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Born Burning
It's a chair that has been passed down from generation to generation. But ten-year-old Joey refuses to go near it-even though it seems terribly important to Joey's father and uncle. Because the chair is part of a family tradition. A tradition in which Joey must take his place-no matter how terrifying...
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First published August 29, 1989
About the author
Thomas Sullivan
22 books8 followersHello, fans and friends. If you're new to this page, I am a writer with some 90 published novels and short stories. My work is broadly ranged from a USA Today Bestseller to a Pulitzer Prize nommed literary satire (THE PHASES OF HARRY MOON, hardcover, Dutton) to thrillers in print, audio and e-books, including my new blockbuster original CASE WHITE in e-book. Links for all my novels are on my web site below. I’ve spoken on writing in broadly ranged venues from American schools to the House of Literature in Oslo, Norway.
Recreation is a big part of my life. I spend a couple of hours a day in the woods, cc skiing, blading, hiking or in the pool working out. I also write a free monthly column over on Storytellersunplugged.com and send out a free newsletter (Sullygrams...) once a month as well. Both can be accessed at my author's web site, along with photos and more bio. If you'd like to visit my web page, here’s the link: http://www.thomassullivanauthor.com/ You can also friend me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomas.sulli... .
Thanks for your interest...
Best, Thomas "Sully" Sullivan
Recreation is a big part of my life. I spend a couple of hours a day in the woods, cc skiing, blading, hiking or in the pool working out. I also write a free monthly column over on Storytellersunplugged.com and send out a free newsletter (Sullygrams...) once a month as well. Both can be accessed at my author's web site, along with photos and more bio. If you'd like to visit my web page, here’s the link: http://www.thomassullivanauthor.com/ You can also friend me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomas.sulli... .
Thanks for your interest...
Best, Thomas "Sully" Sullivan
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 28, 2015
I recommend this book to any fans of the horror genre. The book is very well written and moves at a fast pace that keeps you guessing until the end.
July 14, 2015
While I enjoyed the story, the quality of narration was awful! The narrator messed us words, repeated himself, hit the microphone and pretty much ruined the book though I think that's more to do with the need for an editor because he did do a great job with the voices and bringing the atmosphere to life. I just couldn't get past the many mistakes.
The book itself was good. The idea of the chair and what it made the little boy feel was incredibly creepy. The author has created an intriguing and scary read and I will definitely check out more by him! His descriptive writing and attention to detail was amazing and he drew me in from the start, it's just a pity the quality was so bad.
*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
The book itself was good. The idea of the chair and what it made the little boy feel was incredibly creepy. The author has created an intriguing and scary read and I will definitely check out more by him! His descriptive writing and attention to detail was amazing and he drew me in from the start, it's just a pity the quality was so bad.
*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
October 29, 2023
I am wholly underwhelmed. The premise and ideas were interesting and I was grabbed to read more.
The fact that a chair seemed to have a soul and needed vengeance was great. The story lines where family members were dying and disappearing? Also great. It added such mystery and dread.
……And then it didn’t go anywhere.
Joey and his uncle were caught in a game of cat and mouse that was leading up to something…but something underwhelming.
The last three pages had more solid content and story than the last third of the book. I wish those last three pages had been fleshed out and truly ended the story. It was like I blinked and Uncle Luce was gone, Joey was fine, and the story was over.
The fact that a chair seemed to have a soul and needed vengeance was great. The story lines where family members were dying and disappearing? Also great. It added such mystery and dread.
……And then it didn’t go anywhere.
Joey and his uncle were caught in a game of cat and mouse that was leading up to something…but something underwhelming.
The last three pages had more solid content and story than the last third of the book. I wish those last three pages had been fleshed out and truly ended the story. It was like I blinked and Uncle Luce was gone, Joey was fine, and the story was over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2013
TITLE - BORN BURNING
AUTHOR - THOMAS SULLIVAN
STARS - 4
REVIEWER - WENDE SHEETS
A CHAIR WAS CARVED FROM TEAK THAT WAS MADE AND PRESENTED TO AN EMPEROR IN CHINA. BRINGING NO LUCK - BUT, JUST THE OPPOSITE.. . . .
THE CHAIR WENT FROM CHINA TO MICHIGAN. IT WAS PURCHASED BY THE WHITEHALL FAMILY. HERE IS WHERE A TRADITION IS STARTED WITH THE CHAIR. IT HAS BEEN NAMED THE PATRIARCH CHAIR AND WOULD BE PRESENTED TO EACH FIRST BORN SON ON THEIR 7TH BIRTHDAY. IT'S A BIG DAY FOR THESE BOYS, THEY BECOME THE HEIRS AND GET TO SIT IN THE CHAIR!
THE NEXT IN LINE FOR THE "PATRIARCH" CHAIR IS JOEY, BUT JOEY IS AFRAID OF THE CHAIR. WHENEVER HE WAS PLACED IN THE CHAIR HE WOULD CRY AND HAVE TERRIABLE DREAMS. JOEY KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT BUT COULD NOT FIGURE IT OUT. NOT ONLY HE IS AFRAID FOR HIS 7TH BIRTHDAY TO GET HERE, BUT HIS UNCLE LUCIEN IS TRYING TO TORTURE HIM WITH THE CHAIR. A LITTLE BOY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO ENDURE SUCH THINGS!
THE CHAIR SEEMS TO HAVE A DEMONIC FORCE BEHIND IT. IF THE CHAIR IS GIVEN TO ANY OTHER MALE CHILD, OTHER THAN THE FIRST BORN SON, THEY WILL DISAPPEAR. DOES JOEY SIT IN THE CHAIR ??? IF HE DOES WHAT WILL HAPPEN ???
THIS IS REALLY GOOD READ ! IT REMINDED ME OF A STEPHEN KING OR JOHN SAUL BOOK. YOU HAVE TO KEEP READING TO FIND OUT THE TRUE MEANING OF 'THE CHAIR'. :) ITS ONE THAT CAN BE READ IN ONE SITTING EASY - UNLESS YOU ARE SITTING IN 'THE CHAIR' . . . . . HAPPY READING!
complimentary book given for a free review. juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
AUTHOR - THOMAS SULLIVAN
STARS - 4
REVIEWER - WENDE SHEETS
A CHAIR WAS CARVED FROM TEAK THAT WAS MADE AND PRESENTED TO AN EMPEROR IN CHINA. BRINGING NO LUCK - BUT, JUST THE OPPOSITE.. . . .
THE CHAIR WENT FROM CHINA TO MICHIGAN. IT WAS PURCHASED BY THE WHITEHALL FAMILY. HERE IS WHERE A TRADITION IS STARTED WITH THE CHAIR. IT HAS BEEN NAMED THE PATRIARCH CHAIR AND WOULD BE PRESENTED TO EACH FIRST BORN SON ON THEIR 7TH BIRTHDAY. IT'S A BIG DAY FOR THESE BOYS, THEY BECOME THE HEIRS AND GET TO SIT IN THE CHAIR!
THE NEXT IN LINE FOR THE "PATRIARCH" CHAIR IS JOEY, BUT JOEY IS AFRAID OF THE CHAIR. WHENEVER HE WAS PLACED IN THE CHAIR HE WOULD CRY AND HAVE TERRIABLE DREAMS. JOEY KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT BUT COULD NOT FIGURE IT OUT. NOT ONLY HE IS AFRAID FOR HIS 7TH BIRTHDAY TO GET HERE, BUT HIS UNCLE LUCIEN IS TRYING TO TORTURE HIM WITH THE CHAIR. A LITTLE BOY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO ENDURE SUCH THINGS!
THE CHAIR SEEMS TO HAVE A DEMONIC FORCE BEHIND IT. IF THE CHAIR IS GIVEN TO ANY OTHER MALE CHILD, OTHER THAN THE FIRST BORN SON, THEY WILL DISAPPEAR. DOES JOEY SIT IN THE CHAIR ??? IF HE DOES WHAT WILL HAPPEN ???
THIS IS REALLY GOOD READ ! IT REMINDED ME OF A STEPHEN KING OR JOHN SAUL BOOK. YOU HAVE TO KEEP READING TO FIND OUT THE TRUE MEANING OF 'THE CHAIR'. :) ITS ONE THAT CAN BE READ IN ONE SITTING EASY - UNLESS YOU ARE SITTING IN 'THE CHAIR' . . . . . HAPPY READING!
complimentary book given for a free review. juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
December 29, 2020
I have read very few books that were labeled as ‘horror’ that have actually scared me all the way through, but this one had me on the edge of my seat with each chapter.
I HATED Joey’s uncle. He was constantly putting him in harms way by threatening him with something that scared the kid even more than the tasks he was being given to complete. And Joey’s mom was just allowing it to happen. All the signs were there that this child was being abused/threatened, and she just blindly ignored it. Whenever she did have an inkling that something wasn’t right with her child and considered calling in a doctor or a psychiatrist, she let her child’s uncle (the boy’s abuser) talk her out of it.
All the adults in this book were horrible and were completely clueless to what the child was being put through. It definitely kept me invested in the story. I had to know if Joey was going to make it through and be okay.
I HATED Joey’s uncle. He was constantly putting him in harms way by threatening him with something that scared the kid even more than the tasks he was being given to complete. And Joey’s mom was just allowing it to happen. All the signs were there that this child was being abused/threatened, and she just blindly ignored it. Whenever she did have an inkling that something wasn’t right with her child and considered calling in a doctor or a psychiatrist, she let her child’s uncle (the boy’s abuser) talk her out of it.
All the adults in this book were horrible and were completely clueless to what the child was being put through. It definitely kept me invested in the story. I had to know if Joey was going to make it through and be okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2016
This was a difficult book to get through.The narration was so so and there was a LOT of repetition of lines.The story of a cursed chair being passed down to the oldest boy in the next generation was a good one.The characters and the chair story could have been fleshed out more.This audiobook was provided to me at no cost for a fair and honest review
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews