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zanalex's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
mbpartlow's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the way this book provided a definition of "gothic horror" early on, in a classroom setting, then proceeded to become one. I really liked it. Just twisty enough. Very satisfying ending for me, but I'm aware others might not feel the same way.
Gets into some twisty thoughts about the origin of a particular haunted house.
Will read more by this author. Loved the four fictional authors he brought together to explore the haunted house. I will not claim that the disposition of every single character was satisfying, but the ending was.
Gets into some twisty thoughts about the origin of a particular haunted house.
Will read more by this author. Loved the four fictional authors he brought together to explore the haunted house. I will not claim that the disposition of every single character was satisfying, but the ending was.
pilot_wave's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.5
jessreadseverything's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The pacing of this book was very slow. For much of the book I felt like I was reading just to read and never really felt invested in the story. There were moments where I thought “okay, it’s going to start getting creepy”, but it never really came. I also found a couple spelling/grammar errors and it really distracted from the book.
The horror was more about the brash characters and moments of gore, which isn’t my preference in horror. If that is your type of horror then this might be for you.
The horror was more about the brash characters and moments of gore, which isn’t my preference in horror. If that is your type of horror then this might be for you.
riderred97's review
4.0
I suppose I need to start being a bit pickier but I really enjoyed it! Thoroughly enjoying a book is good enough for five stars, right??
Edit: I felt like I needed to adjust this after thinking about it more. I enjoyed it but the author inserted some very misogynistic descriptions of women into his writing. The story also begins to drag in the last 1/3. I think there’s a good book in there because I overall enjoyed it, but it’s hard to give it a great rating in it’s published state. 3.5/5
Edit: I felt like I needed to adjust this after thinking about it more. I enjoyed it but the author inserted some very misogynistic descriptions of women into his writing. The story also begins to drag in the last 1/3. I think there’s a good book in there because I overall enjoyed it, but it’s hard to give it a great rating in it’s published state. 3.5/5
kmparsons's review against another edition
3.0
It was interesting to read this book, as I attended the University of Kansas, so the locations were very familiar. Aspects of this book gave me chills, and it was very well written. The characters were full and fleshed out and I cared about what happened to them. The story felt somewhat incomplete and the ending was far too rushed. I would recommend this novel to horror lovers, though.
goodnewsblues's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
Packs a hefty punch and brutally violent, Kill Creek delivers a well worn haunted house story with fresh, thought-provoking elements regarding the power of storytelling and authorship. Even though its originality fizzles out towards the final act, overall it's still an extremely solid piece of paranormal literature.
Story about writers always holds a strong fascination for me, and Kill Creek goes for broke by having four authors in its cast. With each author representing a different style of horror expression (from psychological to torture porn), the book also becomes a fascinating commentary of the genre it belongs to—the amount of committed research is clearly evident, and the meta approach immediately elevates this book above most horror outputs (*cough*[b:The Carrow Haunt|39666962|The Carrow Haunt|Darcy Coates|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522200331l/39666962._SY75_.jpg|61246538]*cough*) that are simply playing within convention.
A minor gripe: Scott Thomas has a very detail-oriented writing style, that is extremely effective at setting up scene, tension, and gore (oh, they are gruesome), but there are also moments where it feels overwrought, when I would prefer the narrative to pick up rather than lingering on the specific.
**Spoiler ahead**
One of most fascinating aspect of Kill Creek is the origin of its malevolence. Scott Thomas anchors his story on the idea of collective power, referencing historical mass hysteria (such as the dancing plague of 1518), where rumor and fear on a societal scale 'wishes' the imaginary into existence. It is such a refreshing reversal of expectation, where word of mouth actually manifests the haunting into an otherwise ordinary physical space. Which is a slight shame the finale of Kill Creek still retreats back to classic ghost/humanoid evil spirits and possession, rather than something more provocative, relating back to its thematic core about writers, and their ability to conjure stories.
Packs a hefty punch and brutally violent, Kill Creek delivers a well worn haunted house story with fresh, thought-provoking elements regarding the power of storytelling and authorship. Even though its originality fizzles out towards the final act, overall it's still an extremely solid piece of paranormal literature.
Story about writers always holds a strong fascination for me, and Kill Creek goes for broke by having four authors in its cast. With each author representing a different style of horror expression (from psychological to torture porn), the book also becomes a fascinating commentary of the genre it belongs to—the amount of committed research is clearly evident, and the meta approach immediately elevates this book above most horror outputs (*cough*[b:The Carrow Haunt|39666962|The Carrow Haunt|Darcy Coates|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522200331l/39666962._SY75_.jpg|61246538]*cough*) that are simply playing within convention.
A minor gripe: Scott Thomas has a very detail-oriented writing style, that is extremely effective at setting up scene, tension, and gore (oh, they are gruesome), but there are also moments where it feels overwrought, when I would prefer the narrative to pick up rather than lingering on the specific.
**Spoiler ahead**
One of most fascinating aspect of Kill Creek is the origin of its malevolence. Scott Thomas anchors his story on the idea of collective power, referencing historical mass hysteria (such as the dancing plague of 1518), where rumor and fear on a societal scale 'wishes' the imaginary into existence. It is such a refreshing reversal of expectation, where word of mouth actually manifests the haunting into an otherwise ordinary physical space. Which is a slight shame the finale of Kill Creek still retreats back to classic ghost/humanoid evil spirits and possession, rather than something more provocative, relating back to its thematic core about writers, and their ability to conjure stories.