Customer Reviews

Revenant

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The other reviews posted here provide an adequate synopsis of this book, so I'll limit my remarks to a few opinions.

First of all, the book is definitely not scary; nor does it try to be. So if you want the crap scared out of you, look elsewhere.

Second, the novel does not have a conventional structure. It reads like an "ensemble cast" movie. There are about 10 sets of characters, and the book is constructed of episodes that involve each set of characters. There is only minimal interplay between them, and this comes near the end of the book. This lack of connection between them is one of the book's major weaknesses, and makes the whole experience seem limited and rather unsatisfying.

Tem is skillful at characterization and dialog. But I still found myself not caring very much about anyone in the book. A few characters were more interesting than others, but none of them really left me wanting to know what happens next. In fact, after about 50 pages I was constantly thinking, should I quit reading this and move onto something else?

While I did manage to finish the book, I can't say I recommend it. Life is short, and there are a lot of great books out there. This is not one of them. If you want scary and interesting, try Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" or Richard Matheson's "Hell House."