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Dark Passage
Tyson Barrett's dreams want him dead,.
An illicit drug trials promises to cure the crippling nightmares that has kept Tyson awake for months, nightmares rooted in terrible abuse he suffered as a child. Exhausted and near collapse, he jumps at the chance to get his life back.
But Tyson soon discovers a side effect no one could have imagined. Doors are opening between Tyson's nightmares and the real world--and more than memories are coming through.
Now he must face a terror that has stalked him since childhood or risk losing everything he holds dear.
The mind is full of halls. And some of the darkest passages lead to rooms better left closed.
http://www.amazon.com/Passage-Terrify...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-...
An illicit drug trials promises to cure the crippling nightmares that has kept Tyson awake for months, nightmares rooted in terrible abuse he suffered as a child. Exhausted and near collapse, he jumps at the chance to get his life back.
But Tyson soon discovers a side effect no one could have imagined. Doors are opening between Tyson's nightmares and the real world--and more than memories are coming through.
Now he must face a terror that has stalked him since childhood or risk losing everything he holds dear.
The mind is full of halls. And some of the darkest passages lead to rooms better left closed.
http://www.amazon.com/Passage-Terrify...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-...
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 10, 2013
22 people are currently reading
455 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
April 5, 2012
By now, any of you who know me won't be surprised when I tell you that most of my story ideas come from dreams. The seed for Dark Passage was sown after I awoke from a particularly bad one. I couldn't tell you now what that nightmare was about, but I remember waking up and staring at my bedroom ceiling, a single thought chiming over and over in my head: "Thank God that was just a dream." I'm sure we've all been there before. Of course, we're all built a little different - maybe that's why I write stories and other people build buildings or put out fires for a living - but as I stared at the cracked light fixture above my bed, a second thought began swirling around in my head. This one far more dark and disturbing. "What if something from my nightmare had managed to hitch a ride back with me? What if it was in the room right now...lying next to me in bed...grinning.
I hope you enjoy Dark Passage as much as I did.
Griffin Hayes
March 9, 2012
I hope you enjoy Dark Passage as much as I did.
Griffin Hayes
March 9, 2012
July 8, 2020
Creepy but also silly. The greed of and the death of Dr Stevens, sort of soured it a bit and it got silly for a while. Once I read about the bother thing, it made sense and then everything was expected, not surprising.
Kavi as not believable, especially in the end chapter.
And most of all, some background on Mom, would have been good.
Kavi as not believable, especially in the end chapter.
And most of all, some background on Mom, would have been good.
January 25, 2013
Review of Dark Passage by Griffin Hayes
5 stars
A one-sitting horror thriller, “Dark Passage” is nevertheless a complex study of psychological underpinnings, horrific child abuse, and yes, metaphysics (witness the writings of Brenda Barrett, which gave me chills like I have seldom encountered). Not at all for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, still this novel is coherent, complicated, and delectably horrifying.
Tyson Barrett has a problem: he can’t/won’t sleep due to terrifying nightmares, and sleep deprivation is affecting his career and his marriage and his parenting skills. In fact, his wife Ruma has put him out of the home they shared with five-year-old son Kavi. He thinks she’s adulterous; she thinks he can’t come to terms with the incredibly abusive childhood he suffered at the hands of his insane mother. When Tyson is loaned his business partner’s lake cottage, and begins participating in a clinical trial for an insomnia-preventing prescription medication, he immediately discovers that not only does the medication work—his dreams are manifesting in reality.
Before the conclusion of the novel, Tyson must confront the truths about his childhood, even those truths he never knew; his psychopathic mother; and the thinness of the veil between consensus reality and terrors we don’t want to believe in.
Deeply-layered characters, graphic and gory horror, nightmares, dreams, visions, psychosis, spirit possession: it’s all here and it’s done wonderfully well. Horror aficionados, do not miss out on “Dark Passage.”
5 stars
A one-sitting horror thriller, “Dark Passage” is nevertheless a complex study of psychological underpinnings, horrific child abuse, and yes, metaphysics (witness the writings of Brenda Barrett, which gave me chills like I have seldom encountered). Not at all for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, still this novel is coherent, complicated, and delectably horrifying.
Tyson Barrett has a problem: he can’t/won’t sleep due to terrifying nightmares, and sleep deprivation is affecting his career and his marriage and his parenting skills. In fact, his wife Ruma has put him out of the home they shared with five-year-old son Kavi. He thinks she’s adulterous; she thinks he can’t come to terms with the incredibly abusive childhood he suffered at the hands of his insane mother. When Tyson is loaned his business partner’s lake cottage, and begins participating in a clinical trial for an insomnia-preventing prescription medication, he immediately discovers that not only does the medication work—his dreams are manifesting in reality.
Before the conclusion of the novel, Tyson must confront the truths about his childhood, even those truths he never knew; his psychopathic mother; and the thinness of the veil between consensus reality and terrors we don’t want to believe in.
Deeply-layered characters, graphic and gory horror, nightmares, dreams, visions, psychosis, spirit possession: it’s all here and it’s done wonderfully well. Horror aficionados, do not miss out on “Dark Passage.”
September 25, 2012
I was lucky enough to win an electronic copy of Dark Passage by Griffin Hayes in a Librarything Giveaway.
Lucky isn't really the word. I am an avid lover of all things horror; horror films , horror and zombie video games and novels are highly ranked amongst my favourites. Yet very few things I watch, play or read actually scare me. This novel is one of those elusive creations that actually horrified me; such a rare treat cannot be commended enough.
Dark Passage is very well written, with hardly any spelling or punctuation errors at all. The style of writing is captivating and engrossing, creating a very vivid (unfortunately, at times!) image in the reader's head. The main idea within the story is dealt with exceptionally well, and Griffin Hayes manages to craft his words with a precision which invokes mental images for the reader that must be akin to those that gave him the idea in the first place!
A wonderful, scary, gory and utterly horrifying book that I would recommend to anyone who likes a bit of a scare - but I wouldn't advise reading it just before bed!!
Lucky isn't really the word. I am an avid lover of all things horror; horror films , horror and zombie video games and novels are highly ranked amongst my favourites. Yet very few things I watch, play or read actually scare me. This novel is one of those elusive creations that actually horrified me; such a rare treat cannot be commended enough.
Dark Passage is very well written, with hardly any spelling or punctuation errors at all. The style of writing is captivating and engrossing, creating a very vivid (unfortunately, at times!) image in the reader's head. The main idea within the story is dealt with exceptionally well, and Griffin Hayes manages to craft his words with a precision which invokes mental images for the reader that must be akin to those that gave him the idea in the first place!
A wonderful, scary, gory and utterly horrifying book that I would recommend to anyone who likes a bit of a scare - but I wouldn't advise reading it just before bed!!
May 29, 2012
This 46 chapter novel exceeded my expectations. Already a fan of the author’s writing style, I knew the story would be spooky, entertaining, and action-packed. But it went well beyond that. I’ll never smell a pine tree scent or see a fly the same way ever again.
* Griffin Hayes has an amazing talent with characterization, voice, and description. His creative, original metaphors helped enhance the narration. Each character sounded different. I got lost in the story, feeling what the characters felt. Experiencing what they went through because of the great use of showing rather than telling.
For the majority of the novel, Tyson and Hunter switched point-of-views, each having their own chapters. At first, its set-up where I had no idea how they could know each other or meet later in the story. Then, it’s finally revealed that Hunter’s patient Brenda (in a coma) is actually Tyson’s mother. Let me tell ya, the plot thickened! The premise was Hunter just got hired to join Sunnybrook Asylum as a doctor, and for awhile Tyson has had insomnia because of nightmares. He found Dr. Stevens to help him sleep by taking a dosage of medicine after every meal.
* There were some chapters that showed the supporting characters’ perspectives as well. Pay close attention because these sections are very important in developing the plot and revealing some of the mystery.
My favorite line was: “Funny, he thought how so many of the fears that we carry with us aren’t much more than a product of an overactive imagination.” Boy was Tyson wrong LOL! Bad for him–good for the readers. This thriller was very entertaining.
Besides the suspense and action, I loved the drama elements as well. It helped me, as a reader, really care about the characters. Poor Tyson. Due to his long periods of insomnia, he pushed his family away, so eventually Ruma left him taking their son Kavi with her. Their conversations broke my heart, and I wished she would have gave him a second chance. I’m a sucker for happy endings. He met Judy, so I enjoyed their friendship blossoming. She was the only one who believed him about all the craziness going on. Tyson had a crappy childhood. His brother Alexander had died, his mom had attempted to kill Tyson. That’s why Brenda was locked up in the insane asylum. She was in a coma but had high brain activity levels (like she was dreaming). No. She was stalking Tyson and Kavi, plus turning Hunter into a madman.
Chills went down my spine whenever the characters died. The scenes were so disgusting–in a good way–and I kept looking down under the table to make sure nothing wasn’t crawling towards me. Also when Hunter went cray-cray, the other characters weren’t aware. So, I kept screaming “Watch your back”, especially that cafe scene with Ruma. When Ruma and Kavi visited Sunnybrook to get answers, I knew her telling him “When adults ask you a question, you better answer” would blow up in her face. Brenda was able to communicate with Kavi, getting his home address out of him. Dun, dun, dun…
I have to admit that I was scared when I saw it was 46 chapters, wondering when I’d have time to finish reading it. However, it was a very fast read. And, all the sections were important to enhance the story along further. The action and emotion weren’t lost. There wasn’t any boring setups or unnecessary backstory. All the twists and reveals kept me on my toes; the ending tied together nicely.
* I could picture this as a movie. I could envision Logan Marshall Green as Tyson and Ryan Phillippe as Hunter.
I RECOMMEND this book to read.
* Griffin Hayes has an amazing talent with characterization, voice, and description. His creative, original metaphors helped enhance the narration. Each character sounded different. I got lost in the story, feeling what the characters felt. Experiencing what they went through because of the great use of showing rather than telling.
For the majority of the novel, Tyson and Hunter switched point-of-views, each having their own chapters. At first, its set-up where I had no idea how they could know each other or meet later in the story. Then, it’s finally revealed that Hunter’s patient Brenda (in a coma) is actually Tyson’s mother. Let me tell ya, the plot thickened! The premise was Hunter just got hired to join Sunnybrook Asylum as a doctor, and for awhile Tyson has had insomnia because of nightmares. He found Dr. Stevens to help him sleep by taking a dosage of medicine after every meal.
* There were some chapters that showed the supporting characters’ perspectives as well. Pay close attention because these sections are very important in developing the plot and revealing some of the mystery.
My favorite line was: “Funny, he thought how so many of the fears that we carry with us aren’t much more than a product of an overactive imagination.” Boy was Tyson wrong LOL! Bad for him–good for the readers. This thriller was very entertaining.
Besides the suspense and action, I loved the drama elements as well. It helped me, as a reader, really care about the characters. Poor Tyson. Due to his long periods of insomnia, he pushed his family away, so eventually Ruma left him taking their son Kavi with her. Their conversations broke my heart, and I wished she would have gave him a second chance. I’m a sucker for happy endings. He met Judy, so I enjoyed their friendship blossoming. She was the only one who believed him about all the craziness going on. Tyson had a crappy childhood. His brother Alexander had died, his mom had attempted to kill Tyson. That’s why Brenda was locked up in the insane asylum. She was in a coma but had high brain activity levels (like she was dreaming). No. She was stalking Tyson and Kavi, plus turning Hunter into a madman.
Chills went down my spine whenever the characters died. The scenes were so disgusting–in a good way–and I kept looking down under the table to make sure nothing wasn’t crawling towards me. Also when Hunter went cray-cray, the other characters weren’t aware. So, I kept screaming “Watch your back”, especially that cafe scene with Ruma. When Ruma and Kavi visited Sunnybrook to get answers, I knew her telling him “When adults ask you a question, you better answer” would blow up in her face. Brenda was able to communicate with Kavi, getting his home address out of him. Dun, dun, dun…
I have to admit that I was scared when I saw it was 46 chapters, wondering when I’d have time to finish reading it. However, it was a very fast read. And, all the sections were important to enhance the story along further. The action and emotion weren’t lost. There wasn’t any boring setups or unnecessary backstory. All the twists and reveals kept me on my toes; the ending tied together nicely.
* I could picture this as a movie. I could envision Logan Marshall Green as Tyson and Ryan Phillippe as Hunter.
I RECOMMEND this book to read.
August 23, 2012
This is the second work I've read by Griffin Hayes and I fall in love with the twisted thrillers all the more. This story, about a man named Tyson Barrett, who is tortured by nightmares of his traumatic childhood, receives a miracle cure for his insomnia. However, as we've learned, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is. That is the case with this so called "miracle cure" that Tyson hopes will not only solve his medical problems but his personal ones as well (considering he has become estranged from his wife and young son) and his business is on the verge of collapse.
However, this miracle cure is not without its dark side. Tyson still dreams, however, when he wakes, something returns with him. Something spawned from the deepest, darkest depths of his psyche, however there is something bigger, something more evil than what has already come through. However, this evil isn't after Tyson - it wants his son.
This book is a fantastic lesson that not all dreams were meant to come true. This book had me on the edge of my seat most of the time, and more often than not I would only read it during day light hours because I've read Stephen King before bed, and Griffin Hayes has managed to have a Stephen King like effect on me with his thrillers. My dreams are not a safe place when I read his thrillers, so I highly recommend not reading this before a nap, before bed...broad daylight, outside, where you stand no chance of falling asleep is definitely good!
Vividly descriptive characters weave a web of horror and mystery that will keep you intrigued until the very end. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and ultimately is one that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of horror or if you occasionally like to indulge in the "darker" type of stories...read this one! The pace is perfect and the story won't feel rushed at all.
However, this miracle cure is not without its dark side. Tyson still dreams, however, when he wakes, something returns with him. Something spawned from the deepest, darkest depths of his psyche, however there is something bigger, something more evil than what has already come through. However, this evil isn't after Tyson - it wants his son.
This book is a fantastic lesson that not all dreams were meant to come true. This book had me on the edge of my seat most of the time, and more often than not I would only read it during day light hours because I've read Stephen King before bed, and Griffin Hayes has managed to have a Stephen King like effect on me with his thrillers. My dreams are not a safe place when I read his thrillers, so I highly recommend not reading this before a nap, before bed...broad daylight, outside, where you stand no chance of falling asleep is definitely good!
Vividly descriptive characters weave a web of horror and mystery that will keep you intrigued until the very end. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and ultimately is one that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of horror or if you occasionally like to indulge in the "darker" type of stories...read this one! The pace is perfect and the story won't feel rushed at all.
November 28, 2012
This book was great, and truly legitimately scary, I was on the edge of my seat for the better part of three hours last night digging into this story. It was to the point that my husband kept asking me if I was ok due to the intensity of my stare at the kindle. I would actually put this book on par with The Shining, and that's saying a lot, because I loved the Shining and it scared the piss out of me.
It may have affected me more than other people due to my connection with my own dreaming self, I have very vivid dreams that I remember distinctly when I wake up, at least a lot of the time I do. But this book brought to mind something I told a co-worker years ago.
All in all, I highly recommend this book, and will definitely be reading Malice in the future, and I feel the author did an excellent job. I'm not saying there weren't grammar mistakes, there always are, especially with self publishing. But I feel that this authors voice is really truly unique and exciting and I look forward to reading more of his stuff as soon as my list will allow.
It may have affected me more than other people due to my connection with my own dreaming self, I have very vivid dreams that I remember distinctly when I wake up, at least a lot of the time I do. But this book brought to mind something I told a co-worker years ago.
All in all, I highly recommend this book, and will definitely be reading Malice in the future, and I feel the author did an excellent job. I'm not saying there weren't grammar mistakes, there always are, especially with self publishing. But I feel that this authors voice is really truly unique and exciting and I look forward to reading more of his stuff as soon as my list will allow.
September 21, 2012
Ha! **** Really good read! Pretty creepy in spots. I love creepy. I have noticed the more creepy books you read it gets harder and harder to get creeped out. (Does that even make sense?) Lol Anyway, this was a great choice and it was one that was suggested by one of my Twitter followers, so awesome choice! And thank you Mr. Hayes. Really good twist at the end also! No more info. :)
February 12, 2014
I'm on a roll!
4.5 stars
What a creepy book. I'll never look at flies, power drills, or any sort of blue pill the same again. And well, asylums, they are always as creepy as hell and I've always kept my distance from those...
Hayes gets two thumbs up for his masterful story of nightmares and one father's journey to stop them from destroying what's left of his life.
4.5 stars
What a creepy book. I'll never look at flies, power drills, or any sort of blue pill the same again. And well, asylums, they are always as creepy as hell and I've always kept my distance from those...
Hayes gets two thumbs up for his masterful story of nightmares and one father's journey to stop them from destroying what's left of his life.
July 1, 2012
I really liked Dark Passage once I figured out what was going on. Except that didn't happened until into the second half of the book, the summary really tells you nothing and the first half was just incredibly weird and there wasn't much connecting the dots. I know as a suspenseful thriller this book was supposed to keep me guessing, what's with Tyson Barrett's nightmares? Why's his mom locked up in a mental asylum? What the heck's going on? But besides the prologue that really didn't fit into the rest of the story until late in the game, there wasn't anything that hooked me until things started making sense.
I'm not going to spoil the answers to those questions in this review because figuring them out's what made the second half (I will say generally it's about a man coming to terms with his troubled childhood), but, compared to what happens later, the first half feels almost empty. There are a couple of good moments that had me really guessing, the Han and Chewy toys, for example, or what was locked up in that room from Tyson's childhood, but there wasn't any sense of jeopardy, unlike the multiple very gruesome deaths in the second half. I really wished there were some cameos by the swarm of flies outside of his dreams, maybe a few sniffs of pine scent giving Tyson a feeling of dread in his stomach, something that would've had me eagerly anticipating getting to the bottom of the mystery. Instead, I got Tyson griping about how terrible his life is and his problems with his ex-wife, leading to him finding a trunk full of money and then going on a shopping spree that, while entertaining, just wasn't the same as what hooked me later. Maybe boring in places too, even if he and I were both questioning his sanity. Overall, it just wasn't very suspenseful.
The second half got really good though, but I still wish Hayes would've built up the anticipation, stuck some teasers of what to expect in the first half. But lots of memorable moments in the second half. Attacks by a nightmarish monster surrounded by a swarm of house flies? Check. Walking on a carpet of dead flies, their dead bodies crunching like chips? Check. Awesomely gruesome death scenes? Check. But there really wasn't any buildup, it's sort of like watching a character walking around on a sunny day for fifteen minutes before he's attacked by the monster in broad daylight, just not the same as watching the character freaked out in a dark, shadowy place seeing glimpses of the monster before it finally attacks. And while overall I'm very pleased with how the second half turned out, there are still one or two things that are still bugging me. For one, I just can't figure out Dr. Hunter, he sort of becomes unhinged and I'm not sure if he goes crazy on his own or as a result of Tyson's nightmares. And how much of what happened is because of Tyson and how much is because of his mother, there are a lot of conflicting answers depending on who you ask.
Anyway, this book is sort of uneven but still really good when it needs to be. It lost me at the beginning but I stuck it out and really liked how things turned out. 3.5 stars.
I'm not going to spoil the answers to those questions in this review because figuring them out's what made the second half (I will say generally it's about a man coming to terms with his troubled childhood), but, compared to what happens later, the first half feels almost empty. There are a couple of good moments that had me really guessing, the Han and Chewy toys, for example, or what was locked up in that room from Tyson's childhood, but there wasn't any sense of jeopardy, unlike the multiple very gruesome deaths in the second half. I really wished there were some cameos by the swarm of flies outside of his dreams, maybe a few sniffs of pine scent giving Tyson a feeling of dread in his stomach, something that would've had me eagerly anticipating getting to the bottom of the mystery. Instead, I got Tyson griping about how terrible his life is and his problems with his ex-wife, leading to him finding a trunk full of money and then going on a shopping spree that, while entertaining, just wasn't the same as what hooked me later. Maybe boring in places too, even if he and I were both questioning his sanity. Overall, it just wasn't very suspenseful.
The second half got really good though, but I still wish Hayes would've built up the anticipation, stuck some teasers of what to expect in the first half. But lots of memorable moments in the second half. Attacks by a nightmarish monster surrounded by a swarm of house flies? Check. Walking on a carpet of dead flies, their dead bodies crunching like chips? Check. Awesomely gruesome death scenes? Check. But there really wasn't any buildup, it's sort of like watching a character walking around on a sunny day for fifteen minutes before he's attacked by the monster in broad daylight, just not the same as watching the character freaked out in a dark, shadowy place seeing glimpses of the monster before it finally attacks. And while overall I'm very pleased with how the second half turned out, there are still one or two things that are still bugging me. For one, I just can't figure out Dr. Hunter, he sort of becomes unhinged and I'm not sure if he goes crazy on his own or as a result of Tyson's nightmares. And how much of what happened is because of Tyson and how much is because of his mother, there are a lot of conflicting answers depending on who you ask.
Anyway, this book is sort of uneven but still really good when it needs to be. It lost me at the beginning but I stuck it out and really liked how things turned out. 3.5 stars.
May 5, 2013
Dark Passage is the first book I've read by Griffin Hayes. I read this book on the recommendation of a Goodreads friend, and dear Mallory was right -- this book was totally worth the read. This may have been my first Griffin Hayes book, but it certainly won't be my last.
Let's start with a RECAP: Tyson is a man of suffering. For the past six months, he's slept so very little that he's hanging on by a thread. His marriage has fallen apart, his career is spiraling downwards, and little tidbits of a horrendous childhood are peeking through in the form of night terrors way beyond the norm.
So, when the opportunity arises for him to get some sleep by joining a drug trial of a new "fix-it" drug pending approval from the FDA, he chases that chance as a man on a mission. Soon enough, he's sleeping like a baby and, even better, some amazing things are starting to happen. Good things from his dreams are starting to bleed through the line that separates reality from the dream world. His problem of sleep isn't the only thing that looks like it's finally made a u-turn for the better.
But once his history starts to rear its ugly head in his dreams again, evil begins to seep through and a dangerous evil begins to manifest... as he recalls that dark hallway in his childhood home (the titular dark passage), death and darkness, evil and insanity, and a past he thought he'd left behind arises to claim him and everyone he loves.
REVIEW: Wow... just wow! What an original story with twist after twist, turn after turn. Gory, but not too gory. The perfect level of darkness. Good characters. A sympathetic main character. A disturbingly creepy creature. A scary mother. A doctor losing his mind slowly. This story is a fun read for anyone who likes a little horror and creepiness in their reading.
Take a trip down the Dark Passage... you (unlike Tyson) won't regret that you did. :)
Let's start with a RECAP: Tyson is a man of suffering. For the past six months, he's slept so very little that he's hanging on by a thread. His marriage has fallen apart, his career is spiraling downwards, and little tidbits of a horrendous childhood are peeking through in the form of night terrors way beyond the norm.
So, when the opportunity arises for him to get some sleep by joining a drug trial of a new "fix-it" drug pending approval from the FDA, he chases that chance as a man on a mission. Soon enough, he's sleeping like a baby and, even better, some amazing things are starting to happen. Good things from his dreams are starting to bleed through the line that separates reality from the dream world. His problem of sleep isn't the only thing that looks like it's finally made a u-turn for the better.
But once his history starts to rear its ugly head in his dreams again, evil begins to seep through and a dangerous evil begins to manifest... as he recalls that dark hallway in his childhood home (the titular dark passage), death and darkness, evil and insanity, and a past he thought he'd left behind arises to claim him and everyone he loves.
REVIEW: Wow... just wow! What an original story with twist after twist, turn after turn. Gory, but not too gory. The perfect level of darkness. Good characters. A sympathetic main character. A disturbingly creepy creature. A scary mother. A doctor losing his mind slowly. This story is a fun read for anyone who likes a little horror and creepiness in their reading.
Take a trip down the Dark Passage... you (unlike Tyson) won't regret that you did. :)
April 28, 2012
Four and a half stars:
I will preface this review by saying that I don't usually read horror and I'm a wimp so I'm pretty easy to scare. That being said, I was drawn in by the very vivid images Hayes created from the very first chapter. I was struck by the quality of the writing on the whole, with some scenes described so clearly I could easily see them on a mental movie screen. I strongly feel Hayes was able to build both atmosphere and suspense. He was, in fact, so successful that I would actually have to step away from the book to wind myself down (again, I'm a wimp so people with a higher horror-tolerance than me may not find this quite so much). Despite this, I found myself constantly drawn back into the book. I wanted to know how it ended, desperately hoped for a happy ending (especially with the son in the picture) and yet, was always aware that not all horror has one. Hayes' building of character, watching the descent into madness, getting into the mind of the budding psychopath as he's driven insane. It was interesting, creepy, and at times scary--all of which are qualities that I feel a good horror should have. The main reason for the four and a half star rather than the five is for the end that I felt was a little weak, wrapping things up a little too nice and easy. Overall though, for any horror fan or someone who just likes to indulge in a thriller once in a while, I would highly recommend this book. Hayes' skill with crafting atmosphere and building a scene is not to be missed or ignored.
I will preface this review by saying that I don't usually read horror and I'm a wimp so I'm pretty easy to scare. That being said, I was drawn in by the very vivid images Hayes created from the very first chapter. I was struck by the quality of the writing on the whole, with some scenes described so clearly I could easily see them on a mental movie screen. I strongly feel Hayes was able to build both atmosphere and suspense. He was, in fact, so successful that I would actually have to step away from the book to wind myself down (again, I'm a wimp so people with a higher horror-tolerance than me may not find this quite so much). Despite this, I found myself constantly drawn back into the book. I wanted to know how it ended, desperately hoped for a happy ending (especially with the son in the picture) and yet, was always aware that not all horror has one. Hayes' building of character, watching the descent into madness, getting into the mind of the budding psychopath as he's driven insane. It was interesting, creepy, and at times scary--all of which are qualities that I feel a good horror should have. The main reason for the four and a half star rather than the five is for the end that I felt was a little weak, wrapping things up a little too nice and easy. Overall though, for any horror fan or someone who just likes to indulge in a thriller once in a while, I would highly recommend this book. Hayes' skill with crafting atmosphere and building a scene is not to be missed or ignored.
September 6, 2012
*I received a copy of this book for free in return for a honest review*
Tyson Barrett's life is out of control. His wife left him and took their son, Kavi, with her and his business isn't doing well either. Nightmares keep him awake and begin his downfall. Friend and business partner, Skip, tells him about a clinical trial for a new drug that might help with his insomnia. To his surprise, the drug works but he soon finds the side effect is much more than what he expected.
Griffin Hayes has crafted a perfect paranormal thriller with "Dark Passage". It is one of those books that you start to read and can never put down. The author drilled a hole in my head and placed the characters and setting deep into recesses of my mind; I couldn't shake the feeling this book gave me but yet I continued to come back for more.
Hayes' story is well crafted with great characters and descriptions. I especially love the way he paced the story, dropping juicy morsels of detail within that leads you one way only for the story to throw you a curve. Maybe it's only me but I find Hayes' writing style similar to that of Dean Koontz(one of my favorite authors).
"Dark Passage" is a book I'll keep coming back to read and is one of my favorites books that I have read this year.
Be sure to check out "The Grip" and "The Second Coming", two short stories by the author.
Tyson Barrett's life is out of control. His wife left him and took their son, Kavi, with her and his business isn't doing well either. Nightmares keep him awake and begin his downfall. Friend and business partner, Skip, tells him about a clinical trial for a new drug that might help with his insomnia. To his surprise, the drug works but he soon finds the side effect is much more than what he expected.
Griffin Hayes has crafted a perfect paranormal thriller with "Dark Passage". It is one of those books that you start to read and can never put down. The author drilled a hole in my head and placed the characters and setting deep into recesses of my mind; I couldn't shake the feeling this book gave me but yet I continued to come back for more.
Hayes' story is well crafted with great characters and descriptions. I especially love the way he paced the story, dropping juicy morsels of detail within that leads you one way only for the story to throw you a curve. Maybe it's only me but I find Hayes' writing style similar to that of Dean Koontz(one of my favorite authors).
"Dark Passage" is a book I'll keep coming back to read and is one of my favorites books that I have read this year.
Be sure to check out "The Grip" and "The Second Coming", two short stories by the author.
April 6, 2012
I'll preface this by saying that I don't sleep well. I may get three to four hours of broken sleep per night. Mr. Hayes has not helped me with this latest book. His vivid descriptions, and distinct style, made me have a dream about the story. Mr. Hayes has hit his mark once again with me.
I enjoyed the twists and turns that led me through the story. Dark Passage is one of the fastest books I've read. The pages kept turning as I was led from dream to reality, and places in between. I especially enjoyed watching the downward spiral of one character. I won't say anything about who, but it was fun to watch as it developed.
In the end, I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to everyone looking for a great horror story that keeps the reader engaged. I finished the story quickly, but was satisfied that the story was complete.
I enjoyed the twists and turns that led me through the story. Dark Passage is one of the fastest books I've read. The pages kept turning as I was led from dream to reality, and places in between. I especially enjoyed watching the downward spiral of one character. I won't say anything about who, but it was fun to watch as it developed.
In the end, I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to everyone looking for a great horror story that keeps the reader engaged. I finished the story quickly, but was satisfied that the story was complete.
June 5, 2013
wow!! this book was FANTASTICALLY CREEPY!! it had twisted minded characters with good and bad guys. I really enjoyed reading this book. This book will hook you from page one and will NOT let you go until the last word. It is that good!! It is fast paced, it has drama, monster's, it was emotional, creepy, scary, thrilling, etc... I have read different books by this author and must say that I am impressed with his method of writing. I say this because he has different styles in his stories. His tales are not repetitious whatsoever and that makes an exceptional talented writer. BRAVO Griffin Hayes, BRAVO!! I do tip my hat off to you and will say PLEASE keep them coming!! Your writing is OUTSTANDING!! So readers if you are looking for good books to read, look for Griffin Hayes books, you will not be disappointed, I really wasn't!!
May 8, 2012
Pardon the language, but this is one hell of a book! Absolutely fabulous. It's creepy, twisted, one of the best horror books I have read in a LONG time! I cannot stress enough how good this is. I read a lot of books, and I have a good many favorite authors. Griffin Hayes is most definitely one now. All I can say is, Look out, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Clive Barker! .......Griffin Hayes has arrived and he is putting you on notice! If you like horror, this book is definitely a MUST READ!! It had me captivated from the start.
April 6, 2012
Griffin digs his nails in with his horror story. And leaves claw marks you won't forget.
Tyson an insomniac joins a test subject for meds to help one sleep. All seems good, plus the fact you can pull things outta your dreams.
If dreams come true what's the catch. Tyson finds that out the hard way. Digging up his past he did not know about.
Griffin's Wes Craven twist is sure to call out Mr. Sandman and help you sleep at night ..... well maybe. A terrifying 5 stars.
Tyson an insomniac joins a test subject for meds to help one sleep. All seems good, plus the fact you can pull things outta your dreams.
If dreams come true what's the catch. Tyson finds that out the hard way. Digging up his past he did not know about.
Griffin's Wes Craven twist is sure to call out Mr. Sandman and help you sleep at night ..... well maybe. A terrifying 5 stars.
October 5, 2012
Being a wimp when it comes to anything scary, I actually loved Dark Passage. With the jumps from dreams to reality. I could not put the book down. I loved every second of Dark Passage. I look forward to reading more of Griffin Hayes's work.
January 30, 2013
It was my first horror book and I am glad it was this one. It had everything !
June 3, 2018
Scared the piss out of my pansy self.
March 13, 2013
Actually I give it 31/2 Dark Passage was entertaining and a nice break from the paranormal, romance, love triangle books I’ve received. If you’ve had your fill of the books reminiscent of Twilight you may want to pick this book up, if you enjoy horror and gore like I do. The kindle formatting of the mobi file the author gave me was a little wonky with beginning paragraphs in a larger font than the rest of the chapter and occasional larger fonts at random. I downloaded the free sample on my kindle fire and saw none of these problems so it may just be the mobi file I received. I did find about 30 or so editing issues. I know the author is currently hard at work getting those fixed so new purchasers will get a cleaner copy. The issues were few enough that it didn’t affect my reading experience in any major way.
The writing style is easy to read and follow and for the most part is done well. The one thing I’d like to see changed, take out the overuse of “had”. The author writes almost everything in past perfect instead of past simple. It creates the effect of separating the reader from the action, more like a friend telling you a story instead of the reader being apart of the story. For example, “He had found them in the maintenance lunch room and tried each key until he had found the one that worked.” Take out the “hads” and it reads much clearer and brings the reader closer to the action. another example,”If seeing those bodies had convinced him of anything, it was that he needed a weapon.” The words “had” and “that” are not needed. There is a lot could “coulding” too, I could see, I could taste, I could smell, when I saw, I tasted, I smelled brings the reader in closer to the action. Great books to read on these problems are
and
I liked the idea behind this book, pulling things from your dreams into reality, even though it’s not a new idea. I hoped to see a new spin on it. This concept isn’t really the main focus of this story, more like a catalyst. I’d say Tyson’s strange past with his mother and everyone’s strange interest in his mother is the main focus. Some of the reviews on amazon said that many of the plot items are never resolved. I partially agree. The reader never learns why Tyson’s mother did the things she did and why she continued to do them in the present. Every horror monster does what they do for a reason. Freddy kills children for the power of their souls, Jason kills to get revenge for what happened to him. I think that’s what was missing for me, a back story about the mother. Why did she put a bag over her son’s head, why did she keep a corpse? More info on Dr. Hunter would have been nice, too. Was he already insane or was the mother’s influence making him insane?
The plot is typical of a horror, monster problem is created, monster must be fought and killed, an unexpected twist at the end. Unfortunately, the twist was expected by me, too many clues before the twist gave it away. This may not be the case for every reader. I’ve read and watched many horror books and movies and I study writing. I can see a plot device. I won’t say any more about it because I don’t want to give anything away for other readers. If you are new to reading horror, I think this is a great book to start with, but if you are saturated in horror like I am, well, this book might be too old school for you.
If you’re not into sex in your horror then this book is a good choice. There were no explicit sex scenes. There was very little adult language, too. Actually, I don’t recall any, but I may have missed one or too colorful adjectives. Bad language doesn’t bother me so I tend to not notice it unless it’s poorly used, over used, or out of character. This novel mostly uses gore for its horror so if you don’t like gore you may want to pass. However, for me, it wasn’t super gory, just enough to be horror.
I thought this book had some good moments and is worth checking out if you are not heavy into horror and want to get into it. It does need some editing and that is getting worked on as we speak. At least download the free sample and judge for yourself if you think it’s worth buying. I’d say once it’s fixed, it’s a great horror book to start with.
The writing style is easy to read and follow and for the most part is done well. The one thing I’d like to see changed, take out the overuse of “had”. The author writes almost everything in past perfect instead of past simple. It creates the effect of separating the reader from the action, more like a friend telling you a story instead of the reader being apart of the story. For example, “He had found them in the maintenance lunch room and tried each key until he had found the one that worked.” Take out the “hads” and it reads much clearer and brings the reader closer to the action. another example,”If seeing those bodies had convinced him of anything, it was that he needed a weapon.” The words “had” and “that” are not needed. There is a lot could “coulding” too, I could see, I could taste, I could smell, when I saw, I tasted, I smelled brings the reader in closer to the action. Great books to read on these problems are
and
I liked the idea behind this book, pulling things from your dreams into reality, even though it’s not a new idea. I hoped to see a new spin on it. This concept isn’t really the main focus of this story, more like a catalyst. I’d say Tyson’s strange past with his mother and everyone’s strange interest in his mother is the main focus. Some of the reviews on amazon said that many of the plot items are never resolved. I partially agree. The reader never learns why Tyson’s mother did the things she did and why she continued to do them in the present. Every horror monster does what they do for a reason. Freddy kills children for the power of their souls, Jason kills to get revenge for what happened to him. I think that’s what was missing for me, a back story about the mother. Why did she put a bag over her son’s head, why did she keep a corpse? More info on Dr. Hunter would have been nice, too. Was he already insane or was the mother’s influence making him insane?
The plot is typical of a horror, monster problem is created, monster must be fought and killed, an unexpected twist at the end. Unfortunately, the twist was expected by me, too many clues before the twist gave it away. This may not be the case for every reader. I’ve read and watched many horror books and movies and I study writing. I can see a plot device. I won’t say any more about it because I don’t want to give anything away for other readers. If you are new to reading horror, I think this is a great book to start with, but if you are saturated in horror like I am, well, this book might be too old school for you.
If you’re not into sex in your horror then this book is a good choice. There were no explicit sex scenes. There was very little adult language, too. Actually, I don’t recall any, but I may have missed one or too colorful adjectives. Bad language doesn’t bother me so I tend to not notice it unless it’s poorly used, over used, or out of character. This novel mostly uses gore for its horror so if you don’t like gore you may want to pass. However, for me, it wasn’t super gory, just enough to be horror.
I thought this book had some good moments and is worth checking out if you are not heavy into horror and want to get into it. It does need some editing and that is getting worked on as we speak. At least download the free sample and judge for yourself if you think it’s worth buying. I’d say once it’s fixed, it’s a great horror book to start with.
February 19, 2013
THIS REVIEW CAN ALSO BE FOUND AT MY BLOG.
RATING: 3.8/5
Last night I had a nightmare in which I was chased by several freakish creatures. My legs wouldn’t allow me to run away – they felt like pillow cases stuffed to the top with wet cement. The monster in my dream was not the same as the one from Dark Passage by Griffin Hayes, but I awoke in the morning immediately thinking to myself, “I’m sure as hell glad I’m not Tyson Barrett.” Anyone who has read Hayes’s novel could easily understand why.
Tyson – our sleep deprived insomniac hero with a deeply unsettling childhood (of which we get a glimpse at the beginning) – attempts to combat his restlessness and stress by testing a new drug called Noxil which seems (and quickly becomes) too good to be true. Tyson must overcome his anxieties and his nightmares, face the inevitable end of his failing marriage, and fight a monster he’s been afraid of his entire life. It’s quite a lot to handle for one man, and it shows. Meanwhile, we follow the story of the young Dr. Elias Hunter who has just begun work at the Sunnybrook Asylum and, more specifically, on the eighth floor of said asylum – the floor that houses Tyson’s mother, Brenda, who has fallen into a coma. Hunter works to solve the mystery surrounding Brenda that would, and at some point could, "rock" Tyson’s world.
This was a fast-paced, easy-to-read, fun and creepy story that I definitely enjoyed and recommend (though I have a few critiques). I found the premise to be very compelling and interesting, but found the characters were slightly lacking. A lot of this had to do with dialogue – there seemed to be a lot of exposition going on, which I felt could’ve been better handled if it were done through action, or something internal, rather than spoken by a character. The dialogue just seemed slightly unrealistic. I also had a hard time believing some of the character’s motivations, particularly those of the secondary characters and even our main character, Tyson, at times. I found Dr. Hunter to have the best characterization – his motivations and reasonings were shown through action and internal dialogue based in (sometimes twisted) emotional feelings, as opposed through exposition, which I really enjoyed. I also found the “monster” of the story itself to be slightly silly (for a lack of a better word) – though I enjoyed the characterization of the monster; its connections to Tyson’s past and the references to houseflies and the smell of pine trees was really nice.
All in all, this was a good read and I’d recommend it to fans of paranormal horror. It’s got a good amount of gore and grossness to it; not overdone by any means, though it's definitely there, and there quite often. The twist at the end was really nice and made me reflect back on everything I had read so far with amazement; there were so many telling things that I hadn’t noticed (until the twist was revealed), which made me like the book even more. I enjoyed Hayes’s writing style and will definitely be on the lookout for more from him in the future.
RATING: 3.8/5
Last night I had a nightmare in which I was chased by several freakish creatures. My legs wouldn’t allow me to run away – they felt like pillow cases stuffed to the top with wet cement. The monster in my dream was not the same as the one from Dark Passage by Griffin Hayes, but I awoke in the morning immediately thinking to myself, “I’m sure as hell glad I’m not Tyson Barrett.” Anyone who has read Hayes’s novel could easily understand why.
Tyson – our sleep deprived insomniac hero with a deeply unsettling childhood (of which we get a glimpse at the beginning) – attempts to combat his restlessness and stress by testing a new drug called Noxil which seems (and quickly becomes) too good to be true. Tyson must overcome his anxieties and his nightmares, face the inevitable end of his failing marriage, and fight a monster he’s been afraid of his entire life. It’s quite a lot to handle for one man, and it shows. Meanwhile, we follow the story of the young Dr. Elias Hunter who has just begun work at the Sunnybrook Asylum and, more specifically, on the eighth floor of said asylum – the floor that houses Tyson’s mother, Brenda, who has fallen into a coma. Hunter works to solve the mystery surrounding Brenda that would, and at some point could, "rock" Tyson’s world.
This was a fast-paced, easy-to-read, fun and creepy story that I definitely enjoyed and recommend (though I have a few critiques). I found the premise to be very compelling and interesting, but found the characters were slightly lacking. A lot of this had to do with dialogue – there seemed to be a lot of exposition going on, which I felt could’ve been better handled if it were done through action, or something internal, rather than spoken by a character. The dialogue just seemed slightly unrealistic. I also had a hard time believing some of the character’s motivations, particularly those of the secondary characters and even our main character, Tyson, at times. I found Dr. Hunter to have the best characterization – his motivations and reasonings were shown through action and internal dialogue based in (sometimes twisted) emotional feelings, as opposed through exposition, which I really enjoyed. I also found the “monster” of the story itself to be slightly silly (for a lack of a better word) – though I enjoyed the characterization of the monster; its connections to Tyson’s past and the references to houseflies and the smell of pine trees was really nice.
All in all, this was a good read and I’d recommend it to fans of paranormal horror. It’s got a good amount of gore and grossness to it; not overdone by any means, though it's definitely there, and there quite often. The twist at the end was really nice and made me reflect back on everything I had read so far with amazement; there were so many telling things that I hadn’t noticed (until the twist was revealed), which made me like the book even more. I enjoyed Hayes’s writing style and will definitely be on the lookout for more from him in the future.
March 16, 2012
Tyson Barrett is plagued by insomnia. In the hopes of a miracle cure, he volunteers for a drug test. But Tyson has a horrible past, one that haunts his dreams -- dreams which begin intruding upon the physical world.
Dark Passage has several merit-worthy elements, but is ultimately betrayed by numerous writing issues in structure and approach. The plot treds some familiar horror turf -- dreams and reality intruding upon one another -- and most of it has been done well elsewhere. The characters are thinly drawn, making it difficult to connect to them empathetically.
In fact, most of the book's problems betray a general lack of attention to realism. While author Griffin Hayes has reasonably smooth turn-of-phrase, his pacing in unpolished and his characters' conversations often ring untrue, in the kind of awkward, bantering manner you find when novelists or script writers are trying to hurry things along. Their emotional responses are often overexaggerated, or introduce a sudden shift in personality that seems out of place.
Some of the annoyances are purely technical, and would have been caught by a good proofer: grammatical quirks, like shifting when addressing the same individual from second- to third-person, or poor punctuation that affects pacing.
But a less forgivable sin is that a horror book, by definition, needs to build suspense. That is lacking here. In fact, you'll guess the weapon used in the climactic scene the first time it's mentioned, it's such a cliche -- and that's some 40 chapters before it actually happens. There's foreshadowing, and there's too much reliance on the familiar.
When the author does try to "spring" something, the pacing and delivery falls flat and the first attempt at a real shock instead seems goofily amusing. When he introduces another character's psychopathic leanings, it's so abrupt as to be unbelievable.
The book occasionally succeeds in being creepy, and there are some good ideas here, but few of the characters are particularly likeable. The hero of the story seems to be homophobic, too, which wasn't really necessary and didn't add much to his fairly baseline character development.
Not the worst book I've ever read, but I can't recommend it.
Dark Passage has several merit-worthy elements, but is ultimately betrayed by numerous writing issues in structure and approach. The plot treds some familiar horror turf -- dreams and reality intruding upon one another -- and most of it has been done well elsewhere. The characters are thinly drawn, making it difficult to connect to them empathetically.
In fact, most of the book's problems betray a general lack of attention to realism. While author Griffin Hayes has reasonably smooth turn-of-phrase, his pacing in unpolished and his characters' conversations often ring untrue, in the kind of awkward, bantering manner you find when novelists or script writers are trying to hurry things along. Their emotional responses are often overexaggerated, or introduce a sudden shift in personality that seems out of place.
Some of the annoyances are purely technical, and would have been caught by a good proofer: grammatical quirks, like shifting when addressing the same individual from second- to third-person, or poor punctuation that affects pacing.
But a less forgivable sin is that a horror book, by definition, needs to build suspense. That is lacking here. In fact, you'll guess the weapon used in the climactic scene the first time it's mentioned, it's such a cliche -- and that's some 40 chapters before it actually happens. There's foreshadowing, and there's too much reliance on the familiar.
When the author does try to "spring" something, the pacing and delivery falls flat and the first attempt at a real shock instead seems goofily amusing. When he introduces another character's psychopathic leanings, it's so abrupt as to be unbelievable.
The book occasionally succeeds in being creepy, and there are some good ideas here, but few of the characters are particularly likeable. The hero of the story seems to be homophobic, too, which wasn't really necessary and didn't add much to his fairly baseline character development.
Not the worst book I've ever read, but I can't recommend it.
September 8, 2012
Dark Passage is classified as a paranormal thriller and it definitely lives up to the hype; be warned, this novel contains images so chilling that it may keep some readers up at night, squinting into the dark corners of the bedroom, searching for signs of grotesque creatures…
The first chapter is a vague yet poignant look into the past. An unnamed boy is alone in a house that is clearly run by a mother with OCD. The reader learns from snippets of the boy’s thoughts that his mother is a germaphobe who is also abusive. She uses the idea that there is a monster living in the room at the end of the hall to terrify her son into obedience.
The book then switches to the present where the reader meets Tyson Barrett. Tyson has insomnia and has not slept in six months. He is about to join a clinical drug trial for Noxil, which treats PTSD and is supposed to stop his nightmares so that he can sleep for longer than a few minutes at a time. The next chapter switches to another narrator, Dr. Hunter, who has just begun at Sunnybrook Asylum. Dr. Hunter learns that on the 8th floor, which is reserved for patients who have committed violent crimes, lays Brenda Barrett. Brenda has fallen into a coma, but shows unusually high brain activity.
The reader is left wondering how all of these characters relate to each other. When Brenda seems to speak to Dr. Hunter even in her comatose state and when things start appearing from out of Tyson’s dreams, the situation just becomes creepy and the reader cannot help but read on in hopes that the mystery will be solved and the nightmares that are bound to appear will be vanquished.
From the beginning, Hayes captures the reader’s attention with the image of a terrified boy and the terror does not stop there. Page after page, the past is pieced together and the future becomes more and more frightening and uncertain. At times, it may seem as if Hayes is falling back on psychological horror story stereotypes, such as a traumatized boy losing his mind. But this is not the case. Readers will not be disappointed in the ending; the nightmare lasts right up until the very last page.
The first chapter is a vague yet poignant look into the past. An unnamed boy is alone in a house that is clearly run by a mother with OCD. The reader learns from snippets of the boy’s thoughts that his mother is a germaphobe who is also abusive. She uses the idea that there is a monster living in the room at the end of the hall to terrify her son into obedience.
The book then switches to the present where the reader meets Tyson Barrett. Tyson has insomnia and has not slept in six months. He is about to join a clinical drug trial for Noxil, which treats PTSD and is supposed to stop his nightmares so that he can sleep for longer than a few minutes at a time. The next chapter switches to another narrator, Dr. Hunter, who has just begun at Sunnybrook Asylum. Dr. Hunter learns that on the 8th floor, which is reserved for patients who have committed violent crimes, lays Brenda Barrett. Brenda has fallen into a coma, but shows unusually high brain activity.
The reader is left wondering how all of these characters relate to each other. When Brenda seems to speak to Dr. Hunter even in her comatose state and when things start appearing from out of Tyson’s dreams, the situation just becomes creepy and the reader cannot help but read on in hopes that the mystery will be solved and the nightmares that are bound to appear will be vanquished.
From the beginning, Hayes captures the reader’s attention with the image of a terrified boy and the terror does not stop there. Page after page, the past is pieced together and the future becomes more and more frightening and uncertain. At times, it may seem as if Hayes is falling back on psychological horror story stereotypes, such as a traumatized boy losing his mind. But this is not the case. Readers will not be disappointed in the ending; the nightmare lasts right up until the very last page.
August 6, 2012
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
This book was seriously creepy! And that's a good thing 'cause I LOVE horror novels! At one point it was soooo creepy (and more than a bit gruesome) that I had to stop eating my snack. Is that a good thing? Well, if it was trying to creep the heck out of me, then yes! Mission accomplished, lol!
The storyline was really interesting and kept me wanting to find out more...I'm always up for cracking a mystery!
I also really liked the Persian mythology reference...I am in love with mythology! But because my expertise lies in Greek mythology, I had to look up the deity they mentioned...not that I mind ;) I love learning new things about any type of mythology :)
One of the main reasons why I accepted to review this book, aside from the fact that it's horror, was because it involved dreams. I really like psychology, and when I took a psych class a while ago, my favorite section was that on sleep and dreams. Up until now, this sort of stuff still fascinates me.
I have a cousin who is in nursing school and she just got done visiting a psychiatric hospital. One year from now I'm going to be in her same position, and because I like psych, I was super excited! But now that I read this (because a psychiatric hospital is part of the setting), I'm not as excited, lol.
I love that books can cause me to feel all these emotions. I don't know why, but I love being frightened! It's why I like to watch horror movies, too! And Griffin Hayes has done it again with his writing, even though it's got me a little paranoid about nursing school next year, lol.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and all its creepiness! I would not recommend it to those who don't like horror novels or are more than a bit squeamish.
I'll definitely be on the look out for more books by this author :)
This book was seriously creepy! And that's a good thing 'cause I LOVE horror novels! At one point it was soooo creepy (and more than a bit gruesome) that I had to stop eating my snack. Is that a good thing? Well, if it was trying to creep the heck out of me, then yes! Mission accomplished, lol!
The storyline was really interesting and kept me wanting to find out more...I'm always up for cracking a mystery!
I also really liked the Persian mythology reference...I am in love with mythology! But because my expertise lies in Greek mythology, I had to look up the deity they mentioned...not that I mind ;) I love learning new things about any type of mythology :)
One of the main reasons why I accepted to review this book, aside from the fact that it's horror, was because it involved dreams. I really like psychology, and when I took a psych class a while ago, my favorite section was that on sleep and dreams. Up until now, this sort of stuff still fascinates me.
I have a cousin who is in nursing school and she just got done visiting a psychiatric hospital. One year from now I'm going to be in her same position, and because I like psych, I was super excited! But now that I read this (because a psychiatric hospital is part of the setting), I'm not as excited, lol.
I love that books can cause me to feel all these emotions. I don't know why, but I love being frightened! It's why I like to watch horror movies, too! And Griffin Hayes has done it again with his writing, even though it's got me a little paranoid about nursing school next year, lol.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and all its creepiness! I would not recommend it to those who don't like horror novels or are more than a bit squeamish.
I'll definitely be on the look out for more books by this author :)
June 20, 2012
Today's review is on Dark Passage by Griffin Hayes
I never look at reviews written by other readers until I myself have finished reading the book in question, and have my own opinion formulated. So when I looked over the reviews for Dark Passage, I was surprised to find a common theme. Like the main character, many readers themselves suffered from a sleep disorder of some sort, including myself.
Tyson Barrett's childhood was anything but average. His mother, who had OCD, controlled every aspect of his life. Even his fears. He cannot walk in the middle of the room, his food is excessively wrapped in plastic wrap, and he can never, ever go into the room where "the monster" is. But those times and fears are all behind him now.
After authorities found Tyson near death with a bag over his head, he was taken away from his parents and placed in foster care. Eventually he fell in love, married, and had a son whom he loved very deeply. Everything seemed to be going along perfectly until the nightmares began.
He hasn't slept in weeks, his marriage fell apart, and he'll do anything to get his life back together. But when he becomes a guinea pig for an experimental PTSD drug, everything takes a turn for the worst. Now he'll have to face his greatest fear of all to save himself and the ones he loves.
As with Malice, Hayes delivers a fantastic story. Vividly descriptive characters weave a web of horror and mystery that will keep you intrigued until the very end. Murder, mayhem, and definitely things that go bump in the night. And though I thought Malice was exceptional, my copy of Dark Passage had so many mistakes that I'm just a bit disappointed.
4 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon
I never look at reviews written by other readers until I myself have finished reading the book in question, and have my own opinion formulated. So when I looked over the reviews for Dark Passage, I was surprised to find a common theme. Like the main character, many readers themselves suffered from a sleep disorder of some sort, including myself.
Tyson Barrett's childhood was anything but average. His mother, who had OCD, controlled every aspect of his life. Even his fears. He cannot walk in the middle of the room, his food is excessively wrapped in plastic wrap, and he can never, ever go into the room where "the monster" is. But those times and fears are all behind him now.
After authorities found Tyson near death with a bag over his head, he was taken away from his parents and placed in foster care. Eventually he fell in love, married, and had a son whom he loved very deeply. Everything seemed to be going along perfectly until the nightmares began.
He hasn't slept in weeks, his marriage fell apart, and he'll do anything to get his life back together. But when he becomes a guinea pig for an experimental PTSD drug, everything takes a turn for the worst. Now he'll have to face his greatest fear of all to save himself and the ones he loves.
As with Malice, Hayes delivers a fantastic story. Vividly descriptive characters weave a web of horror and mystery that will keep you intrigued until the very end. Murder, mayhem, and definitely things that go bump in the night. And though I thought Malice was exceptional, my copy of Dark Passage had so many mistakes that I'm just a bit disappointed.
4 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon
June 24, 2013
First, my sincere apologies for the timing of this review. Griffin, I should have had it done months ago and didn’t. No fault but my own. That said:
Dark Passages is one of Griffin Hayes’ novels and one of the longer ones, I believe. Page by page you become immersed in his characters and, although your “trying to sleep” mind wants you to give up the tale there is no way you can.
The sad but believable Tyson Barrett is plagued by horrendous nightmares in which he seems to be reliving his young days with his mother who is the epitome of “Mommy Dearest” and then some. He learns of a drug trail that may be the only way for him to sleep through the night and begs the Dr. in charge to put him in the list. His wife has already left him, taking their son and Tyson wants to be part of Kavi’s life. The drug trial seems the only way.
The new injections seem to work; however…..things from his nightmares keep showing up in real-time and these aren’t things you want, believe me! Across town a newly minted psych assistant named Hunter has met Tyson mom who has been in a coma, for over 3 years. It doesn’t last. But then neither does Hunter. And then, Tyson meets a relative he didn’t know he had!
The one place I don’t think I ever want to be is in Griffin Hays’ head. I’m thinking totally scary stuff bopping around in there; at least more than I need to know! Again, Mr. Hayes has written an excellent horror story in Dark Passages and one you should read with the lights on.
Dark Passages is one of Griffin Hayes’ novels and one of the longer ones, I believe. Page by page you become immersed in his characters and, although your “trying to sleep” mind wants you to give up the tale there is no way you can.
The sad but believable Tyson Barrett is plagued by horrendous nightmares in which he seems to be reliving his young days with his mother who is the epitome of “Mommy Dearest” and then some. He learns of a drug trail that may be the only way for him to sleep through the night and begs the Dr. in charge to put him in the list. His wife has already left him, taking their son and Tyson wants to be part of Kavi’s life. The drug trial seems the only way.
The new injections seem to work; however…..things from his nightmares keep showing up in real-time and these aren’t things you want, believe me! Across town a newly minted psych assistant named Hunter has met Tyson mom who has been in a coma, for over 3 years. It doesn’t last. But then neither does Hunter. And then, Tyson meets a relative he didn’t know he had!
The one place I don’t think I ever want to be is in Griffin Hays’ head. I’m thinking totally scary stuff bopping around in there; at least more than I need to know! Again, Mr. Hayes has written an excellent horror story in Dark Passages and one you should read with the lights on.
February 13, 2013
5 year old Tyson Barrett was told to never enter the locked room at the end of the hallway in his home. One day he did... what he saw the reader does not know as the story jumps to when Tyson is 38 years old. Tyson now has really bad nightmares and finds sleep very difficult. You assume Tyson is suffering from PTSD at whatever he witnessed was behind the locked door when he was 5 years old. Tyson joins a drug trial to see if the medication will help him sleep. The dreams continue and you wonder if something sinister is going on or whether Tyson is slowly losing his mind. Dark Passage got off to a good start but then tragedy strikes Dr Stevens and the story rolls downhill from there. It becomes a paranormal fantasy novel and is a little daft. Things do not add up and the characters motives are unbelievable. Dark Passage fails to live up to it's promise and simply becomes an okay read. It is a disappointing read that could have been a gripping thriller that dealt with mental health issues.
November 20, 2012
Great Horror story and not his normal short story either. Griffin Hayes nails horror on the head!
Not only does Tyson Barett have to deal with his abusive childhood, anger issues, and sleepless nights because of nightmares, his wife leaves him with his 5 year old son. He doesn't think his life could get much worse. That is until his best friend convinces him to join a pharmaceutical drug study.
Tyson's life seems to get better with this new drug. He is sleeping again and his nightmares have finally diminished. His life is getting back on track and now he feels like he can get his wife and son back, especially since he is bringing items from his dreams back into reality.
When Tyson loses the drugs the doctor has given him he finds out the clinical study has been closed down and he is on his own. His nightmares come back, bringing back the forgotten horror of his childhood. If he closes his eyes even for a seconds worth of sleep the nightmares follow him into the real world.
Not only does Tyson Barett have to deal with his abusive childhood, anger issues, and sleepless nights because of nightmares, his wife leaves him with his 5 year old son. He doesn't think his life could get much worse. That is until his best friend convinces him to join a pharmaceutical drug study.
Tyson's life seems to get better with this new drug. He is sleeping again and his nightmares have finally diminished. His life is getting back on track and now he feels like he can get his wife and son back, especially since he is bringing items from his dreams back into reality.
When Tyson loses the drugs the doctor has given him he finds out the clinical study has been closed down and he is on his own. His nightmares come back, bringing back the forgotten horror of his childhood. If he closes his eyes even for a seconds worth of sleep the nightmares follow him into the real world.
December 6, 2012
Well thought out, wonderfully executed! (4.5 stars)
Not only is this book inventive and enjoyable, but it's a really quick read for the simple reason that you can't put it down. Once I got into it I burned through it in 2 days because every free second I had, my kindle was in my hand, and Griffin was leading me through a sleepless world of fear and excitement. I don't think I will ever smell a pine tree again without looking over my shoulder.
One of the best things I've read in a while. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys the genre and would probably even recommend it to people that don't like the genre.
Well done Mr. Hayes!! I look forward to reading more of your work.
Not only is this book inventive and enjoyable, but it's a really quick read for the simple reason that you can't put it down. Once I got into it I burned through it in 2 days because every free second I had, my kindle was in my hand, and Griffin was leading me through a sleepless world of fear and excitement. I don't think I will ever smell a pine tree again without looking over my shoulder.
One of the best things I've read in a while. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys the genre and would probably even recommend it to people that don't like the genre.
Well done Mr. Hayes!! I look forward to reading more of your work.
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