend getting this one too. Keeps your interest up.

I will agree with earlier reviews that there are many characters and this can be a little confusing but I still think this is a wonderful series and I wouldn't have missed reading this book. This series is very reminiscent of early Stephen King. Has a small town with dark undercurrents nice bulding of atmosphere and a cast of characters that you either root for or against. The characters are very dimensional and not just same old seen often personalities. Cannot wait to read next novel in series.

The book takes a long time to kick into gear. We spend a lot of time with a character from book 1, and we know more than he does what he did. Frustrating.

Originally posted as a single novel, Serenity Falls was recently released in a three volume mass paperback set. For fans of horror, especially those who enjoyed Stephen King back when he was writing books like It, Cujo and Salem's Lot, this is definitely something you'd want to scoop up. Unlike some trilogies, especially ones that were originally conceived as a single novel, all three books of the series have a different feel to them.

The basic premise deals with the small rural New York town of Serenity Falls. While Serenity Falls may seem like your prototypical small town, it has a history of violence and death that far exceeds most small towns.


Book 2: The Pack

While probably having the worst name of the series, the second book is strongest of the series and it's where the story truly takes off. This time the focus of the book is not on the curse haunting the town, or even out anti-hero Jonathon Crowley, who doesn't even appear until until the second half of the book. This time the focus is on the townspeople, and even more so, the children.

The evil entity that has been slowly drawing Crowley to Serenity Falls, now focuses his energy on the town and playing games with it's residents. Among the games he plays is possessing certain townsfolk, causing them to act outside of there character. The children themselves are tormented by ghosts and bad dreams, and one child becomes the conduit for the souls of Serenity Falls dead between this world and the world they have been trapped in since their deaths.

Yet, beyond the horror and mayhem, the true beauty of this novel is the developing the characters that were only briefly touched on in the first book. Sheriff Jack Michael's, is more than just a loyal lawman, but a figure as tragic as the town itself. Mike Blake, the banker turn town drunk, pulls himself out of self imposed stupor since his wife died to begin once again gaining the respect of himself and his neighbors, only to have his world turned upside down in the form a beautiful, yet oddly familiar women. Deputy Victor Barnes, who we only saw as the helpful biker in the first book, becomes a main character, as a newly hired deputy who gives us an outsiders perspective on the town.

Then there is the kids. A group of misfired kids, like Farm boy Dave Pageant, feisty best friends Charlene and Jessie, and tormented Stan Long, may just be the towns only chance against the forces building up in the town. It doesn't help that there is a pack of wild, seemingly changed dogs roaming the woods, terrorizing and slaughtering the residents of this cursed town.

Moore cleverly intermingles many horror archetypes, monsters and vampires, horny kids at make out point being terrorized, demonic possession, ghosts, and of course, the horrors of childhood bullies, yet, he understands the clichéd aspects and builds and manipulates the reader. Yet, while he has some of Stephen King's flair for characters, he also has some of his flaws. Many scenes are overwritten and it can get hard to keep the multiple characters straight and try to remember their connection to the past. . He also uses the "hit you in the face" foreshadowing (...and that was the last time she ever saw her sister alive...) that is a literary trick, and one that becomes painfully obvious. Yet, in the end, The Pack works because the characters do. At times the story gets bogged down and confusing, but in the end, Moore it pulls off.