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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent story, but with some shortcomings, May 18, 2005
Golden has taken an old tradition - the haunting of a man by a ghost - and given it a bit of a spin in his latest oferring. Michael Dansky seems to have a close-to-perfect life - great job, good friends, a beautiful and intelligent wife. However, it all falls apart once he becomes haunted, and it's up to him to put things back together. What made this stand out a little is that Michael's haunting also endangers his wife, upping the ante for him to correct things. The story is hurt by a couple of problems. First, the characters of Michael and Jillian seem a little too perfect. He smiles whenever he looks at her, they apparently never have arguments, their sex life is perfect, their friends and coworkers all love and admire them - maybe these couples really exist, but they don't make for sympathetic characters. Secondly, there is a great deal of action in the novel, often at the expense of character development or the use of Golden's writing skills. It's like the author was told to package everything under a certain number of pages, and the writing suffers. Golden has written a lot of teen novels, and this often feels like one. The story and plotting are excellent, but there's little use of literary devices or sections that depend more on literary skill than on action taking place. It's still a good book, but not on the level of his previous effort (The Boys are Back in Town). A fast read, but don't go into it with high expectations.
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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Unique, but not without deficiencies, June 8, 2005
When Jillian and Michael Dansky head home from a Halloween masquerade party, there lives are forever changed. While Jillian is passed out in the back seat in a drunken haze, Michael nearly runs his vehicle into a little girl named Scooter. In attempt to aid the little girl and get her to "where she belongs," he drives her up a hill to a run-down house and drops her off. She beckons him to find her, and he promises that he will. However, upon entering the creepy manse, Michael discovers that his promise might not be quite that simple to keep. After returning home, Michael finds himself haunted by not only Scooter, but several wraith-like cloaked women. When these women, these "husks" of women, alter Jillian in a malignant manner, Michael knows he must find a way to follow through with his promise. His love for Jillian will lead him down a path of supernatural discovery while tediously testing his tenacity. Though I tend to love twisted supernatural tales that approach from angles that haven't been accessed before, Wildwood Road just didn't quite tickle my fancy. Much of the first hundred pages seemed to drag on rather slowly. Furthermore, when the pace finally did seem to quicken, several interludes that served little more purpose than shallow character development chopped up the flow of the plot. In addition, the characters came across as rather naïve in their actions, making it difficult to relate to them. They were far too unrealistic in many respects. By the end of the novel, the climax had passed over much too quickly and several questions still remained unanswered. I love Golden's prose. He knows how to masterfully create vivid imagery that is at once beautiful and haunting, while he weaves together a supernatural "ghost" tale with an intricate love story. However, many things detracted from the intelligent writing and the original plot. Wildwood Road is worth a read if you're looking for something new and unique in this particular genre, but it doesn't really stand out as one of the better books on the shelves.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a pleasant surprise!, May 4, 2005
Saw this in a bin of new books at the library and decided to try it. I understand Golden has written several novels of horror and also some for young adults. I was skeptical and had to be sold but it was worth it. I thought at first this was a simple ghost story but it was deeper than that. Michael and Jillian are a happy couple at a Halloween masquerade ball. On the way home occur events which will transform their lives. This is not the usual 'evil' but instead a more insidious horror, where the real terror springs from the cabal of ancient women who must feed on the innocence of the young, sucking it out of the living and leaving them horrible, vicious, psychopaths, devoid of all happiness and joy. Golden excells at his descriptions of the young couple, alternating stories from the present with those from their past - how they met, first date, fall in love, become engaged and get married. These really focus on their undying love and are very believable and beautifully drawn. When events conspire to destroy them, it is all the more sad and touching, as you want to help them get back what they have lost and escape the horror that has them captive. Each person's actions is appropriate. Each is extremely well-drawn. I cared about them both. Their world is normal and average until that terrible night. Golden creates a haunting atmosphere. The climax is fast-paced and gripping. He captures the awful sadness of the supernatural in a way few authors have managed. (Koontz' creature in 'Wathcers' comes to mind) An intelligent, compelling story in the classic horror tradition (emotional vampires, if you will). I truly enjoyed this and look forward to reading more by Golden. Outstanding read!
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