Customer Reviews

Something Dangerous

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Something Dangerous is an entralling quick read. The characters are very well developed and the plot really kept my interest. I could not wait for the climax. I felt empathy for all of the characters, even the one who seems purely evil on the surface. The only thing that I found lacking was the description and deveopment of the powers within the Ouija Board as reasoning for the school's troubles. These powers seem to enable the boys to see the skeletons in people's closets. I would have enjoyed a scene during which the skeltons were revealed to the players. The psychological control exhibited in the book is completely believable and made the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end. If you are thinking about reading this book, I would recommend doing so!

I have just finished reading Something Dangerous and am proud to say bravo to the author Patrick Redmond. This was an excellent debut novel, and one that left me totally exhausted! The suspense in this book cover everything from demonic possession, to adultery, to betrayal, and just about every other hedonistic subject u can think of! I could not put this book down and cannot wait to read more of Mr. Redmonds' work. If Something Dangerous is any inclination of what to expect from him in the future, we are all in for a real treat!

Having read Patrick Redmond's "Something Dangerous", I think I can say that the future of British horror writing is in more than capable hands.

Where this book scores is in way the horror arises from the interplay between characters, rather than - as is the case with King, Koontz, and Herbert - from the plot itself. There is something almost Orwellian about the sense of entrapment, of there being no escape for the the lead characters, that Redmond manages to evoke. I felt real empathy for Palmer and Scott.

In my experience as a dedicated fan of horror novels, this has got to be the scariest I've ever read. And having attended an English all-boys school myself, I know that Redmond has certainly done his research. This was a stunning read, and I would reccommend it to anyone.

Well done Patrick Redmond! I look forward to finishing his latest novel "The Puppet Show."

While I'm not sorry I read "Something Dangerous", all in all, my recommendation to you would be to skip to "something else". Redmond's first effort moves along quickly and generally holds your attention. However, there is little depth to the characters, and there is little suspense because you'll be able to guess what happens well before it actually occurs. Upon finishing Something Dangerous I, at first, thought I'd make a great detective, given that I was able to predict almost all of the events that happened. But then I realized that this book was just not very good.

This was a "blind" purchase for me, but I really liked it. The characters were well drawn, but there were a few too many to keep up with. That is my only complaint with this book, but by the end, I realized why there were so many.

All in all, a very enjoyable read, although not very creepy or horrific. I will read more by this author.

I knew nothing about Patrick Redmond when I was thinking about purchasing Something Dangerous used online a few months ago. However, the description of the story that I read before my purchase intrigued me--an captivating setting rich with atmosphere, a supernatural mystery, and a story that appeared to have many layers. Little did I know that I was about to receive more than I bargained for!

The canned Publisher's Weekly review included here on Amazon is absolutely correct--from the very beginning of this story, you get a sense of creepy foreboding, like you know that "something bad" is lurking around every corner of the boys' school, just waiting to pounce. And pounce it does, repeatedly, as bullying, mental illness, hatred, revenge, lies, rage, and homophobia unravel the lives of heroes and villans alike.

Something Dangerous is a fantastic work of dark fiction, amazing as it's Redmond's first novel, but it is certainly not for those easily bothered by uncomfortable things. Indeed, this book is disturbing on several levels, and one is left to repeatedly wonder, "How in the world could things go so terribly, tragically wrong?" The reader will not easily forget the story or its characters.

One bit of disagreement with some of the other reviewers--I actually enjoyed the ending.

Highly recommended!

I was on the edge of my seat while reading every single chapter of this book. After reading for a while I actually began to feel pain for certain characters in the book (especially Richard Rokeby) and also felt love for some too.I laughed and i cried (and believe me, i never cry over a story.) No book has ever touched me so deep like "Something Dangerous" has,or evoked such raw emotion out of me. However, when i read the ending part(which was a complete shocker)i got so nauseous i had to go throw up! The ending offered no kind of comfort whatsoever for people who had been clinging to this author's every word. Infact i had a very hard time sleeping the night i finished it, and i know i cant start on another novel until i get over this one. The book was unlike anything i've ever read before but it is defenitely not for the faint of heart (or stomache.)It is in every sense of the word, a "thriller," and will keep you in suspense the whole way through. Regardless of the horrible ending, this book proves that Patrick Redmond is an amazing author, and I very much look forward to reading his other books soon. All in all though, i must say "Bravo Redmond!"

I read this after reading Patrick's second novel, "The Puppet Show". I could not believe that this was as good a performance. What marked out "The Puppet Show" was how much I cared about the characters, places where I cried with them, places where I shared their joy, places where I wanted to get into the book and join in. This was equally so with "The Wishing Game". Whether you can identify with some of the characters and situations depends on what life experiences you may have had, but I was riveted from the start. Like another reviewer, I couldnt stop thinking about this book for days afterwards and didn't want to pick up another. I defy anyone not to get involved.

What marks it out from so many horror books is simply that so much is left unsaid, imagination is needed, but when Richard Rokeby slowly turns around towards the end of the book, his hairs standing on the back of his neck, mine had already done so!

It's a superb book, and repays re-reading so many layers has it.

Set in 1950s England at a boys' school, this story of a quiet boy coming under the influence of a bullying older boy is as riveting as anything by Stephen King. Jonathan finds himself more and more under the control of Richard, who destroys anyone who comes between them. Richard is a creature of seething anger, and somehow taps into some paranormal force, which he uses for his own ends. Jonathan must find a way to stop Richard before he can continue his wicked ways. I couldn't put this book down after I started it. The whole mysterious element of who was telling the story kept me going, page after page. Quite masterful!

Two boys at an english boarding school dabble in occult practices and attain the power to see into and prey upon the weaknesses of others. This is an elegantly written novel which leaves the reader with many questions after turning the final page. First time author Redmond convincingly creates the oppressive atmosphere of the exclusive school with a rigid and psychologically brutal hierarchy. I would strongly recommend this chiller to fans of John Saul or Peter Straub.