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Of A Feather
Socrates has a gift, a power even he doesn't fully understand.
But old Gert who feeds the pigeons in Gustav's Park understands. Pretty Jamie, who works at the Bird Emporium, understands. And the old Indian chief who wears a strange, two-sided bird mask, he understands too.
As does the ancient, angry spirit called the Thunderbird and about a million of Wellington County's feathered creatures...
They know what Socrates Singer really is.
And they know what he can do...
But old Gert who feeds the pigeons in Gustav's Park understands. Pretty Jamie, who works at the Bird Emporium, understands. And the old Indian chief who wears a strange, two-sided bird mask, he understands too.
As does the ancient, angry spirit called the Thunderbird and about a million of Wellington County's feathered creatures...
They know what Socrates Singer really is.
And they know what he can do...
402 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
27 people are currently reading
808 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth C. Goldman
130 books57 followersKen Goldman had been a Philadelphia English and Film Studies teacher until he decided to take the money and run in order to seek fortune and fame. An Active member of the Horror Writers Association, he has extremely ostentatious homes on the Main Line in Pennsylvania and at the Jersey shore depending upon his mood and his need for a tan. His stories appear in over 900 independent press publications in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia with over thirty due for publication in 2019-2020 For some reason his book of short stories, YOU HAD ME AT ARRGH!! FIVE UNEASY PIECES BY KEN GOLDMAN (Sam's Dot Publishers) remained an all-time top ten best seller at The Genre Mall 2007-2011 until its closing. Damnation books published his very sensual (and easily purchased) novella DESIREE in June 2010 (available in Kindle and print at Amazon.com as well as finer restaurants everywhere as a place mat); ExCessica Publishers re-released DESIREE in Kindle format December 2016. In October 2012 A/A Productions published his book of five short stories, DONNY DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (Kindle, e-book, Nook, print, and audio -- yada yada and yada). Vampires 2 Publishers released STAR CROSSED in e-book/Kindle formats, in March 2013---this anthology contains another five of Ken’s tales, varying from Sci-Fi to erotic horror, much like Ken’s real life. His novel, OF A FEATHER, was published by Horrific Tales Publishers (UK) in early 2014. Ken's new novel, SINKHOLE was published by Bloodshot Books August 2017. If you have read this far, please notify Ken and he will send you money. (Just wanted to see if you were paying attention.) Ken would be famous except for the fact nobody seems to know who he is. However, he expects to be discovered posthumously long after the mother ship arrives to take him home.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 10, 2014
4.5 Stars
At an Indian traveling bird-show, young Socrates Singer learns of the Wakinyan bird mask which represents the duality of life. The one who wears the Wakinyan mask may be a protector or a thing of vengeance. Normally, Indians of a certain tribe possess this supernatural power.
Plagued by mysterious dreams Socrates' gift appears at a critical time in his life when he's coming into his own. Thunderbird, an evil spirit, is thriving on Socrates' emotions. He'll have to decide whether this new-found power will be used for good or ill. Power can be a heady thing, causing good people to make bad choices.
From Frankie the bully, Kiki the bird, to Socrates' sister, Dorie, Ken has created a cast of realistic characters who are as endearing as some are frightful. It's easy to relate to them as they face tragedy and the pains of growing up.
The pacing was almost perfect and I greedily consumed this read in two sittings.
I recommend this for anyone who loves a good tale as Ken seems to be a true storyteller.
I will definitely try another read by Mr. Goldman.
*I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Check out more reviews like this on www.HorrorAfterDark.com
At an Indian traveling bird-show, young Socrates Singer learns of the Wakinyan bird mask which represents the duality of life. The one who wears the Wakinyan mask may be a protector or a thing of vengeance. Normally, Indians of a certain tribe possess this supernatural power.
Plagued by mysterious dreams Socrates' gift appears at a critical time in his life when he's coming into his own. Thunderbird, an evil spirit, is thriving on Socrates' emotions. He'll have to decide whether this new-found power will be used for good or ill. Power can be a heady thing, causing good people to make bad choices.
From Frankie the bully, Kiki the bird, to Socrates' sister, Dorie, Ken has created a cast of realistic characters who are as endearing as some are frightful. It's easy to relate to them as they face tragedy and the pains of growing up.
The pacing was almost perfect and I greedily consumed this read in two sittings.
I recommend this for anyone who loves a good tale as Ken seems to be a true storyteller.
I will definitely try another read by Mr. Goldman.
*I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Check out more reviews like this on www.HorrorAfterDark.com
December 4, 2013
Of A Feather by Ken Goldman
The second hand store where I work regularly receives items from the public to sell on. An ornament came in recently, a clown sitting on a bench with two pigeons at his side. It freaked me out.
To understand why this innocuous attractive ornament had that effect on me, you need to read 'Of A Feather' by Ken Goldman, who has taken Hitchcock's classic horror film and taken it about ten miles further on...
Whoever came up with 'a murder of crows' as a collective name must have known that years into the future, a novelist would write a book in which the crows commit murder, at the behest of the person who holds the power to control them. Socrates Singer holds that power for some time.
Of A Feather is a novel of abilities which are mis-used by those who acquire them, either by gift or by stealth, with devastating consequences. The novel is crammed with realistic characters, good and bad, with vivid horror scenes enough to satisfy any fan of the genre, and enough twists to keep the reader engrossed from start to finish.
I don't make a habit of giving good reviews as a matter of course, the book and the author have to warrant that, but in this case, the review is good because the book is good. It's a simple as that. Read it and become involved in the strange haunted bird infested world that Socrates Singer and his 'friends' inhabit. Enjoy!
The second hand store where I work regularly receives items from the public to sell on. An ornament came in recently, a clown sitting on a bench with two pigeons at his side. It freaked me out.
To understand why this innocuous attractive ornament had that effect on me, you need to read 'Of A Feather' by Ken Goldman, who has taken Hitchcock's classic horror film and taken it about ten miles further on...
Whoever came up with 'a murder of crows' as a collective name must have known that years into the future, a novelist would write a book in which the crows commit murder, at the behest of the person who holds the power to control them. Socrates Singer holds that power for some time.
Of A Feather is a novel of abilities which are mis-used by those who acquire them, either by gift or by stealth, with devastating consequences. The novel is crammed with realistic characters, good and bad, with vivid horror scenes enough to satisfy any fan of the genre, and enough twists to keep the reader engrossed from start to finish.
I don't make a habit of giving good reviews as a matter of course, the book and the author have to warrant that, but in this case, the review is good because the book is good. It's a simple as that. Read it and become involved in the strange haunted bird infested world that Socrates Singer and his 'friends' inhabit. Enjoy!
December 4, 2013
Ken Goldman continues to prove why he's one of my favorite up-and-coming authors. OF A FEATHER is a diabolical and absorbing tale that takes wing early on and pulls the reader through the darkest of skies. The journey is astonishing and the destination, unforgettable.
May 2, 2014
A review for Of a Feather, by Ken Goldman.
"This is a small town. Eventually everybody knows everybody, and things just overlaps, you know?"
Nutshell: The whole town has birds on the brain, though nobody realizes the extent of it. There are other, darker things at work at the town, though, and these sins are made all the more horrible for how simple and common they are. Of a Feather is about darkness and redemption, and the seemingly chance encounters that draw disparate persons together and drive them inexorably to either of these paths. The birds are just icing on the cake.
Trigger warnings for this story: attempted rape, child molestation, other child abuse (emotional, physical).
Atmosphere: 3 out of 4. The opening paragraphs of the prologue put the focus on the mall and immediately give color to the town. The descriptive language is similarly strong elsewhere in the book and important scenes are set well. Dreams are important to the story. It takes till chapter thirteen before it really feels like a horror novel, but that's okay.
Characters: 3 out of 4. Socrates is intelligent, not because he's a natural genius but because his name gave him something to aspire too. Jamie attaches herself to Socrates with a speed that I would find frustratingly quick in other stories, but her past makes it very plausible. I like that Dr. Groener is willing to accept unusual possibilities rather than stubbornly cling to his original conception of what is possible.
Plot: 3 out of 4. The characters drive the plot from beginning to end, with very little authorial guidance to poke them in this direction or that. The actions of one realistically reverberate through lines of connection to tap every other.
Writing Style: 3 out of 4. I like the opening quotes at the beginning of each part. They give an impression of what I'm soon to experience. Just as enjoyable is the sentence fragment at the beginning of each chapter, an excerpt from what is to come. There are a couple of technical issues, but nothing severe.
Worldbuilding: 3 out of 4. There's only a small amount here, but I judge by the skill of the thing and not its scope. Ken Goldman shows that you can get impressive mileage out of a thunderbird and a two-faced mask. An extra touch that I like is that nobody really knows what Wakinyan the Thunderbird is all about, but plenty of people are willing to believe that they know what he wants.
Details, details: [here there by spoilers]
I like Socrates Singer's name, but then I am drawn to the weird ones.
I was expecting something big and horrible (or at least big and weird) to be revealed about Gustav, Conqueror of the Axis.
"... visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and and to the fourth generation." There are some people that think that the Bible is talking about the vicious cycles that can perpetuate through families, and if that's true then the verse definitely applies to the story. Is it coincidence that Frankie and his ex-buddy Grinder are both receptors of a vicious cycle, two different kinds of abuse?
I can't help but wonder if Frankie wasn't as hopeless from the start as Socrates eventually decided he was. And what would have become of Socrates had he never touched the mask of Wakinyan that first time? Would he have matured into his power as normal, or were Socrates and Frankie both set on their different, but perhaps equally destructive, paths by certain formative experiences in their early childhood at the hands of adults?
Am I reading too much into it, or is there some mirror imagery to be had in how both experiences could have been prevented by the intervention of their mothers?
I wasn't expecting Socrates to actually die at Frankie's hands. I figured that Frankie would die and then Socrates would go on a bird rampage.
Even so (or more accurately because of my surprise), the ending was very satisfying. Kind of surprisingly so, not because I had reason to doubt from the quality of the story but because it's all wrapped-up nice and neat and I don't often encounter that.
"This is a small town. Eventually everybody knows everybody, and things just overlaps, you know?"
Nutshell: The whole town has birds on the brain, though nobody realizes the extent of it. There are other, darker things at work at the town, though, and these sins are made all the more horrible for how simple and common they are. Of a Feather is about darkness and redemption, and the seemingly chance encounters that draw disparate persons together and drive them inexorably to either of these paths. The birds are just icing on the cake.
Trigger warnings for this story: attempted rape, child molestation, other child abuse (emotional, physical).
Atmosphere: 3 out of 4. The opening paragraphs of the prologue put the focus on the mall and immediately give color to the town. The descriptive language is similarly strong elsewhere in the book and important scenes are set well. Dreams are important to the story. It takes till chapter thirteen before it really feels like a horror novel, but that's okay.
Characters: 3 out of 4. Socrates is intelligent, not because he's a natural genius but because his name gave him something to aspire too. Jamie attaches herself to Socrates with a speed that I would find frustratingly quick in other stories, but her past makes it very plausible. I like that Dr. Groener is willing to accept unusual possibilities rather than stubbornly cling to his original conception of what is possible.
Plot: 3 out of 4. The characters drive the plot from beginning to end, with very little authorial guidance to poke them in this direction or that. The actions of one realistically reverberate through lines of connection to tap every other.
Writing Style: 3 out of 4. I like the opening quotes at the beginning of each part. They give an impression of what I'm soon to experience. Just as enjoyable is the sentence fragment at the beginning of each chapter, an excerpt from what is to come. There are a couple of technical issues, but nothing severe.
Worldbuilding: 3 out of 4. There's only a small amount here, but I judge by the skill of the thing and not its scope. Ken Goldman shows that you can get impressive mileage out of a thunderbird and a two-faced mask. An extra touch that I like is that nobody really knows what Wakinyan the Thunderbird is all about, but plenty of people are willing to believe that they know what he wants.
Details, details: [here there by spoilers]
I like Socrates Singer's name, but then I am drawn to the weird ones.
I was expecting something big and horrible (or at least big and weird) to be revealed about Gustav, Conqueror of the Axis.
"... visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and and to the fourth generation." There are some people that think that the Bible is talking about the vicious cycles that can perpetuate through families, and if that's true then the verse definitely applies to the story. Is it coincidence that Frankie and his ex-buddy Grinder are both receptors of a vicious cycle, two different kinds of abuse?
I can't help but wonder if Frankie wasn't as hopeless from the start as Socrates eventually decided he was. And what would have become of Socrates had he never touched the mask of Wakinyan that first time? Would he have matured into his power as normal, or were Socrates and Frankie both set on their different, but perhaps equally destructive, paths by certain formative experiences in their early childhood at the hands of adults?
Am I reading too much into it, or is there some mirror imagery to be had in how both experiences could have been prevented by the intervention of their mothers?
I wasn't expecting Socrates to actually die at Frankie's hands. I figured that Frankie would die and then Socrates would go on a bird rampage.
Even so (or more accurately because of my surprise), the ending was very satisfying. Kind of surprisingly so, not because I had reason to doubt from the quality of the story but because it's all wrapped-up nice and neat and I don't often encounter that.
January 9, 2014
When writing reviews, I try to avoid re-capping and instead focus on the experience of reading the novel. That said, this novel was simply fantastic, blurring the lines between horror and an oddball americana fantasy genre that only exists at the end of Ken Goldman's pen. It was novel and inventive, and I hate those pretentious dollops because they sound too close to damning with faint praise. But in this case the praise isn't faint, and the damnation only exists for the antagonists and the tragic protagonists of this tale.What kind of tale is it? I'm still not sure. It's horror, just of a sort I haven't ever conceived. I gotta admit, I'm jealous. I have no idea where this guy comes up with this stuff, but I want more. Please, Mr. Goldman, tell us another story.
April 5, 2014
Wow!
Who's that man standing next to Ken Goldman? Stephen who?
Take your favorite Stephen King novel, remove any filler and add better storytelling. BOOM, now you'll know everything you need to know before reading this book.
I feel like I cheated the system finding this novel for free. I REALLY cared about these characters and that is rare for me. The story was good, but the storytelling was epic. I've found a new favorite author.
Who's that man standing next to Ken Goldman? Stephen who?
Take your favorite Stephen King novel, remove any filler and add better storytelling. BOOM, now you'll know everything you need to know before reading this book.
I feel like I cheated the system finding this novel for free. I REALLY cared about these characters and that is rare for me. The story was good, but the storytelling was epic. I've found a new favorite author.
November 24, 2013
A cross between The Birds and Carrie this book was amazing to read. For some strange reason it had the feel of a Young Adults book but it no way does it not merit being included in the Horror genre! a brilliant original storyline and one that keeps you guessing,grimacing and giggling in all the right places.
January 2, 2014
I loved this book, very reminiscent of Stephen King and had me gripped very quickly.
I would echo a previous review that this felt a little "young adult" but this in no way diminished my enjoyment.
There was definitely some room for a little more gore...
I would echo a previous review that this felt a little "young adult" but this in no way diminished my enjoyment.
There was definitely some room for a little more gore...
January 2, 2014
Before I begin this review, there are two things you need to know.
First, I happen to be friends with author Ken Goldman. Known the guy for two decades now … and counting.
Secondly, I do not read horror – which just so happens to be Ken’s area of expertise and the genre for Of a Feather, his new book.
But when your friend of 23 years publishes his first full-length novel, you tend to make exceptions. And in this business, it’s considered good manners for writerly friends to support each other by reading each other’s work. Which I try to do, when I can.
That's what I did via an ARC (advanced readers copy) on my Kindle during a recent Philadelphia to Pittsburgh post-holiday trip. My husband (the very reason I know Ken in the first place) was driving us 350 miles across the fields of Pennsylvania, leaving me to become immersed in this novel and its characters.
And Goldman stacks Of a Feather with quite a few of them. There’s 17 year old Socrates Singer who has mysterious powers; Gert Breedlove, an octogenarian who spends her days feeding pigeons by a beloved statue in the park; Socrates’ arch-nemesis, a bully named Frankie Bottinelli; Doc Wiggins, a World War II veteran; Doris Singer, Socrates’ precocious 13 year old sister (definitely my favorite character in the novel); Jamie, a gorgeous teenager (and Doc’s granddaughter); an Indian warrior, and Taryn E. Friedman, an investigative reporter for the local news. (Every town has a Taryn.)
(Even Desiree Chappelle – from Goldman’s novella Desiree – earns a very brief mention.)
(A note on Goldman and his women: he handles his female characters and their interactions especially well; in Of a Feather, there are references to the chicks being strong, resourceful, financially-independent, and entrepreneurial. Hell, yeah.)
And of course, there is a special bird which comes to symbolize so very much for Socrates. He begins to realize that he has more in common with the bird, its history, and its legacy than anyone ever imagined.
In fact, all of these characters are connected. As we discover these connections – in nature, in our personal relationships – we also learn that a duality and a struggle for good and evil is constantly happening all around us.
In the opening pages, Goldman sets his reader up very early on for this conflict and makes us see them at every turn, even at something as innocent as a bird show at the grand opening for a new mall.
“This bird of legend represents the dual nature of our world,’ the elderly warrior explained to a hundred parents whose children were already yawning. “You see, everything in nature contains its opposite, We move in and out of darkness. As thunder contains life-giving rain, that same thunder creates fear and menace, lightning and flood. Wakinyan may serve as a protector of the Oglala, but also he may appear malevolent to those very same tribesmen. Truth flies into this world with two faces ….”
“The Indian smiled as if he had read the boy’s mind. ‘In order to learn, you must first be ignorant.The mask of Wakinyan knows many things, he sees through many eyes, as many as there are birds in the sky. We are all connected, Man with the flowers, and trees with the birds.”
The fact that something so beautiful and good (birds, relationships) also possesses the ability to become ugly and malicious and deceptive is a tough lesson to learn at any age, but especially so when you’re 17 like Socrates Singer and who, like most teenage boys, has …um, one thing on his mind. (More on that aspect in a minute.)
While reading Of a Feather, it’s easy to see the comparisons to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic film “The Birds.” (Goldman, a former high school English and Film Studies teacher, has certainly done his homework here.) I may have seen “The Birds” (probably at Ken Goldman’s house), but even a non-viewer could tell that there were enough winks and nods. That’s perfectly fine; you can’t write a novel about Birds Gone Wild and not give a hat tip to Hitchcock. I didn’t have an issue with that at all.
Where my issue came was with one aspect of the writing, particularly the language. Now, I tend not to offend easily but Goldman’s prose is incredibly … raw. I’m talking in excess of rated R raw. You feel squeamish at all the f-bombs and c-bombs – be forewarned, there are quite a lot of them - and other crudities you've never heard before. (Let’s just say you would be well advised not to leave a Ken Goldman story in full view where a child could discover it and learn a few new vocabulary words and phrases.) As I read, I found myself cringing across the Commonwealth.
I also know that this is Ken Goldman's brand of horror.
As I said earlier, I’m not a reader of the genre and certainly not an expert. I can only go by what I read and what I like. So he’ll probably laugh at me for saying this, but Kenny … you’re at your best when writing about affairs of the heart, my friend.
Contrast to the f-blasts, Goldman treats us to passages like these, the ones that resonated with me most. (Talk about opposites and duality – it really is all here in Of a Feather.)
“Socrates had always hoped one person might appear, just one person who would understand his turmoil, understanding it and caring about him anyway, not because they had to, but because they really did care. And then, suddenly, from nowhere – magic! For a few incredible weeks, Socrates mattered, he meant something to two people, and the world had righted itself.”
(We all get this, don’t we? We’ve been there.)
“For Socrates Singer the slightest hint of happiness doomed itself to a short shelf-life.”
“Love, even when double-crossed, should never fight back. To do so seemed a betrayal in itself. This, Socrates told himself repeatedly during those days of early summer, and he hoped he might eventually believe it, when every instinct told him he had (again!) been made a fool of.”
With more than 30 of his stories slated for publication in 2014, there’s nothing foolish about Ken Goldman’s writing. He enjoys a solid following in the horror genre, and after many years of hard work, it’s nice for us as his friends to see his writing career taking flight. If you have the stomach for an ample helping of gore and profanity seasoned with a dash of romance and humor, then perhaps Of a Feather might be for you.
First, I happen to be friends with author Ken Goldman. Known the guy for two decades now … and counting.
Secondly, I do not read horror – which just so happens to be Ken’s area of expertise and the genre for Of a Feather, his new book.
But when your friend of 23 years publishes his first full-length novel, you tend to make exceptions. And in this business, it’s considered good manners for writerly friends to support each other by reading each other’s work. Which I try to do, when I can.
That's what I did via an ARC (advanced readers copy) on my Kindle during a recent Philadelphia to Pittsburgh post-holiday trip. My husband (the very reason I know Ken in the first place) was driving us 350 miles across the fields of Pennsylvania, leaving me to become immersed in this novel and its characters.
And Goldman stacks Of a Feather with quite a few of them. There’s 17 year old Socrates Singer who has mysterious powers; Gert Breedlove, an octogenarian who spends her days feeding pigeons by a beloved statue in the park; Socrates’ arch-nemesis, a bully named Frankie Bottinelli; Doc Wiggins, a World War II veteran; Doris Singer, Socrates’ precocious 13 year old sister (definitely my favorite character in the novel); Jamie, a gorgeous teenager (and Doc’s granddaughter); an Indian warrior, and Taryn E. Friedman, an investigative reporter for the local news. (Every town has a Taryn.)
(Even Desiree Chappelle – from Goldman’s novella Desiree – earns a very brief mention.)
(A note on Goldman and his women: he handles his female characters and their interactions especially well; in Of a Feather, there are references to the chicks being strong, resourceful, financially-independent, and entrepreneurial. Hell, yeah.)
And of course, there is a special bird which comes to symbolize so very much for Socrates. He begins to realize that he has more in common with the bird, its history, and its legacy than anyone ever imagined.
In fact, all of these characters are connected. As we discover these connections – in nature, in our personal relationships – we also learn that a duality and a struggle for good and evil is constantly happening all around us.
In the opening pages, Goldman sets his reader up very early on for this conflict and makes us see them at every turn, even at something as innocent as a bird show at the grand opening for a new mall.
“This bird of legend represents the dual nature of our world,’ the elderly warrior explained to a hundred parents whose children were already yawning. “You see, everything in nature contains its opposite, We move in and out of darkness. As thunder contains life-giving rain, that same thunder creates fear and menace, lightning and flood. Wakinyan may serve as a protector of the Oglala, but also he may appear malevolent to those very same tribesmen. Truth flies into this world with two faces ….”
“The Indian smiled as if he had read the boy’s mind. ‘In order to learn, you must first be ignorant.The mask of Wakinyan knows many things, he sees through many eyes, as many as there are birds in the sky. We are all connected, Man with the flowers, and trees with the birds.”
The fact that something so beautiful and good (birds, relationships) also possesses the ability to become ugly and malicious and deceptive is a tough lesson to learn at any age, but especially so when you’re 17 like Socrates Singer and who, like most teenage boys, has …um, one thing on his mind. (More on that aspect in a minute.)
While reading Of a Feather, it’s easy to see the comparisons to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic film “The Birds.” (Goldman, a former high school English and Film Studies teacher, has certainly done his homework here.) I may have seen “The Birds” (probably at Ken Goldman’s house), but even a non-viewer could tell that there were enough winks and nods. That’s perfectly fine; you can’t write a novel about Birds Gone Wild and not give a hat tip to Hitchcock. I didn’t have an issue with that at all.
Where my issue came was with one aspect of the writing, particularly the language. Now, I tend not to offend easily but Goldman’s prose is incredibly … raw. I’m talking in excess of rated R raw. You feel squeamish at all the f-bombs and c-bombs – be forewarned, there are quite a lot of them - and other crudities you've never heard before. (Let’s just say you would be well advised not to leave a Ken Goldman story in full view where a child could discover it and learn a few new vocabulary words and phrases.) As I read, I found myself cringing across the Commonwealth.
I also know that this is Ken Goldman's brand of horror.
As I said earlier, I’m not a reader of the genre and certainly not an expert. I can only go by what I read and what I like. So he’ll probably laugh at me for saying this, but Kenny … you’re at your best when writing about affairs of the heart, my friend.
Contrast to the f-blasts, Goldman treats us to passages like these, the ones that resonated with me most. (Talk about opposites and duality – it really is all here in Of a Feather.)
“Socrates had always hoped one person might appear, just one person who would understand his turmoil, understanding it and caring about him anyway, not because they had to, but because they really did care. And then, suddenly, from nowhere – magic! For a few incredible weeks, Socrates mattered, he meant something to two people, and the world had righted itself.”
(We all get this, don’t we? We’ve been there.)
“For Socrates Singer the slightest hint of happiness doomed itself to a short shelf-life.”
“Love, even when double-crossed, should never fight back. To do so seemed a betrayal in itself. This, Socrates told himself repeatedly during those days of early summer, and he hoped he might eventually believe it, when every instinct told him he had (again!) been made a fool of.”
With more than 30 of his stories slated for publication in 2014, there’s nothing foolish about Ken Goldman’s writing. He enjoys a solid following in the horror genre, and after many years of hard work, it’s nice for us as his friends to see his writing career taking flight. If you have the stomach for an ample helping of gore and profanity seasoned with a dash of romance and humor, then perhaps Of a Feather might be for you.
December 10, 2013
Anyone who reads this book that also suffers from ornithophobia will probably not want to leave their house for a week, and I'm sure they will suffer nightmares. As the title suggests, this book features birds, all sorts of birds, who are not our benign feathered friends. But they are not really what this story is about; it is about adolescence. That confusing time in everyone's life where things never seem to go smoothly. In fact, sometimes events lead up to make things go horribly wrong.
Of a Feather follows several central characters, and one thing I really enjoyed about Ken Goldman's writing style was that he gives equal time to each one. The reader gets to see the genesis of a psychopath, everything that leads up to him becoming a monster. On the flip side, Goldman also shows what happens to essentially good people who are pushed too far. And even though he is writing about a generation younger than my own, Goldman manages to capture everything that is universal about being a teenager. I think anyone of any age can relate to what these characters are feeling and thinking. The technology and slang might be different, but the emotional ups and downs will never change. Goldman fleshes these characters out quite well as we follow along a bloody horror story that will continue to haunt the reader long after they put it down.
This is Ken Goldman's first novel, but I hope it won't be his last. This is a solid, entertaining read, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else he will come out with in the future.
Of a Feather follows several central characters, and one thing I really enjoyed about Ken Goldman's writing style was that he gives equal time to each one. The reader gets to see the genesis of a psychopath, everything that leads up to him becoming a monster. On the flip side, Goldman also shows what happens to essentially good people who are pushed too far. And even though he is writing about a generation younger than my own, Goldman manages to capture everything that is universal about being a teenager. I think anyone of any age can relate to what these characters are feeling and thinking. The technology and slang might be different, but the emotional ups and downs will never change. Goldman fleshes these characters out quite well as we follow along a bloody horror story that will continue to haunt the reader long after they put it down.
This is Ken Goldman's first novel, but I hope it won't be his last. This is a solid, entertaining read, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else he will come out with in the future.
May 6, 2014
https://www.facebook.com/OnlyFiveStar...
Today's Five Star author is Ken Goldman for Of a Feather: Ken Goldman knocked this one out of the park....way out of the park. A gripping tale of adolescent angst, Magic, lore, and love. Socrates is an awkward young man who never really fit in anywhere. He loves his younger sister and his family, but he struggles to find his way in the world. Always picked on by the town bullies, he finds his own voice one day and it is loud.
Along the journey he meets a girl who he can talk too, and she owns a bird shop. Something strange about the birds speaks to Socrates and he discovers his calling.
This tale has some brutal scenes if you are an animal love, so be warned, If you find that offensive, do not read this book. But, if you love a well written story with intrigue, you will love this book. Way to go Ken.
Today's Five Star author is Ken Goldman for Of a Feather: Ken Goldman knocked this one out of the park....way out of the park. A gripping tale of adolescent angst, Magic, lore, and love. Socrates is an awkward young man who never really fit in anywhere. He loves his younger sister and his family, but he struggles to find his way in the world. Always picked on by the town bullies, he finds his own voice one day and it is loud.
Along the journey he meets a girl who he can talk too, and she owns a bird shop. Something strange about the birds speaks to Socrates and he discovers his calling.
This tale has some brutal scenes if you are an animal love, so be warned, If you find that offensive, do not read this book. But, if you love a well written story with intrigue, you will love this book. Way to go Ken.
January 20, 2014
I won "Of A Feather" in Goodreads' Giveaways.
I had never read horror before, so I did not know what to expect. I have to admit that after reading this book I felt like I was struck by a meteorite. My heart was pounding all the way through this read, and I couldn't put the book down.
In the beginning I thought this was a book about Socrates Singer who had a special connection with birds, and I felt his reasons for being angry and felling betrayed. But this is not only about Socrates, is about Jamie, Dorie, Frankie, Eddie, Mrs Gertrudes, Doc and also about Birds, all Kind of Birds mixed with Sioux Spirituality spiced with Human feelings.
This book is not linear, and I was surprised by the way the book ended. It was a Brilliant Journey and it does deserve 5 big fat stars.
I had never read horror before, so I did not know what to expect. I have to admit that after reading this book I felt like I was struck by a meteorite. My heart was pounding all the way through this read, and I couldn't put the book down.
In the beginning I thought this was a book about Socrates Singer who had a special connection with birds, and I felt his reasons for being angry and felling betrayed. But this is not only about Socrates, is about Jamie, Dorie, Frankie, Eddie, Mrs Gertrudes, Doc and also about Birds, all Kind of Birds mixed with Sioux Spirituality spiced with Human feelings.
This book is not linear, and I was surprised by the way the book ended. It was a Brilliant Journey and it does deserve 5 big fat stars.
April 29, 2014
Socrates has a gift, a power even he doesn't fully understand. But old Gert, who feeds the pigeons in Gustav's Park, understands. Pretty Jamie, who works at the Bird Emporium, understands. And the old Indian chief who wears a strange, two-sided bird mask, he understands too. As does the ancient, angry spirit called the Thunderbird and about a million of Wellington County's feathered creatures... They know what Socrates Singer really is. And they know what he can do...
Take one part Christine add one part The Birds, throw in the legend of the Thunderbird and you have yourself a fast paced, fun read that you can't put down! With sympathetic characters and hilariously sarcastic humor your in for a real treat. A great book that I would highly recommend. A solid 4 stars.
Take one part Christine add one part The Birds, throw in the legend of the Thunderbird and you have yourself a fast paced, fun read that you can't put down! With sympathetic characters and hilariously sarcastic humor your in for a real treat. A great book that I would highly recommend. A solid 4 stars.
April 2, 2014
It had promise but didn't quite deliver.
I did read this book in just two nights, so it was interesting enough to want to see what happens. Unfortunately, it never really developed into the good mind-freak I was hoping for. I did not like any of the characters and I find that unusual in itself. I also felt there was a very juvenile feel to the whole book, like it wanted to step into maturity but got left sitting at the kiddie table. I would read future books by this author as he is almost there.
I did read this book in just two nights, so it was interesting enough to want to see what happens. Unfortunately, it never really developed into the good mind-freak I was hoping for. I did not like any of the characters and I find that unusual in itself. I also felt there was a very juvenile feel to the whole book, like it wanted to step into maturity but got left sitting at the kiddie table. I would read future books by this author as he is almost there.
April 26, 2014
When I first started this book I thought it was actually a junior fiction novel because it was just so easy to read. I soon realised it was not! That said, the writing was very good, descriptive but not overly so. All of the characters were great and had distinct personalities. The story flowed well and I never felt like I was struggling to get through it.
Some of the scenes were quite gory which I don't mind usually....but...
****A warning to fellow nature lovers**** the descriptions of birds that are hurt or killed are extremely graphic! so much so that I had to skip them!
Some of the scenes were quite gory which I don't mind usually....but...
****A warning to fellow nature lovers**** the descriptions of birds that are hurt or killed are extremely graphic! so much so that I had to skip them!
April 13, 2014
Suspense superstition thriller
this tale was woven full of angst and fear. those who are already afraid of birds beware. all joy cannot be found at the end. I was left crying for losses that were not even real. this was a well thought out plot equally well written. the author has taken horror to a new level by giving his characters such life, and making their pain so real. I will.go dry my tears now.
this tale was woven full of angst and fear. those who are already afraid of birds beware. all joy cannot be found at the end. I was left crying for losses that were not even real. this was a well thought out plot equally well written. the author has taken horror to a new level by giving his characters such life, and making their pain so real. I will.go dry my tears now.
June 2, 2014
This one was fun to read. It really makes you realize how many birds are around us all day every day. I was shocked by the twist. I really did not expect the conflict to resolve how it did. And the final ending... A shocker, but totally believable. I would read from this author again.
April 23, 2015
This reads like a young adult novel, complete with adolescent angst, a school bully, and a magic mask. There's also a fair amount of gore and profanity. It's a bit like a fumbling, teenage version of Hitchcock's The Birds. Not a lot of literary merit here.
June 2, 2014
even though I could not let go before I finished reading this book, I didn't really like the turn of events.
September 15, 2017
Back in the 1960s or 70s there was a book and movie about an awkward, loner of a boy named Willard who had a pet rat named Ben. Willard also had an uncanny ability to control large numbers of rats, and he used that ability for nefarious reasons. Carnage ensued. In Of a Feather, there is an awkward loner of a boy named Socrates who has a pet bird named Kiki. Socrates also has an uncanny ability to control large numbers of birds and he uses that ability in nefarious ways. Carnage ensues.
So the basic plot of this book is not terribly original. It's been done in different ways with different critters. This book throws in a bit of Native American folklore to make a rationale for the irrational things that happen throughout the book. I did rather like the characters in the book. The good guys were fragile and changeable. The bad guys were REALLY bad. Just a warning: The violence is graphic as is the language. If that sort of thing offends you, just don't read the book. Don't read the book and then complain about it. This really isn't a bad book. It was entertaining and kept me interesting the whole time i was reading.
So the basic plot of this book is not terribly original. It's been done in different ways with different critters. This book throws in a bit of Native American folklore to make a rationale for the irrational things that happen throughout the book. I did rather like the characters in the book. The good guys were fragile and changeable. The bad guys were REALLY bad. Just a warning: The violence is graphic as is the language. If that sort of thing offends you, just don't read the book. Don't read the book and then complain about it. This really isn't a bad book. It was entertaining and kept me interesting the whole time i was reading.
September 25, 2017
Riveting, surprising, wow
Although this had a 'horror' label I found it more of a thriller, fantasy, suspense. Great read, interesting characters, recommend it!
Although this had a 'horror' label I found it more of a thriller, fantasy, suspense. Great read, interesting characters, recommend it!
October 26, 2020
An interesting read -- but not really my cup of tea.
April 18, 2014
I wanted to love it, but had Issues and SPOILERS
I would like to start out by saying it is clear that Ken Goldman can write fiction very well, and I was so excited when I saw this on the Kindle Daily Deal, that I bought it right away. The premise of the book was interesting - communicating with birds and ( SPOILER ALERT ) becoming a Bird God, Wakinyan. Flying was a major benefit. So, what did the protagonist do with this power of the hawk and the sparrow? He accidentally pulled a Willard, except with birds. Once he realized what he was doing, he shut it down.
The first third of the book is now done. After this I no longer had a good time reading the story. I didn't find it credible that Dorie would side with Jaime over Socrates, and I did not believe a whole town would forget the dead bird boy.
In the last triad, Dorie becomes a cold hearted murderer, something Socrates never was, with echoes of Socrates crows ringing in our ears, the only overall theme I can up with is - Women are scary, backstabbing monsters with no loyalties, so as a man, even if you have God-like powers, she will take the powers from you when you aren't looking, and then someone will use them on you until you keel over dead.
Not deep, but definitely direct. I'll take something with a little misogynist on my way out.
I would like to start out by saying it is clear that Ken Goldman can write fiction very well, and I was so excited when I saw this on the Kindle Daily Deal, that I bought it right away. The premise of the book was interesting - communicating with birds and ( SPOILER ALERT ) becoming a Bird God, Wakinyan. Flying was a major benefit. So, what did the protagonist do with this power of the hawk and the sparrow? He accidentally pulled a Willard, except with birds. Once he realized what he was doing, he shut it down.
The first third of the book is now done. After this I no longer had a good time reading the story. I didn't find it credible that Dorie would side with Jaime over Socrates, and I did not believe a whole town would forget the dead bird boy.
In the last triad, Dorie becomes a cold hearted murderer, something Socrates never was, with echoes of Socrates crows ringing in our ears, the only overall theme I can up with is - Women are scary, backstabbing monsters with no loyalties, so as a man, even if you have God-like powers, she will take the powers from you when you aren't looking, and then someone will use them on you until you keel over dead.
Not deep, but definitely direct. I'll take something with a little misogynist on my way out.
October 29, 2014
Very good book. I, like another reviewer on here, thought this would be a re-hashing of Hitchcock but it wasn't. This book was very original and it entertained me. Here is what I thought would happen - 1) Socrates was being picked on but he would find favor from the bird spirit.
2) Gert the Pigeon Lady would teach him how to harness his special powers.
3) Jamie the hot girl at the bird store would fall in love with Socrates and they would be happy.
4) Socrates would right all the wrongs with his special powers and end bullying forever.
5) The book would end with Socrates, Jamie and Gert being the only people who knew about these powers.
That is totally NOT what happened and I enjoyed every page of it. I will not say what did happen but will tell you that it is not what you will think. It will surprise you. I was not a bird person before but now I am really not. I don't want to own a bird and I don't want to feed the pigeons. Thank you Mr. Goldman, you have given me something else to worry about.
2) Gert the Pigeon Lady would teach him how to harness his special powers.
3) Jamie the hot girl at the bird store would fall in love with Socrates and they would be happy.
4) Socrates would right all the wrongs with his special powers and end bullying forever.
5) The book would end with Socrates, Jamie and Gert being the only people who knew about these powers.
That is totally NOT what happened and I enjoyed every page of it. I will not say what did happen but will tell you that it is not what you will think. It will surprise you. I was not a bird person before but now I am really not. I don't want to own a bird and I don't want to feed the pigeons. Thank you Mr. Goldman, you have given me something else to worry about.
June 8, 2014
Interesting read from a new author (free download from Amazon a bit ago). Wakinyan - a word that calls forth flocks of birds for good or ill, and an ancient mask of the Thunderbird (according to Oglala legend) makes its presence felt in a small town. Socrates Singer, the main character of the book, has had a hard life to this point, bullied, and forgotten, things start to change for him once he is gifted a parrot, Kiki, and begins to learn more about this strange capability he now has. Soon, things begin to happen around the town that are unexplainable, and the story builds to a surprising climax. Overall, this book reminds me a bit of hitchcock's the birds, but with some twists to the story, and the mash up with Indian folklore.
April 17, 2015
For the birds....in a good way
This is an unusual and very creative tale. It is sort of a CARRIE meets THE BIRDS, paranormal romance gone bad, coming of age story. Our hero, a teenage boy named Socrates, after undergoing years of bullying, discovers that he has a connection to birds and a unique power over them. Although initially not aware, he is able to get birds to do horrific things when he is extremely upset or hurt. The gore is quite graphic, and the suspense quite intense. For people who enjoy horror tales, I highly recommend this. This was well written and researched. I would like to read more by this author.
This is an unusual and very creative tale. It is sort of a CARRIE meets THE BIRDS, paranormal romance gone bad, coming of age story. Our hero, a teenage boy named Socrates, after undergoing years of bullying, discovers that he has a connection to birds and a unique power over them. Although initially not aware, he is able to get birds to do horrific things when he is extremely upset or hurt. The gore is quite graphic, and the suspense quite intense. For people who enjoy horror tales, I highly recommend this. This was well written and researched. I would like to read more by this author.
December 20, 2016
Not bad!
This book took me all the way to the end of the story, it held my interest till the end. It was well written, and seems like the writer is writing it while watching it all happen. Ken Goldman has a way of introducing the characters so you know them as if they were your friends. I would read another book by Ken Goldman any time.
This book took me all the way to the end of the story, it held my interest till the end. It was well written, and seems like the writer is writing it while watching it all happen. Ken Goldman has a way of introducing the characters so you know them as if they were your friends. I would read another book by Ken Goldman any time.
Want to read
February 14, 2017I won this book through Good Reads First Reads promotion and just received it today and can not wait to start reading it!!!
April 13, 2014
Truly creepy.
April 18, 2014
Interesting. A bit too gruesome for me.
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