Isolation: A Novel (Faithwords) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this dark chiller, Thrasher (Sky Blue; The Promise Remains) demonstrates a considerable talent for the horror genre. Like Stephen King, Thrasher pits flawed but likable characters against evil forces that at first seem escapable but gradually take on a terrifying ubiquity. The Miller family has recently returned to suburban Chicago after a harrowing experience on the mission field. Hoping to get away from the busyness of suburban living, they travel to the mountains of North Carolina for an extended stay in an enormous, remote lodge where husband and father Jim plans to write a book while trying to reconnect with his family. When a snowstorm isolates them further and spiritual attacks make them feel they are losing their minds, both Jim and his wife, Stephanie, begin to wonder if God can rescue them and their two young children. Aside from sharing too many plot points with The Shining, this novel hits very few false notes and should appeal to fans of Christian fiction, the horror genre and all who enjoy well-crafted and suspenseful stories. (Sept.) ""
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved."

Review

"Thrasher just keeps getting better." (Publishers Weekly )

"Thrasher . . . demonstrates a considerable talent for the horror genre. Like Stephen King, Thrasher pits flawed but likable characters against evil forces that at first seem escapable but gradually take on a terrifying ubiquity." (Publishers Weekly )

"Not only will this book scare you (and I mean scare you), but it will also challenge your faith and remind you of the all encompassing power of the love of our Savior. [Travis] only gets better with each new offering and this latest tale might just be his best yet." (Jake Chism, TheChristianManifesto.com )

"How does Christian horror actually work? I'm not really sure, but fiction writer Travis Thrasher has successfully figured out the formula. He's combined Christian faith with a Stephen King-esque setting to explore what happens to your psyche when you are in the midst of a spiritual attack. The result is one of the most horrifying novels I've read in a long time." (Rachel Laudiero, OldMustyBooks.com )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords; First Edition edition (September 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446505544
• ISBN-13: 978-0446505543
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #280,415 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Story, June 24, 2009

By	Frank Redman "www.FictionAddict.com" (Texas) - See all my reviews

Most novels are written for the purpose of providing entertainment for the reader. That's fine, of course, we like to be entertained. We want to escape into the universe the author has created for us, to remove our cognitive self from its daily toil with life and allow our imagination to be immersed in the story. Some novels also contain solid themes or good morals, but the endgame is still about entertaining.

Every once in a while a novel comes along that has both a riveting story and also a powerful message to share. I am thankful to state ISOLATION is such a novel.

"A family on the edge... A house with too many secrets... A relentless killer..." The Miller family is taking time off after being missionaries to a small village in New Guinea. The village is struggling against an intense demonic presence and incidents that occurred before the Millers left are presented to us as the narrative unfolds.

The Millers move into an enormous, 40,000 square-foot lodge in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, a dream home provided for missionaries on furlough. Their excitement soon begins to ebb as baleful discoveries are made, and a foreboding, dark presence bears down on them.

The Millers are thrown into a warzone involving the mind and spirit. This spiritual warfare challenges the existence of the core of their faith as they struggle to deal with what is real, what is imagined, and what they should and shouldn't believe in. It is also a wonderful depiction of human nature, even missionaries struggle with faith.

I respect Thrasher for not attempting to answer our questions about faith. Faith by its very definition means to believe in something we cannot understand. Why isn't God listening to me? Why isn't He dealing in my time zone instead of some infinite, ethereal semblance of time? There are no sermons on the existence of God. Nor does Thrasher try to answer the age-old question of why God allows bad things to happen to good people.

The characters are well-developed and I quickly discovered I empathized with each one of them and their specific fears. I liked the way Thrasher bounced in and out of narration and character thought, at times even narrating in third person and interjecting a thought from the character's perspective in midsentence. The dialog was easy and flowed well. The creepy house is a character in itself, creating a perfect setting for the novel.

Elements of the story may seem familiar to readers of Stephen King's THE SHINING. Thrasher even jabs at the resemblance by referencing THE SHINING in the story. But ISOLATION is a much deeper and even more frightening story. If you've based your whole life on believing in God, then come face to face with demons whose powers claim victory on your lack of faith--that's scary.

The horror elements in the novel are not solely faith-based fears. There is murder, gore, evidence of ritualistic sacrifice and torture... None of which is excessive, but Thrasher does a commendable job of staying true to the horror genre. The demons are terrifying and the house is disturbing. But the story is good.

[Rating: 1-5 Stars]
Plot: 5
Character: 5
Dialog: 5
Setting: 5
Theme: 5

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking , September 14, 2008

By	Nora St Laurent "Finding Hope www.psalm516.bl... (Georgia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read in an interview with Travis Thrasher, that he likes to write stories that are all character-driven - he says "I like to write about main characters who are flawed. At the core, I want to write about real people who are searching, who are failing, and who are stuck in some drama which forces them to change." That is the main case here. The topic of this book is spiritual warfare - something that Frank Peretti first brought to our awareness in his books. Travis takes it up a few notches for sure; almost too graphic for my taste in some parts. I have a friend who was a missionary for many years, and when I visited her, she would tell me of the spiritual battles that were so visible in Africia and the other places she stayed. When there is a spiritual strong-hold by the enemy (in an area), very crazy things happen because the enemy has been given permission to operate there.

Travis did research for this book and says some things were so graphic that they didn't make it into the book (I can't imagine what parts those were, because the few things he put in his book were graphics-overload for me). Travis says that the scariest things weren't graphic, but just the fact of being alone - isolated. Just because you are a Christian doesn't mean that you will always feel HIS presence, or know why He does the things He does, or hear God or understand His plan. His ways are definitely not our ways. It's easy for those who are on the front lines in ministry, who have see the dark side, to feel isolated and all alone. These are the things they can't teach you in a book. Travis says that when you let your guard down and don't rely on God, you're prone to attack. Not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. The main character feels alone - isolated. He can't explain what he has gone through and if he shares what he feels, people might think he's crazy. The story is about the forces of good and evil in an all-out battle.

Oh, to have that child-like faith! The missionary's only son believes. He has faith even when his parents are weaving in their faith and are disillusioned.This book is not for the faint of heart. If this were made into a movie, I would be putting my hands over my eyes to block out the graphic parts. It has a powerful message, but I would have liked less blood (I'm sure the missionarys in real life would have too!). This book makes you aware that the devil is alive and well, but God is too. We can be overcomers, but it takes work - nothing is easy. Travis Thrasher's next book is Ghost.

Nora StLaurent
Book Club Servant Leader - ACFW Book Club Assistant
www.psalm516.blogspot.com

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced novel with a twisting, turning plot line, January 2, 2009

By	Cheryl Russell "Book reviewer, writer" (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Miller family's last experience on the mission field in Papua New Guinea was anything but rewarding. They left under dire circumstances, certain everything they'd worked for had crumbled. It has driven a wedge between Jim and his wife, Stephanie. Doubts about everything they've believed in, even God's very existence, are constant thoughts. But they're thoughts they keep to themselves, spouses isolated from each other.

They are getting ready to leave Wheaton, Illinois for a vacation in the North Carolina mountains. Jim hopes he can reconnect with his family. His wife, Stephanie, hopes the nightmares she's having will stop, her *visions* will cease, so she'll stop doubting her sanity. Both are hoping to reconnect with a God they are sure has abandoned them. A missionary couple isolated from God.

Nine year old Zachary, their son and oldest child, knows there is something wrong, but his parents refuse to discuss any problems. So when he goes exploring in the huge lodge and discovers secrets and has frightening experiences, he keeps that information to himself. A son isolated from his parents.

All of this isolation is a gateway for evil. Instead of a relaxing vacation, the getaway quickly turns nightmare and the Miller family finds there is no escape.


Travis Thrasher has written a fast-paced novel with a plot line that twists and turns like the North Carolina mountain road that leads to the lodge.