Horror Books

My son received this from his preschool teachers on the last day of school. It was an instant hit and favorite bed time story.

The layout of the book has text on one side of the page and illustration on the other. The book starts with "Here is the hand that knocks on the door" and shows a monster's green hand. Page 2 continues with "Here is the hand that knocks on the door, that startles the spider....", and shows a picture of a spider. Each new page builds on the previous sentence and adds on to the story. On and on we go through the house until the reader finds out who is at the door.

The text of the story is peppered with pictures replacing of some of the words (so where it says "here is the hand", the word 'hand' is replaced by the picture of the green monster's hand).

What I've found when reading this story to my 3 year old, is that having the pictures interwoven with the text is helping him to notice that there are words on the page instead of just focusing on the illustrations. Now I find him trying to follow along with the text as I read the words. I'm not a teacher, so I can't comment on whether this will help in teaching kids to read, but I think we've stumbled onto something here.

I would definitely recommend this story for preschool aged children.

Very cute book - along the lines of the story of the woman who ate all that stuff with out the death! - Perfect for younger children who are interested in books but don't quite read yet - they see the pictures and can tell you what is coming next! Great Halloween present instead of candy!

We just got this book and I've read it nearly a million times already to my 5-year-old. He loves the text and the pictures for each elevation in the story telling. Wonderful pictures that engage! Great ending, too.

I bought this book only because Halloween is coming and this is the first year my daughter is actually aware that it's coming. She turned two (2) years old in July. I bought the book about 2 weeks ago and she has already memorized the book and "reads" it to us every day (several times a day), page by page, verse by verse!!! She LOVES it. It's really fun to read.

i work in a preschool/day care center, and we use this book all the time. the children ask to hear it all year round they love it so much. if you get this book, i would recommend the cassette that goes with it. it makes the book twice as much fun!!!!1

Syntheses Between Resistance & Transformation:
Joseph Beuys' "I Like America & America Likes Me" & Harold Jaffe's "Jesus Coyote"




In I Like America & America Likes Me, one of Joseph Beuys' numerous performance pieces, or "Actions" as he preferred to called them, he lived & coexisted with a Coyote for three straight days in a room at the Rene Block Gallery in New York; garbed in his signature attire comprised of a felt hat, a fishing vest, a plain, long sleeved white shirt, & a pair of jeans, he focused his attention on the Coyote by literally setting his eyes on each & every movement it made during the entire three days --- movements which were either caused or manipulated by Beuys --- movements which were neither inherently nor even remotely natural from the Coyote's standpoint

When Beuys swathed his entire body in a large, oversized felt blanket, with nothing but his wooden cane protruding from a slit just large enough for his eyes to peer though, the Coyote, eagerly steadfast & resolute, pried the felt blanket from Beuys until the blanket was completely off; after a fresh, healthy stack of fifty Wall Street Journals was delivered to the space which Beuys & the Coyote shared & inhabited, the Coyote urinated on the stack --- & the subsequent stacks delivered on the second & third day

During the entire three days, the only times in which the Coyote was considerably "idle" were in those few moments where Beuys distanced himself from the Coyote, sat in one of the four corners of the room, & smoked his pipe

By the end of the "Action", Beuys was arguably convinced that his attempts to transform the Coyote were no match to the Coyote's resistance --- a resistance which, ironically, led to Beuys' transformation as an artist & a human being

In Jesus Coyote, one of Harold Jaffe's numerous " docufictions" --- a term the author uses in reference to his own unequaled brand of synthesized fiction/non fiction --- Jaffe deconstructs mainstream culture's depiction of Charles Manson & the Manson family's imprints on society; when Charles Manson & his cohorts' mass murders were first reported & documented by the LA Times, the subheadings beneath the headlines were, appropriately so, saturated with both hints & overtones of sheer brutality --- brutality which was either caused or exacerbated by the fundamental details of the murders--- but, more importantly, brutality which were neither inherently nor even remotely natural from the standpoint of the dominant media outlets who steadily milked & profited off the sensationalistic aspects of the murders --- while keeping the populace pent with fear, purged of concern for & consciousness of larger issues, such as the costly, unjust, long-winded war concurrently held in Vietnam

As Jesus Coyote transforms from a laterally upright novel of fragmented facts, artifacts, accounts, & evidence into an infallible instrument for nuanced, oblique, understated takes & commentaries on Charles Manson & the Manson family, readers are given various declarative interrogations of how "official" lies & "unofficial" facts were composed & decomposed intermittently

When victims speak for themselves & offer their own take of the murders, readers experience the LAPD's blunders, mismanagement, & obstructions; when Q & A forums were held as to why the LAPD did what they did with the evidence they were presented, readers are then able to confiscate various lines of reasoning as to why the media would relegate such evidence as leverage to further inflate & accentuate the scarlet letters stamped on the Manson family's collective chest

And when it is finally Charles Manson's turn to speak for himself & "defend" the parallels that the media has bound between him & the devil, in the midst of serving a lifelong sentence in Pelican State Prison, readers of Jesus Coyote can then understand as to why Manson's legacy is ultimately an objectified, dialectical breed of resistance --- a necessary mirror held against society's unawareness of its own hypocrisy, impractical righteousness, & delusional transformation

Given that much of what most of us know about Charlie Manson and his family comes from the "official", mainstream culture, Harold Jaffe's Jesus Coyote comes across as a breath of fresh air. More than that, it is a smartly crafted novel that gives voice and depth to the "players" of the Tate murders.

What is particularly smart about the work is the docufiction format in which it is written. Such a style is a characteristic of Jaffe's novels and Jesus Coyote makes great of this in a way that those on both sides of the knives not only get a say on the murders, but also the way in which the events and participants have been perceived and received in media and the main culture. In this way, the novel also serves in telling the tale of the implosion of 1960's counterculture, making for a book that is altogether crisp, haunting, enlightening and reflective.

A haunting and unforgettable collage of voices, Harold Jaffe's Jesus Coyote combines fiction and documentary in order to examine the complexities and continued relevance of the Manson "family" murders.

Harold Jaffe is one of the few writers I trust to never disappoint. Readers familiar with his numerous collections (namely his trademark DocuFictions) will be pleased to find all his dark-and-smart tricks in one book (my personal favorite is his question-and-answer un-situated dialogues) as well as a few fresh narrative swirls (telephone transcriptions, formal letters, and the like). And for those not accustomed to his work, you're in for a treat, the darkest of chocolates... and then after there's plenty more where that came from in 15 Serial Killers (recently translated in French!) and Sex For The Millennium.

The multiple voicings, the clean prose, the ongoing play of ambiguities and transparencies all add up to make Harold Jaffe's Jesus Coyote a very smooth book. We expect it to be disturbing of course. No surprise there. What catches us off-guard is how engaging it all is, how easily it goes down. I recently watched a Manson documentary, and was surprised at how trite and dull the behavior of Mansion and his women seems now, almost 40 years later. Jaffe has taken what at this point looks like played out subject matter and made it work as literature. No mean feat.

I loved the book i could not put it down, the charecters are so envolved and when you read it while you are a beach no matter how hot you are you will get a chill up your spine. i promise you will fall in love with the boys in the book i know i did i felf like you become friends with them and you will have a great ride when you read this book!!!!!!!!!***************

In the beginning I pretty much guessed who it was. The ending was sort of confusing. You really have to pay attention to the ending, or you'll get lost. I also felt, that the author stuck in some things, that have no explanations, just to throw you off. Things that didn't make sense. But all in all, I thought it was pretty good. I couldn't put it down.

The Lifeguard by Richie Tankersley Cusick is a great suspenseful thriller. This marvelous novel pulls you in like a fish on a hook.
Kelsey, a young 15-year-old girl, goes with her mother to Beverly Island to visit her mother's fiancée Eric. When they show up at the island, Eric immediately tells Kelsey and her Mom that his daughter, Beth, has been murdered. After Kelsey and her Mom settle in, Kelsey starts getting notes from Beth who is supposed to be dead. Soon, she always feels like someone is watching her. Then, someone starts to follow her but she can't quite guess whom. Does someone know that Beth is trying to communicate with Kelsey? Is Beth really dead? You'll just have to read this powerful must read book in order to find out.
The Lifeguard is an awesome book for 7th graders and up. This is a great fiction novel. So great, that I even finished it in 5 days. Richie Tankersley Cusick also wrote The Mall, and Teacher's Pet.

Richie Tankersley Cusick delivers another great thriller here with "The Lifeguard." The storyline revolves around a girl named Kelsey. Her and her mother go to Beverly Island to visit her new father-figure. When they arrive, they are bombarded with news of his daughter's disappearance. Things also take a turn for the worse when Kelsey discovers a note under her pillow, written by the missing girl! On top of all this, Kelsey finds out about the recent mysterious drownings on the island, and comes face to face with a creepy fisherman. All of this makes for a terrifying visit she'll never forget!

"The Lifeguard" was a good book. Not the very best I've read from Cusick, but close. Along with most thrillers, it gets you hooked immediately, and never lets go. I also took a liking to the ending. Not entirely surprising, but very dark and ominous. Also, it was a relatively long climax, unlike most stories, which was good. Overall, it is completely worth your time.

Also recommended:
a.) "Starstruck" by Richie Tankersley Cusick
b.) "April Fools" by Richie Tankersley Cusick
c.) "The Train" by Diane Hoh
d.) "The Invitation" by Diane Hoh
e.) "Slay Bells" by Jo Gibson
f.) "My Bloody Valentine" by Jo Gibson
g.) "Silent Witness" by Carol Ellis
h.) "Camp Fear" by Carol Ellis
i.) All R. L. Stine young-adult thrillers
j.) All books by Joan Lowery Nixon

Oh, I love this book. OK. Here's the summary.

***Kelsey and her mom went to stay at an island with Kelsey's mom's boyfriend. When they get there, Eric was Kelsey's mom' boyfriend, told them that his daughter Beth was missing. The police can't find any clue about the disappearing. But that's not all weird. There are more disappearing before Kelsey even arrived. Some girls were missing mostly from their dates. Kelsey met Justin and his brother Neale. Both are also Eric's son. Justin is so sweet and incredible nice to Kelsey from the start. He seem to like her a lot. But on the other hand, Neale is so strange and he's mean to her. He dislike her and wouldn't talk at all to her or even to welcome her staying on the island, unlike what Justin like. Then there's Skip, a very handsome guy that Kelsey had attracted on the first place. Donna, who's really nice to Kelsey and befriend with her.
Kelsey found a note from Beth saying the she was in trouble. Kelsey put the note away and when she get back to it, it was gone. Then strange thing happen to her.***

This book is so good. But at the ending is pretty sad. When the culprit was being revealed. But I really do recommend this book along with "The Drifter", another one of my favorite; "April's Fool", "Help Wanted", "Vampire", "Someone at the door" and "Silent stalker". Enjoy!!!

This is not your run of the mill sci-fi book. Nope, it's a real thriller, a real adventure, and a real likelihood that the plot in the book could actually happen. You'll look at cloning through diffeent eyes once you read this commanding story. I'd like to see the heroine, Gillian, in a sequel to this. Go for it!

This book freaked me out! WoW! If you want to know what the Elite of the world ae up to, read this book! The New World Order is all here in the form of government war through clones and high-technology. This author knows her science. I learned more about cloning here in a fun way than I did in school. This book blew me away. You've got to read it!

This book will make you think twice about cloning. I'm not much of a reader but when I started reading this story, I couldn't put the book down. Not only is it a good drama, a neat adventure, but it makes you re-examine your position on cloning, espeically in terms of how it can be used for evil purposes when combined with computerization.

This author's knowledge of science-especially genetics--biblical prophecy, detective activities, and politics makes for one wallop of a grand story. I was caught up in it when I picked up the book and skimmed the back cover. I was half-way through the story, reading it in Barnes & Noble, when I was asked if I intended to buy it. I bought three. Yep, this is a credible and clearly envisioned account of government cloning for its own selfish needs.

Only a creative person like this author--Gianni DeVincent Hayes--could come up with a wild and yet realistic story about Big Brother, cloning, and a one-world government. This has some of the best writing I've ever read, and my interest stayed glued to the story from start to finish. I recommend this for everyone. I'd like to see Spielberg make a movie of it. Great, great book!

though i dont have this book my friends say its an excellent book and I've seen it for my self and it is definatly a must buy

It so good it has tempted me to buy alot of Magic cards

Richard Garfield is the creator of Magic The Gathering card game. This book gives the reader an in-depth look into the game and shows the beautiful illustration that each card contains. This is a must have for all players and collectors of the card game.

I collect the cards and I don't know how I would have known if they were rare or common cards if I hadn't found this book. It's the best!

If you are a mtg collector, you definitely need this book. Although it is much "thinner" than Volume 1 but it's still a must for any serious mtg collector

This Amazon Short had GREAT potentual but somewhere along the storyline towards the end the author wrote as if he didn't know where to go once the park scene was written. Sad becuase this could have been a great story with a little more effort. And the "sexual" thoughts fo the main person in the story at the beginning were totally unnessassary and detracted FROM the story rather then added to it---confusing and predictable but still towards the end a good story.

ERO starts fast and grisly... No, I am not describing an amorous scene but it could well be. Mercy! There is a Deniz Washington, and a Lileth: who is not the author of a scientific textbook, or the female protagonist of 'Neatherland Omnibus' or 'Otherworldly Affair'. Lileth Barker has more cause for concern than a drive-by of the day, as fellow lawyer Washington recounts it. When there isn't enough mineral makeup to climb on, only liberal tension between Lileth and her colleague, our protagonist opts for a midnight walk through Lafayette Park. She is full of optimism that an exploration of nature, and the possible comeliness of dusk winds that surround it, may abet the erosion of her renegade thoughts. The dusk winds are not comely but they do erode the concerns of her rebel flesh. What they do not erode are Lileth's findings: that deprived citizens of lean-tos, members of the abyss of poverty and abandonment, can leave one profoundly changed, even if that abyss were simply Lafayette Park. Energized by dark winds, this Amazon Short does deliver what it promises: a lawyer in jeopardy. Authentic dialogue plants crucial clues that in concert reveal contemptible and odious characters (not always the hobos). Author E. Robert Orn builds a darkness and dilapidation that walks us into invasive psychosis that is worrisome because, in the dregs of neo-society, that neurosis may not be delusional.

The words listed above are rarely associated with short form literature, but in this case they all apply. Mr. Orn's ability to paint settings and characters with words is truly remarkable.

Ordinarily one might ask, how is it possible to tell a story and still develop character to the extent as what might be found in a full-length novel? He does so by making all that magnificent prose essential to the story and it takes the reader into the mind of the character so well that the chilling situation at the end almost seems personal. I don't think I will ever look at vagrants the same again.

The character of Lileth is so well portrayed that I think I would recognize her if I saw her on the street. Any potential writer who may wonder at how to develop a character or describe a scene should look at this story, because here it is done to perfection.

Though taking place at dark, the story is vibrant with impressive prose and the writing skill is evident throughout the story. Absolutely scintillating!

The Midnite Lunch Truck by E. Robert Orn is distinguished by the author's unique grotesque inventiveness in addition to his superb plot construction. Mr. Orn charges the reader as witness, and in doing so, entangles the mind to a confused, horrified, helpless state.
Great read, this E. Robert Orn.

Robert Meacham- Amazon Short contributor and poet.

Aren't all government-programs-run-amok rather disturbing? But wait, this is no government program - or isn't it? Either way, it works. It works very well. This story starts driving down a fairly straight road, then takes a sharp, left turn and ends up in the section of the city where we've always been warned against going. Unlike other stories with similar theme, there is no redemption to be found here, though, only horror. Very fitting to the Serlingesque genre of which E. Robert Orn references.

Orn builds wonderful elements of foreshadowing - giving little hints that something is askew - all the way from when the protagonist hears about G Dray Gon's fate to when she leaves her office for a midnight stroll through DC (the thought of such may be a bit of a premise stretch, but that is the only weakness I could find in the story, and it's easily overlooked) to the penultimate and oddly logical end.

He develops a sense for his characters quite well, to the point where we can nod and say, "yeah, I know someone like that." That is very very important to the short story format as it creates credibility. The Midnight Lunch Truck is not a story for those who are squeamish and timid. But for those of us who grew up on the staples of The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery and Circle of Fear, it is supremely satisfying.

Have you ever had telekinetic powers and want to get rid of them? Well, a girl named, Felicia, in Runaway by R.L.Stine did. Before her telekinetic powers start up again, she wanted to run away. However, everyone knew she had these powers and that her two best friends were dead as a door nail because of them. Rather than staying where she was, Felicia ran away from her family and friends to a small town called Shadeyside. There she meet two new wonderful friends. Their names were Zan and Nick. They got her a job cooking hamburgers at a local resturant, and seemed pretty nice. Zan Nick and Felicia stayed friends for quite a long time. One day, Felicia, overheard two boys talking about how they can't watch a man's cat while he was on a vacation anymore. She needed the money and a place to sleep at night, so she asked them if she could watch the cat. They said sure,why not. The next day at work, Zan told her to change the light bulb in the storage room. When she got there, the room was flooded with water like an indoor pool. When she took the light bulb out of it's socket, it started a fire. No one was hurt and everyone got out safly. That night, when Felicia entered the den area of the man's home, it looked like a hurricane had hit. There were papers off the desk and on the floor. Just a she was about to clean up the papers, she noticed there was blood on the walls, too. When Felicia went to wipe the blood off the walls, she realized it was only red paint. The thought that someone knows who I really am scared her silly. When Felicia is about to runaway agian, someone finds out who she really is. Who could it be? Ladies and gentlemen, I invite and encourage you to read this fabulous book, Runaway, by R.L. Stine.

i love it!r.l stine did a great job on this but isnt for childeren uder at least 13 because how the gresome detail about "oh kristy!"felicia cried.one of the support beams had cut off kristys arm.felicia could see the white bone and the ragged layers of muscle."bricks had cruched anys face his nose and lips and eyelids scraped raw" so i warn u this is not for young childeren if you are in to gruesomw stuff like me you should reaf this but i just wanna warn you the details are pretty gruesome if you love r.l. stine read this during the day cause at night when kristy and andy are found you may see visions of them beware!

This book diserves a 5 because the way that he puts out the story just blows your mind... I like the way he put a little bit of drama, suspence, and a tiny bit of romance. Don't forget the crazy people. He is one of my favorite authors. Next to Stephen King that is.

I realy enjoyed the runaway. last sunday i was coming home from florida and read 8 chapters. I would of read all of it but i slept instead. Then the next morning i read the book in 2 hours which is the fastest ive ever read a fear street. I have a hard time reading books usualy but this one realy interested me so it was alot easier. This was with out a doubht one of rl's finest.

Have you ever heard of a girl with telekinetic powers? Well in the book Runaway a girl named Felicia has powers to move things with her mind. One problem, she couldn't control her powers. So she became a runaway. After he escaped all the tests people were doing on her she went to a town called Shadyside. There she met a boy called Nick and his girlfriend Zan, short for Alexandria. Felicia became runaway because at her old town she killed two people. Zan found out about her secret and tried to kill her. Next her friend Debbie tried to kill her. Do you think she think survived?
While I was reading the book, I was on the edge of my seat. Everyday I read two to four chapters. When I was reading the book I pictured I was in the book watching everything. Everyday when I was in school I couldn't wait until my study hall so I could read the book. One weekend I stayed up from 9:00pm to 1:00am finishing the book. I absolutely could not put the book down. The book had so much action and excitement. That is what I look for in a book.
Felicia, the protagonist, is tall, slender, brown eyes, and long brown hair. Her personality traits are nice, caring, helpful, concerned, generous and courageous. She showed she was helpful by helping out at the Burger Basket. She showed she was courageous when the Burger Basket started on fire and people were still trapped inside the building. She went inside and cleared the fire with her telekinetic powers. She has a couple of strengths and weaknesses. Her strengths are that she has telekinetic powers. Her weaknesses are that she cannot control them. They just go off when ever they feel like it. An example is when she was in school, she felt the powers swell inside of her, then they just burst out and a row of lockers began to tremble and books began to slam against the lockers.
Felicia seems like a nice girl. She seems she would help out no matter what the situation. She acted strange a few times but people got used to it, except for Zan. It seems like she had a lot of adventures. This was a good book, I hope you read it.

I love this book! The horror/sci-fi genre has gotten stuck on certain elements of the supernatural, such as vampires and werewolves. This book is a creative departure from the same old stuff. I have never read a book about a wendigo, a legendary Native American shape-shifting creature. Not only is it a page turner, it's scary. I wish there were a lot more books like this.

Having grown up in the bootheel of Southeast MO, I found the book particularly interesting. The area covered in the book is a rich area of (excuse the phrase) rural legend. A good read with good suspense and imagination.

The horror/ sci-fi genre has gotten stuck on certain supernatural elements, such as vampires and werewolves. This book is a refreshing departure from the same old stuff. I had never read a book about a wendigo, a legendary Native American shape-shifting creature. Not only was the book a page turner, it was scary! I wish there were a lot more books like this.

Sikes is a terrific creation, a man-wolf on a mission. He's as good a character as the wulfies Harry Shannon's Night of the Werewolf, and that's saying something. This book is right up there with The Totem, Howling and Wolfen just not as well known.

If you're looking for an excellent Classic horror story that actually delivers real terror and suspense this is certainly the one . Better than Masterson, King, Koontz, Saul or Laymon and I say that without reservation. Easily ranks with the best and that is very rare. This is not splatterpunk THANK GOD!!!

In Tales of Dirt, Danger and Darkness, Paul Steward shows us the intensity, the peril, the exhilaration of subterranean exploration. These tales will thrill, amuse, and frighten--in other words, they do exactly what good stories are supposed to do, entertain and inform.

This book is a must-read for cavers and non-cavers alike, and for adventurers in general (including the armchair variety).

Paul Jay Steward's novel of short stories, "Tales of Dirt, Danger, and Darkness," is a variety show of caving macabre. The author is your host as he appears throughout the book as if to say, "Welcome to my nightmare." Every page is filled with wry commentary and twisted wit as Paul guides you through caving anecdotes and tales that will make you paranoid enough to avoid the dark recesses of your own garage. This book not only held my interest, it also gave me the creeps and made me laugh out loud. I heartily recommend this one.

Although not a caver myself, I certainly have enjoyed the beauty of caves. They have always seemed to have a life of their own, but now, after reading this collection of stories, I see dark and terrifying things in every corner (which is not a bad thing since I love a good horror tale).

These stories truly reach out and grab your heart and give it a good twist. No matter what your views were on caves before, wonderful or scary...you won't walk away from this book and see them the same ever again.

Mr. Steward's book should come with a sticker like a sign I once saw at a cave entrance. "WARNING, ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!"

I once enjoyed going into caves. Now I think I'll just be content with the IDEA of going into caves.

Seriously, Paul Steward's stories are intriguing and scary. In fact, the next time I'm with friends at a late-night campfire I'm going to pull out Paul's book and read the one about the two guys who make the mistake of trying to convince a landowner to let them explore a cave on his property...

If you think you like caves, you need to read this book. There are some things you should know...

Outrageous, bizarre and funny, Paul Steward's book, TALES OF DIRT, DANGER AND DARKNESS, transports the reader into realms of terror not often visited. The horrors of the cave world, presented as entrapment and death, remind the reader that, in darkness, the mind is precariously perched between fantasy and reality and between good and evil. The terror of being accountable to the devil is there because of human greed and the desire for fame and power. And Steward often approaches the episodes in this book with subtle humor. We all have our spiritual dark sides, so clearly presented in this book. An electrifying collection of original short stories, and an excellent read!

Teeth is one of those books that really succeeds in taking you to a different world. Its brutal, entertaining, and better yet- it has what most books in its genre are missing- a depth of human emotion that brings the characters to life in the reader's mind. . Teeth goes way beyond the status quo for the vampire genre. Any writer can use their pen to slice and mangle human bodies all day long, but if you're not writing characters I can connect with, the cries fall on deaf ears.
-A very creative piece of fiction -Definitely a five star read

This book was a real page turner from beginning to end. Normally used to the fast pace of actual Vietnam war air combat accounts, I was surprised to note that Mr. Damanda kept the air speed up and G-loading on from the very beginning to the very end of the story, leaving the reader gasping for a sequel in addition. Character development was great too, with the evolution of Nicholas and the good cop Gillis as vampire hunter. All things considered, a highly recommended read.

When we're kids, we're taught to avoid the dark because of all the monsters lurking in it - the witches, vampires and werewolves waiting to swoop in and take us for nefarious purposes. Of course, when we grow older we realize those stories were told chiefly to shelter us from the more realistic danger of murderers and kidnappers waiting to drag us into their vans.

But what if those murderers and kidnappers actually were the monsters of our youth and not simply disturbed individuals? That blend of real and imagined danger is the core of "Teeth: A Horror Fantasy," the debut novel of writer Marcus Damanda. A tense, shocking novel, it offers a more contemporary type of vampires and makes them as frightening as any serious Dracula depiction.

The story centers on a small Virginia town, where a small clan known as the Damworths have come to feed. As they settle in and begin preying on the residents, they will cross paths with two of the town's resident outcasts: an albino high school student named Nicholas and a dishonored deputy named Frank Gillis. This contact will lead to an escalating body count and exercise of supernatural powers, culminating in a night-long siege on a juvenile hall.

"Teeth" advertises itself as a horror fantasy, and it certainly matches its title. Damanda creates horrifying scenes such as a ritual slaughter by the Damworths and a midnight forest battle between Nicholas and a wolf-creature, all of which are blood-drenched and vividly written. The climactic siege is particularly alarming, rolling out all levels of vampiric powers and turning children into combatants against the police.

Characterization is also very important to the novel. The vampires are not the stereotyped Europeans but a mix of different personalities, including a coldly proficient leader, a gregarious black music fan and an emotional stargazing redhead. Nicholas, who suffers excessive torment from bullies and his father, is the poster child for troubled teens and is depicted as excellently conflicted between his humanity and the chance to escape it. This psychological debate is almost as frightening as the violence, for the possibility that thousands of students in his shoes would eagerly take the option.

"Teeth" is the sort of novel that makes you look twice at any nondescript van in a parking lot, look over your shoulder at an unlit forest and eat a heavier dose of garlic at dinner - in short, an excellent thriller. It shows the reader a very dark and compelling world that, despite the unnerving feeling, is worth sticking around for.

I picked up this book several months ago, interested in reading it as it stared at me from up on my shelf of "to do" reading ever since. I finally got around to it and am very glad I did. I do not read a huge amount of Vampire fiction. Well, I guess that depends on one's perspective, perhaps, as I have read several stories throughout my adult life but it has never been a staple of my reading diet. Part of that, I suppose, is the plush, Harlequinish type novels that are out there--longing, lust, and monsters with a genteel nature. I enjoyed the movie 30 Days of Night for the simple fact that the Vampires were truly monsters, not icons of lust and power that everyone envies or desires to be with. I do respect the mysterious allure and power associated with Vampires but I have grown weary of the soft or hardcore porn take that some authors like Laurell K. Hamilton have taken in their vampire based novels.
Teeth does not play nice with its Vampire archvillains. These folks are not sweet, mornful souls that you almost feel sorry for. They are brutal, vicious killers, using all their supernatural powers to plow through as many victims as they need both to sate their hunger and to have a wickedly good time. Certainly there is a aura of power and along with that incredible desire but we are never subjected to the wimpy vamps whose tormented souls get boring, fast.
Our main character, Nicolas, is an outcast teen who struggles with everyone around him--his classmates, his parents, and even himself. When the Damworths, a traveling band of vamps, converge on his small town and start wreaking havoc, Nicolas is sucked up into the whirlwind of their power and carnage. I liked the character and while I could not completely identify with his sense of being locked out of everything normal in life, the author did a great job of pulling us into his world, his tortured existense that gave the character a compelling sense of realism.
I found this author's take on vampires to be compelling as well. They are raw, brutal, and nearly unstoppable. The author does not relent, only allowing a slight glimmer of their former humanity to shine through but never allowing it to cripple them in anyway. Even if one of them can still experience love, it does not stand in the way of the destruction they unleash. There is no mercy here, no remorse or regret.
A fast paced, exciting read that made me appreciate vampires all over again.

I look forward to the sequel, which there most certainly will be based on the ending of this story. For a first time novelist, Marcus Damanda has done a outstanding job in scribing this tale.

A friend dangled the hook of fresh blood in the vampire genre, and I bit. From the first page I was pulled away from my world and into Damanda's, taking every turn with Nicholas as his saga unfolds. From sympathetic characters that are easy to identify with to horror you hope never to be a part of, Teeth will take you on a wonderful ride where the delineation between good and evil vanishes in a haze of love, hate and loneliness.

One of the best parts of this book is knowing that there is more to come! Damanda sets the stage for a sequel that I will be eagerly awaiting. I just closed my office door for the past 2 hours, hiding from my boss so I could finish Teeth. If you fear another tired, cheesy vampire story, don't. You will love the quality and creativity of this book.