Customer Reviews

Vicious

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Strengths:

This was an awesome story.

The writing was concise with no wasted words. Every paragraph contributed to the plot.

The character were well drawn with plenty of depth to make you care about them. Unlike a lot of horror novels, the characters, both innocent and evil, behaved in an intelligent manner.

It was so completely realistic!

Weaknesses:

Only one: The ending was a little weak.

I would have liked more explanation for the 'bad guy' and the dogs. The book never really tells "Why".

Will appeal to:

All Horror genre fans. People who like a fast-paced, can't put it down book.

I looked this book up after reading a recommendation on one of the Kindle discussion boards. Not being familiar with the author, I decided to give it a try and I'm glad I did. I read this in one evening, finding it difficult to stop for the night. As a mystery/thriller fan, rather than horror, I was reticient to download this book but the reviews and price encouraged me to give it a chance. Now I'm a new fan, looking forward to reading my next Brandon Massey book! If you enjoy a fast pace, gripping fear and surprises you'll appreciate this book.

I recently started reading Brandon Massey's novels, With In The Shadows, The other Brother, Dark Corner, and Don't Ever Tell, i haven't read Thunderland yet or his new book Cornered. But i was doing some surfing through Amazon and came acrros Vicious. it was published in 2006 but i didn't see it anywhere on the book shelves, maybe it was a discontinued book. Then i found out it was published through Massey's own published company. The book is excellent and different. A thrill ride for sure. I got this used book it was in good condition , it was autographed too for who ever bought this book the first time.

I like Vicious, but I didn't love it. For a horror book, it spends the majority of its time dealing with the relationship between Kym and her sister (and her sister's boyfriend). Not exactly what I was expecting, but it was written so well that I couldn't help but enjoy it.

The character of the cowboy was interesting and well developed, a great foil to the main characters. As another reviewer posted, it would have been nice to better understand what the deal was with the dogs, but overall it was an entertaining read that I went through in a day. For the price, you can't really go wrong.

Brandon Massey is at it again in his book VICIOUS, weaving a tale of suspense and horror that will keep you guessing. The novel begins with two sisters, Kym and Ashley, and Ashley's boyfriend taking off for a road trip to return Ashley to school in California. Along the way, Kym begins to have dreams of a man and a wild pack of dogs that accompany him. Confused by her dreams and hoping they are just her imagination in overdrive she pushes those thoughts aside and tries to enjoy the trip. However, her suspicions are soon awakened again when a man in a black truck begins to follow them, showing up at every spot they stop along the way. And if the dreams and suspicious follower are not enough, Kym also has to deal with the drama from her younger sister. Still, when danger strikes, the sisters ban together in hopes that both will make it out alive. By the end of the novel both Kym and Ashley will learn that things are not always what they seem and the only people they can really trust are each other.

Massey's writing style envelopes the reader and makes them feel like they are a part of the story. From the first page, VICIOUS grabbed my attention and kept me wanting more. There were twist and turns I did not see coming which made the novel even more enjoyable. Mixed throughout the novel Massey also includes sections which give background into the dreams Kym has, as well as who the mystery follower is. Each of these chapters help bring the book alive and keep the reader asking questions. Also, each character in the novel is well developed and each individual's story adds depth to the novel. Overall, VICIOUS is a great book filled with the right mix of suspense and horror that will make you wonder just what or who is out to get the characters. And just when it seems like you have the book figured out Massey throws in another twist.

Reviewed by Criss Coles
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I was a little disappointed with the latest from Brandon Massey, but even with a few errors and problems I stilled enjoyed the book. The story was interesting and even though a few of the storylines were a little soapish I thought he tied everything together pretty well at the end. I'm not going to provide a summary since so many others have done so, but I will break down the best and worst parts of the book.

I loved:
The characters were really wonderful and I could understand Kym's frustration with her sister. I was sad when a major character dies and I was curious to understand more of the mysterious stranger Lance. I felt like Lance's descent into madness was wonderfully played and I wish we could get a prequel that reveals more of his life and struggles with "hell."

As a horror fan, I'm always happy when a new twist or angle is used on an old story. Of course, this is about werewolves, but I loved how Massey develop an interesting theory of the wolves origin. By the end of the book I particularly became even more fascinated with their existence.

I hated:

Sometimes the writing could be to simplistic. For example, Kym's mother was described in the beginning of the book and then midway through we learned her mother became "crazy." Massey's writing isn't sophisticated enough to really convey the character's emotions so the scene and anxiety that the character feels comes across as flat. The attraction between two main characters also didn't seem very logical, it felt like he added it solely for the drama.

Besides my problem with the writing, I finished the book in two days and couldn't put it down. It was a light quick read and I can't wait to see what he will come out with next.

Like a car wreck I couldn't tear my eyes away from this book. The very first page starts off with a woman being hunted by a monster and his pack of dogs. I was hooked right there. Kym and Ashley are driving to California over a four day trip. Soon Kym will start having vivid nightmares about a man and a pack of dogs. Through a strange cowboy who keeps showing up at every stop on their trip and the suspense just keeps building. The pages fly by in this book and then the ending comes. This is why I'm giving this book four stars instead of five. It felt like it raced to the end, had me on the edge of my seat and then went flat. Yes the bad guy dies, (spoilers here) but when the dogs heal Kym and then she controls them, I was not expecting this and wasn't impressed with it either. It felt like the ending was rushed for a deadline.

Overall this was a very good book, but I'd not read it a second time due to the ending.

The beginning was interesting and fast paced. Even tho I found the characters annoying, I especially wanted Ashley to die at some point, the book moved along well... at least for a while. The ending was a huge let down and I'm at a bit of a loss as to what the whole point was. Why Kym? Who was talking to Daniel? Too many things that never got answered that really needed one.

I was excited to read this book; it started out really fast and exciting, but lost speed in the middle and veered into the riculous. The end was flat and dissapointing, so I would not recommend this book as a good read to anyone that I know.

Read this book for my book group. I began having problems with the story at the prologue and it went downhill from there. The characters were annoying and the story just grated on my nerves. The ending was a letdown and pointless. Nothing was really fleshed out. What was he Purpose? All members of the book club concurred. This may be why this book can hardly be found anywhere. We have ejoyed this author in the past, but this was horrendous. I'm embarassed for him.