No one knew where she had come from. She was just a scrap
of a girl clinging to a black cat with eerie yellow eyes. A lost child
or an orphan, maybe. It was a miracle she had survived on Eden Mountain
at all.
Suddenly strange things started to happen in placid Ruger County. Bizarre killings that the police couldn't solve. Horrifying accidents that the people couldn't comprehend. An insatiable beast was stalking their lovers' lanes, their swimming holes, and their children. No one noticed how healthy the little girl's pale cheeks turned pink with health. How her frail body filled out with sleek, lithe muscles and feline grace. And no one noticed that at night her innocent blue eyes turned an eerie, evil yellow... |
This B-style horror novel, which spawned a sequel I own and plan to read soon, was read years ago when I was a teen. Having forgotten the plot completely but recognizing the cover instantly when passing it by in a used bookstore, I'm sad to say it hasn't aged well. The plot is a cheesy dish, serving up atrocious dialogue at times, too many characters to keep track of, bizarre government goals against the Russians, and of course a strange war with Satan.
The
back cover blurb doesn't do the plot justice, as they make the girl
almost sound like a vampire staying around the towns residents. Instead
her and her cat half, Pet, stay hidden once awakened, not just walking
around confusing the common townsfolk. The opening of the story is
especially bad, focusing on a silly sounding ritual that doesn't add up
and seems to be aimed more toward shock effect.
Character
wise, Dan as a main man was actually anjoyable, even if when he spoke
to his son it became even cornier. I'm not sure why the dialogue I.Q.
level dropped at least 10 points during these discussions, but no
matter. His straight arrow conviction was almost cardboardish, but it
was still a fun accompaniment to a B-story scenario. The villains were
hokey and a bit over the top, but also creepy in a way. Gore is not
served lightly, with plenty of violence and killing scenes. I wouldn't
say anything happened that was too disturbing for the seasoned horror
buff, but the book wouldn't please the light of heart.
Pace
wise, it's swift, although because of the hustle and bustle in so many
directions I sometimes have the urge to skim through several scenes.
It's not a book that bores you, yet it doesn't compliment your mind in
any way, demanding to be read. Johnstone writes in a talented manner,
using mainly short and swift sentences. Some of his phrasing is
adequately beautiful, meriting a pause and re-read of the line, while
other times it seems forced and out of place. This slight inconsistency
wasn't enough to bring the rating down or interrupt the flow, but with
all the faults above it's not a book I would highly recommend. It did
end with a dramatic bang that did justice to the story, even if the
middle could have been tightened to deliver a better product. Still, if
you're in the mood for campy fiction without a serious bite, this is the
way to go.
