The Hollower

The Hollower #1

by Mary SanGiovanni

Dave Kohlar, plagued by guilt, doubt, and fear, is plunged into a living nightmare when a Hollower, an inhuman creature that drives its victims to their deaths by exploiting their weaknesses, comes after him. Original.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Paranormal

308 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2007

About the author

Mary SanGiovanni is the author of over twenty books in horror and supernatural thrillers. Her fiction has appeared in periodicals and anthologies for the last decade. She has a Masters degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, Pittsburgh, where she studied under genre greats. She is currently a member of The Authors Guild, The International Thriller Writers, and Penn Writers, and was previously an Active member in the Horror Writers Association.

Reviews

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hollower is a unique creature who stalks and torments his victims. A small group of people are connected by their ability to see The Hollower, and they band together to fight against him.

A fast-paced horror story. Entertaining and creepy.

[Caleb CW · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what I want from horror. At the start I thought I'd made a mistake. It felt cartoonish, like the villain was the one from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Then something changed the danger became something tangible. I was actually scared for the characters even though the character development wasn't entirely there. It was just enough that it was effective. I feel like the creepy pasta slenderman was based heavily off of this novel. Or what I know of slenderman (which isn't much mind you). The Hollower was terrifying. It knew people down to the bone and exposed every fragile weakness within from drugs to loss. And it felt dangerous as effective horror should. For horror lovers out there I'm sure you'll love it. On a side note, I haven't read It by Stephen King but now feel the urge to. This is a recommend of the highest order.

There it is and there you have it.

[Ctgt · Rating 4 out of 5]

She remembered the voice at the bar, not quite male and not quite female, but somehow a chilling strain of each intertwined.
Cheryl realized that for a long time it had been with her, watching her, close to her ear, a chill breath on her neck not like any breath of this earth. It moved freely in her private places, in her safe spaces, and it had for months. It invaded her life, her mind, her sense of security. It wasn't the first time.

Picked up a copy from the author at Authorcon. I have read a book or two of her Kathy Ryan series and enjoyed the writing. I didn't realize this was her first novel and I have to say this is solid writing for a first novel.

Supernatural look at the tendency to focus on past shortcomings.

7/10

[Brandon Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had so much fun with this one!! Very fast paced and creepy, with lots of pretty vivid imagery. Definitely am going to continue this series and read more by Sangiovanni!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hollower is a fast-paced, phantasmagoric horror novel that starts off with a bang, literally, and doesn't let up until the climax, which ties things up neatly but leaving readers with a nifty ending that begs for picking up the sequel, Found You. The protagonist, Dave Kohlar, a small-town newspaper reporter and caretaker of his mentally-disturbed younger sister, begins to have troubling and frightening incidents, where he glimpses a mysterious figure dressed in black, wearing a black fedora...but with a blank, featureless face. Reality begins to blur each time he sees the ominous figure known as The Hollower (my only complaint is that the reason for this moniker is never really fully explained) and his starts to wonder if he'll fall victim to the same mental illness as Sally, his sister. Soon, though, we're introduced to a few other inhabitants of Lakehaven, who've also witnessed The Hollower: a female bartender, a recovering drug addict, a young boy, and the town detective. Things move along swiftly as all four of them realize they will have to band together and attempt to thwart the true nature of this evil entity. Sangiovanni's true talent comes with not only crafting a wholly original plot, and clearly introducing us to the first part of a larger story (now, a trilogy) but skillfully fleshing out these characters with a minimal of effort, and making the reader care about them, even with all their very human faults and failings. Highly recommended.

[Unapologetic_Bookaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this some time before finding Goodreads and being able to post an accurate and heart-felt review.

When I love a book or when a book affects me enough to haunt my memory, even some time later down the line. I want to be able to capture that moment when I turn the last page.

Mary Sangiovanni evokes a powerful response in the reader. If you like your horror served up where the ordinary band together to try and defeat the supernatural. When glimpses of something leaves you so shaken and terrified you convince yourself your dreaming. When you are not sure the good guy will win. When the descriptions of the dark terrors in the book make you wish you hadn't started reading right before bed. Then I recommend The Hollower.

[Jon Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast, fun horror novel that offers an fresh spin on the boogeyman mythos, transforming the closet lurker of childhood into an active predator of adults, bringing forth their hidden fears to feed upon.
Character development could have used a bit more fleshing out, but otherwise a solid first novel.

[Karl]

This is copy 80 of 85 signed numbered copies.

[Kasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering that this is the author's first novel I was very impressed with the quickness of the action and professional tone of the book. However the more I read it the more the action felt like a movie on TV, it would fit perfectly on the Sci-fi network as a late night flick. Fast and to the point no time was wasted to introduce all the troubled characters who by a miracle find each other, they all have a problem and don't now how to solve it, what it will cost them will be their lives and they have no weapons, scarce information and they rely on sheer luck to bring them to victory. Random as they are, the characters are stalked by a man in a black coat, hat and gloves and with no face. The bogeyman as it appeared to me, tortures his prey through their personal fears, failures, addictions and problems. Faced with nothing much but a video tape made by the first victim the reader is introduced to, they decide to come together and fight this Freddy Kruger like creature who slips in and out of their consciousness. They don't have to be sleeping to hear voices and see faces of their friends and family members melt into ugly caricatures pushing them to brinks of sanity. One by one they are attacked in ways that scares them the most and together they must find a way to end the madness and destroy the mysterious faceless man.

I would have loved some more history and introduction about the people I was supposed to care about and fear for. It was a little hard to connect when they seems to be written as a backdrop to this mysterious man who selected them at random. I would think they whole town would have been infested with people who had similar problems but that was not so. The writing was very good and read as if it came from a seasoned author but it lacked just a little more wit and charm. I know this is a horror novel but the jokes were a little bit cookie cutter and the few gems of the story happened at the end, where this fantastic deadly landscape was described, then each line was golden, but overall the book was missing little sensitivity and charm that in my opinion makes the book a five star read The biggest problem to me were the fears of the individuals attacked, they were not frightening and seemed to be more crazy and fantastic than bone chilling. And those who want to find out more about the Hollower better not hold their breath; the ending doesn't seem to shine too much light on what this whole book is about. Why were these people chosen and pushed to limits of their sanity? It would make sense to go deep and really dig in their souls about what made them targets. Also the intro by Brain Keene was a bit much, he left me expecting a stellar novel and instead I am now questioning his taste in ideas.

Overall a fast read, but it felt a little plastic and contrived. I will read SanGiovanni's next novel but if it doesn't improve on her fill in the words on the page technique I will not be reading any more. Books don't have to read like a movie, they can be drawn out and loved with verbs and adjectives making them rich and delightful, this felt less like a book and more like a film on paper.

- Kasia S.

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hollower reminds me of It, only on a much smaller scale and with only one kid.

Something is following people dredging up their hidden fears creating hallucinations that will disturb them most. It seems to know everything. The story starts with one of those poor people giving up. But the thing just moves on to someone else.
A group of people, each with his or her own guilt and fear, will be forced to confront this faceless horror.

The characters aren't as developed as I'd like but the story has a few chilling moments to almost make up for it. If only I cared about the characters more. That might be the case in the sequel.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hollower is a fun old-school horror movie, reminiscent of several low-budget '80s horror films that were great to watch even though they were crazy as all get out. (How crazy is all get out? For that matter, I always wondered what "all get out" was. Shaddup and pass the popcorn.) It's well written with a nifty cast of interesting characters and a satisfying conclusion that also reminded me of one of those old films. (Spoiler.... maybe it's not -really- the end ...) I was leaning towards giving it a three here because I liked it but wasn't really blown away, but blurbs from Keene and Braunbeck say it's really exceptional and who am I argue?

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

SanGiovanni's first novel, published in 2007, is difficult to pigeon hole for sure, but it definitely has some creepy moments. I guess you could call this a monster story, but the monster SanGiovanni created here is really out of this world. TH starts off in a rather odd fashion, introducing a range of characters from their various POVs; you know they will eventually come together, but SanGiovanni keeps them apart for more then half of the novel. What each character shares concerns some experience with the 'Hollower', a human-like figure, dressed in a trench coat and old school fedora, but lacking a face. It seems the Hollower has some ability to immerse you in your greatest fears, dredging up prior bad experiences to create 'dream worlds' of your nightmares. In fact, he/she/it seems to feed on people's weaknesses-- the more troubled you are, the more powerful the Hollower seems to become...

To go much deeper into the plot involves spoilers, so enough of that. SanGiovanni here has a knack of inducing a very creepy feeling; Brian Keene's adoring intro (I believe he and her are/were an item) mentions fear. What is fear? Not just worries, but absolute terror? The Hollower in a way makes your worst nightmares come alive, makes you relive horrible experiences and so forth. He/she/it really is a nifty monster to be sure! SanGiovanni's prose flows nicely although the pacing felt a little rough at times, especially at the beginning. TH takes a little bit to get into, but then strap yourself in for a crazy ride. Twilight zone plus (perhaps) a little Lovecraft. 3.5 spooky stars!

[John Bruni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hollower is an amazing villain. There is very little you can do to fight something like this creature, and that makes for the best of cosmic horror. It's hard to get to me, but this book did that twice. Once when Dave goes into a house to look for something, and again when Anita is watching a particular video all the way to the end. Very good stuff.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another worthless novel from the folks at Leisure. Maybe it's a little unhelpful to criticize an imprint for a random, small selection of titles, but these Leisure Horror books have been literally the worst novels I have read in my life.

Sangiovanni's writing fails on a number of levels. She can write a clear sentence, sure, but her action is always passive and her characters and setting are never described in any concrete way. As an MFA holder she's probably been told to use as few adjectives and as little exposition as possible in order to keep up the pace of her story. Unfortunately, she doesn't know how to make those actions - the only thing the reader is left with - work. "The Hollower" is a blank slate, dribbled with vague abstractions and some trite cliches. Her New Jersey is nothing. The alcoholic journalist, the bartender, the recovering dope fiend, the cop all have one thing in common - there is little the reader is left with at the end of the novel besides those generalized descriptors.

The Hollower - a blank-faced, generically garbed monster - terrorizes the small town of Lake Haven, or at least the hard up denizens of its bland middle class underbelly. Each of the tormented characters thinks he or she is alone until the last few chapters, when they realize that this monster's scope is bigger than they thought. Needless to say, the book climaxes with a poorly plotted battle with the Hollower in some nether-realm of our worst nightmares. Sangiovanni pays so much attention to the small details of action, estimating vague distances, plotting out each of Dave Kohlar's steps across a yard, but all this adds up to a yawning chasm of meaninglessness and wasted ink.

Man, this sucked.

[Luciano Bernaroli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leggi la mia recensione sul blog!

[Gabrielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the introduction to Mary SanGiovanni’s debut horror novel The Hollower, author Brian Keene poses the question to the reader: What is fear? Is it truly the gore-streaked movies that we flock to night after night, the shock-factor exposés of gruesome torture and brutal dissection which we have all but become numb to and abuse as idle amusement? Or does true fear quicken from the anticipation of what we cannot see or control, that liquid darkness spawned of our own subconscious that seeps into our lives, striking us when we are at our weakest and least suspecting? Could it be the kind of terror that can shatter the fragile human psyche leaving us far worse off than dead? Mary SanGiovanni would have you believe this to be true. However, I am not sure entirely if her novel expresses the depth of this more deviant and sinister nature of emotional and psychological fear.


Set in the sleepy little New Jersey town of Lakehaven, The Hollower follows the lives of six individuals (a reporter, the reporter’s mentally unstable sister, a detective, a bartender, a recovering coke addict, and an eleven year-old kid) as they wage battle with a faceless, paranormal creature that taps into their deepest subconscious demons and uses them to create terrifying hallucinations to drive them, one by one, into madness and eventual death. In concept, this sounds like the making of a truly horrific and psychologically thrilling novel, but in reality the story fell a little short of dragging you across the threshold into the pitch-black darkness this creature was capable of.


The human psyche is the ultimate dungeon of twisted psychosis and in a novel about using that subconscious against a person the ability to make the reader cringe with the subtle understanding and fear of what is possible is crucial. Each time I felt myself being drawn into a new scene build, expecting to be scared or disturbed, the scene ended with an anticlimactic fizzle, as if SanGiovanni could take you to the hazy edge of insanity, but could not allow it to grab you by the throat and shake you till you squirmed. While SanGiovanni attempted to tap into the inner demons of her characters, too little in-depth character background development was done for the read to really sink their teeth into them and form a solid understanding of how dark and unstable these individuals are. At times, I found myself wondering, out of all of the people in Lakehaven, why did The Hollower choose these people since their demons did not seem anymore sinister than the demons of most people, perhaps even less?


However, the breakneck pace of the book kept me from focusing too much on those details. While I am one of those readers who usually has to make a connection to the characters in a book for it to hold my attention span for more than a few chapters, the The Hollower launched so quickly into the action that the lack of character development became more of a minor personal irritation, than a true flaw. In fact, the novel has the feel of being written specifically with the purpose of being adapted to a screenplay later on. Because of this, the story, at times, feels a bit predictable with cliché settings and dialogue typical of most mainstream horror movies. The bar, the lakeside town, the sleepy little suburban neighborhood; the setting felt cozy and comfortable, something I’ve seen or read many times before. The Hollower also felt rushed due to this movie script momentum and left me wondering if there were crucial parts of the story which had been left out for the sake of pace. It scrambles quickly towards a confusingly psychedelic ending that, unfortunately, does not deliver the earth-shaking blow I know it was meant to deal the reader. I feel that this anticlimactic ending is in part due to the lack of substantial build-up and suspenseful tension in the preceding chapters. It’s almost as if I were watching the TV version of a feature movie where important scenes, that might make it Oscar-worthy, were deleted in order to make it fit into a primetime slot.


With all of the above commentary said, while I found quite a bit of fault with The Hollower for its tame growl about the nature of fear and hasty development, I did actually enjoy reading it. It’s a light read, a good book to relax on the weekend with or take on an airplane with you. Mary SanGiovanni has the beginnings of a solid literary voice and a quick pace, which keeps you moving nonstop through the story. I’ll be interested to see what her next novel consists of and I get the sense that there is a sequel in the works. The Hollower is not going scare you senseless, though, if you’re looking for that kind of novel. It won’t make you curl up in your chair, unable to put your feet on the ground for fear of what lurks beneath, or leave you sleeping with the lights on. It will, however, quite possibly, cause you to sit back and wonder just what your personal fear is and what demons might be lurking in your subconscious that, if brought to light, could destroy you.

[Billy Vazquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

My first book from Mary SanGiovanni was The Anathema Cell. This chapbook is the best horror short story I have read in a long time. Therefore, I picked up The Hollower and let me tell you, this horror story is really good.

It reminds me of Stephen King's It. Which was my first scary horror book I ever owned and read. The book starts with the introduction of the characters and their relationship with The Hollower. The characters are believable run of the mill people. The characters flaws make them all the more believable. The fact is, that those flaws that every person have, make the evil presence of The Hollower the more scarier, the more evil.

The book is beautifully written, SanGiovanni writes each protagonist story individually, exposing the nature of the surreal horror of this evil presence that feeds on their flaws and fears. Then she brings them together to fight this evil as a united front.

The book is full of scary moments that are psychological in nature. It feeds on those fears that the characters experience. The kind of fear that crawls under your skin because you are so vulnerable to it.

The book is the first of a trilogy which I am happy to say I own. And I can't wait to read the rest of it. I highly recommend this book. Go get yourself a copy now and be scared!

[Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary SanGiovanni’s The Hollower is a very impressive debut novel.

The cast of characters includes a journalist named Dave, his psychologically fragile sister, a policewoman, a former drug addict, a bartender and an 11 year-old boy. Their lives intersect when they discover that all of them have seen a shadowy apparition that looks vaguely like Bogart on the runway in Casablanca, but with no facial features. The first two-thirds of the book reads like a psychological thriller; from there, the creepiness factor builds into the horror we experience toward the end.

A man named Max commits suicide in his home; there are other unsolved murders in the area.

Dave’s sister Sally goes missing from the mental ward, lured by a thing she calls “The Hollower.” Anita, the cop, becomes involved when she is assigned the missing person case.

The Hollower feeds on its victims’ fears, insecurites, and guilt. The main characters each have some incident in their past that haunts their thoughts, and all fear for their lives.

The real action begins when the drug addict, the bartender, and Dave decide to band together and investigate Max’s house. There, the boy and cop join up with them, on separate hunches that something is going to happen at the house that evening. These folks are in for the ride of a lifetime.

I had trouble visualizing what the Hollower looked like in its real form, but was able to clearly visualize everything else.

Overall, this novel is a wonderful read. It has elements of some of the best Alfred Hitchcock movies, Dr. Who, and The Twilight Zone.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay novel. Pacing was nice, the novel hummed along, but at the sacrifice of character development. I never cared about any of the characters.

Until the end, the book was less a coherent whole and more of a series of stand-alone scenes that followed a predictable course: The Hollower scares someone, then goes away. Rinse and repeat until the characters grow tired of the act and storm The Hollower's hideaway with no plan or clue how to kill it. If you think that sounds implausible, you are correct.

A little more background and info on the Hollower would have been nice. I'm still not sure I know what the heck it is, or why it does what it does.

Another reviewer mentioned this felt more like a Hollywood script, and that's right on. Even down to the obligatory sequel-suggesting ending.

The book was well-written and moved along nicely, but really needed some stronger characters and better plot management.

[Mike Mehalek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary SanGiovanni's debut novel was a real treat to read. Technically well written and written more skillfully than many other debut novels in this regard. The story flows well and was a realtively fast read. Critics will also make the claim that the body count is too low, but horror is more than blood and gore, and this book does have its share. The opening scene is superb in its description of all five senses. The plot runs like a roller coaster, slowly building...building...building until finally sending readers on a thrill ride that ends with satisfaction. I sensed the characters' fears and the feeling of impending dread. What impressed me most was how often Sangiovanni was able to "get me." Everytime I thought I knew who/where the Hollower was, it turned out I was wrong. Her ability to build suspense and mystery is uncanny.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. I felt sucked into the world almost immediately, thanks to SanGiovanni's vivid prose. I loved the monster-without-a-face, and how even without a face, it could emote. Unlike a lot of horror novels/movies, where I find myself rooting for the evil, I wanted Dave and the rest of the characters to succeed. Awesome debut!

[Aleksandar Sogno tra i libri Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recensione completa sul blog:
https://sognotrailibri.blogspot.com/2...

Fin da subito, quindi, l'autrice, ci immerge nel senso di terrore e ansia che caratterizzerà tutto il romanzo, fino all'ultima pagina.
Per chi è un lettore navigato degli horror psicologici questo risulterà un romanzo ideale sulle scie di Stephen King. Infatti ho rilevato delle similitudini con il Re.
Come dicevo all'inizio sono rimasto impressionato dal modo di scrivere fin dal prologo.
Pian piano, l'autrice permette al lettore di conoscere i personaggi che vivranno nel suo romanzo. Tutti sono accomunati dal fatto che si sentono perseguitati da "qualcosa". Non si può resistere al "Hollower"! Immaginate di trovarvi un essere cosi di fronte. Morirei di paura solo a vederlo ancora prima che ha esercitato i suoi poteri.

[Amy Webster-Bo · Rating 3 out of 5]

not as good as i wanted it to be. i was hoping for more. liked the characters, just did not have the story to go with the characters. easy read.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Kohlar and his sister Sally have a problem with a phantom. Dave believes only he can see it, and his sister is instead projecting his problems into her own deluded fantasies, but after the suicide of a friend of Sally's, Dave begins to learn how many other people have seen the strange man without a face. The other people who have come to know the chilling voice of the Hollower gather together in search of a way to kill something which seems ageless, and whose only desire is to feed on them through their fears.

Everyone looks to Dave for answers, and yet his own insecurities keep him trapped in his own pattern of second guessing himself. But then this is consistent for most everyone under the influence of the Hollower. It is they who generate their own pains and fears, and the Hollower amplifies their feelings. So this theme of uncertainty is a common trait that the group shares, and in many ways, it is what has defined them for their entire lives. Long before the Hollower arrived, the characters were already haunted people, and that's partly what makes the monster that much more effective.

The pace of the book is quick, and the balance between action and character development is good. I only felt minor disappointment for the low body count, but that's just me being a cynic. There's certainly no shortage of grisly visuals, and the descriptions of the Hollower's attacks are always vivid and brutal. The book is a good read, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a new horror story with a wicked monster.

[Robert Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of fiction featuring Slender Man, the faceless, tall, thin, well-dressed entity created by Eric Knudsen in 2009, you're sure to be interested in its spiritual predecessor, The Hollower, first published in 2007. Though not at all the same character, these entities share many of the uncanny characteristics that could easily send shivers down a reader's spine. In this, Mary SanGiovanni's amazing debut novel, the leading characters face an entity that evokes and feeds upon human psychological weakness, making it arguably the scariest type of monster ever to grace the pages of horror literature.

To be sure, this isn't the scariest novel ever written. At a superficial level, its plot offers many of the standard scares we've all come to know and love. But beneath the surface, it's easy to read the entire story as an allegory for all those things--vice, guilt, trauma, etc.--that plague our mental health. Read in that light, it's easy to see why The Hollower has become a favorite of those who've read it, as it's sure to stick with the reader for a long time. The Hollower's real scares don't leap off the page, but (much like the titular monster) pick away at the edges of the reader's own insecurities. Rather than jump scares or gross-outs, this novel offers a lingering feeling of uneasiness.

The novel's execution far exceeds what anyone would expect from a debut novel. While its pacing occasionally falters (particularly in the second half), it never actually falls, and manages always to quickly return to its strengths.

Highly recommended.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was briskly told, with quickly drawn characters and worked well - though the ending could have been a bit shorter. Very good for a first novel though and it'll be interesting to see what Mary does next.

[Kevin Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atmospheric, spooky - solid storytelling.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty fun read, very good premise. There is a sequel to it, Found You, but I haven't read it yet.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first this book seemed a bit mundane, particularly when held up against some of SanGiovanni’s other work, such as Chills, Behind the Door, and especially Thrall. The bad guy is basically just a man with no face, who sometimes whispers frightening things to people. Luckily things pick up, with the Hollower gradually becoming more. We even get a passage told from its point of view, which is surprising, and carried off well. There’s one spot that maintains that it “could be anywhere it wanted, anyone it wanted, at any time.” Unfortunately this kind of begs the question of how anyone could possibly stop it if it wanted to kill someone. But we eventually see snatches of unusual behavior–such as its unwillingness to touch anyone–that make things believable. Eventually SanGiovanni puts the ‘cosmic’ in ‘cosmic horror’, and the world comes apart at the seams.

The characters have a fair amount of depth. Cheryl’s a little borderline, with her giggling and cooing, but luckily there’s a bit more to her than just that. I liked Sean, who is a believably mature eleven without being overly precocious, and Detective DeMarco is probably my favorite character. She’s practical and smart, but knows when it’s time to believe her eyes and her hunches. The pacing is also quite good, ramping up steadily as the book goes on. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy!


Consider my rating a 4.5
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/02/r...

[Dustin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My final ranking wavered between 4 and 3 and ultimately I went with a 3. This is a well written horror novel with likeable characters and a tremendous premise. The horror villain itself is somewhere between terrifying and ridiculous (felt hat, etc.) but she pulls it off by staring at it directly and describing it wonderfully. Thematically this is top-tier stuff. I can't help but wonder if my rating would have been higher if I'd limited my reading time to 2-3 sessions each late at night and in silence. Horror of this nature requires suspension of belief and giving your mind over to fantasy. SanGiovanni's descriptive writing burrows down into the cosmic horror, the dread, the grey areas between waking and sleeping particularly when they dovetail with addiction and uncertainty. This is not a violent book, but this book pushes horror to the limits of what can be described in the text itself and for that it is wholly commendable. The author swung big and pretty much hit big. Had I maintained the right setting and frame of mind as a reader, I may have given over completely to the effort. Reading it in bit and pieces throughout the week I ended up liking rather than loving the book, wishing some of the characters had been slightly better developed, but not regretful having spent my time in this world.