What do you think?
Rate this book
Dead Spots
In the dead spots, dreams become reality, terror knows your name, and nightmares can kill you.
The stillbirth of Mackenzie's son destroyed her marriage. Grieving, Mac reluctantly heads for her childhood home to seek refuge with her mother, who constantly reminds her of life's dangers.
Driving across Texas, Mac swerves to avoid hitting a deer...and winds up in a dead spot, a frightening place that lies between the worlds of the living and the dead. If they can control their imaginations, people can literally bring their dreams to life—but most are beseiged by fears and nightmares which pursue them relentlessly.
Mackenzie's mother and husband haunt her, driving her to the brink of madness. Then she hears a child call for help and her maternal instincts kick into overdrive. Grant, Mac's ally in the dead spots, insists Johnny is a phantom, but the boy seems so real, so alive....
As the true horrors of the dead spots are slowly revealed, Mackenzie realizes that time is running out. But exits from the dead spots are nearly impossible to find, and defended by things almost beyond imagination.
The stillbirth of Mackenzie's son destroyed her marriage. Grieving, Mac reluctantly heads for her childhood home to seek refuge with her mother, who constantly reminds her of life's dangers.
Driving across Texas, Mac swerves to avoid hitting a deer...and winds up in a dead spot, a frightening place that lies between the worlds of the living and the dead. If they can control their imaginations, people can literally bring their dreams to life—but most are beseiged by fears and nightmares which pursue them relentlessly.
Mackenzie's mother and husband haunt her, driving her to the brink of madness. Then she hears a child call for help and her maternal instincts kick into overdrive. Grant, Mac's ally in the dead spots, insists Johnny is a phantom, but the boy seems so real, so alive....
As the true horrors of the dead spots are slowly revealed, Mackenzie realizes that time is running out. But exits from the dead spots are nearly impossible to find, and defended by things almost beyond imagination.
400 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 2015
17 people are currently reading
1296 people want to read
About the author
Rhiannon Frater
68 books1,659 followersRhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies zombie trilogy (Tor) as well as independent works such as The Last Bastion of the Living (declared the #1 Zombie Release of 2012 by Explorations Fantasy Blog and the #1 Zombie Novel of the Decade by B&N Book Blog).
She was born and raised in Texas where she currently resides with her husband and furry children (a.k.a pets).
She loves scary movies, sci-fi and horror shows, playing video games, cooking, dyeing her hair weird colors, and shopping for Betsey Johnson purses and shoes.
She was born and raised in Texas where she currently resides with her husband and furry children (a.k.a pets).
She loves scary movies, sci-fi and horror shows, playing video games, cooking, dyeing her hair weird colors, and shopping for Betsey Johnson purses and shoes.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
March 17, 2015
While the concept of this book was very solid, the execution needed a little work.
Mackenzie is struggling to go on after the stillbirth of her son, her husband leaving her for another woman and the loss of her job. She decides to return home to her mother's ranch in Texas However as she begins her journey driving home, she stumbles across an old derelict cafe in the middle of nowhere. Stepping inside she discovers a new world, the world of dreams and nightmares where your fears can become reality.
I thought this was an intriguing read, with an interesting main character. While sometimes I wanted to shake her due to foolish decisions, I felt like she was believable, and I genuinely felt for her over the loss of her child. I think the author did a great job of capturing her feelings, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her starting to come into her own.
However there were a few problems with the execution of this book. The dialogue was a bit cheesy in places, and it became annoying with repetition. In a dialogue spanning no more than two pages "What the hell" was used a whopping 9 times, and when you're counting how many times a phrase is repeated, you aren't paying close enough attention to what else is going on.
I also had some issues with the "timing" of the story. It seems a lot happens in 5 days. So much so that Mackenzie does a complete 180 on her emotions several times, which was a bit hard to believe.
Overall, not quite a terrifying read (although if you have a crippling fear of clowns or sharks you may want to avoid it) but the story is interesting enough it may be worthwhile to pick up.
September 4, 2015
This book was a faboulas read! I would recommend it to all.
Old abandoned buildings in this world are where the dead spots draw you in. If you enter an old building that has been in disrepair for quite sometime and the door closes behind you you have entered the Dead Spot where all your night mares are manifest.
In this dead spot a young lady who had just lost her child to death meets a man and a child and they face their fears and demons and find a way back to the reality we all know.
This book was wonderfully written. It was inspired by the author who had just suffered the worse loss any one could imagine. She had a still birth.
She did a servey on facebook to find out what people feared and found that our fears are farely universal. She took that knowledge and created a great piece of art entitled "The Dead Spots."
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Diamond
Old abandoned buildings in this world are where the dead spots draw you in. If you enter an old building that has been in disrepair for quite sometime and the door closes behind you you have entered the Dead Spot where all your night mares are manifest.
In this dead spot a young lady who had just lost her child to death meets a man and a child and they face their fears and demons and find a way back to the reality we all know.
This book was wonderfully written. It was inspired by the author who had just suffered the worse loss any one could imagine. She had a still birth.
She did a servey on facebook to find out what people feared and found that our fears are farely universal. She took that knowledge and created a great piece of art entitled "The Dead Spots."
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Diamond
August 17, 2015
*I'll mark any spoilers ahead, but be warned and don't click them if you see them and haven't read the book.
I'm giving this 1.5 stars for effort. Ms. Frater's idea was a really good one, and I have been really excited to read Dead Spots since it's release, so when I got the audiobook I was pumped to finally get the chance to read it. It was not at all the book I was expecting it to be - Mackenzie was a whiny, self-centered character and regardless of her situation, I hated her so much. We did have one thing in common though, which is that we both like making lists, so here's mine for this book:
1. So, after the stillbirth of Mackenzie's son, everything falls apart in her marriage six months later. So she bitches, moans, and cries for like SEVENTY PERCENT of the fucking book but it's totally fine for her find solace with someone literally two days after she falls into the "dead spot." I don't get it.
2. WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCKITY FUCK?!
3. Mackenzie was the most gullible character in the universe. If you're looking for a kickass heroine, LOL LOOK SOMEWHERE ELSE because Mackenzie is whimpy as hell. I don't even think she could walk in a straight line by herself. She was basically dragged along the "dead spots" by men the entire time, and at one point claims she's going to "fight for herself," which I was waiting for, but still never actually happened.
4. Also, wtf Rhiannon Frater? Mackenzie's mother struggles with OCD (something I also struggle with) and Frater repeatedly refers to this as something Mackenzie had to deal with as a kid. I feel like she didn't do much research on it, or didn't really care much about it. It was definitely something that could have been left out.
5. With all the potential in this novel, that ending was kind of a cop-out. Man, there was so much potential there. There was also literally NO character growth for any of the characters. I am all sassed out for now.
I'm giving this 1.5 stars for effort. Ms. Frater's idea was a really good one, and I have been really excited to read Dead Spots since it's release, so when I got the audiobook I was pumped to finally get the chance to read it. It was not at all the book I was expecting it to be - Mackenzie was a whiny, self-centered character and regardless of her situation, I hated her so much. We did have one thing in common though, which is that we both like making lists, so here's mine for this book:
1. So, after the stillbirth of Mackenzie's son, everything falls apart in her marriage six months later. So she bitches, moans, and cries for like SEVENTY PERCENT of the fucking book but it's totally fine for her find solace with someone literally two days after she falls into the "dead spot." I don't get it.
2. WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCKITY FUCK?!
3. Mackenzie was the most gullible character in the universe. If you're looking for a kickass heroine, LOL LOOK SOMEWHERE ELSE because Mackenzie is whimpy as hell. I don't even think she could walk in a straight line by herself. She was basically dragged along the "dead spots" by men the entire time, and at one point claims she's going to "fight for herself," which I was waiting for, but still never actually happened.
4. Also, wtf Rhiannon Frater? Mackenzie's mother struggles with OCD (something I also struggle with) and Frater repeatedly refers to this as something Mackenzie had to deal with as a kid. I feel like she didn't do much research on it, or didn't really care much about it. It was definitely something that could have been left out.
5. With all the potential in this novel, that ending was kind of a cop-out. Man, there was so much potential there. There was also literally NO character growth for any of the characters. I am all sassed out for now.
January 6, 2013
I had the honor of test reading this book for the author. I can say without a doubt this is the best book I have read in a long time. It has been months since I read it and I still can't get it out of my head.
The author's writing has matured so much that it is almost hard to believe that this is by the same person who wrote the AtWD trilogy. Don't get me wrong those are ALL wonderful books. But Dead Spots is in a league of it's own. I cannot wait for this book to be released so I can scream about it.
This was a very early draft of this book and much will and can change.
The author's writing has matured so much that it is almost hard to believe that this is by the same person who wrote the AtWD trilogy. Don't get me wrong those are ALL wonderful books. But Dead Spots is in a league of it's own. I cannot wait for this book to be released so I can scream about it.
This was a very early draft of this book and much will and can change.
February 11, 2015
It’s not often that I get super excited and fan girl over a book, but this is one of them. I read a very early copy of this since I was lucky enough to be a beta reader. I feel like I need to disclose that. Having said that, this is a book that I need to own a physical copy of because it was absolutely amazing!! I need to read it again. (As soon as I can make myself carve out time for it, which will be soon.) The terror was so real, the emotions and feelings were pulling me every which way, and I felt so drawn into it and needed to know what was coming. This book really just hit me hard with the feels and the creep factor. It even has a super horrifying clown. It is after all set in a world between life and death where nightmares dominate and it’s almost impossible to get out.
Mackenzie was a fantastic character. She is very broken. Having given birth to a stillborn child and losing herself in grief, her life isn’t a bright and happy one. Her marriage is destroyed and she feels like her life has fallen apart. When she ends up in the dead spot, she doesn’t believe it’s real. She thinks she is dreaming. There is terror around every corner. She does find an ally who has been trapped in the dead spot for a long time. It isn’t just that simple though. She stays reluctant, not wanting to believe in this disturbing place, even after numerous gruesome and horrible things happen. Fear is a hard thing and she isn’t able to just overcome everything that has happened or keep the nightmares and horrible thoughts that consume her at bay. The dead spots feed off of fear and that is how the evil lurking gets you. It was very painful at times to go through what Mackenzie was going through. My heart ached for her. I feared for her. I wanted so badly for her to be able to push down some of her emotion so she could survive and find escape back to the real world.
Grant has been in the dead spot for a long time. I did have a hard time trusting him, but I really felt that he wanted to help Mackenzie. He’s been through a lot also. He has also seen numerous horrors in the dead spot. He has seen many destroyed by it. A fate worse than death. He was interesting and pretty complex. He was a bit creepy at times to me as well, but not like the evil beings were.
There is plenty of heart racing, spine tingling moments in this book for those of you who love that sort of thing. For those who don’t, yes, it’s creepy, but there is an amazing story to it. Underlying all the scary stuff, there is a very deep and emotional story as well. There is so much more to this than a horror story. It’s very psychological as well. In fact, the end was the most amazing, head scratching, I’m confused ending ever. Not in a bad way though. It leaves you thinking. I promise it’s not a cliffhanger or anything, it’s just one of those ending that kind of throws you, but it’s perfect for the story. I feel like I haven’t gone into this much, but it’s really something you have to read. I don’t want to give anything away. All I can say is this is one of my favorite books. I adore Rhiannon Frater’s writing and creativity and love many of her books, but this one just blew me away. I hope that many of you get this and read it’s awesomeness. I can’t express my love for this enough!
Mackenzie was a fantastic character. She is very broken. Having given birth to a stillborn child and losing herself in grief, her life isn’t a bright and happy one. Her marriage is destroyed and she feels like her life has fallen apart. When she ends up in the dead spot, she doesn’t believe it’s real. She thinks she is dreaming. There is terror around every corner. She does find an ally who has been trapped in the dead spot for a long time. It isn’t just that simple though. She stays reluctant, not wanting to believe in this disturbing place, even after numerous gruesome and horrible things happen. Fear is a hard thing and she isn’t able to just overcome everything that has happened or keep the nightmares and horrible thoughts that consume her at bay. The dead spots feed off of fear and that is how the evil lurking gets you. It was very painful at times to go through what Mackenzie was going through. My heart ached for her. I feared for her. I wanted so badly for her to be able to push down some of her emotion so she could survive and find escape back to the real world.
Grant has been in the dead spot for a long time. I did have a hard time trusting him, but I really felt that he wanted to help Mackenzie. He’s been through a lot also. He has also seen numerous horrors in the dead spot. He has seen many destroyed by it. A fate worse than death. He was interesting and pretty complex. He was a bit creepy at times to me as well, but not like the evil beings were.
There is plenty of heart racing, spine tingling moments in this book for those of you who love that sort of thing. For those who don’t, yes, it’s creepy, but there is an amazing story to it. Underlying all the scary stuff, there is a very deep and emotional story as well. There is so much more to this than a horror story. It’s very psychological as well. In fact, the end was the most amazing, head scratching, I’m confused ending ever. Not in a bad way though. It leaves you thinking. I promise it’s not a cliffhanger or anything, it’s just one of those ending that kind of throws you, but it’s perfect for the story. I feel like I haven’t gone into this much, but it’s really something you have to read. I don’t want to give anything away. All I can say is this is one of my favorite books. I adore Rhiannon Frater’s writing and creativity and love many of her books, but this one just blew me away. I hope that many of you get this and read it’s awesomeness. I can’t express my love for this enough!
February 24, 2015
Rhiannon Frater once again gives us a horror novel with human depth and relatability. I think one of my main complaints about the horror novels I’ve read in the past is that most of the time the characters are pawns, they never grow as people and in the end I never really felt a true connection to them. So far everything I’ve read by Frater has given me characters with whom I can relate to on some level, and who I want to see triumph over their fears and obstacles.
Dead Spots takes on a new spin for living your fears. After a incredibly tough time where she loses her baby and finds herself divorced, Mackenzie stumbles into an abandoned cafe after nearly having a car accident. The cafe is a Dead Spot, a place where life once thrived and is now empty and seeking to reclaim that life. The world the Dead Spot leads to is one of pure nightmares, though there are a few places where dreams reign and peace can be had. If you fear it then you can expect to see it while you’re traveling in this alternate world. And while it does go over those rather silly fears we all have like monsters or bugs, it also touches on fears that are more grounded in reality like losing your family. I loved the whole idea of this world and I can only imagine the sort of things I would see…actually I can imagine it quite well. o_o
While Mackenzie had her moments of unlikability, like her stubbornness and over all skepticism which did make complete sense given the situation, I actually found myself loving and rooting for her. The fact that she deals with anxiety was the thing that connected me to her the most, because I know how that feels. In some ways that dead spot world is the way my mind feels on a very bad day, and I really appreciated Fraters inclusion of it in the story. I also enjoyed seeing her find herself again. She struggles with self-doubt and self-blame in extreme amounts, and seeing her gain her strength and determination again over the course of the novel was fantastic. There are so many amazing side characters in this as well, though some are more on the creepy side than others.
Overall I think this is a strong addition to Frater’s already fantastic bibliography. While it might not be my favorite of hers, I still enjoyed it immensely. I recommend this to horror fans who enjoy atmospheric and moody reads.
Dead Spots takes on a new spin for living your fears. After a incredibly tough time where she loses her baby and finds herself divorced, Mackenzie stumbles into an abandoned cafe after nearly having a car accident. The cafe is a Dead Spot, a place where life once thrived and is now empty and seeking to reclaim that life. The world the Dead Spot leads to is one of pure nightmares, though there are a few places where dreams reign and peace can be had. If you fear it then you can expect to see it while you’re traveling in this alternate world. And while it does go over those rather silly fears we all have like monsters or bugs, it also touches on fears that are more grounded in reality like losing your family. I loved the whole idea of this world and I can only imagine the sort of things I would see…actually I can imagine it quite well. o_o
While Mackenzie had her moments of unlikability, like her stubbornness and over all skepticism which did make complete sense given the situation, I actually found myself loving and rooting for her. The fact that she deals with anxiety was the thing that connected me to her the most, because I know how that feels. In some ways that dead spot world is the way my mind feels on a very bad day, and I really appreciated Fraters inclusion of it in the story. I also enjoyed seeing her find herself again. She struggles with self-doubt and self-blame in extreme amounts, and seeing her gain her strength and determination again over the course of the novel was fantastic. There are so many amazing side characters in this as well, though some are more on the creepy side than others.
Overall I think this is a strong addition to Frater’s already fantastic bibliography. While it might not be my favorite of hers, I still enjoyed it immensely. I recommend this to horror fans who enjoy atmospheric and moody reads.
February 12, 2015
While I could have done without Mackenzie's mood swings (for the past six months she hasn't wanted to let go of her child and Tanner, yet one day after entering the dead spot she's already thinking about Grant), Dead Spots was a shockingly fun and blindingly quick read despite its length. I have no idea when the sequel will come out - or if there even is a sequel, but I'm already looking forward to diving back in this world (and catching up with Lucas~)!
For the full review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
For the full review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
March 22, 2016
This is the bubble gum and pigtails version of a horror story. The writing reads like an 18 year old fresh out of a creative writing class. The editing was good, but the writing was too simplistic for me. And for God's sake, the MC actually had a Brittney Spears ringtone on her phone! DNF at 36%. This is a waste of my precious reading time.
October 7, 2015
Okay now that I have some time I can finally put my thoughts on Dead Spots down.
Rhiannon has crafted a brilliant look into the mind.
How it can trick you, cause you fear, weaken your body, weaken your senses, play on your hopes, your fears. The mind.
Being stuck in a world of your nightmares - tell me that doesn't sound horrible. But for some people (myself included) that's where we are. Always. Stuck in our fears (which are never-ending, mind you), trying in vain to still them, to be at peace with what those around you cannot understand. And there are those you hold close that are causing the anxiety but you are unable to realize it, trapped as you are in this never-ending cycle of dread, of overwhelming negativity.
She's placed those with Generalized Anxiety Disorder or Depression or OCD or any mental and/or physical illness bearer into a world where their everyday plights are common, and it helps one recognize their symptoms, locate the cause, and perhaps even fight their way through, if only by seeing it on a page. The thought, "I am not alone," came to mind while I read it.
If anything else, Dead Spots merely shows that people, that women, are not any 'less' for dealing with what they do, that the horrors of the world are not our fault, that the true way to gain power is through the self, and that no one can truly help you, but you. No one can take the step for a better life, but yourself.
But it's one hell of a ride getting to that point, just like real life.
This was a wonderfully done novel, chilling me to the bone, causing me to maybe not sleep right away once I'd put it down for the night, and wonder just what prowled outside my window while I slept.
She caught my interest with Pretty When She Dies, now she has me as a reader for life with Dead Spots. Rhiannon Frater is on my list as my absolute favorite author, her ability to weave a rather 'real' story placed in a nightmarish 'almost fictional' world is quite frightening in its execution.
She's a master of character, of depth, and story, and I feel I'm beginning to notice her trademark flair for the grotesque. (It startles me when I do read a particularly gruesome scene, only for me to go 'She's a sick one.') Yet it only endears me to her work further.
I will be looking at Mrs. Frater's backlog of work to pick up what I haven't read, and I will be eagerly devouring all her new work.
She's sunk her claws into me and I'm afraid they won't come out.
Rhiannon has crafted a brilliant look into the mind.
How it can trick you, cause you fear, weaken your body, weaken your senses, play on your hopes, your fears. The mind.
Being stuck in a world of your nightmares - tell me that doesn't sound horrible. But for some people (myself included) that's where we are. Always. Stuck in our fears (which are never-ending, mind you), trying in vain to still them, to be at peace with what those around you cannot understand. And there are those you hold close that are causing the anxiety but you are unable to realize it, trapped as you are in this never-ending cycle of dread, of overwhelming negativity.
She's placed those with Generalized Anxiety Disorder or Depression or OCD or any mental and/or physical illness bearer into a world where their everyday plights are common, and it helps one recognize their symptoms, locate the cause, and perhaps even fight their way through, if only by seeing it on a page. The thought, "I am not alone," came to mind while I read it.
If anything else, Dead Spots merely shows that people, that women, are not any 'less' for dealing with what they do, that the horrors of the world are not our fault, that the true way to gain power is through the self, and that no one can truly help you, but you. No one can take the step for a better life, but yourself.
But it's one hell of a ride getting to that point, just like real life.
This was a wonderfully done novel, chilling me to the bone, causing me to maybe not sleep right away once I'd put it down for the night, and wonder just what prowled outside my window while I slept.
She caught my interest with Pretty When She Dies, now she has me as a reader for life with Dead Spots. Rhiannon Frater is on my list as my absolute favorite author, her ability to weave a rather 'real' story placed in a nightmarish 'almost fictional' world is quite frightening in its execution.
She's a master of character, of depth, and story, and I feel I'm beginning to notice her trademark flair for the grotesque. (It startles me when I do read a particularly gruesome scene, only for me to go 'She's a sick one.') Yet it only endears me to her work further.
I will be looking at Mrs. Frater's backlog of work to pick up what I haven't read, and I will be eagerly devouring all her new work.
She's sunk her claws into me and I'm afraid they won't come out.
March 12, 2015
I randomly came across this book in the horror section of my bookstore... it caught my eye because it was a brand new book spine I had never seen there before. I was instantly drawn to it. I had no idea what it was about when I decided buy it... In fact the main reason I bought it is because it came out on my birthday this year. Strange, I know, but I am glad that I let it sway me.
Did this book scare me? No, not really.
I was a tad bit disappointed because I don't personally feel like I could comfortably call Dead Spots a horror novel. It just didn't have the same feel as horror does to me; it had magic that was down right whimsical at times, parts that were so cheesy I was rolling my eyes, and a moments where it borderline became a romance novel. Yes, yes, it did have it's horrific scenes that creeped me a little (i.e. the woman in the cafe? eek.) but nothing down right scared me.
Despite that, I was fully engrossed into Mackenzie's journey through the nightmare world, I seriously couldn't put the book down, I down right REFUSED to at times. And even though her (Mackenzie's) decisions frustrated me, and she is the total opposite of me in many ways... I felt connected to her, I wanted to see her succeed and push past all of her anxieties/dependency on other people. I was whole heartedly rooting for her to overcome her fears from the very beginning.
But Mackenzie wasn't the only thing pulling me back.
Frater's world building skills are quite phenomenal; her choice of descriptive words can give you goosebumps, her fight scenes are fluid, her monsters are imaginative, and the way she kills people off? Wicked.
All around, a good read.
The main reason I didn't give this more stars is
1. The too cheesy, and unrealistically moving romances.
2. The demonization of her mother's mental illness. It just really didn't sit well with me. I understand that Mackenzie had a hard childhood because of her mother's illness, but I would have liked to have seen a lot more understanding in the book about it. Especially from Mackenzie.
Did this book scare me? No, not really.
I was a tad bit disappointed because I don't personally feel like I could comfortably call Dead Spots a horror novel. It just didn't have the same feel as horror does to me; it had magic that was down right whimsical at times, parts that were so cheesy I was rolling my eyes, and a moments where it borderline became a romance novel. Yes, yes, it did have it's horrific scenes that creeped me a little (i.e. the woman in the cafe? eek.) but nothing down right scared me.
Despite that, I was fully engrossed into Mackenzie's journey through the nightmare world, I seriously couldn't put the book down, I down right REFUSED to at times. And even though her (Mackenzie's) decisions frustrated me, and she is the total opposite of me in many ways... I felt connected to her, I wanted to see her succeed and push past all of her anxieties/dependency on other people. I was whole heartedly rooting for her to overcome her fears from the very beginning.
But Mackenzie wasn't the only thing pulling me back.
Frater's world building skills are quite phenomenal; her choice of descriptive words can give you goosebumps, her fight scenes are fluid, her monsters are imaginative, and the way she kills people off? Wicked.
All around, a good read.
The main reason I didn't give this more stars is
1. The too cheesy, and unrealistically moving romances.
2. The demonization of her mother's mental illness. It just really didn't sit well with me. I understand that Mackenzie had a hard childhood because of her mother's illness, but I would have liked to have seen a lot more understanding in the book about it. Especially from Mackenzie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2015
There are times that I read books without knowing anything about it. One of these is Dead Spot, let alone that it is a horror book. Which I usually do not read. I love scary movies but reading horror genre is not my thing. I like the visual effects and sometimes books do not do this justice. But Dead Spot did a great job… It is full of actions, scary monsters and general mayhem.
Dead Spot is a place of fear. A place full of nightmares. Full of monsters. The last place Mackenzie expected to be. After an incredibly tough time, in which she loses her baby and finds herself divorced. This is depressing and morbid. One day she stumbled upon an abandoned cafe minutes after nearly having a car accident. Seriously, things just cannot get any better for her. But this is just the beginning of her worst nightmares. This abandon cafe is one of the many of the Dead Spot - a place in between the living and the afterlife.
With everything that happened to Mackenzie, feeling compassion towards her is understandable. Now cheering and loving her is something I did not expect to do. I loved how she transformed to a brave person. She faced her worst fears. She did not let any of the creatures in Dead Spot take her down. With this new spark of bravery, she was able to find herself again.
Dead Spot was a great read. It was creepy, gruesome and the terror was real. Well done, Rhiannon!
Dead Spot is a place of fear. A place full of nightmares. Full of monsters. The last place Mackenzie expected to be. After an incredibly tough time, in which she loses her baby and finds herself divorced. This is depressing and morbid. One day she stumbled upon an abandoned cafe minutes after nearly having a car accident. Seriously, things just cannot get any better for her. But this is just the beginning of her worst nightmares. This abandon cafe is one of the many of the Dead Spot - a place in between the living and the afterlife.
With everything that happened to Mackenzie, feeling compassion towards her is understandable. Now cheering and loving her is something I did not expect to do. I loved how she transformed to a brave person. She faced her worst fears. She did not let any of the creatures in Dead Spot take her down. With this new spark of bravery, she was able to find herself again.
Dead Spot was a great read. It was creepy, gruesome and the terror was real. Well done, Rhiannon!
March 25, 2015
A paranormal story that's quite different from so many. Gone are the vampires, shifters, and witches. "Dead Spots," is a world full of nightmares that never end, where your fears come to fruition. What's real? What's not? Who to trust? Who to believe? One of the most interesting novels of the paranormal genre I've read in a while.
September 19, 2015
It would've been nice to know how they explain to everybody where they were
September 23, 2018
3.5 rounded up
Dead Spots= places that are abandoned, but were inhabited, important, and/or loved back in their heyday. A Dead Spot can be manipulated.
Book opens with Mackenzie happily marries to Tanner and 8 months pregnant with their son, Joshua. She loses the baby. My heart broke for her as she grieves and no one really understood her grief. Tanner leaves her. She loses her job. She come to the realization that their friends were really Tanner's friends. Her best friend lives across the country.
Fast forward 6 months later and Mackenzie is freshly divorced and on her way to her mom's. Her mom happens to have OCD, but not not is spend on her mental disorder. What did come across, was her mother was a judgmental bitch. Mackenzie almost hits a deer and stops to explore an bandoned cafe and accidentally gets trapped in a Dead Spot.
What follows is a nightmare world, fears are given free reign. Nothing and no one is as they seem or first appear. Maybe they are trustworthy.....or not.
Mackenzie was frustrating at first. She did, eventually, morph into someone who kicked ass and took names, but it took the whole book to get there. I did like that there really isn't any romance in this one- it was fitting for the character and setting. Lust yes. Love no. I did like this, I was invested.
I would have liked more at the end. It was a little too abrupt. A little more would have been nice.
Dead Spots= places that are abandoned, but were inhabited, important, and/or loved back in their heyday. A Dead Spot can be manipulated.
Book opens with Mackenzie happily marries to Tanner and 8 months pregnant with their son, Joshua. She loses the baby. My heart broke for her as she grieves and no one really understood her grief. Tanner leaves her. She loses her job. She come to the realization that their friends were really Tanner's friends. Her best friend lives across the country.
Fast forward 6 months later and Mackenzie is freshly divorced and on her way to her mom's. Her mom happens to have OCD, but not not is spend on her mental disorder. What did come across, was her mother was a judgmental bitch. Mackenzie almost hits a deer and stops to explore an bandoned cafe and accidentally gets trapped in a Dead Spot.
What follows is a nightmare world, fears are given free reign. Nothing and no one is as they seem or first appear. Maybe they are trustworthy.....or not.
Mackenzie was frustrating at first. She did, eventually, morph into someone who kicked ass and took names, but it took the whole book to get there. I did like that there really isn't any romance in this one- it was fitting for the character and setting. Lust yes. Love no. I did like this, I was invested.
I would have liked more at the end. It was a little too abrupt. A little more would have been nice.
February 5, 2021
Dnf this book at 57%. I tried to finish this book, since it became a part of a friend exchange and wanted to push myself to finish this, but this book was not getting any better. The characters were boring, all they did was walk, eat and say “what the hell” that was literally the entire book. It’s so boring and NOTHING! And I mean NOTHING happens. The main character whines the whole time and is so wishy washy. Then the dude that helps her out is so hard core and then changes his mind. It was so frustrating and the scenes weren’t even scary at all. They were extremely comical. I laughed at one of the scenes with killer balloons.
This is my first ever horror book and I am EXTREMELY let down. I would not pick this book up unless you want a book with no plot and no character development. And the concept is so interesting, but the writing is one of the worst I have ever seen.
This is my first ever horror book and I am EXTREMELY let down. I would not pick this book up unless you want a book with no plot and no character development. And the concept is so interesting, but the writing is one of the worst I have ever seen.
dnf
March 2, 2019Seemed pretty good in the two chapters I read but just not like a Christina book, especially for how I've been feeling lately. The heroine's going through deep depression after a late stage miscarriage and her husband subsequently leaving her.
June 25, 2023
DNF'd at page 99. It was ok, but not good enough to keep reading. Some parts were too neatly explained; after I'd rolled my eyes several times, I decided it was time to put this one aside.
May 25, 2024
Frater has a real knack for writing tense and terrorizing scenes. When Mackenzie first steps into a Dead Spot, she enters through an abandoned diner. It comes to life as a bustling 1950s joint but as the moments tick past it becomes more and more sinister. The entire atmosphere felt predatory, like a beautiful, carnivorous flower. It was a perfectly plotted horror scene.
I almost didn't make it past the first few chapters, because the dialogue in them was so pedestrian. But I am so glad I pushed through because Fraser nailed the horror aspect, and the plot picks up once Mackenzie enters the Dead Spot.
I can't get over how much of a piece of pondscum Mackenzie's ex-husband was and I don't think she ever came around to realizing that he was the problem in their entire relationship. MacKenzie has a stillbirth and is understandably devastated and her husband within six months has left her, found a new girlfriend, and impregnated his girlfriend and announced the pregnancy. So he supported his wife for about one or two months tops before he decided that she was too big of a bummer and he went to find someone else to knock-up. This man cannot deal with hardship and makes a terrible husband and father. You cannot be a fair weather partner and parent. I understand that Mackenzie loved him and mourned his loss but I do wish later on she recognized how terrible he was. I hope he wanders into a Dead Spot and gets eaten or chased by a killer clown.
I almost didn't make it past the first few chapters, because the dialogue in them was so pedestrian. But I am so glad I pushed through because Fraser nailed the horror aspect, and the plot picks up once Mackenzie enters the Dead Spot.
I can't get over how much of a piece of pondscum Mackenzie's ex-husband was and I don't think she ever came around to realizing that he was the problem in their entire relationship. MacKenzie has a stillbirth and is understandably devastated and her husband within six months has left her, found a new girlfriend, and impregnated his girlfriend and announced the pregnancy. So he supported his wife for about one or two months tops before he decided that she was too big of a bummer and he went to find someone else to knock-up. This man cannot deal with hardship and makes a terrible husband and father. You cannot be a fair weather partner and parent. I understand that Mackenzie loved him and mourned his loss but I do wish later on she recognized how terrible he was. I hope he wanders into a Dead Spot and gets eaten or chased by a killer clown.
February 28, 2015
Six months after the stillbirth of her son, Mackenzie Babin is grieving not only his death, but the loss of her job, her home, and her marriage. As a last resort, she decides to return to her mother's ranch in Texas until she can get back on her feet again. On her way home, a curious near-accident on an isolated road lands her in front of an abandoned diner. In an uncharacteristically bold moment, she steps inside the building to look around and finds herself trapped in a frightening limbo from which there may be no return. The diner is a dead spot - a place left behind by the real world that acts as a doorway to the ever-shifting world of dreams and nightmares. Mackenzie abruptly runs into Grant in the dead spot, and despairs when she she learns that he has been trapped inside this alternate reality for years. After the two survive a terrifying encounter with the diner's other-worldly staff and patrons, she comes to see Grant as her guide and protector in this dangerous, sentient place that knows your fears and sorrows, and uses them to hunt you down and drain you of your energy, your sanity, and your life.
Although Mackenzie is in her mid-twenties, Rhiannon Frater's Dead Spots feels very much like a coming of age story viewed through a dark lens. Raised by a rigid and critical mother, Mackenzie escapes her childhood home by eloping with a man who lacks the emotional maturity for a lasting relationship. She has had more than her share of pain and guilt heaped upon her, which makes her a delicacy for nightmare creatures that readily feed on those who have lost hope. In her travels, she must learn to rely on herself, trust her instincts, and use the steel spine she doesn't yet realize she possesses.
The primary characters in Dead Spots are multi-faceted and provoke specific emotions, whether positive or negative. Those emotions shifted for me as the story progressed, but I did respond to Mackenzie and company. Some of the choices she makes are ill-considered and frustrating, but Mackenzie is learning her way through an unfamiliar world while sorting out who she is and what she stands for.
Read the complete review here: http://qwillery.blogspot.com/2015/02/...
Although Mackenzie is in her mid-twenties, Rhiannon Frater's Dead Spots feels very much like a coming of age story viewed through a dark lens. Raised by a rigid and critical mother, Mackenzie escapes her childhood home by eloping with a man who lacks the emotional maturity for a lasting relationship. She has had more than her share of pain and guilt heaped upon her, which makes her a delicacy for nightmare creatures that readily feed on those who have lost hope. In her travels, she must learn to rely on herself, trust her instincts, and use the steel spine she doesn't yet realize she possesses.
The primary characters in Dead Spots are multi-faceted and provoke specific emotions, whether positive or negative. Those emotions shifted for me as the story progressed, but I did respond to Mackenzie and company. Some of the choices she makes are ill-considered and frustrating, but Mackenzie is learning her way through an unfamiliar world while sorting out who she is and what she stands for.
Read the complete review here: http://qwillery.blogspot.com/2015/02/...
March 2, 2015
Dead Spots was my first time reading a Rhiannon Frater book and I have to say, I was quite impressed. I cracked it open and was hooked from the prologue. That doesn’t happen for me very often. Most books require at least a few chapters to grab me.
Right out of the gate, this book starts out with a heartbreaking series of events. As it states in the blurb, our main girl Mackenzie ends up giving birth to a stillborn child. The fallout of her son’s death consists of her marriage coming to an abrupt end and her being forced to move back to her home state of Texas. On the road, she encounters what is known as a dead spot – a place between. Between the living and the dead.
The atmosphere Frater builds is positively creeptastic. She wastes no time dragging you from the dreary world where Mackenzie has to say goodbye to the life she could have had to the dead spot where that life haunts her at her every turn. She even thoroughly grossed me out at one point. It was pretty awesome.
The premise behind Dead Spots is what attracted me to the title. I am a big fan of horror and the idea of being trapped in a place like that is a little terrifying. A place where if you can imagine it in your fears, it can come to life and kill you. It’s an intriguing plot design and the tone of the book kind of reminded me of John Carpenter’s In The Mouth of Madness.
Overall, Dead Spots is an incredibly well-written book and I am so glad I gave it a try. Now I have to go through the authors catalog and pick up some other reads of her. I loved the style and pacing of this story and I am hoping to find it’s a common thread in her writing. If you’re a fan of Stephen King (think circa Gerald’s Game or Dolan’s Cadillac) or even the more tame pieces in Dean Koontz’s catalog, I think you’d like Dead Spots. It creepy but still touches your heart, which is a hard balancing act to pull off. Brava, Ms, Frater!
Right out of the gate, this book starts out with a heartbreaking series of events. As it states in the blurb, our main girl Mackenzie ends up giving birth to a stillborn child. The fallout of her son’s death consists of her marriage coming to an abrupt end and her being forced to move back to her home state of Texas. On the road, she encounters what is known as a dead spot – a place between. Between the living and the dead.
The atmosphere Frater builds is positively creeptastic. She wastes no time dragging you from the dreary world where Mackenzie has to say goodbye to the life she could have had to the dead spot where that life haunts her at her every turn. She even thoroughly grossed me out at one point. It was pretty awesome.
The premise behind Dead Spots is what attracted me to the title. I am a big fan of horror and the idea of being trapped in a place like that is a little terrifying. A place where if you can imagine it in your fears, it can come to life and kill you. It’s an intriguing plot design and the tone of the book kind of reminded me of John Carpenter’s In The Mouth of Madness.
Overall, Dead Spots is an incredibly well-written book and I am so glad I gave it a try. Now I have to go through the authors catalog and pick up some other reads of her. I loved the style and pacing of this story and I am hoping to find it’s a common thread in her writing. If you’re a fan of Stephen King (think circa Gerald’s Game or Dolan’s Cadillac) or even the more tame pieces in Dean Koontz’s catalog, I think you’d like Dead Spots. It creepy but still touches your heart, which is a hard balancing act to pull off. Brava, Ms, Frater!
March 10, 2015
I am a big fan of Rhiannon Frater. She writes strong female characters with interesting paranormal and horror stories as the backdrop.
And, I have to say that Dead Spots is probably my favorite so far.
Mackenzie has gone through a horrible 6 month period and now is traveling through Texas to move back in with her mother as she pulls her life together. When she almost hits a deer and stops unexpectedly, she decides to spend a few minutes exploring a deserted old restaurant. As she walks in, she discovers that she has enters a Dead Spot - she's no longer in the real world but that of fears and nightmares.
Part horror, part psychological thriller, part paranormal, part women's fiction. It works.
One of the things that I love is that Frater doesn't write about perfect women with perfect lives. Mac has suffered, been wronged and is close to the end of her rope when she goes into the Dead Spot. But, she learns to take care of herself...with a few bumps in the road. The men also aren't cardboard cutouts. They are real with strengths and weaknesses.
Plus, the Dead Spots are freaky. I wouldn't consider it horror with a capital H but there is plenty here to make you want to keep the night light on and check under the bed before you go to sleep.
A great addition to your library and highly recommended. 5/5 stars.
P.S. I did have one minor quibble but it had nothing to do with the book itself. The cover model is a blonde. Mac is a brunette. I can see why a blonde would work better with the color scheme but it just seems off. Publishers, don't do this.
And, I have to say that Dead Spots is probably my favorite so far.
Mackenzie has gone through a horrible 6 month period and now is traveling through Texas to move back in with her mother as she pulls her life together. When she almost hits a deer and stops unexpectedly, she decides to spend a few minutes exploring a deserted old restaurant. As she walks in, she discovers that she has enters a Dead Spot - she's no longer in the real world but that of fears and nightmares.
Part horror, part psychological thriller, part paranormal, part women's fiction. It works.
One of the things that I love is that Frater doesn't write about perfect women with perfect lives. Mac has suffered, been wronged and is close to the end of her rope when she goes into the Dead Spot. But, she learns to take care of herself...with a few bumps in the road. The men also aren't cardboard cutouts. They are real with strengths and weaknesses.
Plus, the Dead Spots are freaky. I wouldn't consider it horror with a capital H but there is plenty here to make you want to keep the night light on and check under the bed before you go to sleep.
A great addition to your library and highly recommended. 5/5 stars.
P.S. I did have one minor quibble but it had nothing to do with the book itself. The cover model is a blonde. Mac is a brunette. I can see why a blonde would work better with the color scheme but it just seems off. Publishers, don't do this.
April 6, 2015
This book felt like a twilight zone movie. You are thrust into an unknown realm full of rules you don't know and don't understand. It is dangerous to not know these rules and most things out there want to drain you and make you their prisoner. It isn't a jaunty tour of the backroad country.
We start with Mackenzie who is overwhelmed with several losses at once. Her life is in a total upheaval and her grief is threatening to consume her. She does what she can to move forward, but it seems like she is going in slow motion. She stumbles into a "dead spot" and that is where her adventure starts all at once twisting our sense of what is real and what is fantasy.
Although I did enjoy the twists in this story (one of them I was almost yelling at Mackenzie to "get it") what I really loved was her transformation. The grief and emotional and physical attacks could either tear a person down or build to a stronger person. She chose the latter and I really enjoyed the person she became at the end of the story.
My biggest complaint is a small one. I need an epilogue. I need to know that there is truly an HEA. What occurred to me is that there was no escape or that they stumbled onto another world. Actually there are too many possibilities to think about and I blame this book! :) It had so many twists I started inventing possibilities with the ending. Do note that despite my want of an epilogue the ending was complete.
I give this book 4 stars and I recommend it to those that enjoy a twisty tale with a strong contemporary woman.
We start with Mackenzie who is overwhelmed with several losses at once. Her life is in a total upheaval and her grief is threatening to consume her. She does what she can to move forward, but it seems like she is going in slow motion. She stumbles into a "dead spot" and that is where her adventure starts all at once twisting our sense of what is real and what is fantasy.
Although I did enjoy the twists in this story (one of them I was almost yelling at Mackenzie to "get it") what I really loved was her transformation. The grief and emotional and physical attacks could either tear a person down or build to a stronger person. She chose the latter and I really enjoyed the person she became at the end of the story.
My biggest complaint is a small one. I need an epilogue. I need to know that there is truly an HEA. What occurred to me is that there was no escape or that they stumbled onto another world. Actually there are too many possibilities to think about and I blame this book! :) It had so many twists I started inventing possibilities with the ending. Do note that despite my want of an epilogue the ending was complete.
I give this book 4 stars and I recommend it to those that enjoy a twisty tale with a strong contemporary woman.
May 29, 2016
I think it's wonderful that Frater took something that is so painful and isolating for women (miscarriage/stillbirth/the loss of an unborn baby) and talks about it openly and explores the immensity of grief a would-be mother can feel.
I'm having a difficult time writing this review, because I didn't like Mackenzie but I can't tell you why. I think perhaps I could sum it up by saying that she is not someone I would want to spend time with in real life? I was interested in the complexities of the dead spots, the way that the different inhabitants could shape their world, and Frater gives us some creative and gnarly things to fear (including the Clown and his perpetual victim, Tildy ). She throws in several twists, and poor Mackenzie suffers a whole awful lot of abuse on her journey to becoming a stronger, independent woman.
There is a lot of showing and telling in the book. Mackenzie will do something, and then spend three pages thinking about it, and then she'll talk to someone about it, and then the cycle begins again. I think if there hadn't been so much analysis along the way, I would have gotten more caught up in the story and had less time to think about how the story was affecting me, rather than simply feeling it.
In the end, I think I was more interested in an exploration of this other world than I was in Mackenzie's story. I wasn't really feeling any of the romance. I think I might be the wrong audience for this book?
I'm having a difficult time writing this review, because I didn't like Mackenzie but I can't tell you why. I think perhaps I could sum it up by saying that she is not someone I would want to spend time with in real life? I was interested in the complexities of the dead spots, the way that the different inhabitants could shape their world, and Frater gives us some creative and gnarly things to fear (including the Clown and his perpetual victim, Tildy ). She throws in several twists, and poor Mackenzie suffers a whole awful lot of abuse on her journey to becoming a stronger, independent woman.
There is a lot of showing and telling in the book. Mackenzie will do something, and then spend three pages thinking about it, and then she'll talk to someone about it, and then the cycle begins again. I think if there hadn't been so much analysis along the way, I would have gotten more caught up in the story and had less time to think about how the story was affecting me, rather than simply feeling it.
In the end, I think I was more interested in an exploration of this other world than I was in Mackenzie's story. I wasn't really feeling any of the romance. I think I might be the wrong audience for this book?
February 11, 2015
An absolutely amazing story that I could not put down! I read an early beta copy of this story, but man, it was already epic! Rhiannon Frater knows the terrors of the heart and how to twist in the ice pick when it matters most. I've honestly never read anything so haunting, thrilling and emotionally gripping in a very long time like this story. Mac goes through heartache to terror in no time at all. To follow her through this new world that exists right alongside ours that is inescapable in every way, made me fear for her the entire time.
The way the characters are written, you care about them. You want them to succeed and get through this horrible place. When things go awry, it's a fine mess for them to get through. People Mac trusts aren't who they really are, things are never quite real in this strange land. Nightmares are more than alive and a person's inner strength will have to shine through if one is to survive the treacheries of the dead spots. Is there any way out?
This is a must read story in every way possible. Just make sure you're prepared for an all-nighter, it's that intense! Loved it!
The way the characters are written, you care about them. You want them to succeed and get through this horrible place. When things go awry, it's a fine mess for them to get through. People Mac trusts aren't who they really are, things are never quite real in this strange land. Nightmares are more than alive and a person's inner strength will have to shine through if one is to survive the treacheries of the dead spots. Is there any way out?
This is a must read story in every way possible. Just make sure you're prepared for an all-nighter, it's that intense! Loved it!
October 29, 2014
In some ways this book reminds me of Frater's "As The World Dies": the sudden collapse of the world into horror is similar, as is the struggle to stay alive and find strength to replace loss.
The story itself has a strong touch of Stephen King's horror stories, but unlike King's books which is more of a descent into madness, this is an ascent from madness through confronting horrors and fears. A theme which occur frequently in Frater's stories.
As usual, the prose is not spectacular but works.
I would recommend this to people who like Frater's books, as well as any fan of horror stories in the vein of Stephen King.
Enjoyable!
The story itself has a strong touch of Stephen King's horror stories, but unlike King's books which is more of a descent into madness, this is an ascent from madness through confronting horrors and fears. A theme which occur frequently in Frater's stories.
As usual, the prose is not spectacular but works.
I would recommend this to people who like Frater's books, as well as any fan of horror stories in the vein of Stephen King.
Enjoyable!
could-not-finish
February 23, 2016I loved this author's The First Days series. This not so much. I couldn't figure out what was real and what wasn't. Figments (or are they?) were running rampant. I got to about 1/3 of the way through and just couldn't make myself pick it, which is a real shame because I like this author. :(
February 23, 2015
Amazing and awesome.
Evertime I think I've read the best book from Rhiannon she comes with a better one, how can that be?
She is truly amazing. This book was a rollercoaster from beginning till the end.
And I feel sad it's over, I wish there would be more, I loved it so much. Thank you Rhiannon for this amazing ride/read.
Evertime I think I've read the best book from Rhiannon she comes with a better one, how can that be?
She is truly amazing. This book was a rollercoaster from beginning till the end.
And I feel sad it's over, I wish there would be more, I loved it so much. Thank you Rhiannon for this amazing ride/read.
January 27, 2024
Although our local public library has this book filed under adult fiction, it reads like young adult or teen fiction, although some of the themes, such as miscarriage, rape and violence, are adult. My rating is a scant two stars. I didn't dislike it enough to give it only one star but it certainly doesn't deserve more than two.
February 13, 2015
Amazing! Just read it. I really would like to see more of this story.
June 20, 2016
This book was a bit too long-it could have been a good 100 pages shorter and still have the same effect. The author demonstrated great use of imagery, though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews