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Tamara: The Novelization

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High school can be hell. Especially for Tamara Riley. Bullied and humiliated by her classmates, her only solace is in her deceased mother's strange and tattered grimoires. When the bullying takes a sudden and shocking turn, Tamara finds herself transformed from a meek victim to a sexy and powerful avenger. Empowered by a dark magic, she now knows the fears and hidden desires of her tormentors.

They thought they put her through hell? Tamara's going to show them what hell really is...

168 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2023

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Jeffrey Reddick

11 books23 followers

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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Reading .
496 reviews263 followers
June 30, 2023
This is a fast-paced read about a high-school girl who happens to practice witchcraft.

I felt like it was written like a movie script. It worked, though.

Excellent well-developed characters.

Tamara is a victim of bullying, and I felt sympathy towards her.

She's deceived and ends up tragically killed.

She comes back from the dead to get her revenge, but in the process, innocent people are killed. So I couldn't sympathise with her after that.

I'd be into reading a sequel.

Thanks to the author and BookSirens for the ARC, this was a fun read.

A perfect novella for horror fans!
Profile Image for Lady MacDeath.
370 reviews195 followers
June 15, 2023
I really liked this book, and looking forward to reading more from these two author/screenwriters.

Tamara is 17 and isn’t one of the “popular” kids at high school… to be honest, she lives a miserable life with her alcoholic father, since her mother died.

One day after a particularly bad day at high school, she is looking through her mother’s books, and finds one which has love spells inside. She decides to cast one of these spells, in the hope that Mr Natolly, her “married” English teacher, will notice her.

One night, after playing a cruel prank on Tamara, which results in her death, the kids bury her in the woods… but this is not “the end” for Tamara, who seeks retribution.

This book had my attention from the first page, until the last. Now I just have to watch the 2005 movie, starring Jenna Dewan as Tamara.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to BookSirens for sending me a free ARC, in return for a honest and free review, which I gladly give voluntarily.
Profile Image for Diana  | Indie Book Addict.
541 reviews24 followers
July 28, 2023
Tamara is a high school student who is often bullied by her classmates. An article she wrote pushes all of this into overdrive and now the target on her back is even bigger. A prank goes a bit too far and changes everything. The bullies find out the hard way that Tamara dabbled in dark magic and now they are going to pay for what they did.

This closely follows the movie. There are a few things that were different, but I’d say I liked the book more. It offered more detail throughout, especially with a couple of scenes that were much tamer in the movie. It was entertaining and the pace really picks up when Tamara starts dishing out her revenge. I also enjoyed the characters, especially Tamara’s. Who doesn’t like to see someone get back at those that made their life hell? If you enjoy stories about revenge and B horror this is worth a read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“I'm a cheerleader. I like games. But instead of playing with pom-poms...I'm going to play doctor. And see what your insides look like.”
Profile Image for Dion Smith.
504 reviews3 followers
July 25, 2023
This was very good.

This novelisation is pretty close to the movie, the sex scenes are a little more graphic, but the story is the same.

The story is nothing new, nerd get bullied, then turns into a monster and go's on a rampage, very similar to Carrie by Stephen King, but with a bit more sexiness to it like the movie Jennifer's Body.

If you liked the movie you will like the book.
Profile Image for ☠Arianne Reads Horror ☠.
131 reviews9 followers
August 1, 2023
(4.5)

"...Her solace in life is her mother’s witchcraft books and grimoire (and secretly her English teacher too). Something terrible really does happen, and the spells in the grimoire come to good use. But is it for the best? I thought so! I loved the addition of the occultism and witchery, it adds an air of mystery and darkness that without it, wouldn’t be quite the same. When it’s time for Tamara to get her revenge, of course there could’ve been the classic route of crazy murder, but the magick made it special."

Read the full review over on deaf sparrow:
https://www.deafsparrow.com/2023/07/2...
Profile Image for Alan.
Author 4 books7 followers
July 29, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have neither seen the 2005 movie of which this is an adaptation or read anything by the author Jeffrey Reddick, so I had little expectations for the novelization of Tamara. The only indication was the date of release for the movie, which was - I think it's safe to say - a rather dim time in horror movie history, making my expectations admittedly rather low.

But I have always enjoyed novelizations, and the synopsis of the story did intrigue me. There were many similarities to TV shows and movies I had enjoyed, and I sensed a very 80's feel to the synopsis, so I decided to give it a go.

The story follows a rather familiar theme. A bullied and unloved girl undergoes a dramatic change that allows her the justice she deserves. We have seen this before, but rarely in quite the same way. When a cruel joke becomes a tragic accident Tamara dies and her body is hidden by an eclectic group of her contemporaries. Some are glad of her demise, others are haunted by it, but everyone is equally shocked when the following day a new and improved Tamara arrives at school and turns everyone's world upside down.

This Tamara is thirty pounds lighter, and is transformed by her new body and the approving looks it receives. But there is more to what she had become. Tamara can command approval now, she can even command obedience, and it is this obedience that she uses to dispatch those who had so cruelly abused her in the past.

If it had been told from the point of view of Tamara we would have a story not too dissimilar to King's Carrie. It would emphasize the audience's empathy with Tamara, and paint her victims more clearly as villains deserving of their fate. The author opts for a different approach, telling the tale from a select group of her victims. This humanizes them and subsequently dehumanizes Tamara. This is a choice that changes the story significantly, and may (I reiterate that I have not seen it) accurately reflect the movie's stance most accurately.

A quick search on the author indicates he was the original scriptwriter for this movie. So, I would assume the book accurately represents the movie version of Tamara. This discovery illustrates one of the main things that define novelizations in general. They tend to retell the movie without getting "under the skin" of the story's protagonists. Acting mainly as an expansion of the script rather than an expansion of the story the script represents.

This is not a criticism of novelizations in general or Tamara in particular, but rather an observation of the difference between the skills of scriptwriting and the writing of prose.

Tamara is an entertaining plot-focused read that feels like a tale told in the 70's or 80's rather than 2005. This - obviously - I mean as a good thing. There's an emphasis on what I have always thought of as pop-horror rather than hard-horror. Which is to say it is written to entertain rather than disturb its audience; and entertain it does.

I think perhaps the best indicator of whether I enjoy a novelization is my subsequent desire to watch the movie it was derived from, and I find I really do want to watch Tamara The Movie. Unfortunately it seems a hard one to find in any high-definition format. As a novelization that’s probably the best result an author could ask for, as they are derivative by their very nature (as they are derived from another source).

Tamara is a competently written novelization. As you’d expect from a seasoned scriptwriter the plot is well constructed and it does throw in enough changes to a well trodden tale to keep things interesting. However there’s not a great deal of character depth, which is a shame, as the story could have easily spoken more deeply about issues of loneliness and alienation that result in horrible acts.

If you enjoy novelizations and understand their conventions then Tamara is an entertaining read. If you enjoy quick books that won’t drag you too deeply into the darkness, you will enjoy it. But if you are looking for something more than that you may find the book an underwhelming experience and see it as a bit of a missed opportunity.

Personally I enjoyed it, but I knew it could have been so much more.
Profile Image for Cat Voleur.
Author 41 books48 followers
May 10, 2023
(Rounded up from 4 1/2 stars)

I received an ARC of this and I have very rarely been so excited by a novelization of a movie. Not only was I a big fan of this very underrated film, but I am also a fan of Jeffrey Reddick's other work. It also just so happens that one of my all time favorite artists did the cover.

There were a lot of things that I liked better about the book than I did about the movie. The framing gave context to the dark magic aspect of it, a lot of the deaths/punishments felt more intense, and I liked how it painted Tamara as so complex.

I did have just a couple pet peeves.

One is an issue that is pretty typical for novelizations, where this does feel paced more like a movie than a book. It jumps around a lot rather than letting a moment sit with any one character for too long. While that keeps us from missing any of our favorite on-screen moments, there's always one or two characters that I would rather spend more time with. In this case it was our titular character, Tamara.

The other caught me by surprise and that was the pop-culture references. I have nothing against pop culture references in media, but I did think they were a little funny here. It's called out specifically that Lady Gaga is "over" and then immediately moves into a John Hughes reference. Most of the following references are to the 80s or 90s and I realized at some point I don't actually know what year this takes place. I assumed in or around 2005 when the movie came out, but I was in school around that time and some of the cultural aspects felt off.

Overall though, aside from a couple little nitpicky things, I really enjoyed this. Being a fan of the movie certainly helped, I'm sure, but there were aspects that the book handled better. I liked the additional context, and details, and a couple scenes in particular benefitted from a more forward style of storytelling.

It was also a very quick read. Sometimes novelizations seem to drag on, and it feels like they are padding the page count some, but I didn't experience any of that with TAMARA. I read it in a single sitting and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Profile Image for Chris Carelse.
153 reviews20 followers
September 17, 2023
Okay, so, I remember watching Tamara when it came out nearly two decades ago. By pure coincidence I recently considered rewatching it, and I’m so glad I hadn’t before picking up this ARC through Book Sirens, because holy hell, I know for a fact that I definitely enjoyed this novelisation more than I ever had the movie.

Now, as I mentioned, the film came out a while ago, and knowing that, it weirded me out a bit that the story had been modernised, but seeing as it is partially a coming of age story, with a heavy focus on teen social dynamics, slightly tweaking minor elements to make them more contemporary works to the benefit of not alienating a younger target audience of the horror community.

I did like the blatant, and stated, nod to Stephen King’s Carrie as there are some clear similarities and common themes between the two stories, but if anything, this would be Carrie by way of a Jennifer’s Body/The Craft hybrid.

I know this horror novelisation is more mainstream than extreme, but I would highly recommend it to even, if not especially, grudgepunk horror fans.
Profile Image for Amanda.
680 reviews50 followers
July 29, 2023
As far as novelizations go, Tamara was spot on! I have to admit I’ve never heard of the movie, but I wanted to give this novelization a shot anyways. Holy crap was I impressed! The book is detailed, but still has quick pacing to keep the reader engaged. The plot is interesting, steady, and doesn’t leave a bunch of gaping holes. There are just the right amount of twists and turns and overall I didn’t feel like I was reading your standard novelization. The female characters were written well and although there was a wide range of male stereotypes in the book, each one was done perfectly! No negative words about this one.

Thank you Encyclopocalypse Publications! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Jay Kulpa.
69 reviews3 followers
August 30, 2023
As a reader who enjoys novelizations I appreciated that the story here plays out more fleetly than the movie (I watched it after reading), and the novel adds some necessary, enriching oomph where it was definitely needed in the film.
I do wish there had been more detail to flesh out the world, the characters, and some of the action - there was dialog that could have been stage direction in the screenplay, that I do wish had done worldbuilding instead. Especially as the characters play better on the page - the bad seeds are worse here, and everyone more believable.
Profile Image for Joan Smith.
813 reviews21 followers
June 25, 2023
Thank You Jeffery Reddick and Jon Doyle

This novel enhances the movie by attempting to fill-in some of the loose ends of the original movie. It does honor the Original 2005 movie.

I disagree with the authors fluff about some of the current social issues that were added as filler especially that Lady Gaga is no longer popular. I did feel sad that some of the innocent died as well as the guilty.

Dichotomy vs Duality is the main focus throughout the movie and book. The book is written like a movie script.

Duality is a choice
Choose between good and evil
Dichotomy seems to be a psychotic break.

Revenge
Occult
Supernatural
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kristina.
238 reviews7 followers
July 6, 2023
Tamara is the girl who blends in - she tries to hide under the radar, but unfortunately, she’s at the hands of a very cruel joke that changes her. Now, she’s out for revenge…and it’s a bloody good time!

———-

I don’t know what it is about revenge books recently for me: I want them, I need them, I crave them. Tamara is a novella based on the movie starting Jenna Dewan. I actually did not know that until after I finished the story….then I went back in to watch the movie. The movie is sort of cheesy, but it’s definitely watchable. The novella? Loved it. Fills in the gaps of what the movie leaves out and expands upon the crucial scenes. And I love that this is coming out over a decade later after the movie.

As to the character of Tamara - she’s Carrie White-esque, mixed with sex appeal later on. She’s a succubus, a seductress, and she plays with the minds of those who did her wrong. I love characters like this, and root for them all the way through, good or bad (we love a good “villain”). I’m leaving out a ton of plot points with Tamara’s character because I want you to read this.

The strange thing about this? I almost feel like you need to read the novella AND watch the movie because they are companions to one another. There are kill scenes I could visualize in my head while reading, and then see them in the movie. The matchup of both made my little black heart so happy.

I definitely will be purchasing this novella
Profile Image for Stephanie.
713 reviews
July 10, 2023
Thank you to Encyclopocalypse Publications and BookSirens for providing a review copy.
Tamara is a whole lot of fun! I vaguely remember seeing the movie it was based on when it came out, but I pretty much didn't remember anything going into the book. I do love a good revenge story, and this one is cheesy, gory fun!
Profile Image for Jordan.
Author 2 books33 followers
June 24, 2023
You know, it seems like people have a really hard time writing a female killer. I'll accept killing for love, I'll even accept revenge killing, but I won't accept an "Ivy-league smart" girl turning into someone obsessed with being beautiful and killing because she can. Tamara's personality did a complete 180, and it made no sense. For as smart as she was supposed to be, she acted like a complete idiot.

I think the worst bit was all the joking about suicide, eating disorders, date rape, and LGBTQ. I absolutely understand having characters who are prejudiced and the like, but making jokes out of sensitive topics like that didn't gel with me. There are ways to go about including these topics without coming across as insensitive.

I hate the way the women were written in this book. The only one who had any backbone was Chloe, and even then, she was your stereotypical "edgy" girl from the early 2000s. None of the female characters had any depth whatsoever. And what was Kisha doing with the book? Who was she intending on using the spells on? That part was a little too vague, I thought.

This just didn't do it for me. I almost DNF'd several times, but I continued on, thinking that it would pick up before the end. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it at all.

Thank you, BookSirens and Encyclopocalypse, for the ARC. Everything in this review is my own.
Profile Image for Jeremy Fowler.
Author 1 book30 followers
June 29, 2023
Tamara: the novelization is exactly what I wanted to read in a novelization of this cult film. It's gory, gross, and gruesome - exactly like this film.

I really did enjoy this extra dive into Tamara. I gained some additional insight into some of the thought process behind Tamara's actions and even some of her torture.

For those unfamiliar with the titular film, this story follows Tamara, a bullied high school teen (yes, think Carrie), who is horrendously bullied. When Tamara finds the ability to get revenge on her bullies with some dark magic, she takes the opportunity. This is a fast paced story once Tamara starts her vengeful attack against her bullies. (And thank god for that because some of this revenge is truly harrowing and horrific.

Regardless, everyone needs to check this novelization out. It adds to the original, but still has all the great reasons someone watches the movie. Check this out!
Profile Image for Danelle✍🏽 Reviewer.
63 reviews4 followers
May 31, 2023
Student Tamara Riley is a social parahia at Sebastian High. Her life sucks-- vampire style. And her loser dad is just an added bonus. But something's got to give and it's definitely not her looks. It's Mr. Natolly. Tamara sees herself as Mrs. Natolly but at what cost? Witchcraft of course.

Where do I start? The huge mash-up on page 157 or the love spell that seems to have worked in every way except on Mr. Natolly?! She goes from Plain Jane to Gorgeous Vixen in just 2 days, she gains magical powers and gets her revenge served both cold and bloody but she still has to beg Mr. Natolly for it? Which is ludicrous because then what was the whole point of it being a love spell?! Wow, her life really does suck if not even a love spell can get her the man! The typos were hard to miss, too. There were a few good moments such as the gore, though, and I loved the concept and the originality. It just missed the mark by a few metres.

*I received this book from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Castspells.
169 reviews3 followers
April 22, 2024
Very poignant and brain numbing, It felt like a poorly thought through revenge fantasy that failed to deliver on several fronts. The biggest crime this book has committed was being extremely unmemorable and offering nothing to the reader…
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