15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Justice is served ... in the form of a tossed salad, unlike any VEGETATION you've ever eaten before! Ooooooooh ... creepy!, December 31, 2007
This review is from: Vegetation (Paperback)
I hate to say, I TOLD YOU SO, but Mark LaFlamme belongs right up there with the masters of horror: KING, KOONTZ, SAUL, JACKSON, and all the rest! I said that after reading his first novel, THE PINK ROOM, and I stand by those words.
The opening paragraph of his third novel pulled me in as easily as a fisherman hooking a batch of seaweed! Does this grab you in the same way?:
<< The ivy came for him first. A common ivy that hung over its pot like the hair of a mythical beast. A tendril dropped onto the back of his satin robe, snaked up over his shoulders, and coiled around his ear. >>
Ooooooooh ... creepy! If that isn't great horror writing, I challenge you to show me better.
VEGETATION is a story of revenge, a psychological fantasy horror as much as a character study of an arrogant, pompous, self-centered man, Bertram Luce. Luce has antagonized the entire plant kingdom by a heinous crime against an environmentalist who loved and nurtured plants.
And just how can plants get revenge on a human? What can they do to him? How many forms and varieties of vegetation does it take to get the best of him? In answering these questions, author LaFlamme captures the essence of each plant, taking his readers on the adventure of their lifetime.
VEGETATION is an unusual book because there is no protagonist, just an arrogant, unlikable antagonist who's getting his "just desserts," so to speak ... or should I say "just salad?" I suppose, technically, the plants themselves could be considered the "protagonists" of this book ... or even Gladys Fogerty, manager of a plant nursery, who's the first to notice trouble in her plant kingdom.
It's obvious that LaFlamme did extensive research when writing this novel. Not only did I enjoy a nail-biter of a story that kept me turning pages till dawn, but I also learned more than I ever wanted to know about flora; it's amazing how many products use plants in their production.
Kudos to Mark LaFlamme for writing such a high-concept, unusual book and making it come alive in believable fashion. This would, indeed, make a fine horror feature film--but only the best animators would be able to create the devious vegetation that springs full-blown from this author's awesome imagination.
I loved his debut novel, THE PINK ROOM, but I do notice that his writing in VEGETATION has become a little more clear and crisp.
The only drawback for me is that I doubt if I'll be able to eat my "veggies" for a few days ... or weeks ... or months. I wonder if the author is having that same problem?
Reviewed by: Betty Dravis, 2007
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This one is a winner!, December 20, 2007
This review is from: Vegetation (Paperback)
I loved this book. In his first book, The Pink Room, LaFlamme proved he could give us a good scare. In Vegetation the scare is more of a creepy "what if" scenario but just as entertaining.It grabs you on the first page and keeps its vine-like hold on you to the end. Vegetation will appeal to many people--those who like a thriller read, those who love the world of plants and those with a strong sense of justice who like to see the bad guy get what's coming to him. I also thought LaFlamme's writing was even better this time out--crisper, tighter, and sharper. I really feel that Mark LaFlamme is a writer whose work we will all be reading a lot more of as time goes by. He gets the job done and entertains well. I've bought and read quite a few books this year--a couple of them by big name authors which disappointed badly but my money was well spent on Vegetation.
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