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Skinner
For six close friends, a weekend away turns deadly when their vehicle skids off the road and crashes in a remote part of the Adirondack Mountains.
In the direct path of a blizzard, they are hurt, cold and scared, wondering if they’ll make it through the night. But the group’s luck seemingly changes when they take refuge in a small cabin.
Their plan is simple: wait for the storm to pass. But there is something else out there that has its own plans for them.
Invade. Reveal secrets. Invoke madness. Make enemies out of friends. Create chaos. And shed blood.
"The perfect horror novel." ----Cat After Dark Reviews
"Fast-paced, cinematic, and excellent. Horror fans gather around, it's time for another chilling tale from David Bernstein."
--Keith Deininger, author of Within and Ghosts of Eden
"A harrowing, brutal thriller, SKINNER is Bernstein at his best!" -Peter Giglio, author of SHADOWSHIFT
In the direct path of a blizzard, they are hurt, cold and scared, wondering if they’ll make it through the night. But the group’s luck seemingly changes when they take refuge in a small cabin.
Their plan is simple: wait for the storm to pass. But there is something else out there that has its own plans for them.
Invade. Reveal secrets. Invoke madness. Make enemies out of friends. Create chaos. And shed blood.
"The perfect horror novel." ----Cat After Dark Reviews
"Fast-paced, cinematic, and excellent. Horror fans gather around, it's time for another chilling tale from David Bernstein."
--Keith Deininger, author of Within and Ghosts of Eden
"A harrowing, brutal thriller, SKINNER is Bernstein at his best!" -Peter Giglio, author of SHADOWSHIFT
- GenresHorror
226 pages, Paperback
First published July 21, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 2, 2015
When I read the blurb for this book I was hoping for some of this:
It didn't happen.
A group of six young people head off on an adventure during a snowstorm. You know snowstorms are dangerous don't you?
On the way up the mountain they of course are about to run out of gas. So they stop at a creepy gas station.
He couldn't believe he'd forgotten to fill up when they were on the thruway, but no one else said anything either. That's when he saw the run-down gas station. The scene oozed 1980's horror flick, with its faded gas sign flapping in the wind and the battered pickup truck that sat off to the side.
It's like one of those movies when you know something is going to happen just because they are stupid.
They get their gas, overlooking the creepy old station attendant and his many pelts that are scattered about.
Going up the mountain the snow gets worse. They end up wrecking their car and magically there is a cabin nearby.
Once there they have a pissing contest between the 3 males in the group of who is the biggest and baddest.
Then the story goes into the woo-woo stuff (paranormal) and irritated the crap out of me.
*Not every book in existence needs to go there, please and thank you very much*
Because I was hoping for some good old redneck...
I'm giving it 2 stars because I'm feeling generous. If you have nothing else to read pick it up. I don't think I'll remember it fifteen minutes from now.
Book source: Netgalley in exchange for review.
It didn't happen.
A group of six young people head off on an adventure during a snowstorm. You know snowstorms are dangerous don't you?
On the way up the mountain they of course are about to run out of gas. So they stop at a creepy gas station.
He couldn't believe he'd forgotten to fill up when they were on the thruway, but no one else said anything either. That's when he saw the run-down gas station. The scene oozed 1980's horror flick, with its faded gas sign flapping in the wind and the battered pickup truck that sat off to the side.
It's like one of those movies when you know something is going to happen just because they are stupid.
They get their gas, overlooking the creepy old station attendant and his many pelts that are scattered about.
Going up the mountain the snow gets worse. They end up wrecking their car and magically there is a cabin nearby.
Once there they have a pissing contest between the 3 males in the group of who is the biggest and baddest.
Then the story goes into the woo-woo stuff (paranormal) and irritated the crap out of me.
*Not every book in existence needs to go there, please and thank you very much*
Because I was hoping for some good old redneck...
I'm giving it 2 stars because I'm feeling generous. If you have nothing else to read pick it up. I don't think I'll remember it fifteen minutes from now.
Book source: Netgalley in exchange for review.
June 17, 2015
Six friends run off the road in a blizzard in the middle of nowhere. Will they survive long enough to reach civilization with a supernatural menace wanting them dead?
I got this from Netgalley.
Fine literature is all well and good but sometimes you just want some gory good fun. Skinner is just such fun.
Skinner reads like an homage to B-movies, horror movies in particular. Bickering 20-somethings in a remote setting, beset by supernatural forces? What's not to like?
While I had a feeling how the book was going to end, there were a few twists that caught me napping. Bernstein did a good job juxtaposing climbing suspense with brutal violence.
Skinner is not The Old Man and the Sea but it's not meant to be. It's an entertaining way to spend a couple hours. Three out of five stars.
I got this from Netgalley.
Fine literature is all well and good but sometimes you just want some gory good fun. Skinner is just such fun.
Skinner reads like an homage to B-movies, horror movies in particular. Bickering 20-somethings in a remote setting, beset by supernatural forces? What's not to like?
While I had a feeling how the book was going to end, there were a few twists that caught me napping. Bernstein did a good job juxtaposing climbing suspense with brutal violence.
Skinner is not The Old Man and the Sea but it's not meant to be. It's an entertaining way to spend a couple hours. Three out of five stars.
July 23, 2015
3.5 stars!
This novella was a lot of fun!
Picture it as a B-grade movie-one of the Friday the 13th movies, maybe. You don't spend a lot of time getting to know the characters because you know what's going to happen to them in the end. Perhaps, you'll let yourself get attached to one of them, if you think that might be the one that survives.
The villain in this book was pretty cool and I would be interested in learning more about his backstory, his store, and his powers.
If you go into this with that B-movie mindset, I think you'll enjoy this tale. It's not exactly literary, but not everything has to be. Sometimes you're just in the mood for some bloody, not too serious entertainment, and this story fits the bill perfectly.
I recommend this novella if you're in the mood for some B movie massacre fun!
*I received a free eARC from Net Galley/Darkfuse in exchange for an honest review. This is it!*
This novella was a lot of fun!
Picture it as a B-grade movie-one of the Friday the 13th movies, maybe. You don't spend a lot of time getting to know the characters because you know what's going to happen to them in the end. Perhaps, you'll let yourself get attached to one of them, if you think that might be the one that survives.
The villain in this book was pretty cool and I would be interested in learning more about his backstory, his store, and his powers.
If you go into this with that B-movie mindset, I think you'll enjoy this tale. It's not exactly literary, but not everything has to be. Sometimes you're just in the mood for some bloody, not too serious entertainment, and this story fits the bill perfectly.
I recommend this novella if you're in the mood for some B movie massacre fun!
*I received a free eARC from Net Galley/Darkfuse in exchange for an honest review. This is it!*
July 24, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“There had to be others involved. A sick family of Texas Chainsaw-like wannabes. Some backwoods family of cannibals.”
^^^Yeah, you would think a story about six friends going on a trip together through the mountains and having their car break down would have some of that, right?????
This was obviously a case of me assuming the book was going to go in one direction and it going another, so take my review with a grain of salt. I just can’t help myself. When I see people saying a book reads like a “B Movie” Mitchell and I get all excited and expect quite a bit of . . .
Especially when things like this are discussed . . .
“The old man held the bundled-up flesh suit in his arms and admired his work intensely.”
Skin suits?
EXACTLY, Martha! It’s a good thing.
So when the story ended up heading in a different direction . . . .
and got all “wolfy” to boot . . . .
Whoops. How did that get there? Uhhhhhhhh, I’ll just go ahead and leave it for a minute or two . . .
*3 hours later*
Where was I? Oh yeah, Skinner simply didn’t deliver what I was hoping it would. The plot failed for me, the bad guy, the lack of gore. It just didn’t work : (
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
“There had to be others involved. A sick family of Texas Chainsaw-like wannabes. Some backwoods family of cannibals.”
^^^Yeah, you would think a story about six friends going on a trip together through the mountains and having their car break down would have some of that, right?????
This was obviously a case of me assuming the book was going to go in one direction and it going another, so take my review with a grain of salt. I just can’t help myself. When I see people saying a book reads like a “B Movie” Mitchell and I get all excited and expect quite a bit of . . .
Especially when things like this are discussed . . .
“The old man held the bundled-up flesh suit in his arms and admired his work intensely.”
Skin suits?
EXACTLY, Martha! It’s a good thing.
So when the story ended up heading in a different direction . . . .
and got all “wolfy” to boot . . . .
Whoops. How did that get there? Uhhhhhhhh, I’ll just go ahead and leave it for a minute or two . . .
*3 hours later*
Where was I? Oh yeah, Skinner simply didn’t deliver what I was hoping it would. The plot failed for me, the bad guy, the lack of gore. It just didn’t work : (
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
June 7, 2015
Skinner is a supernatural overcoming the monster horror story from David Bernstein. A simple premise with three couples on their way to a cabin retreat, they attempt to drive over a mountain during an inexplicable storm. First filling up with gas at a rather creepy 'last fuel stop', they encounter an old man surrounded by and wearing wolf pelts.
Going up the mountain the snow worsens and they narrowly avoid running over, yep, the old man from the gas station, by plummeting down the side of the mountain. It's then a conveniently found cabin in the woods and a battle for survival scenario as one by one they succumb to a foe that has been playing this game for an eternity.
What we have is a fairly standard horror story that plays out somewhat like a movie script, more an intricate description of events as they happen and to be honest I was a little bit bored by the whole thing. There's the usual inner group squabbles, a bit of deception and questionable loyalties but I really didn't care for any of the characters, nor whether they lived or died.
The story wasn't too predictable regarding who survives, it just didn't grab my interest. I think it was more the style than anything, very little character depth and some cringe worthy conceptual metaphors. I mean comparing falling down a cliff in a car to shoes in a tumble dryer set on the highest possible speed and smells compared to the sharpness of a thousand newly minted pennies. It just didn't work for me, I normally read and highlight the good, the bad and the ugly in any story, and when I go over the notes if there's lots of things that are grouped by a 'nah' and there's no quotes I liked then it doesn't bode well.
A book that plays out like a movie has to have some way of getting involved with the story, I've read stuff like this before and enjoyed it. Over the top, riotous fun, with some humour, anything in fact to make you want to pick it up again, sadly this didn't have much in the way of redeeming qualities. If you like your stories in a sense almost articulated, simple to comprehend with little concentration required you might enjoy this. On the other hand if you want to experience a story, think about it, even when you're not reading it, desperate to get back to it, then this won't be for you.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
Going up the mountain the snow worsens and they narrowly avoid running over, yep, the old man from the gas station, by plummeting down the side of the mountain. It's then a conveniently found cabin in the woods and a battle for survival scenario as one by one they succumb to a foe that has been playing this game for an eternity.
What we have is a fairly standard horror story that plays out somewhat like a movie script, more an intricate description of events as they happen and to be honest I was a little bit bored by the whole thing. There's the usual inner group squabbles, a bit of deception and questionable loyalties but I really didn't care for any of the characters, nor whether they lived or died.
The story wasn't too predictable regarding who survives, it just didn't grab my interest. I think it was more the style than anything, very little character depth and some cringe worthy conceptual metaphors. I mean comparing falling down a cliff in a car to shoes in a tumble dryer set on the highest possible speed and smells compared to the sharpness of a thousand newly minted pennies. It just didn't work for me, I normally read and highlight the good, the bad and the ugly in any story, and when I go over the notes if there's lots of things that are grouped by a 'nah' and there's no quotes I liked then it doesn't bode well.
A book that plays out like a movie has to have some way of getting involved with the story, I've read stuff like this before and enjoyed it. Over the top, riotous fun, with some humour, anything in fact to make you want to pick it up again, sadly this didn't have much in the way of redeeming qualities. If you like your stories in a sense almost articulated, simple to comprehend with little concentration required you might enjoy this. On the other hand if you want to experience a story, think about it, even when you're not reading it, desperate to get back to it, then this won't be for you.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
January 12, 2016
I don't think I've ever given a book one star. Sometimes I feel like I'm fairly generous with my reviews and if I'm able to actually finish a book that means that there's something there that kept me reading until the end. And I've enjoyed all of the DarkFuse titles I've read so far to some extent. But this one stretched the limits for me and there was really not much there to like.
It involves a group of old friends and their ladies as they make the usual trip to a mountain bungalow for a nice weekend. They get caught in the usual freak snowstorm, get stranded, and are of course subsequently terrorized by the usual monster. The book is so derivative and unimaginatively conceived, it seems to be done on purpose. And defenders may say that that's the point: a homage, but I call bullshit. There are times when homages work or being derivative leads to great work. You can be overly faithful to genre conventions as long as you add SOMETHING new to the usual story, which Skinner did not do. The movie The Cabin in the Woods is a great example. An example from fiction that really works is Scott Smith's The Ruins , which started out pretty much with the same B-movie, friends-on-vacation-premise, and turned it into something really fresh, unsettling, and actually scary.
This book on the other hand felt like it was written by a beginning writer desperate for a movie adaptation deal. It actually felt as if a bare-bones screenplay was written first, and then sections were filled in in order to churn out a mediocre novel. It's filled with clunky exposition, laughable dialogue, story beats that are pulled straight out of a high school soap opera, cringe-inducing, rookie-level metaphors and similes, and a monster/villain that's so uninteresting it actually became funny. Yes, I guess he was frightening on the surface, but it was all superficially scary, as if the author was just pushing the necessary buttons to tell me that I'm supposed to be scared by the bad guy, rather than instilling true terror. I also didn't care much about the main characters to the point where I wanted the monster to hurry up and kill them so the book would move faster.
I received an Advanced Copy of this from the homies at DarkFuse via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and that's what this is. I could go on and on some more about all the things about this book that didn't work. But it always makes me sad when I don't enjoy a book. So I want to just move on to a better novel.
It involves a group of old friends and their ladies as they make the usual trip to a mountain bungalow for a nice weekend. They get caught in the usual freak snowstorm, get stranded, and are of course subsequently terrorized by the usual monster. The book is so derivative and unimaginatively conceived, it seems to be done on purpose. And defenders may say that that's the point: a homage, but I call bullshit. There are times when homages work or being derivative leads to great work. You can be overly faithful to genre conventions as long as you add SOMETHING new to the usual story, which Skinner did not do. The movie The Cabin in the Woods is a great example. An example from fiction that really works is Scott Smith's The Ruins , which started out pretty much with the same B-movie, friends-on-vacation-premise, and turned it into something really fresh, unsettling, and actually scary.
This book on the other hand felt like it was written by a beginning writer desperate for a movie adaptation deal. It actually felt as if a bare-bones screenplay was written first, and then sections were filled in in order to churn out a mediocre novel. It's filled with clunky exposition, laughable dialogue, story beats that are pulled straight out of a high school soap opera, cringe-inducing, rookie-level metaphors and similes, and a monster/villain that's so uninteresting it actually became funny. Yes, I guess he was frightening on the surface, but it was all superficially scary, as if the author was just pushing the necessary buttons to tell me that I'm supposed to be scared by the bad guy, rather than instilling true terror. I also didn't care much about the main characters to the point where I wanted the monster to hurry up and kill them so the book would move faster.
I received an Advanced Copy of this from the homies at DarkFuse via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and that's what this is. I could go on and on some more about all the things about this book that didn't work. But it always makes me sad when I don't enjoy a book. So I want to just move on to a better novel.
June 4, 2015
Six friends are heading to a cottage for a weekend's retreat, when an unexpected snowstorm leaves them stranded near a mountainous terrain. A stroke of "luck" lands them near an uninhabited cabin that they are able to take refuge in.
Unfortunately, NOTHING is what it seems to be in this nightmarish landscape. For this area is ruled by Skinner--the old one--and everyone within its boundaries are but a pawn in his hunting game... The only chance they may have for survival is by putting aside their differences and bonding together.
My one complaint is that the characters were all very stereotypical to me; the jock/leader with the beautiful/popular girlfriend, the "big", tough man and his common, unremarkable girlfriend, the goofy, comedic man and a brainless, narcissistic beauty that seemed to exist merely to get on everyone else's nerves. Even once I got to know their personalities, they felt like cardboard cut-outs.
The bad news--I couldn't have cared less about any of them surviving the ordeal.
The good news--it was a gory book that did manage to keep my attention on the merits of the overall story, alone. The first sighting of the wolf would have unnerved just about anyone! Then the self-doubt comes slithering back in, causing friends to turn against themselves in their efforts to understand the situation.
This wasn't a book so much about the individual characters, as it was the action and horror taking place around them. Once the novel got going, there was no slowing it down. One terrifying, horrific scene led to the next--unexpected events were consistently taking me by surprise. The entire book had a kind of "B-movie" vibe that I really enjoyed.
Final verdict, not a character-driven novel, but a fun read that will capture your attention throughout.
Recommended!
*I received an advance e-version of this book from NetGalley and DarkFuse in exchange for an honest review.*
Unfortunately, NOTHING is what it seems to be in this nightmarish landscape. For this area is ruled by Skinner--the old one--and everyone within its boundaries are but a pawn in his hunting game... The only chance they may have for survival is by putting aside their differences and bonding together.
My one complaint is that the characters were all very stereotypical to me; the jock/leader with the beautiful/popular girlfriend, the "big", tough man and his common, unremarkable girlfriend, the goofy, comedic man and a brainless, narcissistic beauty that seemed to exist merely to get on everyone else's nerves. Even once I got to know their personalities, they felt like cardboard cut-outs.
The bad news--I couldn't have cared less about any of them surviving the ordeal.
The good news--it was a gory book that did manage to keep my attention on the merits of the overall story, alone. The first sighting of the wolf would have unnerved just about anyone! Then the self-doubt comes slithering back in, causing friends to turn against themselves in their efforts to understand the situation.
This wasn't a book so much about the individual characters, as it was the action and horror taking place around them. Once the novel got going, there was no slowing it down. One terrifying, horrific scene led to the next--unexpected events were consistently taking me by surprise. The entire book had a kind of "B-movie" vibe that I really enjoyed.
Final verdict, not a character-driven novel, but a fun read that will capture your attention throughout.
Recommended!
*I received an advance e-version of this book from NetGalley and DarkFuse in exchange for an honest review.*
September 20, 2015
3.5*
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Six friends set off for a weekend away, en route to their destination they get caught in a snowstorm, when something causes them to crash their car they have to find a way to get off the mountain to safety. One of the party is badly injured and they are relieved to find an abandoned cabin to take refuge in while they wait for morning. Unfortunately they are not alone on the mountain; something is watching and waiting to add them to their collection of skins.
Overall this was a pretty enjoyable read, the stand out point being the nicely drawn main characters and an interesting antagonist that unfortunately was explored nearly enough. The main characters were very likeable and I ended up feeling much more invested in their outcomes than I had expected. The back story given to them was also used well by the author and tied in seamlessly with the present story setting. Even the more unlikeable characters were given a bit more depth and didn’t come off as being flat or cliché although with six people it did end up splitting my focus a lot more, perhaps less characters might have worked a bit better.
I liked the back story to the Old One or Skinner but feel this could have been used a bit more especially how he used peoples souls and how this tied in with the wolves. I liked the back story with how he acquired his minion but again with the shortness of the story this wasn’t explored for too long which was a pity. For a novella it does pack a lot in but I wasn’t keen on the supernatural elements towards the end, it came across as a bit hokey and detracted from the story.
This was still a fun read and I was pretty impressed by how well the author fleshed out his characters. The supernatural elements didn’t really gel for me but this is just personal preference and I’d still recommend this to someone looking for a survivalist horror read.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Six friends set off for a weekend away, en route to their destination they get caught in a snowstorm, when something causes them to crash their car they have to find a way to get off the mountain to safety. One of the party is badly injured and they are relieved to find an abandoned cabin to take refuge in while they wait for morning. Unfortunately they are not alone on the mountain; something is watching and waiting to add them to their collection of skins.
Overall this was a pretty enjoyable read, the stand out point being the nicely drawn main characters and an interesting antagonist that unfortunately was explored nearly enough. The main characters were very likeable and I ended up feeling much more invested in their outcomes than I had expected. The back story given to them was also used well by the author and tied in seamlessly with the present story setting. Even the more unlikeable characters were given a bit more depth and didn’t come off as being flat or cliché although with six people it did end up splitting my focus a lot more, perhaps less characters might have worked a bit better.
I liked the back story to the Old One or Skinner but feel this could have been used a bit more especially how he used peoples souls and how this tied in with the wolves. I liked the back story with how he acquired his minion but again with the shortness of the story this wasn’t explored for too long which was a pity. For a novella it does pack a lot in but I wasn’t keen on the supernatural elements towards the end, it came across as a bit hokey and detracted from the story.
This was still a fun read and I was pretty impressed by how well the author fleshed out his characters. The supernatural elements didn’t really gel for me but this is just personal preference and I’d still recommend this to someone looking for a survivalist horror read.
May 29, 2015
Although I haven't read all of Bernstein's work, I believe you could turn any one of his novels into a kickass horror movie. SKINNER is no exception, although keep in mind that the book is always better than the movie. ;)
I was lucky enough to have a chance to read this one early and I really enjoyed. it.
I was lucky enough to have a chance to read this one early and I really enjoyed. it.
July 26, 2016
This one was just ok for me. Skinner “the old one” reminded me of a cross between the wolf man, Rumpelstiltskin and Buffalo Bill and his back story had a very fairy tale vibe to it. (Maybe that’s how it was supposed to come across, but it didn’t fit with the kids trapped in the cabin theme) There were some interesting concepts here, but they were not fully realized and it didn’t feel like the story had a sense of what it was trying to be.
*As a member of the DarkFuse NetGalley Readers Group, I received an advanced copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
*As a member of the DarkFuse NetGalley Readers Group, I received an advanced copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2015
Review copy
The last time I reviewed a David Bernstein book, Toxic Behemoth, I commented "NO ONE IS SAFE IN A DAVID BERNSTEIN BOOK." That is certainly true in his latest novel from Darkfuse, Skinner.
From the opening words...
"The sky was mean-looking, ominous and dark, like a crinkled piece of carbon paper. There hadn't been a storm in the forecast. Golf-ball-sized snowflakes were coming down as if a pillow fight were taking place in the heavens above."
In other words, "It was a dark and stormy night." And you just know that means trouble. What follows is a pulse-pounding story of six friends who become isolated in a surprise snowstorm. Two questions come to mind in a story such a this, who will survive and just how will they meet their fates.
What awaits this group requires the suspension of disbelieve in a big way. If you can do that, you're in for a treat. Bernstein is a gifted story teller, even if he does take the reader well off the beaten track in this one.
Skinner will be available in both paperback and e-book formats on June, 21st, 2015. Published by Darkfuse, you can read this one at no additional charge if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read this one for FREE as your monthly selection from the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
Recommended.
The last time I reviewed a David Bernstein book, Toxic Behemoth, I commented "NO ONE IS SAFE IN A DAVID BERNSTEIN BOOK." That is certainly true in his latest novel from Darkfuse, Skinner.
From the opening words...
"The sky was mean-looking, ominous and dark, like a crinkled piece of carbon paper. There hadn't been a storm in the forecast. Golf-ball-sized snowflakes were coming down as if a pillow fight were taking place in the heavens above."
In other words, "It was a dark and stormy night." And you just know that means trouble. What follows is a pulse-pounding story of six friends who become isolated in a surprise snowstorm. Two questions come to mind in a story such a this, who will survive and just how will they meet their fates.
What awaits this group requires the suspension of disbelieve in a big way. If you can do that, you're in for a treat. Bernstein is a gifted story teller, even if he does take the reader well off the beaten track in this one.
Skinner will be available in both paperback and e-book formats on June, 21st, 2015. Published by Darkfuse, you can read this one at no additional charge if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read this one for FREE as your monthly selection from the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
Recommended.
August 15, 2015
3.5 stars.
I will start out by saying that this book wasn't my cup of tea. This book was made to be cliche, from the creepy gas station attendant to the stereotypical cast of characters. By all rights, I should have enjoyed this and perhaps I just wasn't in the right frame of mind.
Six kids head for a cabin in the middle of a snowstorm and get into an accident. Something is out there and it's out to get them. Adding a supernatural aspect to this made it slightly less predictable than same recycled story but the characters were unremarkable and I really just wanted the thing to eat them all. For a mindless gorefest, it seems that most people found this book to be rather enjoyable, I'm just not one of them. I enjoyed Surrogate by David Bernstein much more than this one.
I received this as an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for a review and here it is.
I will start out by saying that this book wasn't my cup of tea. This book was made to be cliche, from the creepy gas station attendant to the stereotypical cast of characters. By all rights, I should have enjoyed this and perhaps I just wasn't in the right frame of mind.
Six kids head for a cabin in the middle of a snowstorm and get into an accident. Something is out there and it's out to get them. Adding a supernatural aspect to this made it slightly less predictable than same recycled story but the characters were unremarkable and I really just wanted the thing to eat them all. For a mindless gorefest, it seems that most people found this book to be rather enjoyable, I'm just not one of them. I enjoyed Surrogate by David Bernstein much more than this one.
I received this as an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for a review and here it is.
June 11, 2015
On paper, David Bernstein's Skinner is everything I look for in a horror novella. A group of characters - in this case, three couples - get attacked by something evil and monstrous that does not plan pleasant or uplifting things for them. Said group battle to stay alive and the enjoyment comes from picking who is going to be picked off next, and who - if anyone - is going to survive.
In execution, however, David Bernstein's Skinner takes a hell of a long time to get going, feels far longer than it is, and apart from one memorably surprising death, pretty much goes where most horror fans think it will. Bernstein takes his time allowing the characters to develop and their interactions to breathe, but the problem was I still failed to care about any of them. So when they (eventually) start to die, I found myself not really caring. Furthermore, the creature stalking them is revealed and explained very early in proceedings, removing much of the tension that could have been Skinner's greatest asset.
All in all, this was probably my least favourite Bernstein read so far. It was still okay, but I much preferred his excellent The Tree Man, or even the batshit insanity of the ending to The Unhinged.
2.5 (2 here; 3 on Amazon) Dead-Eyed Crossbow Shots for Skinner.
The preceding was based on an eARC provided by Darkfuse Publishing via Netgalley.
In execution, however, David Bernstein's Skinner takes a hell of a long time to get going, feels far longer than it is, and apart from one memorably surprising death, pretty much goes where most horror fans think it will. Bernstein takes his time allowing the characters to develop and their interactions to breathe, but the problem was I still failed to care about any of them. So when they (eventually) start to die, I found myself not really caring. Furthermore, the creature stalking them is revealed and explained very early in proceedings, removing much of the tension that could have been Skinner's greatest asset.
All in all, this was probably my least favourite Bernstein read so far. It was still okay, but I much preferred his excellent The Tree Man, or even the batshit insanity of the ending to The Unhinged.
2.5 (2 here; 3 on Amazon) Dead-Eyed Crossbow Shots for Skinner.
The preceding was based on an eARC provided by Darkfuse Publishing via Netgalley.
July 27, 2015
A copy of Skinner was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author David Bernstein via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by DarkFuse.
My only other experience of David Bernstein was reading the rather excellent Jackpot in which he collaborated with some other fine authors, Cesare / Rufty / McKenzie. I was hoping Skinner would be along the same sort of style. I wasn’t let down. You can see my review of Jackpot here.
A group of six friends are on their way to a remote log cabin for a weekend away. As they are climbing through the Adirondack Mountains they hit a bad snowstorm. As they round a corner there is a strange figure standing in the middle of the road. The driver, Rob, swerves to avoid him and they crash over the side of the mountain.
Miraculously they all survive the crash but now must battle against the elements to find somewhere safe to stay warm until they get rescued.
When they find an abandoned cabin they think all is well until they discover the tracks of a huge animal in the snow outside. If they think they just need to stay safe from the animal, they need to think again.
A mysterious and ancient evil is lurking outside. It doesn’t want them to leave.
So – a group of kids trapped in an abandoned cabin with some sort of wild animal outside that is basically scaring the crap out of them. Yeah it’s been done before hasn’t it? Whenever I get into a book like this and discover the plot I panic. Purely and simply because if there is nothing different to this story, I will not finish it if my attention is not kept at a high level. I finished this one. In fact I couldn’t really put it down. Why? Because Mr Bernstein added his own little twist to the story that made it the same, but different.
Characters in this story are nothing exciting. You don’t get big background stories on who they are, what has happened in their pasts and where they are probably going in their futures. You don’t need to know all of this stuff so thankfully the book wasn’t filled with unnecessary information filling gaps that needed to be plugged. Frankly there were no gaps that needed plugged. It’s six kids basically out for a fun weekend. Three couples. All normal. Or is it? There is a little sub plot that I am not going to give away at this point. It worked very well in raising the tension in the story because some people know and some people don’t know. The problem is the person who doesn’t know is going to go a bit mad when he finds out.
We have Rob, the driver and his fiancée Aria. Mark and his girlfriend Sara. Jeff and his girlfriend Spencer. All of the male characters are pretty macho I suppose and come to blows more than once but these spats are caused more by fear than anything else. They may be macho but they are still scared witless.
The big seller in this story for me is the mysterious, evil, old one. You don’t know much about him. You don’t know his name. He seems to go by many but like me, you will probably come up with your own for him. You get a bit of background on this man and soon discover that he may not even be a man. He is certainly ancient and possesses supernatural powers. In order for his powers to be sustained it looks like he needs souls. He certainly needs skins. There is one sequence in this story that will, quite literally, make your skin crawl. If you do not cringe and feel extreme pain when you read it, you are most likely already dead.
If you’re lucky enough to be able to claim you watched all those 80’s horror films the first time around then you are going to love this. It has all the ingredients that make up that perfect B movie. You know the ones that weren’t classed as “big” movies because there were no big stars in them but they became cult movies all the same? This is one. It has all the right ingredients as I say but anyone can put the right ingredients in. It doesn’t always make the perfect cake. If David Bernstein were a baker, I would definitely eat his cakes because he gets the mixture just perfect.
The writing style is very smooth. Like I said before it isn’t filled with needless info purely to fill gaps. There are no gaps. His writing is what I would call easy. It’s easy on the eye and the words just flow across the pages. It’s easy to piece together the scenes into a flawless story. It’s easy to be completely drawn into the story where you feel like you are living in it. This is a scary story but not just for the jump out of your seat moments. There is a certain psychological horror in this as well that messes with the heads of the characters and messes with your own head to the point that you have no idea where things are going and what is going to happen next. That’s what makes this story different to the run of the mill “kids stranded in a cabin screaming like girls”.
To summarise: Replica ‘80’s horror at its best – BUT – and that’s an important but – it’s not like all the rest. It’s got a twist that makes it that bit better and makes it stand out that little bit more. If I have a negative it’s that I would have liked to have seen more of this element in it. It ends up just shy of perfect for me because of that. One thing is for sure though, I will be reading a lot more of David Bernstein if he keeps this up.
General rating:
★★★★.5 Practically perfect.
Horror rating:
★★★★ Again practically perfect.
My only other experience of David Bernstein was reading the rather excellent Jackpot in which he collaborated with some other fine authors, Cesare / Rufty / McKenzie. I was hoping Skinner would be along the same sort of style. I wasn’t let down. You can see my review of Jackpot here.
A group of six friends are on their way to a remote log cabin for a weekend away. As they are climbing through the Adirondack Mountains they hit a bad snowstorm. As they round a corner there is a strange figure standing in the middle of the road. The driver, Rob, swerves to avoid him and they crash over the side of the mountain.
Miraculously they all survive the crash but now must battle against the elements to find somewhere safe to stay warm until they get rescued.
When they find an abandoned cabin they think all is well until they discover the tracks of a huge animal in the snow outside. If they think they just need to stay safe from the animal, they need to think again.
A mysterious and ancient evil is lurking outside. It doesn’t want them to leave.
So – a group of kids trapped in an abandoned cabin with some sort of wild animal outside that is basically scaring the crap out of them. Yeah it’s been done before hasn’t it? Whenever I get into a book like this and discover the plot I panic. Purely and simply because if there is nothing different to this story, I will not finish it if my attention is not kept at a high level. I finished this one. In fact I couldn’t really put it down. Why? Because Mr Bernstein added his own little twist to the story that made it the same, but different.
Characters in this story are nothing exciting. You don’t get big background stories on who they are, what has happened in their pasts and where they are probably going in their futures. You don’t need to know all of this stuff so thankfully the book wasn’t filled with unnecessary information filling gaps that needed to be plugged. Frankly there were no gaps that needed plugged. It’s six kids basically out for a fun weekend. Three couples. All normal. Or is it? There is a little sub plot that I am not going to give away at this point. It worked very well in raising the tension in the story because some people know and some people don’t know. The problem is the person who doesn’t know is going to go a bit mad when he finds out.
We have Rob, the driver and his fiancée Aria. Mark and his girlfriend Sara. Jeff and his girlfriend Spencer. All of the male characters are pretty macho I suppose and come to blows more than once but these spats are caused more by fear than anything else. They may be macho but they are still scared witless.
The big seller in this story for me is the mysterious, evil, old one. You don’t know much about him. You don’t know his name. He seems to go by many but like me, you will probably come up with your own for him. You get a bit of background on this man and soon discover that he may not even be a man. He is certainly ancient and possesses supernatural powers. In order for his powers to be sustained it looks like he needs souls. He certainly needs skins. There is one sequence in this story that will, quite literally, make your skin crawl. If you do not cringe and feel extreme pain when you read it, you are most likely already dead.
If you’re lucky enough to be able to claim you watched all those 80’s horror films the first time around then you are going to love this. It has all the ingredients that make up that perfect B movie. You know the ones that weren’t classed as “big” movies because there were no big stars in them but they became cult movies all the same? This is one. It has all the right ingredients as I say but anyone can put the right ingredients in. It doesn’t always make the perfect cake. If David Bernstein were a baker, I would definitely eat his cakes because he gets the mixture just perfect.
The writing style is very smooth. Like I said before it isn’t filled with needless info purely to fill gaps. There are no gaps. His writing is what I would call easy. It’s easy on the eye and the words just flow across the pages. It’s easy to piece together the scenes into a flawless story. It’s easy to be completely drawn into the story where you feel like you are living in it. This is a scary story but not just for the jump out of your seat moments. There is a certain psychological horror in this as well that messes with the heads of the characters and messes with your own head to the point that you have no idea where things are going and what is going to happen next. That’s what makes this story different to the run of the mill “kids stranded in a cabin screaming like girls”.
To summarise: Replica ‘80’s horror at its best – BUT – and that’s an important but – it’s not like all the rest. It’s got a twist that makes it that bit better and makes it stand out that little bit more. If I have a negative it’s that I would have liked to have seen more of this element in it. It ends up just shy of perfect for me because of that. One thing is for sure though, I will be reading a lot more of David Bernstein if he keeps this up.
General rating:
★★★★.5 Practically perfect.
Horror rating:
★★★★ Again practically perfect.
August 12, 2015
This was the fourth book by David I have read and the first one that was just okay. The book starts out with a group of six friends. Jeff, Aria, Mark, Spencer, Sara and Rob. Taking a Jeep up into the mountains to a Bungalow for the weekend. Snowing they stop at this run down gas station. The old man at the station was wearing fur pelts, had yellow teeth and look like ninety years old. He told them a storm was coming. After leaving going down the road with the snow coming down a old man with animal pets and a wolfs head was standing in the road. They swerve to miss him, slide of road and tumbled down hill. When they finally come to a stop they find out that Sara has a broken leg and is unresponsive. They try to call 911 but no signal. Too cold to stay in the Jeep over night. Rob goes out to find help and comes across a cabin. Will stop here, this is where the story gets going. That same old scenario, a group of friends going to spend the weekend in the mountains something happens and they have to find a way out. I did enjoyed reading the other three books( Relic of Death, Apartment 7C and Surrogate). Skinner just didn't do anything for me. I gave it two stars.
I received an e-arc of this book from DarkFuse/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I received an e-arc of this book from DarkFuse/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
August 14, 2015
Oh wow...
I happily Received this from DarkFuse publishing for an honest review.
If ever a book needs to be made in to a Film It's this! It's got all the marking's Literally.
I enjoyed this.. Just for it's plot. It was on track. Is it wrong I loved the villain? I adored him and all his creepy little names. He was sort of like the lone wolf in the forest I liked that. All in all a really good read!
I happily Received this from DarkFuse publishing for an honest review.
If ever a book needs to be made in to a Film It's this! It's got all the marking's Literally.
I enjoyed this.. Just for it's plot. It was on track. Is it wrong I loved the villain? I adored him and all his creepy little names. He was sort of like the lone wolf in the forest I liked that. All in all a really good read!
November 1, 2015
I have a bit of a soft-spot for horror set in snowy climes, so I was very curious to see what David Bernstein would have in store for readers in SKINNER. For the most part, I was pretty pleased.
The opening chapters hit all the right notes for me, satisfying expectations for a story of this type, but also offering up some intriguing differences. The group stops at a creepy old gas station along the mountain route to a cabin in the woods, and encounter the creepy old gas station attendant - pretty standard fare and an expected well-worn horror staple. When a crazy and sudden snow storm sets in and the travelers are forced off the mountain path in the wake of a car accident, the fun sets in. They find an abandoned shack in the woods, and tensions rise quickly as the supernatural element of the story barges in to wreak havoc and they find themselves surrounded by wolves.
There were some good surprises in the group dynamic, as these friends are forced to confront some awful truths about themselves, and the survival elements bring in a heady dose of fun. The action is well done, and the writing is pretty solid and well-paced. In fact, the good elements in this story far outweigh my few nitpicks. One point of contention is that some of the supernatural stuff here feels cribbed from a Grimm's' Fairy Tale and felt a little too borrowed from the fantasy genre for my tastes. Another issue I had, and I'll issue a small SPOILER WARNING here is that multiple characters end up wandering down the tracks of similar trains of thought, mostly about how, when they escape, they're going to get filthy rich off their story. They get so wrapped up in their imaginings that they completely forget about how much danger they're in and have to be sucked back into reality by their buddies. I spent most of the story thinking this was a result of manipulations from the menace they face, but it happens a few times too often that I started to wonder if it was simply a one-note idea or if these characters were really all just that shallow. It's a minor gripe, and one I'm largely willing to overlook simply because the ride was enjoyable enough.
So, as I said earlier, I dig snow-driven horror and climate-based survival stories are one of my favorite subgenres within horror. Ultimately, Bernstein delivered what I was looking for quite well. The fantasy elements weren't my cup of tea, but the character interactions and bursts of violence and ratcheting tension held my attention and kept me glued to the page. Mostly it was just an entertaining and fun bit of reading. Nicely done, Mr. Bernstein.
The opening chapters hit all the right notes for me, satisfying expectations for a story of this type, but also offering up some intriguing differences. The group stops at a creepy old gas station along the mountain route to a cabin in the woods, and encounter the creepy old gas station attendant - pretty standard fare and an expected well-worn horror staple. When a crazy and sudden snow storm sets in and the travelers are forced off the mountain path in the wake of a car accident, the fun sets in. They find an abandoned shack in the woods, and tensions rise quickly as the supernatural element of the story barges in to wreak havoc and they find themselves surrounded by wolves.
There were some good surprises in the group dynamic, as these friends are forced to confront some awful truths about themselves, and the survival elements bring in a heady dose of fun. The action is well done, and the writing is pretty solid and well-paced. In fact, the good elements in this story far outweigh my few nitpicks. One point of contention is that some of the supernatural stuff here feels cribbed from a Grimm's' Fairy Tale and felt a little too borrowed from the fantasy genre for my tastes. Another issue I had, and I'll issue a small SPOILER WARNING here is that multiple characters end up wandering down the tracks of similar trains of thought, mostly about how, when they escape, they're going to get filthy rich off their story. They get so wrapped up in their imaginings that they completely forget about how much danger they're in and have to be sucked back into reality by their buddies. I spent most of the story thinking this was a result of manipulations from the menace they face, but it happens a few times too often that I started to wonder if it was simply a one-note idea or if these characters were really all just that shallow. It's a minor gripe, and one I'm largely willing to overlook simply because the ride was enjoyable enough.
So, as I said earlier, I dig snow-driven horror and climate-based survival stories are one of my favorite subgenres within horror. Ultimately, Bernstein delivered what I was looking for quite well. The fantasy elements weren't my cup of tea, but the character interactions and bursts of violence and ratcheting tension held my attention and kept me glued to the page. Mostly it was just an entertaining and fun bit of reading. Nicely done, Mr. Bernstein.
June 1, 2015
Skinner is a pure pulp novel with a few little twists of originality that prevent it from being a total pastiche of other classic horror stories. What we have here is a "cabin in the woods" type story which obviously hearkens back to Evil Dead, with some Texas Chainsaw Massacre elements thrown in for flavor.
I really enjoyed the story of the villain and what he (it?) was trying to accomplish. There is fun action and buckets of blood and grue to satisfy the gorehound. What I didn't connect with was the protagonists. They varied from cardboard cutouts to actively unlikeable, and I was less interested in them surviving as I was in seeing them dispatched. This is often the case in the B-movies that Skinner reminds me of, so maybe this was intentional on Mr. Bernstein's part. Something I can't overlook was the constant use of "as if" in similes. It became distracting and silly.
If you are not looking for hidden subtext on the nature of humanity but just want a straight horror tale, Skinner will scratch that itch for you. 3.5 stars.
I really enjoyed the story of the villain and what he (it?) was trying to accomplish. There is fun action and buckets of blood and grue to satisfy the gorehound. What I didn't connect with was the protagonists. They varied from cardboard cutouts to actively unlikeable, and I was less interested in them surviving as I was in seeing them dispatched. This is often the case in the B-movies that Skinner reminds me of, so maybe this was intentional on Mr. Bernstein's part. Something I can't overlook was the constant use of "as if" in similes. It became distracting and silly.
If you are not looking for hidden subtext on the nature of humanity but just want a straight horror tale, Skinner will scratch that itch for you. 3.5 stars.
July 23, 2015
Review: SKINNER by David Bernstein
When I want a serious frightening, I can turn to David Bernstein. I had just completed a Cthulhu anthology when I commenced SKINNER and fortuitously, discovered an entity not of this earth. Evil in human terms, yes; but in its nonplanetary viewpoint, acting natural. As I've reiterated repeatedly, the best horror must be founded in implacability. There must be no possibility of permanent escape. To that end, I give you--SKINNER. [I'll never look at wolves in the same way again.]
When I want a serious frightening, I can turn to David Bernstein. I had just completed a Cthulhu anthology when I commenced SKINNER and fortuitously, discovered an entity not of this earth. Evil in human terms, yes; but in its nonplanetary viewpoint, acting natural. As I've reiterated repeatedly, the best horror must be founded in implacability. There must be no possibility of permanent escape. To that end, I give you--SKINNER. [I'll never look at wolves in the same way again.]
June 10, 2015
Review from: http://horrorunderground.org/2015/06/...
Since starting this site, I have been fortunate in receiving some tremendous horror novels to review. One of which was Jackpot written by David Bernstein, Kristopher Rufty, Shane McKenzie, and Adam Cesare. It is easily one of my all-time favorite horror novels. It packs a punch of humor, shock and horror that I haven’t seen in a while. Needless to say, I was dying to review more from these authors.
I recently received a copy of Skinner, an upcoming novel by David Bernstein, one of the co-authors of Jackpot. I quickly bumped it up on my list with heated anticipation. With a lot of hope riding on this book, it is easy for it to fail given my high expectations.
Skinner has a mundane horror plot; six friends pile into a car and head to the mountains for a relaxing get away. On the surface, this is a very drab plot that has been done time and time again. This is not one of those stories. What starts out as an average story quickly builds into a unique dark fiction that contains one of the most intriguing villains I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
While traveling to their destination, the six friends, consisting of three couples, stop at a gas station. This is your typical horror story dilapidated gas station where things are going to go south for the characters. Other than being strange and broken down, little happens here to my surprise. The creepy old man running the gas station warns some of the characters about the upcoming storm. With clear winter skies, the characters do not heed this warning.
Soon after leaving, a winter storm hits hard from nowhere. The group make their way up the side of a mountain only to suffer an accident during their ascent. After careening off the side of the mountain, the story transfers from a Texas Chainsaw Massacre style horror story into a struggle for survival. This flirtation with horror, survival horror, supernatural, and slasher makes this one hell of a read. This intermingling of horror subgenres and classic tropes keeps you guessing with every page turn. Even though this is a fairly short novel, the mystery and suspense will have you whipping through this book in no time.
As stated earlier, Skinner has a surprisingly fascinating villain. This isn’t your typical slasher that stalks people in the woods. There is a mythology that is given to the villain, The Old One, as the readers will come to know him. Bernstein does an exemplary job of teasing you with just enough backstory and world building for The Old One that you will be satisfied with his motivations. I won’t spoil much as he is my favorite part of this novel. Think Ed Gein with a dash of Predator…and that’s not even the tip of the iceberg with The Old One. You will want to know more about him. Again, plenty is given regarding him, but there is such a rich backstory that you will beg to read more.
Throughout this book, David Bernstein never settles or gets lazy with his writing. He easily could have phoned in parts of this story given the classic setup he has given us. Luckily, he does not. Skinner is a brutal horror story that will keep surprising you over and over. The mythology laid out in this novel is worth the price of admission. There are buckets of gore and plenty survival horror moments. The characters are fleshed out in a way that compliments the actions that take place in the second and third acts of this story. Much like Jackpot, Skinner is a new favorite of mine that will be reread each year. I can’t wait to read this during a winter storm.
An advance review was given to me courtesy of DarkFuse and Netgalley. Skinner releases July 21st and can be purchased directly from DarkFuse.
Since starting this site, I have been fortunate in receiving some tremendous horror novels to review. One of which was Jackpot written by David Bernstein, Kristopher Rufty, Shane McKenzie, and Adam Cesare. It is easily one of my all-time favorite horror novels. It packs a punch of humor, shock and horror that I haven’t seen in a while. Needless to say, I was dying to review more from these authors.
I recently received a copy of Skinner, an upcoming novel by David Bernstein, one of the co-authors of Jackpot. I quickly bumped it up on my list with heated anticipation. With a lot of hope riding on this book, it is easy for it to fail given my high expectations.
Skinner has a mundane horror plot; six friends pile into a car and head to the mountains for a relaxing get away. On the surface, this is a very drab plot that has been done time and time again. This is not one of those stories. What starts out as an average story quickly builds into a unique dark fiction that contains one of the most intriguing villains I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
While traveling to their destination, the six friends, consisting of three couples, stop at a gas station. This is your typical horror story dilapidated gas station where things are going to go south for the characters. Other than being strange and broken down, little happens here to my surprise. The creepy old man running the gas station warns some of the characters about the upcoming storm. With clear winter skies, the characters do not heed this warning.
Soon after leaving, a winter storm hits hard from nowhere. The group make their way up the side of a mountain only to suffer an accident during their ascent. After careening off the side of the mountain, the story transfers from a Texas Chainsaw Massacre style horror story into a struggle for survival. This flirtation with horror, survival horror, supernatural, and slasher makes this one hell of a read. This intermingling of horror subgenres and classic tropes keeps you guessing with every page turn. Even though this is a fairly short novel, the mystery and suspense will have you whipping through this book in no time.
As stated earlier, Skinner has a surprisingly fascinating villain. This isn’t your typical slasher that stalks people in the woods. There is a mythology that is given to the villain, The Old One, as the readers will come to know him. Bernstein does an exemplary job of teasing you with just enough backstory and world building for The Old One that you will be satisfied with his motivations. I won’t spoil much as he is my favorite part of this novel. Think Ed Gein with a dash of Predator…and that’s not even the tip of the iceberg with The Old One. You will want to know more about him. Again, plenty is given regarding him, but there is such a rich backstory that you will beg to read more.
Throughout this book, David Bernstein never settles or gets lazy with his writing. He easily could have phoned in parts of this story given the classic setup he has given us. Luckily, he does not. Skinner is a brutal horror story that will keep surprising you over and over. The mythology laid out in this novel is worth the price of admission. There are buckets of gore and plenty survival horror moments. The characters are fleshed out in a way that compliments the actions that take place in the second and third acts of this story. Much like Jackpot, Skinner is a new favorite of mine that will be reread each year. I can’t wait to read this during a winter storm.
An advance review was given to me courtesy of DarkFuse and Netgalley. Skinner releases July 21st and can be purchased directly from DarkFuse.
July 8, 2015
David Bernstein's no-frills scare-the-hell-out-of-you horror novel Skinner reads like a tribute to all those "group of people caught in a cabin during a snowstorm with the monster from hell" flicks. Except this one scared me more than most of those movies. This is one of those times having a formula didn't bother me because Bernstein knows when to ditch the formula. Just when I thought I knew what the next move would be he throws a surprise. It was like visiting an old predictable friend that learned a few new tricks while you were away.
So what is the plot? Six young people ranging from sensible peacemaker to annoying asshole are stranded in a snowstorm. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately for our nearly frostbitten city dwellers, there is a cabin nearby. Of course, we savvy readers are already going , "Run away! Didn't you get the clue when you stopped at the rotting away gas station and the creepy old man said, "Storm's a coming"?. But of course they don't and with the psychological tension building up in our unwary protagonists we know they won't until it is too late. In the meantime, we are getting a hint that the evil in the woods is ready to party and won't stop til the wolves come home. There is also a caring sheriff who just "might" save the day and Renfield got a promotion to Old Man in the Mountain's stooge where he doesn't have to eat bugs for a living.
So OK. I'm having a little fun with this. That is a compliment because this novel is a lot of scary and spooky fun. It exists to scare and it does that with glee. The author knows when to build the suspense, when to pile on the violence and gore, and how to tease for the climax. His "boogeyman" is quite creative and makes for a large percentage of the twist and jumps in the story. In fact, it is that symbol of terror that pushes this away from just being that formula horror plot I alluded to earlier. If only those movies that this seems to be a tribute to were this good. If the goal of a horror novel is to scare and entertain you, Skinner fulfills its goal. Three and a half stars.
So what is the plot? Six young people ranging from sensible peacemaker to annoying asshole are stranded in a snowstorm. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately for our nearly frostbitten city dwellers, there is a cabin nearby. Of course, we savvy readers are already going , "Run away! Didn't you get the clue when you stopped at the rotting away gas station and the creepy old man said, "Storm's a coming"?. But of course they don't and with the psychological tension building up in our unwary protagonists we know they won't until it is too late. In the meantime, we are getting a hint that the evil in the woods is ready to party and won't stop til the wolves come home. There is also a caring sheriff who just "might" save the day and Renfield got a promotion to Old Man in the Mountain's stooge where he doesn't have to eat bugs for a living.
So OK. I'm having a little fun with this. That is a compliment because this novel is a lot of scary and spooky fun. It exists to scare and it does that with glee. The author knows when to build the suspense, when to pile on the violence and gore, and how to tease for the climax. His "boogeyman" is quite creative and makes for a large percentage of the twist and jumps in the story. In fact, it is that symbol of terror that pushes this away from just being that formula horror plot I alluded to earlier. If only those movies that this seems to be a tribute to were this good. If the goal of a horror novel is to scare and entertain you, Skinner fulfills its goal. Three and a half stars.
October 21, 2015
A couple of friends on their way to spend the weekend together, a creepy gas station on their way, a car accident that leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere in the deep winter, an evil force out for blood... Sounds familiar? Yep, that's what I thought as well, and for the most time of the book I couldn't shake the feeling I've already read a book or watched a movie about the story going on here. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a rerun of a well-tried plot every time, as long as it has some unique parts. With Skinner, I found this uniqueness solely in the Old One.
Unlike your common monster, he did not attack his victims himself, but made them do all the work on their own - and in a very hideous way. Seeing their friendship coming apart, how instead of fighting together against the Old One they ended up fighting each other was unusual and unexpected.
While the characters were all very stereotyped, at least the Old One was special and gave the book its much-needed originality to set it apart from similar stories. Nice and nasty, especially towards the end.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
Unlike your common monster, he did not attack his victims himself, but made them do all the work on their own - and in a very hideous way. Seeing their friendship coming apart, how instead of fighting together against the Old One they ended up fighting each other was unusual and unexpected.
While the characters were all very stereotyped, at least the Old One was special and gave the book its much-needed originality to set it apart from similar stories. Nice and nasty, especially towards the end.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
June 9, 2015
*** I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
A group of young 20-somethings are on a road trip when they hit some stormy weather in a snow squall. Things take a turn for the worse when they get into a car crash. Although they all seem to be mostly okay, one of them, Sara, isn't so lucky. She's knocked out and has a possible broken leg. They find a cabin in the woods and take shelter there. It doesn't take them long to figure out that there are wolves in the area intent on killing them, but they're not ordinary wolves.
Adding to their panic at survival mode, the secrets spill out between them of romantic liaisons and other things they would rather their friends not know. We also get a glimpse of the villain and what he's up to in order to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. It becomes a tale of survival, of figuring out who will make it to the very end, or if anyone, indeed, will survive given the circumstances. If you liked WITCH ISLAND by David Bernstein, you will enjoy his latest offering, which is in the same vein.
A group of young 20-somethings are on a road trip when they hit some stormy weather in a snow squall. Things take a turn for the worse when they get into a car crash. Although they all seem to be mostly okay, one of them, Sara, isn't so lucky. She's knocked out and has a possible broken leg. They find a cabin in the woods and take shelter there. It doesn't take them long to figure out that there are wolves in the area intent on killing them, but they're not ordinary wolves.
Adding to their panic at survival mode, the secrets spill out between them of romantic liaisons and other things they would rather their friends not know. We also get a glimpse of the villain and what he's up to in order to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. It becomes a tale of survival, of figuring out who will make it to the very end, or if anyone, indeed, will survive given the circumstances. If you liked WITCH ISLAND by David Bernstein, you will enjoy his latest offering, which is in the same vein.
January 4, 2019
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews!**
Want an easy checklist to know if you will enjoy a horror book? (This applies to movies as well.)
– Snow? Check.
– Weekend trip with a group of friends? Check.
– Accident that leaves them stranded? Check.
– Surviving against insurmountable odds? Check.
– Mysterious, paranormal figure that is older than time? Check.
If you’ve read this much and decided that it doesn’t sound like something you would read or watch, well then, I guess you can carry on.
For those still here, fantastic!
This book was a treat. I’ve seen Alien Agenda Publishing feature this before, but I just never checked it out. Now that I have, all I can say is I wish I would have read this far sooner.
The group of friends is both really well done but Bernstein does a great job with injecting some real life dynamics. This makes them both enjoyable but equally frustrating, which really moves the story along nicely.
The villain in the story is done really well, even if (and stop me if you’ve ever read this before) I wished there was more about the back story.
As the situation becomes more dire and the odds of surviving stack up, Bernstein decides to infuse the story with a nicely done dark psychological bent, which will keep you turning the pages.
This was one of my favourite reads of 2018 and is something that all fans of horror should check out, especially if you’ve read or watched the adaptation of Adam Nevill’s ‘The Ritual’ and enjoyed that tale.
If you’re looking for a fast paced, paranormal-psychological, snow survival tale, then look no further!
Want an easy checklist to know if you will enjoy a horror book? (This applies to movies as well.)
– Snow? Check.
– Weekend trip with a group of friends? Check.
– Accident that leaves them stranded? Check.
– Surviving against insurmountable odds? Check.
– Mysterious, paranormal figure that is older than time? Check.
If you’ve read this much and decided that it doesn’t sound like something you would read or watch, well then, I guess you can carry on.
For those still here, fantastic!
This book was a treat. I’ve seen Alien Agenda Publishing feature this before, but I just never checked it out. Now that I have, all I can say is I wish I would have read this far sooner.
The group of friends is both really well done but Bernstein does a great job with injecting some real life dynamics. This makes them both enjoyable but equally frustrating, which really moves the story along nicely.
The villain in the story is done really well, even if (and stop me if you’ve ever read this before) I wished there was more about the back story.
As the situation becomes more dire and the odds of surviving stack up, Bernstein decides to infuse the story with a nicely done dark psychological bent, which will keep you turning the pages.
This was one of my favourite reads of 2018 and is something that all fans of horror should check out, especially if you’ve read or watched the adaptation of Adam Nevill’s ‘The Ritual’ and enjoyed that tale.
If you’re looking for a fast paced, paranormal-psychological, snow survival tale, then look no further!
June 13, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
I have read a lot of David Bernstein's work over the last couple of years and have enjoyed watching his writing mature from his earlier offerings. This new book continues his upward curve. Reminiscent of an 80's B-flick, we have the typical group of young adults on an weekend away. Initially, I felt that half of the group were completely unnecessary. They were all pretty unlikeable, with no obvious endearing qualities. I couldn't understand how certain members of the group even had any friends. I quickly realised that each one of the six were vital to the progression of the tale, even if the reader is not exactly rooting for any of them.
Skinner has all the elements of a creepy, claustrophobic tale of survival. What sets it aside from the usual teen-slasher stories set in the woods is that the villain is not a masked axeman or even one of their own group, as is usually the case. We have a very unique supernatural force at work in this story, which means that we have no idea how events will play out.
The ending was satisfying, if slightly predictable. It appears to have been left open for a sequel. I, for one, would welcome a continuation of this story. Skinner is a thoroughly enjoyable book; entertaining, horrific and engrossing. This could have come straight out of the twisted mind of Richard Laymon. A real treat for horror fans.
I have read a lot of David Bernstein's work over the last couple of years and have enjoyed watching his writing mature from his earlier offerings. This new book continues his upward curve. Reminiscent of an 80's B-flick, we have the typical group of young adults on an weekend away. Initially, I felt that half of the group were completely unnecessary. They were all pretty unlikeable, with no obvious endearing qualities. I couldn't understand how certain members of the group even had any friends. I quickly realised that each one of the six were vital to the progression of the tale, even if the reader is not exactly rooting for any of them.
Skinner has all the elements of a creepy, claustrophobic tale of survival. What sets it aside from the usual teen-slasher stories set in the woods is that the villain is not a masked axeman or even one of their own group, as is usually the case. We have a very unique supernatural force at work in this story, which means that we have no idea how events will play out.
The ending was satisfying, if slightly predictable. It appears to have been left open for a sequel. I, for one, would welcome a continuation of this story. Skinner is a thoroughly enjoyable book; entertaining, horrific and engrossing. This could have come straight out of the twisted mind of Richard Laymon. A real treat for horror fans.
July 24, 2015
Grimm's fairy tales meets Gremlins
Six friends head up into the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York for a fun weekend at a bosses mountain cottage.
They are caught in the middle of an unexpected blizzard and things go downhill quickly from there.
The six protagonists of the story are twenty-somethings with their minds on work, betrayals, and themselves.
The antagonist fits right in with what you'd find in a Grade B horror flick. It is too unbelievable and the storyline is rather jumbled.
And this is a no-holds-barred gorefest so be forewarned.
This was a quick read that was just okay. I never felt close to any of the characters and there was just too much unbelievable filler in the storyline.
NOTE: I received this book from DarkFuse through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
Six friends head up into the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York for a fun weekend at a bosses mountain cottage.
They are caught in the middle of an unexpected blizzard and things go downhill quickly from there.
The six protagonists of the story are twenty-somethings with their minds on work, betrayals, and themselves.
The antagonist fits right in with what you'd find in a Grade B horror flick. It is too unbelievable and the storyline is rather jumbled.
And this is a no-holds-barred gorefest so be forewarned.
This was a quick read that was just okay. I never felt close to any of the characters and there was just too much unbelievable filler in the storyline.
NOTE: I received this book from DarkFuse through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
August 21, 2015
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this novel.
Reading Skinner was like reading an 80's horror movie. It's fast paced, fun and full of cheese (of the best kind). The story line was a lot of fun. I loved the descriptions of the storm and the mountain. The scary parts were gruesome and horrifying. It also gives you characters that you can both love and love to hate. I loved Rob and Aria most and I couldn't wait for something bad to happen to Jeff and Spencer. The Old One was a great villain and I'd love to see more of him! If your looking for a really fun book you should give this 4 star read a try.
Reading Skinner was like reading an 80's horror movie. It's fast paced, fun and full of cheese (of the best kind). The story line was a lot of fun. I loved the descriptions of the storm and the mountain. The scary parts were gruesome and horrifying. It also gives you characters that you can both love and love to hate. I loved Rob and Aria most and I couldn't wait for something bad to happen to Jeff and Spencer. The Old One was a great villain and I'd love to see more of him! If your looking for a really fun book you should give this 4 star read a try.
January 11, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
A group of six heads out during a snowstorm, and ends up in the path of a blizzard. They take refuge in a small cabin, but something out there, in the storm, wants to hurt them. The plot seems reminiscent of just about every other horror movie out there, but it does have original elements. However, the villain wasn’t really terrifying, there was a lack of creepiness overall, and it just didn’t feel scary enough for me.
A group of six heads out during a snowstorm, and ends up in the path of a blizzard. They take refuge in a small cabin, but something out there, in the storm, wants to hurt them. The plot seems reminiscent of just about every other horror movie out there, but it does have original elements. However, the villain wasn’t really terrifying, there was a lack of creepiness overall, and it just didn’t feel scary enough for me.
June 6, 2015
***Review Copy***
Read this book in a few hours it was entertaining. Very gory, slightly unbelievable and fast paced. Overall a good scary read.
Read this book in a few hours it was entertaining. Very gory, slightly unbelievable and fast paced. Overall a good scary read.
June 8, 2015
A fun and scary horror novel
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/skinne... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/skinne... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
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