Torment

by Stephen R. George

One of Zebra's most outstanding horror writers once again spins a powerful tale of terror. April, a miserable 12-year-old girl, dreams of a new life where she can spend her days playing the piano. And then, suddenly, she has a fatal accident. Even after her death, April is still full of hatred and fury--so she takes over another little girl's body.

Genres: Horror

380 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1994

About the author

Stephen R. George is a Canadian author of horror fiction, suspense and dark fantasy. He writes under his own name and the pseudonyms Jack Ellis and Valerie Stephens. He has published 14 novels. His novels have been translated into Italian, Polish, Russian, and Norwegian. His short stories have appeared in a number of publications and anthologies including Cemetery Dance and the Hot Blood series. George was born in Scotland in 1959; he lives and works in Canada.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like George's work, but I must say the dozen or so novels he wrote are a mixed bag, with this being toward the bottom of the mix. Torment tells the tale of two families living the Twin Cities (George's favorite setting it seems) both with 12 yo girls as their only child. The Kostanuiks, a working class family, have the very precocious and bratty April, who hates living in a run down house and what her parents do ("I should have been born to a rich family!"). When her father tells her they can no longer afford piano lessons, April takes off in a snit and gets creamed by a truck on her bike.

Meanwhile, The Woodrow family have Melissa, who struggles with math and does not have an artistic bone in her body. Well, on her birthday, which happens to be the day April got smooshed by a truck, Melissa starts to change, suddenly becoming a math wiz and maestro pianist. You know Melissa is being 'taken over' by April within the first couple dozen pages, so no spoilers here. Yet, what George does with the tale puts an interesting spin on the whole 'possessed' trope.

Through happenstance, the Woodrows know people who know other people wo know about this sort of thing (a long string of knows!). First, they try taking Melissa to the hospital after she starts acting so differently on occasion (like using cuss words, playing the piano, etc.), but all they discover is that she has strange brain readings; it is like there are two people in her brain! Well, the 'occult' folks have other ideas to explain it, of course, but what to do?

Torment read more like a family drama than a horror novel, albeit one featuring possession, and George really milks the melodramatic aspects of both family's struggles with what is happening in true gothic style. In fact, the story got bogged down in the melodrama pretty quickly and the only mystery left was how the possession would be resolved (unfortunately, rather predictably). 2.5 possessed starts, and only rounding this one up because I like George's prose.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

I loved this book AND its cover as a demented teenager. Pretty sure I read it at least twice.

[Austin Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay... what kind of father on this entire planet would be OKAY with letting his daughter become possessed by the spirit of a dead girl, just so the "dead girl" can visit with her real mother...?!?! I feel like even a shitty father who might be an alcoholic or druggie and doesn't spend any time with his family or kids would be completely horrified at even the thought of this. And yet John Woodrow (the father of the living girl) in this book feels nothing but sympathy for the mother who lost her child, even to the point of having an affair with her... and he's married himself! Yeah, this guy is a real douchebag. And towards the end, when the perfect, loving wife finds out Ol' Johnny Boy cheated on her, she's all like: "It's okay, I forgive you, just come back to me, come back to us, we need you..."
I can understand her wanting him to come back so he can help try to save their daughter and not let her become fully possessed, but like... she doesn't care at all about the fact he cheated on her?
Also, the 12 year old girl, Melissa, is probably the worst character in the whole book. She doesn't even feel like a real character and therefore; I didn't really care what happened to her. I don't know Mr. George has in his head of what 12 year old's are like in real life, but literally the only dialogue little Melissa had was, "Mummy, Daddy...." "Daddy..." "Mummy..." "Daddy..."
That's pretty much it. If I wasn't told Melissa's age in the story, I would have probably guessed she was 8 or 9 years old instead of 12. And even then, her character would still be pretty shallow for a 9 year old.
Don't get me started on Stephen's depictions of pastors and mediums.
This book is chocked full of unrealistic situations and poorly portrayed character roles.
With all of that said though, this book isn't terrible. It reads more like a drama than it does horror, but it does have some cheap thrills and it was (just) enjoyable enough to where I got through the whole thing. I think part of that may be from finding humor in the book where it tries to be serious. And there was plenty of those moments.
Either way, I would say this is a pretty solid C-Tier horror novel that is meant to be read only when really bored or your main supply of reading material is currently depleted. Again, it's not terrible, I've read far worse, but it's not a book I'll ever be picking back up again.

[Cipryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh-Oh, she's acting out already...

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a very scary or engaging story.....Snoozer actually.

I have never really enjoyed Stephen R. George's so called 'Horror' books. But I always heard great things about this AND a dear friend had sent me this from B.C.
The tale is about a young 10 year old girl who dies in an accident after getting by a truck while she is riding her bike. That girl's name was April. Well, she was a math and piano genius and she decides to 'enter the body of another child' to get revenge? Hmmmm? There was a very creepy scene at night of a specter of a child is seen under a streetlamp, but that was the best part of this book. It was 200 too long. Sorry, cannot recommend this one. Cool cover art; though.

2 👻👻

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this one up at a charity book sale and I'm glad I did. Written 1994, the story follows two families...The Woodrow's and the Kostanuick's. The Kostanuick's have just lost their 12 year old daughter, April, to a tragic accident. The Woodrow's believe that April has come back, and has possessed their 12 year old daughter Melissa. And April is very, very angry.

I loved this book. Parts of it were a little slow but the rest of the story was heart-poundingly good! I've not read any Stephen George books before but I'll gladly snatch up any others I find at the next sale...

[Dixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok a little slow in places, but okay read

[Elizabeth Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torment by Stephen R. George

Brilliant author. Not one of his best books. Still it is a good book with hairpin turns and a grand ending.

[Nicoleta · Rating 3 out of 5]

To say the truth I didn't like this book.I hoped it would be interesting 'cause it was about ghosts and posses but it made me read it so slow that i got bored. Hope that others who read it don't get the same feeling.

[Mary Reed · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this book along time ago and don't remember it well enough to give a review.

[Vilyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first horror book per say, absolutely amazing. <3