Customer Reviews

The Summer I Died

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3 star:		(1)
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THE SUMMER I DIED by Ryan C. Thomas
Review by Nickolas Cook
Coscom Entertainment (2nd edition)
Trade/$14.99

Back when I first reviewed Ryan Thomas' THE SUMMER I DIED, there was an extreme sub-genre, known by enthusiasts as `backwoods' horror, which is an offshoot of the same sub-genre in film: movies like DELIVERANCE, STRAW DOGS, WRONG TURN, and the ultimate in backwoods terror, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. In the horror literature world it comprised of some pretty gruesome titles by the likes of Joe Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, Ed Lee, Richard Laymon and Weston Oches. Now it's a thriving sub-genre, with more movies and more books than I can name here available. So what better time for Coscom Entertainment to release this new, cleaned up edition of Thomas' debut work?
THE SUMMER I DIED is an unrelenting read.
Grisly.
Bloody.
And, unfortunately, quite plausible.
Author Ryan C. Thomas tells the story of Roger and his childhood friend, Tooth, and what happens to them in the backwoods of a small New Hampshire town, when they run across a dilapidated cabin and find it's the terror dome of a sadistic (and very imaginative) killer.
But the author doesn't throw the reader into the horror before some careful consideration for his main characters. Thomas takes the time to paint a pair of likable guys, and give them a sense of humor and life before tossing them to the lions. Roger, the industrious one, and Tooth, the slacker of the duo, are young men that anyone might recognize as the guys next door, unhappy with life in a small town, but hopeful for a change. And that's what makes this novel so damned hard to get through without feeling sick and dirty. Thomas holds nothing back; he describes all the gore, all the pain, and all of the terror blow-by-blow. THE SUMMER I DIED is written in first person, so there should have been no suspense about Roger's survival of the ordeal. But several times I had to remind myself that he lives through it, or else no one would be telling the story, right? It's been a long time since I had to do that for a first person narrative. That's the power of good descriptive writing, and building a dense atmosphere of palpable horror for the reader.
The obvious caveat is that this style of writing may not be for everyone. Some may see THE SUMMER I DIED as violence for violence's sake, a literary equivalent to a Friday the 13th film.
But what makes it work so well is the characters' sense of humanity. Even at his worst, the killer, named Skinnyman in Roger's narrative memory, gains our sympathy even as he utterly devastates the human body, and does such outrageous things to a woman's severed head that I can't even bring myself to print it here. His methods are extreme...maybe too extreme for some readers, so be warned now. Even the dog, Butch, has a sense of humanity, and becomes like another character for the story.
In this second edition, the rough first few pages have been smoothed out for a better pace and phrasing. The flashbacks don't feel quite as intrusive as in the 1st edition. The spotty dialogue that peppered the original print has also been cleaned up a bit and moves more seamlessly through the narrative.
Since his debut release, Thomas has been busy editing a fantastically original anthology for Permuted Press, called MONSTROUS [...] and doing what writers do best: write what he knows and feels, and just plain making it better with every new sitting.
And what I said before, still stands true with this 2nd edition of THE SUMMER I DIED: He still has a good grasp of theme and characterization; his dialogues scintillate off the page. And I still charge that Thomas may very well be the next big name in extreme horror. For those fans of extreme horror, and `backwoods' horror, or both,[...]


--Nickolas Cook

This novella truly packs a punch, I didn't know what to expect when I got it other than being intrigued by the premise and it blew my mind, it went above and beyond of what I was expecting. The premise is interesting and one of my favorites, I like those lost in woods and chased by a madman or stuck somewhere with no way out, to me that is very scary and this was freaky enough as an idea but the writing and execution deserve their own credit. Thomas filled my head with crystal clear images right from the start, his skill is very apparent and makes the story flow like a river, I kept wincing and making faces and saying things as I read it and that doesn't happen to often, after fifteen years of reading horror I'd think I got used to it or desensitized myself a bit, not so with this story, it managed to throw me off and surprise me quite a few times.

I think one of the best parts of reading an intense story is the surprise factor, so I won't divulge too much of the plot, all I will say is that it revolves around two best friends who pick the wrong day to go shooting some harmless beer cans when curiosity takes hold and changes their lives forever. A scream coming from a nearby house awakens Rogers instincts, his curiosity getting a stronger hold on him than chivalry and nothing will ever be the same from that point on. Blood, guts, gore, hungry dogs, crazies, millions of ways to detach body parts and inflict pain, its all here, but very well written, making it not only scary but very realistic, I actually had a hard time falling asleep as I finished it, the whole tale wrapped itself around my brain and kept poking its claw at me, I was glad to be in my warm bed and not where the characters were, that's for sure! I also loved how detailed the characters of Tooth and Roger were, the beginning of the novel centers around them so well that it makes them seem like real people and then it proceeds to rip them to shreds as hell literally descends above them and opens its sharp mouth to engulf them into land of pain and misery. This was such a blast, I could read Ryan's books till I'm nine hundred years old, so keep em coming!

- Kasia S.

Loved this book, it was gruesome as the story unfolded, it reminded me a lot of the style of Jack Ketchum who I am a big fan. i really felt i got to know The character Roger and how he felt through all the torture. The only part that freaked me out was the last line! CREEPY!!! If you don't mind some blood and guts you'll enjoy this book!!!

Roger is home from college on break and plans to kick back with his best bud Tooth, drink some beer, shoot some cans and smoke a little dope. They head out to an unnamed backwoods town in New Hampshire to shoot without being disturbed and end up captives of a madman Roger calls "Skinny Man" and his bloodthirsty dog. I could see that run down house in the middle of nowhere (where no one will hear you scream) far too clearly. I will never again venture out into the woods without two big dogs by my side.

This book is hardcore, very much torture-porn and not for the squeamish. It's bleak, dark and squishy but the worst thing about it is the fact that the characters are written exceptionally well for a book of this sort. They start out as two toss-away goofy guys. Roger is the brighter bulb of the two while Tooth is mostly a laze-about heading nowhere fast but as the story progresses they become so real that you nearly feel their physical and emotional pain and experience their desperation to survive, to fight and to get the hell out of the mess they've found themselves in. It's a tense, stomach churning read filled to the brim with cruelty and unimaginable horror. If you're up for it, I'd say give it a read. It was impossible to put down, well written and though I won't ever read it again I will check out whatever this guy decides to write in the future.

I'm as huge a horror nerd as they come, and I consume massive amounts of film & fiction... So, there's not much out there that I haven't seen, read, or heard when it comes to the horror genre... And going into "The Summer I Died", I expected to be mildly entertained @ best... Man, was I wrong!!! I totally fell in love w/ this sick & twisted tale from Mr. Thomas, and I literally had a difficult time putting it down... I will say that it wasn't anything new if you consume as much horror as I do, but it was as gripping as they come... Sometimes the quality of a story supersedes the originality, and that's how I felt about this insanity...

There's no need to go into the story, but if you want something that is raw, unrelenting, disheartening, and extremely violent, THIS IS IT!!!! @ times I felt nauseous... @ times I felt horrified... @ times I felt sorrowful... & @ times I felt exhilirated... Really great stuff here... One warning, though... You better be able to handle extreme gore and excessive hopelessness, cause you're gonna get it w/ this nasty addition to the torture porn subgenre...

This book is exquisitely well written. The story is straight forward but the characters are actually interesting, which makes the torture painful to read.

The story kept me up well past midnight. If you have discovered Edward Lee and Jack Ketchum, it's time to discover Ryan C. Thomas because this is a book you will want to read.

This is a writer worth the money. I bought this because of Cody Goodfellow's introduction. Thanks Cody!

I can't remember the last time I read a book cover to cover in one sitting before, especially starting at 9:00 at night, but this book had me drawn in from the start.
It starts of nice enough, lulling you into a false sense of security by dealing with the sort of thing that we can all relate to: going back home after a long absence and catching up with an old friend.

Then, with one simple line describing the sound of someone screaming in the woods, the glass shatters and you're sucked through the rest of the book at a mind numbing pace.

This book was very well written, very disturbing, and if you think you've got the stomach for it, I can't recommend it enough.

I was so impressed with this book I had to write a review to recommend this to everyone who enjoys a GOOD hardcore horror novel. There are no unnecessary and boring chapters, no repetitive point-making, little (if any) plot holes or unanswered questions, and the editing is thoroughly well done.

'The Summer I Died' is NOT your standard psycho torturing captives story with a weak plot and lots of gore thrown in to shock readers. It is an extremely well written, unpretentious, vividly detailed and compelling page-turner. Though it is a violently unnerving story, it grabs hold of you from the prologue and doesn't relent even after the final page. You aren't just reading, you are experiencing as the story unfolds.

The character development could not have been better. They are well rounded and have palpable personality without requiring chapters of background, while the progression of emotions and reactions to their circumstance is thought-out and believable. You feel as if you might personally know Roger and Tooth, and go through the same emotional roller coaster as they do, from beginning to end.

I would highly recommend this book to any fans of John Skipp, Jack Ketchum, Bryan Smith, Richard Laymon, Edward Lee, and J.F. Gonzalez. Ryan C. Thomas may not have as many novels, but he is definitely up to their caliber.

I read violent books(Richard Laymon,Jack Ketchum,& Brian Smith are my some of my favs). So Im no stranger to gore and blood. This book is probably THE most violent book I have ever read. But it is also one of the best books I have read in such a long time. I havent cared for the characters of a book, like I did here, in such a long time. At times my heart was beating because I was so nervous, other times I was almost moved to tears becuase you actually felt like you were chained in that basement with them. I was rooting for Roger and Tooth to make it through the unglodly tortures that they endured the whole time. Skinny Man is one really evil dude.

I would watch out for other Ryan C. Thomas novels in the future because he has a knack for fantastic story telling. I really would like to see this book get picked up by a major publisher because this book needs to be recognized for what it is, brilliant!

but I could'nt stop! This is the most horrifying, sickening book I have ever read (and I love Laymon) yet it is also one of the hardest to put down! I read mostly in one sitting and called my reading buddy right after to warn her about what I was going to pass on to her next!
This is a visceral, pull no punches, why I am reading this and worse yet, why can't I stop horror story! It left me reeling, feeling a little sick, used up and spit out and I highly recommend it!
Happy Reading!