Brett Alexander Savory (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} jack_yoniga) wrote,@ 2008-01-04 11:00:00 |
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Killer review of IAD at HorrorWorld
IN AND DOWN by Brett Alexander Savory
Review by William A. Veselik
Author Brett Alexander Savory has characterized his first full-length novel, In and Down, as weird…and who am I to dispute the author’s own honest description of his work?
It is weird. But weird in a good way.
In and Down tells the tale of young Michael and Stephen, brothers who are searching for their mother, long absent from their lives. Michael and Stephen have a love-hate relationship with one another, typical enough for brothers, but theirs has an eerie, almost surreal, aspect that makes it unique in the annals of brotherhood. Add to the mix the emotionally-distant and neglectful father who is raising the boys, and you have a strong impetus for Michael and Stephen to begin seeking the maternal presence that has made them both somewhat sociopathic. The discovery of a cryptic letter written by their mother leads Michael into the world of the Freekshow, a dream-world carnival where he discovers the dark and disturbing underbelly of his fixation with finding his lost mother.
In and Down is not your typical horror novel, though. If you pick up the book expecting blood and gore, you’ll be sadly disappointed, but if you enjoy reading about how humans themselves can become the monsters in our—and their own—lives, you’ll find the book very satisfying. Savory possesses the ability to describe the indescribably surreal world of dreams (if dreams they truly are) in such a way that the reader can easily form a mental picture of a child’s nightmare world. Told in present tense, the novel is well-paced even though it is by no means a roller-coaster ride of action.
There are surprises along the way, with carefully placed clues woven into the story and the subtext of the novel. I found these devices forcing me to constantly second-guess myself about the true nature of the tale and its characters. I was usually wrong, by the way. The end, while tragically poignant, was equally satisfying.
In and Down is a thinking man’s horror novel and while the horror genre tends to have fewer female readers than male, I believe it will prove itself a thinking woman’s horror novel, as well. Author Savory doesn’t beat you over the head with his writing style or his gift of expression. He lets you embrace his tale willingly, expanding its scope as the reach of your arms increases.
Weird or not, In and Down is one of those horror novels that truly belongs in the literature section of your local bookstore.
Source: HorrorWorld
IN AND DOWN by Brett Alexander Savory
Review by William A. Veselik
Author Brett Alexander Savory has characterized his first full-length novel, In and Down, as weird…and who am I to dispute the author’s own honest description of his work?
It is weird. But weird in a good way.
In and Down tells the tale of young Michael and Stephen, brothers who are searching for their mother, long absent from their lives. Michael and Stephen have a love-hate relationship with one another, typical enough for brothers, but theirs has an eerie, almost surreal, aspect that makes it unique in the annals of brotherhood. Add to the mix the emotionally-distant and neglectful father who is raising the boys, and you have a strong impetus for Michael and Stephen to begin seeking the maternal presence that has made them both somewhat sociopathic. The discovery of a cryptic letter written by their mother leads Michael into the world of the Freekshow, a dream-world carnival where he discovers the dark and disturbing underbelly of his fixation with finding his lost mother.
In and Down is not your typical horror novel, though. If you pick up the book expecting blood and gore, you’ll be sadly disappointed, but if you enjoy reading about how humans themselves can become the monsters in our—and their own—lives, you’ll find the book very satisfying. Savory possesses the ability to describe the indescribably surreal world of dreams (if dreams they truly are) in such a way that the reader can easily form a mental picture of a child’s nightmare world. Told in present tense, the novel is well-paced even though it is by no means a roller-coaster ride of action.
There are surprises along the way, with carefully placed clues woven into the story and the subtext of the novel. I found these devices forcing me to constantly second-guess myself about the true nature of the tale and its characters. I was usually wrong, by the way. The end, while tragically poignant, was equally satisfying.
In and Down is a thinking man’s horror novel and while the horror genre tends to have fewer female readers than male, I believe it will prove itself a thinking woman’s horror novel, as well. Author Savory doesn’t beat you over the head with his writing style or his gift of expression. He lets you embrace his tale willingly, expanding its scope as the reach of your arms increases.
Weird or not, In and Down is one of those horror novels that truly belongs in the literature section of your local bookstore.
Source: HorrorWorld
