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The Remedy
An intense, backwoods splatterpunk horror novel for fans of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Cabin Fever.
College senior Leigh Swanson knew her friends' vacation to Montreal would become a drug-and-booze-filled road trip. Yet despite her best judgment, she gave into her roommate's pleas and hopped aboard the Canada-bound van.
It will soon prove to be the biggest mistake of her life.
On the road, Leigh and her friends meet Sam Tucker, a mysterious hitchhiker who is willing to exchange directions for a ride. Sam takes the gang on a shortcut-a detour through a dark Vermont forest. A deadly detour.
Among the many horrors that await Leigh and her friends is a fatal fungal disease, a grisly infection that has already claimed a number of victims. There is a cure-but Leigh is about to discover that sometimes, the only thing worse than sickness
The Remedy.
College senior Leigh Swanson knew her friends' vacation to Montreal would become a drug-and-booze-filled road trip. Yet despite her best judgment, she gave into her roommate's pleas and hopped aboard the Canada-bound van.
It will soon prove to be the biggest mistake of her life.
On the road, Leigh and her friends meet Sam Tucker, a mysterious hitchhiker who is willing to exchange directions for a ride. Sam takes the gang on a shortcut-a detour through a dark Vermont forest. A deadly detour.
Among the many horrors that await Leigh and her friends is a fatal fungal disease, a grisly infection that has already claimed a number of victims. There is a cure-but Leigh is about to discover that sometimes, the only thing worse than sickness
The Remedy.
- GenresHorror
286 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2015
1 person is currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Asher Ellis
8 books32 followersAsher Ellis is a screenwriter, educator, and author of the novels PET, Curse of the Pigman, Cracker Jack, The Remedy, and The Therapy. He has written multiple award-winning short films, including Exit 7A, which was included in the feature-length horror anthologies, The Portal and Conjure X. His penned short film, "My Name Is Art," was featured in Amazon's first annual "All Voices Film Festival," celebrating underrepresented communities. When not writing, Asher enjoys hiking through the woods of his home state of Vermont (which he insists are not full of cryptids and cannibals, despite what his novels might suggest.)
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 10, 2015
Take one pinch of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, several dashes of Deliverance, add in a whole stock cube of THE LONESOME DEATH OF JODY VERRILL from Creepshow, mix well, and you come out with Asher Ellis' debut novel, The Remedy. And, for the most part, it's a wholly satisfying meal.
Starring a fairly typical cast of college-aged kids who make a number of dumb decisions that put them in the wrong part of the world at a particularly bad time, The Remedy at first glance, seems fairly by-the-numbers. But as the novel progresses, Ellis challenges a number of established genre tropes and forages a path that is different enough to stand out from the pack of similar reads.
Like many stories of this ilk, Ellis has his group of friends meet up with a mysterious stranger who guides them off the beaten path and into a part of the world where a nasty moss begins to cover and transform anything that comes into contact with it. The locals have worked out how to keep said moss at bay, and of course, it's not the kind of remedy our cast of characters is going to pay willingly... The "B" plot of The Remedy follows a park ranger and his two colleagues as they wander around the periphery of proceedings, until the last act of the novel, when they are dragged kicking and screaming into the "A" plot. And it's at this point that things truly get interesting. Ellis holds a couple of genuine aces up his sleeve that I, for one, did not see coming, and these elevated proceedings in notable ways. The Remedy is worth reading for these developments alone.
All of that said, this remains a first published novel and it has a few of the issues that normally exist in such a beast. For example, superfluous characters who raise some kind of hidden past issue that goes absolutely nowhere in a shoehorned attempt to make the reader care before they are dispatched; while another was the extremely predictable "final girl" who I was therefore never too concerned about since it was obvious she was going to make at least the final few chapters. Also, there were a few too many typos to be ignored, but that said, I did read an ARC, so perhaps they'll be caught before the final printing.
Long story short, if you're in the mood for a mash up of several horror sub-genres with a high body count and moments of gross-out gore, then look no further than . It may not knock your socks off, but there's every chance you'll have as good a time as I did, and really, what more can you ask for from a book about a killer fungus?
3.5 to 4 Ill-Advised Dips in the Lake for The Remedy.
The preceding was based on an eARC obtained through Netgalley as made available by Full Fathom Five Digital.
Find this review and others like it at Horror After Dark.
Starring a fairly typical cast of college-aged kids who make a number of dumb decisions that put them in the wrong part of the world at a particularly bad time, The Remedy at first glance, seems fairly by-the-numbers. But as the novel progresses, Ellis challenges a number of established genre tropes and forages a path that is different enough to stand out from the pack of similar reads.
Like many stories of this ilk, Ellis has his group of friends meet up with a mysterious stranger who guides them off the beaten path and into a part of the world where a nasty moss begins to cover and transform anything that comes into contact with it. The locals have worked out how to keep said moss at bay, and of course, it's not the kind of remedy our cast of characters is going to pay willingly... The "B" plot of The Remedy follows a park ranger and his two colleagues as they wander around the periphery of proceedings, until the last act of the novel, when they are dragged kicking and screaming into the "A" plot. And it's at this point that things truly get interesting. Ellis holds a couple of genuine aces up his sleeve that I, for one, did not see coming, and these elevated proceedings in notable ways. The Remedy is worth reading for these developments alone.
All of that said, this remains a first published novel and it has a few of the issues that normally exist in such a beast. For example, superfluous characters who raise some kind of hidden past issue that goes absolutely nowhere in a shoehorned attempt to make the reader care before they are dispatched; while another was the extremely predictable "final girl" who I was therefore never too concerned about since it was obvious she was going to make at least the final few chapters. Also, there were a few too many typos to be ignored, but that said, I did read an ARC, so perhaps they'll be caught before the final printing.
Long story short, if you're in the mood for a mash up of several horror sub-genres with a high body count and moments of gross-out gore, then look no further than . It may not knock your socks off, but there's every chance you'll have as good a time as I did, and really, what more can you ask for from a book about a killer fungus?
3.5 to 4 Ill-Advised Dips in the Lake for The Remedy.
The preceding was based on an eARC obtained through Netgalley as made available by Full Fathom Five Digital.
Find this review and others like it at Horror After Dark.
November 10, 2015
People in New Hampshire have been telling me that Asher Ellis is going to be the next Stephen King, so I am really looking forward to reading his first book.
Are you like me? Do you find yourself reading "best sellers" and feeling like something is lacking? Then something like this happens: Several days later it comes to you and you shout out, "Flesh eating fungus! That's what!" But when you open your eyes, you realize you are in a fancy restaurant dining with your significant other and everyone, including your partner, is looking at you. But you refuse to back down because, you know what?, you're right. Why are best-selling authors afraid of flesh-eating fungus? So you just glare right back at everyone. You pretty much dare them to make a comment. Pretty soon they are all back to eating their fancy uncooked whatever, and you have achieved a minor victory.
Then you come across my review of this book. And not only does it have flesh-eating fungus in it, but . . . drum roll please . . . Cannibals!!! I know what you're thinking: Cut the shit, Jimmy! Flesh-eating fungus AND cannibals?? Right about at this point you're probably about to have an orgasm, so you rush off to your nearest bookstore and order a copy.
And if you haven't read a horror novel in a while, it might feel like a refreshing change of pace.
Are you like me? Do you find yourself reading "best sellers" and feeling like something is lacking? Then something like this happens: Several days later it comes to you and you shout out, "Flesh eating fungus! That's what!" But when you open your eyes, you realize you are in a fancy restaurant dining with your significant other and everyone, including your partner, is looking at you. But you refuse to back down because, you know what?, you're right. Why are best-selling authors afraid of flesh-eating fungus? So you just glare right back at everyone. You pretty much dare them to make a comment. Pretty soon they are all back to eating their fancy uncooked whatever, and you have achieved a minor victory.
Then you come across my review of this book. And not only does it have flesh-eating fungus in it, but . . . drum roll please . . . Cannibals!!! I know what you're thinking: Cut the shit, Jimmy! Flesh-eating fungus AND cannibals?? Right about at this point you're probably about to have an orgasm, so you rush off to your nearest bookstore and order a copy.
And if you haven't read a horror novel in a while, it might feel like a refreshing change of pace.
April 7, 2015
The Remedy is the debut novel from Asher Ellis and, upon first glance, seems to be a watered-down derivative of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Brian Keene's Earthworm Gods, and numerous 80's slasher films. The plot appears to be taken directly from Slasher Movie 101 - get a group of partying hard college students, throw in the one friend that is a reserved braniac (and just so happens to be hot in a non-bimbo kind of way), have them score a bunch of pot that they now have to get across the Canadian border which they decide that the first hitchhiker they meet would make a great candidate to help them. He actually decides to help them without thinking twice. He happens to know the one hiking trail that gets you across the border without any danger of meeting up with the border patrol. So the group splits up, one group hikes in the woods with the stranger, the other drive across to meet them at a rendezvous point. Guess what? Something bad happens in the woods. OK, who didn't see this coming? But thats where The Remedy gets hard to lump into any category. Ellis actually does a nice job with the material. The writing is clear and I enjoy his writing style. The problem is the well-worn material he's trying to sculpt into a story. Some will say its a homage to the above influences. Others will look at it as another rehashing of some very familiar territory. I would argue that its somewhere in the middle. If you're looking for orginality, keep on looking. If you're wanting to take a tromp down Slasher from the 80s Boulevard without much thinking involved, The Remedy isn't a bad way to go. For myself, I enjoyed it for what it was but I'd really like to see Ellis bite off a little more in the material department. I think we have a good author here lurking in the shadows just waiting to bust out.
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
The preceding was based on an eARC obtained through Netgalley as made available by Full Fathom Five Digital.
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2J1...
TWITTER - @KenMcKinley5
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
The preceding was based on an eARC obtained through Netgalley as made available by Full Fathom Five Digital.
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2J1...
TWITTER - @KenMcKinley5
April 6, 2015
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Stephen King's Dreamcatcher meets The Hills Have Eyes in The Remedy by Asher Ellis. In this twisted tale of terror, even Mother Nature is out to get you.
I am a horror junkie, and I'm usually pretty good at picking out survivors early on in a story because there's a standard formula followed by most horror writers be it books, stories, or screenplays. I'm happy to say that I wasn't entirely correct about the survivors of this tale. Mr. Ellis threw a few twists at me that I never saw coming and they quickly had me second guessing all of my predictions.
The story is told in third person and rotates through the major characters, giving us a wide range of experiences and providing some excellent foreshadowing, some of which left me questioning everything I know about horror novels.
I was hooked by this story from page one, anxious to know what was going to happen next and if anyone would survive to tell their tale.
Overall I give The Remedy 5 out of 5 stars for sucking me in and throwing me for a few loops along the way. I would definitely recommend this book to horror fans, especially if you like gory horror.
Stephen King's Dreamcatcher meets The Hills Have Eyes in The Remedy by Asher Ellis. In this twisted tale of terror, even Mother Nature is out to get you.
I am a horror junkie, and I'm usually pretty good at picking out survivors early on in a story because there's a standard formula followed by most horror writers be it books, stories, or screenplays. I'm happy to say that I wasn't entirely correct about the survivors of this tale. Mr. Ellis threw a few twists at me that I never saw coming and they quickly had me second guessing all of my predictions.
The story is told in third person and rotates through the major characters, giving us a wide range of experiences and providing some excellent foreshadowing, some of which left me questioning everything I know about horror novels.
I was hooked by this story from page one, anxious to know what was going to happen next and if anyone would survive to tell their tale.
Overall I give The Remedy 5 out of 5 stars for sucking me in and throwing me for a few loops along the way. I would definitely recommend this book to horror fans, especially if you like gory horror.
April 8, 2015
"Another beautiful September day in Vermont"
Leigh Swanson, college senior, somehow gets talked into going on a trip to Canada with a group of friends. She ends up being "odd man out" because her other fellow travelers are paired up. And the trip just gets MUCH worse from there.
Reading this book was like watching some crazy late-night slicer dicer movie. If you have a weak stomach, this probably isn't the tale for you. But if you grew up watching movies about chainsaws or maniacs in the woods or people with strange eating habits, sit down, sit back and prepare to be "entertained."
This book should come with warnings posted, though:
Don't take that barely traveled back road.
Don't swim in unfamiliar lakes.
Don't pick up hitchhikers.
And, remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book from Full Fathom Five Publishers through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
Leigh Swanson, college senior, somehow gets talked into going on a trip to Canada with a group of friends. She ends up being "odd man out" because her other fellow travelers are paired up. And the trip just gets MUCH worse from there.
Reading this book was like watching some crazy late-night slicer dicer movie. If you have a weak stomach, this probably isn't the tale for you. But if you grew up watching movies about chainsaws or maniacs in the woods or people with strange eating habits, sit down, sit back and prepare to be "entertained."
This book should come with warnings posted, though:
Don't take that barely traveled back road.
Don't swim in unfamiliar lakes.
Don't pick up hitchhikers.
And, remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book from Full Fathom Five Publishers through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
April 24, 2015
I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review...OMG this book is all things I love! Total cheesy 80's slasher movie, but updated for our time period. It totally took me back to Friday the 13th, Texas chainsaw, or Sleepaway Camp! Loved it!
July 26, 2015
With The Remedy, author Asher Ellis achieves something very impressive, the consummate hard-core horror novel. There’s nature as a beast, brutal body horror, backwoods cannibalism, small town horror conspiracy and more. It’s with nothing but respect that I write that there’s very little new or groundbreaking here, but what there is is everything that any story could possibly need. And you’re not going to find a book that executes those needs any better. If you want to read a new horror novel that harkens back to the early days of splatterpunk, that is never slow or misses a beat, pick this one up.
The characters are similar to the plot. They fit the modern horror paradigm, the popular girl, the por smoking bad boy, the loner who may or may not be what he seems, the matriarch of a hillbilly clan and even a masked killer. The characters are uniformly solid, a few are great to the point they the reader will find themselves rooting for them and the masked killer is a personal favorite.
The plot is deftly handled and transcends the typical car-breaks-down-on-the-backroad trope. There are twists when one might expect, but they’re never the twist expected. There are points where no reader is going to see a twist coming, but it pops-up regardless.
The most unique points of the novel build as the story moves along. The “loner” character follows a great character arc. There’s a sex scene that’s is truly impressive, one could argue important even, in that it takes traditional gender roles and destroys them. The general theme of the novel also evolves into one of, for me but I’m sure others will differ, guilt. How does one deal with guilt. It brings up a serious philosophical issue that you probably wouldn’t expect from a novel with the lines: “It’s not your fault. How were you supposed to know your friend was related to a family of cannibals.”
The characters are similar to the plot. They fit the modern horror paradigm, the popular girl, the por smoking bad boy, the loner who may or may not be what he seems, the matriarch of a hillbilly clan and even a masked killer. The characters are uniformly solid, a few are great to the point they the reader will find themselves rooting for them and the masked killer is a personal favorite.
The plot is deftly handled and transcends the typical car-breaks-down-on-the-backroad trope. There are twists when one might expect, but they’re never the twist expected. There are points where no reader is going to see a twist coming, but it pops-up regardless.
The most unique points of the novel build as the story moves along. The “loner” character follows a great character arc. There’s a sex scene that’s is truly impressive, one could argue important even, in that it takes traditional gender roles and destroys them. The general theme of the novel also evolves into one of, for me but I’m sure others will differ, guilt. How does one deal with guilt. It brings up a serious philosophical issue that you probably wouldn’t expect from a novel with the lines: “It’s not your fault. How were you supposed to know your friend was related to a family of cannibals.”
April 10, 2015
REVIEW: THE REMEDY by Asher Ellis
THE REMEDY is a debut novel demonstrating a tremendous amount of talent, vivid settings, great understanding of character. For many readers, it will be a one-session read, because you won't be willing to stop until you've reached the stunning conclusion. Well, the entire book is stunning: engrossing, thoughtfully developed, shifting subtly from recreation to danger to bizarre Nature to mystery to suspicion to thriller. Frequently I caught myself thinking, "I couldn't have foreseen that twist!" THE REMEDY is definitely one of my personal Best of 2015.
THE REMEDY is a debut novel demonstrating a tremendous amount of talent, vivid settings, great understanding of character. For many readers, it will be a one-session read, because you won't be willing to stop until you've reached the stunning conclusion. Well, the entire book is stunning: engrossing, thoughtfully developed, shifting subtly from recreation to danger to bizarre Nature to mystery to suspicion to thriller. Frequently I caught myself thinking, "I couldn't have foreseen that twist!" THE REMEDY is definitely one of my personal Best of 2015.
March 2, 2015
'The Remedy' is a pretty good horror story. Following a group of college friends who get separated and lost in the woods, it combines a strange, fatal fungus with a crazy backwoods family. There are some genuinely tense and on-the-edge-of-your-seat scenes, along with a healthy helping of plain old grossness. A twist near the end strains credulity, but all in all this is a good, fast-paced read.
*Free copy obtained from NetGalley*
*Free copy obtained from NetGalley*
July 14, 2015
I really enjoyed this one! I find that a lot of authors can become formulaic—they repeat their writing style over and over throughout the novel. But Asher Ellis did a fantastic job of keeping the writing fresh and different. It was funny, well-written, had a great plot twist that I never saw coming… Five stars. Keep writing, Asher!
April 16, 2015
Cannibalism, College kids & an isolated cabin in the woods...sound familiar? Well, Asher Ellis takes this set-up & spins a twisty tale that contains some real surprises, butt-loads of spooky atmosphere, nerve-twisting tension, and deft characterization. Very well done!
June 13, 2015
A very good and very scary debut novel
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/the-re... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/the-re... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
July 12, 2024
Everything about this book elicits the sensation of classic slashers. And for the most part, that's exactly what it is. While reading this book, I was imaging that I was watching the scenes play out from a tinny VHS tape. And if that's what you're looking for, then this book fits the bill. For me, though, there's a lost opportunity.
A retro slasher flick lasts somewhere between 90 minutes and two hours. The scene is set, and the characters quickly fit their classic tropes - the asshole, the stoner, the bimbo, the sexy introvert/virgin (usually also the Final Girl) - because you don't have time to learn more about them. We can't get backstories on every haphazard victim in horror movies - some people are just there to die. But in book format, you can get those backgrounds, and I would argue that you should. Because while the overall horror movie is enjoyable even if we don't know much about the busty co-ed who decides to take a shower in the middle of a killing spree, in books, I need to care about the characters I'm reading about. And if I don't care, then I'm not interested in what happens to them, even if it's mayhem and murder.
The idea behind this story is gross but unique. Overall, a really fun premise that has danger lurking around every corner . My issue is that we know the whole premise during the prologue. All mystery is quickly dissolved, as the main antagonists are revealed, as are their motives. While this does raise the stakes and suspense of what our band of undergrads are wandering into, there's no grotesque reveal for the audience - it happens too soon to really enjoy.
Similarly, there aren't many other surprises in this book. The characters are one-dimensional (sitting squarely within their horror movie stereotypes) and don't have much motivation beyond whatever they're doing in the moment. I don't really care about any of them. Plus, the few times when we're told how a character is feeling, it seems very out of place and out of character. The only character that seemed to have more going on behind the scenes is Clementine Cedar. Sam's and Leigh's interactions with the elderly woman made me pause, and it made me wish for more dialogue that hinted at hidden depths within the characters.
At the end of the day, this is exactly what the book promises to be, "a backwoods, splatterpunk horror novel". I won't disagree that it is exactly that. Still, I would have liked more context of the story - still not sure what year it takes place in, although I suspect late 90s or early 00s based on some of the dialogue. I also would have liked a little more from the characters, so that I would care more about their fate. There are some errors in the book - words missing or incorrect, missing punctuation, incorrect words. There was one instance in which one twin (Eliza) was referred to as the other (Alex) in the text. A little closer review and editing would have caught these. Nothing outright bad here, just not great either.
A retro slasher flick lasts somewhere between 90 minutes and two hours. The scene is set, and the characters quickly fit their classic tropes - the asshole, the stoner, the bimbo, the sexy introvert/virgin (usually also the Final Girl) - because you don't have time to learn more about them. We can't get backstories on every haphazard victim in horror movies - some people are just there to die. But in book format, you can get those backgrounds, and I would argue that you should. Because while the overall horror movie is enjoyable even if we don't know much about the busty co-ed who decides to take a shower in the middle of a killing spree, in books, I need to care about the characters I'm reading about. And if I don't care, then I'm not interested in what happens to them, even if it's mayhem and murder.
The idea behind this story is gross but unique. Overall, a really fun premise that has danger lurking around every corner . My issue is that we know the whole premise during the prologue. All mystery is quickly dissolved, as the main antagonists are revealed, as are their motives. While this does raise the stakes and suspense of what our band of undergrads are wandering into, there's no grotesque reveal for the audience - it happens too soon to really enjoy.
Similarly, there aren't many other surprises in this book. The characters are one-dimensional (sitting squarely within their horror movie stereotypes) and don't have much motivation beyond whatever they're doing in the moment. I don't really care about any of them. Plus, the few times when we're told how a character is feeling, it seems very out of place and out of character. The only character that seemed to have more going on behind the scenes is Clementine Cedar. Sam's and Leigh's interactions with the elderly woman made me pause, and it made me wish for more dialogue that hinted at hidden depths within the characters.
At the end of the day, this is exactly what the book promises to be, "a backwoods, splatterpunk horror novel". I won't disagree that it is exactly that. Still, I would have liked more context of the story - still not sure what year it takes place in, although I suspect late 90s or early 00s based on some of the dialogue. I also would have liked a little more from the characters, so that I would care more about their fate. There are some errors in the book - words missing or incorrect, missing punctuation, incorrect words. There was one instance in which one twin (Eliza) was referred to as the other (Alex) in the text. A little closer review and editing would have caught these. Nothing outright bad here, just not great either.
July 11, 2018
Twisty horror tale.
February 21, 2017
This was some scary Sh*t !
April 10, 2015
Leigh Swanson survived a booze- and drug-fueled Spring Break in Montreal with her friends and their boyfriends. She can’t wait for the trip to end, agreeing to go against her better judgement. But then they meet Sam Tucker on the drive back to school and end up taking a detour through the Vermont woods. What Leigh doesn’t realize is that she’s on a trip where a deadly fungal disease is the least of her worries. The secrets lurking in the woods are a whole lot worse than the disease itself.
The Remedy wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. The fact that Asher Ellis gave away the remedy for the fungal disease in the prologue bothered me. Whatever suspense that came from not knowing the remedy and the ultimate discovery of it just disappeared. The suspense came from the threat of gore instead. I’m not a fan of gory horror, whether in books or movies, so this aspect made me checkout from the story more than once.
Most of the characters struck me as one-dimensional. Ellis didn’t spend a whole lot of time on developing each one considering how many points of view he juggled during such a short book. He never spent quite enough time with each person to flesh them out. Whatever empathy I felt for the characters came more from not wanting those kinds of things to happen to any human being rather than caring about the characters as individuals.
The best part of The Remedy had to be the ending. It almost let me forget the book’s faults. Without giving away any spoilers, I’ll say that I really enjoyed imagining the repercussions of the story. Especially the things characters who survived to the last page would have to live with for the rest of their lives.
The Remedy would be a great read for someone interested in horror and who doesn’t mind gore.
Rating: 3/5
The Remedy by Asher Ellis will be published by Full Fathom Five on April 8, 2015.
**I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.com in return for an honest, unbiased review.
The Remedy wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. The fact that Asher Ellis gave away the remedy for the fungal disease in the prologue bothered me. Whatever suspense that came from not knowing the remedy and the ultimate discovery of it just disappeared. The suspense came from the threat of gore instead. I’m not a fan of gory horror, whether in books or movies, so this aspect made me checkout from the story more than once.
Most of the characters struck me as one-dimensional. Ellis didn’t spend a whole lot of time on developing each one considering how many points of view he juggled during such a short book. He never spent quite enough time with each person to flesh them out. Whatever empathy I felt for the characters came more from not wanting those kinds of things to happen to any human being rather than caring about the characters as individuals.
The best part of The Remedy had to be the ending. It almost let me forget the book’s faults. Without giving away any spoilers, I’ll say that I really enjoyed imagining the repercussions of the story. Especially the things characters who survived to the last page would have to live with for the rest of their lives.
The Remedy would be a great read for someone interested in horror and who doesn’t mind gore.
Rating: 3/5
The Remedy by Asher Ellis will be published by Full Fathom Five on April 8, 2015.
**I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.com in return for an honest, unbiased review.
September 27, 2015
*This Book Was Given To Me By The Author In Exchange For An Honest Review*
This is the first book I have read by new to me author Asher Ellis and the best way I can think of to describe it is - You know those SyFY original movies that air? The ones that you already know what the basic premis is going to be, you have seen it before, but you watch anyway? This is sort of like this but in book form.
The horror/slasher tale portrayed is nothing really new, more of a rehash of several other stories (think Texas Chainsaw Massacre) but it is done well enough that it makes for a fairly good read.
I think if you know going into it what to expect and you enjoy that sort of thing (which for the most part I do) this is definitely worth picking up. This author I feel certainly has some wordcrafting skills and I think it will be interesting to see what would happen if they push themselves out of what seems like a rather comfortable zone for them.
Over all a 3 1/2 stars out of 4 (rounded up as per my protocol) and a definite interest in seeing what this author could do with some slightly more original matrial V""V
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official.
For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
This is the first book I have read by new to me author Asher Ellis and the best way I can think of to describe it is - You know those SyFY original movies that air? The ones that you already know what the basic premis is going to be, you have seen it before, but you watch anyway? This is sort of like this but in book form.
The horror/slasher tale portrayed is nothing really new, more of a rehash of several other stories (think Texas Chainsaw Massacre) but it is done well enough that it makes for a fairly good read.
I think if you know going into it what to expect and you enjoy that sort of thing (which for the most part I do) this is definitely worth picking up. This author I feel certainly has some wordcrafting skills and I think it will be interesting to see what would happen if they push themselves out of what seems like a rather comfortable zone for them.
Over all a 3 1/2 stars out of 4 (rounded up as per my protocol) and a definite interest in seeing what this author could do with some slightly more original matrial V""V
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official.
For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
May 13, 2015
I have yet to read more than handful of horror/thriller based books so I was very glad when i managed to find The Remedy. I didn't know what to expect but I was curious as to how the story will develop.
From the synopsis and the beginning of the first chapter, I was consider that this might go down the route of the movie Wrong turn or any of Stephen Kings novels.
I was surprised by how addictive it was. Receiving an approved by NetGalley about a day before it was Archived I wasn't sure whether I would get through it fast enough - having a growing pile of TBR books..
I really liked it!
I absolutely love when I read books based on genres that are not really within my comfort zone. But Asher Ellis does a wonderful job in not only the relationship between the characters but how the story develops without being clique and predictable. However, it was not the most original of stories that I have come across, meaning I was only able to give it 3.5
BUT I would recommend it if you want a fast paced, action packed and raw blood filled book.
From the synopsis and the beginning of the first chapter, I was consider that this might go down the route of the movie Wrong turn or any of Stephen Kings novels.
I was surprised by how addictive it was. Receiving an approved by NetGalley about a day before it was Archived I wasn't sure whether I would get through it fast enough - having a growing pile of TBR books..
I really liked it!
I absolutely love when I read books based on genres that are not really within my comfort zone. But Asher Ellis does a wonderful job in not only the relationship between the characters but how the story develops without being clique and predictable. However, it was not the most original of stories that I have come across, meaning I was only able to give it 3.5
BUT I would recommend it if you want a fast paced, action packed and raw blood filled book.
March 21, 2015
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2 1/2 stars, rounded up to three
A mashup of horror movies like Deliverance, The Hills Have eyes, Cabin Fever, and the Ruins. With a book like this, you pretty much know exactly what you're getting into - lots of blood, violence and a(n) (un)healthy dose of backwoods families. The Remedy delivers on these promises. The majority of characters are unlikable, with our main character, Leigh, being the least unlikable of the bunch (this is overemphasized by how much she talks about her therapy -- as if making her self-aware makes us relate to her). It was a quick, entertaining read, but I found myself turned off of the book by its problematic depictions of some of the characters, especially Grizzly, a complaint I've had with other "hillbilly" entertainment. If these type of depictions (think of The Hills Have Eyes to get an idea) don't both you, you will probably enjoy this story.
2 1/2 stars, rounded up to three
A mashup of horror movies like Deliverance, The Hills Have eyes, Cabin Fever, and the Ruins. With a book like this, you pretty much know exactly what you're getting into - lots of blood, violence and a(n) (un)healthy dose of backwoods families. The Remedy delivers on these promises. The majority of characters are unlikable, with our main character, Leigh, being the least unlikable of the bunch (this is overemphasized by how much she talks about her therapy -- as if making her self-aware makes us relate to her). It was a quick, entertaining read, but I found myself turned off of the book by its problematic depictions of some of the characters, especially Grizzly, a complaint I've had with other "hillbilly" entertainment. If these type of depictions (think of The Hills Have Eyes to get an idea) don't both you, you will probably enjoy this story.
January 17, 2016
Wow! If Wrong turn and Creepshows " The lonsome death of Jordy Verrill spawned this would be the offspring. A gruesome and thrilling edge of your seat story that has so many twists and turns, you wont be able to put it down. Awesomely descriptive. A must read for horror fans! !!!!
October 31, 2015
Fun, fast paced bit of horror in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. I liked the second half better than the first half.
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