Wither [Mass Market Paperback]

J G Passarella (Author), Joseph Gangemi (Author), John Passarella (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2000

Windale is a proud old town that embraces its colonial heritage, including the legend of a dark witches' coven dating back 300 years. No one in Windale actually believes in witches, but three people are experiencing vivid nightmares.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"The woods watched. The trees held their breath, as if afraid to startle away the timid visitor to this secret place. But Abby felt no impulse to flee this quiet place. Just the opposite, in fact. She'd found a new secret place of her own." With the horrors hidden in Abby's secret place, Wither offers a promising debut horror novel from screenwriter J.G. Passarella.

Wendy Ward, student at Windale, Massachusett's Danfield College, is smitten with all things New Age and magical. When not at home (her dad is the president of the college, so it is a nice home) she whiles away her days in the Crystal Path, a shop full of tarot decks, books on witchcraft, and assorted herbs. Her life seems typical for an offbeat, careworn coed. But as readers learn from the other two primary characters of the novel, something evil is awakening in Windale. First, 8-year-old Abby MacNeil has some terrifyingly vivid dreams that lead her to discover the gravestones of legendary 17th-century witches. Then, Professor Karen Glazer, an unwed expectant mother, begins to see visions of goblins attacking her unborn child. As the novel unfolds, it becomes clear that Wendy's apparently harmless rituals have tapped into--and unleashed--the aged forces of evil that had been buried in colonial America. --Patrick O'Kelley --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Sabrina the Teenage Witch goes to college in this atmospheric, generally suspenseful horror story. Wendy Ward is a white magic practitioner who dresses in shades of black, and an unconventional freshman at exclusive Danfield College in Massachusetts, where her father is president. Windale, the town where Danfield is located, has been promoting its past persecution of witches as a tourist draw, hoping to cash in on the popularity of nearby Salem. On the eve of the King Frost Halloween Parade, Wendy performs an empowering ritual that goes awry, unleashing dark forces hundreds of years old. Three murderous Macbethian witches, led by the semi-immortal Elizabeth Wither, begin to haunt Wendy's dreams, as well as those of a pregnant English professor and an eight-year-old girl. As it becomes apparent that there is a curse on Windale, Wendy desperately attempts to reverse what she's started and finds herself drawn ineluctably toward the evil she's trying to control. While the authentic arcana of witchcraft provides background, the plot is derivative, with hints of Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist. Yet the college setting adds an interesting dimension, and the characters are nicely delineated. Although this unusual mix of horror story, thriller and college romance is likely to draw protests from serious followers of ancient wicca rites, readers who savor supernatural menace will enjoy its edge. (Feb.) FYI: J.G. Passarella is the pseudonym for two Hollywood writers.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 438 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671024817
• ISBN-13: 978-0671024819
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,359,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!, May 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Wither (Hardcover)

Windale, Massachusetts has a heritage of witches. Three evil women were accused of witch craft and hanged over three hundred years ago. However, Wither, Rebecca, and Sarah did not die. Now, they are little more than monsters with a caretaker who is more of a slave to them. He must feed them and then dispose of the remains. It used to be cattle. Now they mainly feed off the college students who dwell in town.

THIS Halloween, the three witches plan to drain the life force of three women, so they may "live" again. Wendy is a college student who dabbles in white magic. Karen is a single, pregnant professor. Abby is an eight year old who stumbles across the graves of the three witches. The circle is cast. The battle begins.

***In a word, "WOW!" I wish I could make all horror fans go purchase this one! It's hard to believe this is J.G. Passarella's first novel. From page one chills went down my spine. I never put the book down. A definate "Keeper" to be read many times in the future. It is a dark, irresistible, and demonic story to keep you up at night!***

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent 1st Novel, December 12, 1999

By 

Anon - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wither (Hardcover)

I throughly enjoyed this book. The story line has strong elements of the supernatural, and presents my favorite horror archetype: the witch. The portrayal of the witch is very original from all other books I've read on the topic. This book employs a small town atmosphere that creeping horror has always thrived on, and it is written with the efficiency of a film (which is no suprise when you consider that the two authors who make up "J.G. Passarella" are screenwriters.) This is one of the finest debut novels of the year, and one of the finest I've read in general (a tittle it shares with Karen Hall's "Dark Debts.")

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frightening! Completely captivating!, July 25, 2000

By 

Mary Chrapliwy (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wither (Mass Market Paperback)

This not normally the type of book I would read, but I borrowed this book from the library and read it in two days! The first day I went to bed with the book and was so captivated that I was shocked when I looked at the clock and saw 3:00 AM! I was halfway through the book and finished it the next day. HOWEVER, I didn't sleep well since the story was so haunting and utterly terrifying!

Mr. Passarella portrays in this book a charming college town on the brink of terror beyond imaging. The town has a centuries old history of three witches condemned to die in the only witch trial the town. Unlike many innocent women convicted of being witches during their time, these were not innocent women, they were evil to the core -- the worst of all three was one called "Wither". The three witches come back to terrorize the small town in the 20th century and steel the lives of three innocent people -- a college professor, a young college student, and an 8 year old girl. To tell much more of the story would ruin the mystery that unravels in it the book.

The characters are well developed, particularly the character of Wendy a girl who dabbles in white magic and believes she has brought the terror to her sleepy town accidently and also believes that she must find away to banish it on her own.

Read it, but make sure you leave a light on because you won't sleep well when you do!