Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breaks the mold of traditional supernatural thrillers, May 7, 2008
"Bad Paths" starts slowly and innocently drawing you in until you are hooked. Greg Dameron returns to his hometown for his estranged mother's funereal only to discover his family is involved in many shocking and horrifying traditions. Struggling to break free from his shameful legacy, Dameron finds that good can come from what seemingly is all evil. With descriptive detail and well-placed revelations, Justin Behrens has written an entertaining novel that breaks the mold of the traditional supernatural thriller and reads like the writing of a veteran novelist.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sometimes, you have to go home again, July 16, 2008
The horror genre is always in need of fresh new blood, and Justin Behrens seems to fit the bill quite nicely. At first glance, I thought Bad Paths, Behrens' debut novel, would be a good but somewhat derivative read, but I was wrong on that last point, as there's an unquantifiable freshness about the story as it unfolds. There's no ultimate battle of good vs. evil here, which isn't to say there's not plenty of action in the end, and the main character's family's legacy is not just another case of pure evil or Faustian bargains for power. In the end, Bad Paths is the story of a young man coming to terms with a special gift and a family history he had never known. Perhaps best of all, the whole story doesn't even revolve around the main character so much as it does a remarkable canine, and I love that about this novel.
In life, Greg Dameron's mother sheltered her son from his own family, leading a nomadic life that led anywhere but home in Iowa. Perhaps inevitably, his mother's reticence to talk about her past and her oftentimes odd, overprotective behavior created a distance between mother and son that could not be bridged before her death. Ironically enough, that death leads Greg back to the very place she isolated him from in life. He's in for quite an awakening in terms of his family history, as it doesn't take long for him to discover that the Dameron name is both feared and revered in this small town - or that his mother wasn't the only strange member of the family. His Aunt Claire is as nice as can be when he first arrives, but her oddities begin to surface once he gets settled in. His Uncle Ron seems like a harmless old drunk - until Ron takes it upon himself to warn Greg of the danger coming his way if he doesn't leave town within a couple of days. He says there are mysterious, frightening creatures lurking in the surrounding woods, but his attempt to capture security camera footage of one of them fails to move Greg, who does predictably acquiesce to his aunt's plea to stick around a few extra days. The best character by far in the novel is Spooky, a huge mastiff dog who enjoys watching The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock on TV, has quite a knack for getting into locked rooms (especially Greg's), and seems more human than canine sometimes. Greg is noticeably wary of the huge family pet initially, but Spooky becomes his greatest protector as he pushes forward to discover the truth about his highly dysfunctional family.
The novel can be jarring at times, as Aunt Claire has a few tricks up her sleeve and sometimes does the most shocking things right out of the blue. Two scenes stand out in particular, but I won't describe them here - I daresay the future reader will recognize them rather easily. I know some reviewers have mentioned the story's level of violence and gore, but I actually met with less than I expected of both - I certainly wouldn't consider it excessive. As for the ending, I must admit that I found it somewhat anti-climactic, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It does wrap up the story quite well and avoids taking the easy way out. Had Behrens grafted a thoroughly clichéd and predictable ending on to the novel, it would have nullified much of the satisfaction the reader derives from everything that precedes it. Perhaps the best thing about Bad Paths, though, is the evidence it provides for bigger and better things to come from this young author. Justin Behrens is a name that bears watching.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bad Paths, May 3, 2008
Greg Dameron was raised by a single mother. He never knew his father. In fact, he never knew any family apart from his mother. She was very adamant that the two of them were the only family they had, or needed.
Years later, after the death of his mother, Greg begins to learn the truth about his extended family. In the small town of Lost Haven, the name of Dameron means power and money. The Damerons are treated like royalty. They own nearly everything in the area.
But behind this power is a secret. A family secret. Maybe Greg's mother had a very good reason for staying well away from these people.
Bad Paths is an entertaining read. I like the premise. It is one of those stories that you start out only going to read a chapter, then you find that you've read 100 pages, so you continue because you want to know what's going to happen.
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