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Under a Watchful Eye
Under a Watchful Eye by Adam Nevill is a supernatural thriller from the award-winning writer of The Ritual and Last Days.
Seb Logan is being watched. He just doesn't know by whom.
When the sudden appearance of a dark figure shatters his idyllic coastal life, he soon realizes that the murky past he thought he'd left behind has far from forgotten him. What's more unsettling is the strange atmosphere that engulfs him at every sighting, plunging his mind into a terrifying paranoia.
To be a victim without knowing the tormentor. To be despised without knowing the offence caused. To be seen by what nobody else can see. These are the thoughts which plague his every waking moment.
Imprisoned by despair, Seb fears his stalker is not working alone, but rather is involved in a wider conspiracy that threatens everything he has worked for. For there are doors in this world that open into unknown places. Places used by the worst kind of people to achieve their own ends. And once his investigation leads him to stray across the line and into mortal danger, he risks becoming another fatality in a long line of victims . . .
Seb Logan is being watched. He just doesn't know by whom.
When the sudden appearance of a dark figure shatters his idyllic coastal life, he soon realizes that the murky past he thought he'd left behind has far from forgotten him. What's more unsettling is the strange atmosphere that engulfs him at every sighting, plunging his mind into a terrifying paranoia.
To be a victim without knowing the tormentor. To be despised without knowing the offence caused. To be seen by what nobody else can see. These are the thoughts which plague his every waking moment.
Imprisoned by despair, Seb fears his stalker is not working alone, but rather is involved in a wider conspiracy that threatens everything he has worked for. For there are doors in this world that open into unknown places. Places used by the worst kind of people to achieve their own ends. And once his investigation leads him to stray across the line and into mortal danger, he risks becoming another fatality in a long line of victims . . .
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 12, 2017
113 people are currently reading
3056 people want to read
About the author
Adam L.G. Nevill
77 books5,626 followersADAM L. G. NEVILL was born in Birmingham, England, in 1969 and grew up in England and New Zealand. He is an author of horror fiction. Of his novels, The Ritual, Last Days, No One Gets Out Alive and The Reddening were all winners of The August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel. He has also published three collections of short stories, with Some Will Not Sleep winning the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection, 2017.
Imaginarium adapted The Ritual and No One Gets Out Alive into feature films and more of his work is currently in development for the screen.
The author lives in Devon, England.
Imaginarium adapted The Ritual and No One Gets Out Alive into feature films and more of his work is currently in development for the screen.
The author lives in Devon, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
February 9, 2017
*Thank you to www.shotsmag.co.uk for providing me with a paper copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review*
Seb Logan is an author of some repute amongst his army of avid fans of the horror genre. His writing has enabled him to live an extremely pleasant life in a stylish, orderly home, overlooking the sea in Devon, but he's about to become the lead character (albeit unwillingly) in a real life nightmare, that could have escaped the pages of one of his books.
When Ewan, an old friend from Uni, walks back into Seb's life, things begin to take on a very sinister turn. Ewan has spent decades researching the paranormal, and in particular, the Afterlife. However, his research appears to have come at the cost of his sanity with his manic rants, as well as his personal hygiene, which has become non existent, resulting in him resembling a rather dirty and extremely odorous vagrant, such is his obsession with his desire for the truth, above all else.
Seb wants nothing to do with Ewan, but Ewan has other ideas, and he manages to manipulate Seb, into doing his bidding, with some truly frightening results.
This was an imaginative, well written novel, with the tension building throughout to create some spine chilling moments. With Seb as the narrator, it was easy to share his experience of his once peaceful existence being shattered, and turning into one suffused with an air of menace. Would definitely recommend for lovers of the supernatural.
Seb Logan is an author of some repute amongst his army of avid fans of the horror genre. His writing has enabled him to live an extremely pleasant life in a stylish, orderly home, overlooking the sea in Devon, but he's about to become the lead character (albeit unwillingly) in a real life nightmare, that could have escaped the pages of one of his books.
When Ewan, an old friend from Uni, walks back into Seb's life, things begin to take on a very sinister turn. Ewan has spent decades researching the paranormal, and in particular, the Afterlife. However, his research appears to have come at the cost of his sanity with his manic rants, as well as his personal hygiene, which has become non existent, resulting in him resembling a rather dirty and extremely odorous vagrant, such is his obsession with his desire for the truth, above all else.
Seb wants nothing to do with Ewan, but Ewan has other ideas, and he manages to manipulate Seb, into doing his bidding, with some truly frightening results.
This was an imaginative, well written novel, with the tension building throughout to create some spine chilling moments. With Seb as the narrator, it was easy to share his experience of his once peaceful existence being shattered, and turning into one suffused with an air of menace. Would definitely recommend for lovers of the supernatural.
April 2, 2017
UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE, by Adam Nevill, is a novel of both psychological and physical horror--the combination of which created one of the most intense, unsettling books that I've read in a while. The true test, in my opinion, was whether or not Nevill could sustain this level of tension throughout its entirety.
Not only was he able to meet this challenge, but he actually surpassed it--raising the stakes and the "fear factor" well beyond what I was expecting!
We are introduced to the character of Seb Logan, now a successful author living his orderly life with contentment. Of course, this is destined to change. Seb starts to catch "glimpses" of a former college friend--one most assuredly no longer welcome. The man in question is Ewan Alexander, once a sort of "idol" to Seb, now nothing more than a half-crazed, unwashed, homeless person. As if this intrusion wasn't enough, the impossible speed at which Ewan changes his vantage point--seemingly disappearing and reappearing at will--leaves Seb with a momentary "muted" feeling of his senses, as if he is witnessing this from another reality altogether.
Once Ewan approaches and establishes a foothold in Seb's home, there's no going back.
"But if this was to be a reunion, his memory began to reopen some of its rooms in anticipation. Rooms with doors long closed and double-locked."
With Ewan's emergence and mad ramblings about the teachings of a "cult"--originally started by a man known as Hazzard--come some all-too realistic nightmares.
Nightmares, that don't always end when Seb is awake.
". . . He was a fervent believer in the soul too. That death wasn't an end."
Nevill details his characters so well that you can practically "smell" the scent of Ewan that permeates Seb's home so thoroughly. As for Seb, a writer struggling with his next book, the mental changes that course within him during this story are even more telling than the physical ones. When one can no longer trust their own senses, or even the very fabric of reality, what is there left to believe in?
". . . Hazzard? He had been dead for decades, but considering what Seb had seen in the last few weeks, any assurance offered by a death notice was disputable."
This novel never lost touch with the dark, discomforting atmosphere that Nevill gifted to it. Even in "lighter" moments, the reader can't help but feel that something horrible is always lying in wait just around the corner.
". . . Hinderers in the passage. That's what they're called. . . Discarnate. Trapped . . . "
". . . They're not living. But they exist . . . "
While reading this, there came a point where I was sure that the tension would let up, as a result of certain circumstances. However, I couldn't have been more mistaken. The ante was raised, and along with the characters, I found myself drifting into an unsettling realm where I had absolutely no clue as to where I'd be taken next.
". . . An insidious, encroaching misgiving that the place had become a trap . . . "
Overall, a fascinating novel that I found constructed so well, I never once felt I had "left" the book until I had finished the final pages. The powerful ambience and characters were real enough to transport me wholly into their own, uncertain world, for the entire duration. Through all this, there were several moments of stark truth coming from the characters that I couldn't help but admire.
". . . one never sees oneself as one is. Do any of us? . . ."
". . . I'm afraid I see you in a way that is remarkably at odds with how you perceive yourselves. . . "
Another "must-read" novel from author Adam Nevill.
Highly recommended!
Not only was he able to meet this challenge, but he actually surpassed it--raising the stakes and the "fear factor" well beyond what I was expecting!
We are introduced to the character of Seb Logan, now a successful author living his orderly life with contentment. Of course, this is destined to change. Seb starts to catch "glimpses" of a former college friend--one most assuredly no longer welcome. The man in question is Ewan Alexander, once a sort of "idol" to Seb, now nothing more than a half-crazed, unwashed, homeless person. As if this intrusion wasn't enough, the impossible speed at which Ewan changes his vantage point--seemingly disappearing and reappearing at will--leaves Seb with a momentary "muted" feeling of his senses, as if he is witnessing this from another reality altogether.
Once Ewan approaches and establishes a foothold in Seb's home, there's no going back.
"But if this was to be a reunion, his memory began to reopen some of its rooms in anticipation. Rooms with doors long closed and double-locked."
With Ewan's emergence and mad ramblings about the teachings of a "cult"--originally started by a man known as Hazzard--come some all-too realistic nightmares.
Nightmares, that don't always end when Seb is awake.
". . . He was a fervent believer in the soul too. That death wasn't an end."
Nevill details his characters so well that you can practically "smell" the scent of Ewan that permeates Seb's home so thoroughly. As for Seb, a writer struggling with his next book, the mental changes that course within him during this story are even more telling than the physical ones. When one can no longer trust their own senses, or even the very fabric of reality, what is there left to believe in?
". . . Hazzard? He had been dead for decades, but considering what Seb had seen in the last few weeks, any assurance offered by a death notice was disputable."
This novel never lost touch with the dark, discomforting atmosphere that Nevill gifted to it. Even in "lighter" moments, the reader can't help but feel that something horrible is always lying in wait just around the corner.
". . . Hinderers in the passage. That's what they're called. . . Discarnate. Trapped . . . "
". . . They're not living. But they exist . . . "
While reading this, there came a point where I was sure that the tension would let up, as a result of certain circumstances. However, I couldn't have been more mistaken. The ante was raised, and along with the characters, I found myself drifting into an unsettling realm where I had absolutely no clue as to where I'd be taken next.
". . . An insidious, encroaching misgiving that the place had become a trap . . . "
Overall, a fascinating novel that I found constructed so well, I never once felt I had "left" the book until I had finished the final pages. The powerful ambience and characters were real enough to transport me wholly into their own, uncertain world, for the entire duration. Through all this, there were several moments of stark truth coming from the characters that I couldn't help but admire.
". . . one never sees oneself as one is. Do any of us? . . ."
". . . I'm afraid I see you in a way that is remarkably at odds with how you perceive yourselves. . . "
Another "must-read" novel from author Adam Nevill.
Highly recommended!
September 15, 2023
Adam just is THE king of horror in my opinion. He just takes me to places where the terror is so damn real. He’s one of very few authors that can send chills and have me leave the light on.
This book is different to others I’ve read. Where does he get his plot ideas from? Dare I ask? As usual this book drew me into a type of madness, characters that are scary and rank and so, so damaged. Reading is like being there.
So hard to describe the plot. It’s incredibly complex and majestic - it makes you really think. Devour this one slowly. Don’t miss a word. Another win from one of my top 3 authors ever. Just read ALL of Adam’s books. Ideally one after the other. You’ll never be the same again. I promise you.
Thanks so much for reading my review of this book. Join me as a friend or follower and feel free to browse my shelves for your next great book! I love to connect with other readers.
This book is different to others I’ve read. Where does he get his plot ideas from? Dare I ask? As usual this book drew me into a type of madness, characters that are scary and rank and so, so damaged. Reading is like being there.
So hard to describe the plot. It’s incredibly complex and majestic - it makes you really think. Devour this one slowly. Don’t miss a word. Another win from one of my top 3 authors ever. Just read ALL of Adam’s books. Ideally one after the other. You’ll never be the same again. I promise you.
Thanks so much for reading my review of this book. Join me as a friend or follower and feel free to browse my shelves for your next great book! I love to connect with other readers.
October 5, 2018
With this book I did something I have never done, I picked it up and just started reading. I did not read the synopsis, I did not read any reviews, I just jumped right in. And what a wonderful experience it was. If I had known what this was about or knew what the main device was to move the plot along I would have scoffed and keep looking, saying to myself that it was a silly concept and how could that ever be scary. Oh how I would have been wrong. This is the second Adam Nevill book I have read after The Ritual and while I liked that one a lot, I think this is a better, more mature offering. I found this to be very creepy and pretty unsettling for many different reasons but mostly because nothing is ever fully explained or "shown" and it's left to the imagination to fill in the blanks. Like The Ritual the story changes gears a couple of times and it almost seems like it is two books in one but it manages to maintain a sense of dread and tension throughout. This folks, is the real deal. A frightening read by an author who knows how to use his words to stoke atavistic fears. Highly Recommended!
March 25, 2017
If Scientology had been invented by Lovecraft, rather than Hubbard, this could be his Dianetics.
Recommended for fans of the skillfully written weird and creepy. This will haunt me for the foreseeable future.
If this bus is headed for heaven, I'll wait for the next one.
Recommended for fans of the skillfully written weird and creepy. This will haunt me for the foreseeable future.
If this bus is headed for heaven, I'll wait for the next one.
December 4, 2017
UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE is a rarity among horror novels, delivering a perfectly executed one-two punch of psychological and supernatural horror while keeping the tension garotte taut from cover to cover.
When Seb Logan, horror novelist, begins seeing the sinister apparition accompanied by bizarre sensory effects, he wonders if he is losing his mind. Worse, when he recognizes the specter as a former college friend he'd rather forget, he's sure of it. But what this harbinger from the past is turns out to be something completely different, a wraith that is much more substantial than mere hallucination, returned to haunt his nightmares, and finally to infiltrate his last safe refuge, his very home during his waking hours.
Nevill's writing is nothing short of brilliant, maintaining paranoid suspense so tight throughout the novel, it fairly hums like a guitar string, holding an eerie note that vibrates to the bone, capturing that devastating sense of isolation true cold fear brings.
Highest possible recommendation.
When Seb Logan, horror novelist, begins seeing the sinister apparition accompanied by bizarre sensory effects, he wonders if he is losing his mind. Worse, when he recognizes the specter as a former college friend he'd rather forget, he's sure of it. But what this harbinger from the past is turns out to be something completely different, a wraith that is much more substantial than mere hallucination, returned to haunt his nightmares, and finally to infiltrate his last safe refuge, his very home during his waking hours.
Nevill's writing is nothing short of brilliant, maintaining paranoid suspense so tight throughout the novel, it fairly hums like a guitar string, holding an eerie note that vibrates to the bone, capturing that devastating sense of isolation true cold fear brings.
Highest possible recommendation.
February 7, 2017
I’ve long been a fan of Adam Nevill, so when Under a Watchful Eye was released my expectations were naturally high. When I started reading, I must admit I wasn’t entirely sold. The book has a slow moving, brooding narrative, and I found myself at one point thinking I’d need to come back to it when I was in more of a leisurely reading mood. But I kept reading, and the experience was better for it. The dread was palpable, and the way Nevill writes is darkly beautiful with a lyricism that you rarely see in horror novels.
Seb Logan is a well-known horror writer, working on his new book from his comfortable seaside home. His idyllic life is crashed into disarray when a friend from his past appears and threatens everything Seb has worked so hard to achieve. What follows is a descent into the darkest recesses of the self, where Seb must confront sinister forces from within and without.
Adam Nevill taps into the everyday fears we all have and writes them in a way that makes them terrifying. We, as readers, see ourselves reflected in his characters and that is what makes his works so frightening. His prose is florid and expressive with an originality that makes him a unique writer in the genre. He is descriptive in a way that builds his world naturally, without forcing too much information on the reader. The fact that we can build our fears into his descriptions is what gives the weight of real horror. With an antagonist like Thin Len (who will no doubt visit me in my dreams for many nights to come) he is so terrifying because he will appear differently to every reader.
The characters in Under a Watchful Eye are not the most deeply developed. Some appear only for a few pages before disappearing into obscurity, and the motivations of some others I found to be a little ambiguous in places. At first, this is what made me enjoy the book a little less, but the more I read, the more I realised that it was essential to making this novel so chilling. Seb is a character who is trapped, and by minimising his interactions with other characters, it only serves to heighten the feeling of isolation that surrounds him at almost every turn and makes us question his sanity, just as the characters around him do. We experience Seb’s subjective reality, one that Nevill manages to make real in all its terrifying and grotesque glory.
Under a Watchful Eye felt a lot more subtle than Nevill’s previous works which initially threw me. But once I was engrossed it proved itself to be a creeping tale of horror that was both visceral and stimulating. It was a story that blurred the line between life and death and fiction and reality with allusions to one of his previous novels, Last Rites, that help tie everything masterfully into his fictional universe.
Adam Nevill is a master of horror and a writer that every reader who considers themselves a fan of the genre should become acquainted. Under a Watchful Eye has proven his versatility and talent as a writer and is a must read.
This review and more are available at my blog I Blame Wizards.
Seb Logan is a well-known horror writer, working on his new book from his comfortable seaside home. His idyllic life is crashed into disarray when a friend from his past appears and threatens everything Seb has worked so hard to achieve. What follows is a descent into the darkest recesses of the self, where Seb must confront sinister forces from within and without.
Adam Nevill taps into the everyday fears we all have and writes them in a way that makes them terrifying. We, as readers, see ourselves reflected in his characters and that is what makes his works so frightening. His prose is florid and expressive with an originality that makes him a unique writer in the genre. He is descriptive in a way that builds his world naturally, without forcing too much information on the reader. The fact that we can build our fears into his descriptions is what gives the weight of real horror. With an antagonist like Thin Len (who will no doubt visit me in my dreams for many nights to come) he is so terrifying because he will appear differently to every reader.
The characters in Under a Watchful Eye are not the most deeply developed. Some appear only for a few pages before disappearing into obscurity, and the motivations of some others I found to be a little ambiguous in places. At first, this is what made me enjoy the book a little less, but the more I read, the more I realised that it was essential to making this novel so chilling. Seb is a character who is trapped, and by minimising his interactions with other characters, it only serves to heighten the feeling of isolation that surrounds him at almost every turn and makes us question his sanity, just as the characters around him do. We experience Seb’s subjective reality, one that Nevill manages to make real in all its terrifying and grotesque glory.
Under a Watchful Eye felt a lot more subtle than Nevill’s previous works which initially threw me. But once I was engrossed it proved itself to be a creeping tale of horror that was both visceral and stimulating. It was a story that blurred the line between life and death and fiction and reality with allusions to one of his previous novels, Last Rites, that help tie everything masterfully into his fictional universe.
Adam Nevill is a master of horror and a writer that every reader who considers themselves a fan of the genre should become acquainted. Under a Watchful Eye has proven his versatility and talent as a writer and is a must read.
This review and more are available at my blog I Blame Wizards.
August 19, 2017
Just recently I said to someone that I don't believe Adam Nevill could ever write a bad book, and with the publication of Under A Watchful Eye, he has proven me right once again. There are a number of surprises awaiting the reader of this novel, so anyone thinking maybe they'd like to read it is in line for a definitely bizarre but highly-satisfying experience. As in most of the books of Nevill's that I've read, while there is definitely a horror story here, the threats also come from within. The author really excels in his ability to focus on a few characters and pull out what's deeply embedded; he is also a master of atmosphere that immediately grabs hold and never lets go until well after the final page is turned.
No long synopsis here since I will wreck someone's enjoyment of the novel by actually providing one. What I will say is that the novel centers around Seb Logan, a writer who has sacrificed much and worked hard to become successful. Things are going quite well for him -- he's living a quiet, orderly and idyllic life, one he's definitely earned over the years -- until he begins to see a "dark figure" watching him where ever he goes. Enter an old acquaintance whose presence once again in his life throws his very being into not just disarray, but utter chaos, putting at risk everything Seb's worked for and achieved. Because of their past connection he takes this person in, and that's when everything starts to hit the fan and come unglued. What follows is a record of a spiral into the deepest levels of darkness -- and as Seb begins to discover, it is a darkness from which there may be no chance of escape.
As always, the author has written a novel that completely jangles the nerves as the story, the dark atmosphere and the people all insinuated their way into and under my skin the entire time I was reading. I could smell, see, hear and feel along with Seb -- that's how good of a writer Nevill is. Add to that his uncanny ability to ratchet not just the tension but the sheer malevolence as the story progresses, and it's no wonder that I couldn't put this book down until I'd finished it, reading in the car as a passenger and long into the night in a Miami hotel before we started our week of vacation. The outside world just completely vanished for hours, which to me says that I was completely and deeply enveloped in the novel. I will say that although my favorite book is his Last Days, which I don't believe can be topped, this one comes very close to that same level of excellence. Then again, as I said earlier, I don't think he's capable of writing a bad book at all.
While other readers may want to go into detail about what happens here, my advice is to not let yourself know ahead of time what's going to happen. Earlier I noted that there are a lot of surprises to be found here, but even more than being taken aback at just how very clever this novel is, the deliciousness is in letting everything unfold slowly. I know when I've got something fresh, original, and just downright frightening in my hands when I have to resist the temptation to flip to the end, and I had to restrain myself from doing so many times.
Modern horror writers are many, but great modern horror writers are few and Nevill belongs in the latter camp. Read the book.
No long synopsis here since I will wreck someone's enjoyment of the novel by actually providing one. What I will say is that the novel centers around Seb Logan, a writer who has sacrificed much and worked hard to become successful. Things are going quite well for him -- he's living a quiet, orderly and idyllic life, one he's definitely earned over the years -- until he begins to see a "dark figure" watching him where ever he goes. Enter an old acquaintance whose presence once again in his life throws his very being into not just disarray, but utter chaos, putting at risk everything Seb's worked for and achieved. Because of their past connection he takes this person in, and that's when everything starts to hit the fan and come unglued. What follows is a record of a spiral into the deepest levels of darkness -- and as Seb begins to discover, it is a darkness from which there may be no chance of escape.
As always, the author has written a novel that completely jangles the nerves as the story, the dark atmosphere and the people all insinuated their way into and under my skin the entire time I was reading. I could smell, see, hear and feel along with Seb -- that's how good of a writer Nevill is. Add to that his uncanny ability to ratchet not just the tension but the sheer malevolence as the story progresses, and it's no wonder that I couldn't put this book down until I'd finished it, reading in the car as a passenger and long into the night in a Miami hotel before we started our week of vacation. The outside world just completely vanished for hours, which to me says that I was completely and deeply enveloped in the novel. I will say that although my favorite book is his Last Days, which I don't believe can be topped, this one comes very close to that same level of excellence. Then again, as I said earlier, I don't think he's capable of writing a bad book at all.
While other readers may want to go into detail about what happens here, my advice is to not let yourself know ahead of time what's going to happen. Earlier I noted that there are a lot of surprises to be found here, but even more than being taken aback at just how very clever this novel is, the deliciousness is in letting everything unfold slowly. I know when I've got something fresh, original, and just downright frightening in my hands when I have to resist the temptation to flip to the end, and I had to restrain myself from doing so many times.
Modern horror writers are many, but great modern horror writers are few and Nevill belongs in the latter camp. Read the book.
February 10, 2017
Another killer of a book from Adam Nevill. The man can write. Full review to come!
December 10, 2016
I received this book for free as part of the Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
I had high hopes for this book, but on the whole I found it convoluted, and unnecessarily difficult to follow. The story itself takes an age to get into, with nothing much happening for most of the book. When things do happen, the writing is usually so stilted that you're not sure what until a few pages later.
I was constantly coming across sections that said 'when such-and-such happened', and thinking when did that happen exactly? The action is hidden by the dialogue.
I have never in my life come across so many metaphors and similes in such a short space of time. It seems like every sentence needs to be equated to something else, and every action must mimic some thought or feeling.
It really was difficult to read, mostly boring, and overall quite disappointing.
I was expecting something spookier.
I had high hopes for this book, but on the whole I found it convoluted, and unnecessarily difficult to follow. The story itself takes an age to get into, with nothing much happening for most of the book. When things do happen, the writing is usually so stilted that you're not sure what until a few pages later.
I was constantly coming across sections that said 'when such-and-such happened', and thinking when did that happen exactly? The action is hidden by the dialogue.
I have never in my life come across so many metaphors and similes in such a short space of time. It seems like every sentence needs to be equated to something else, and every action must mimic some thought or feeling.
It really was difficult to read, mostly boring, and overall quite disappointing.
I was expecting something spookier.
April 13, 2018
You're never as alive as you are when you leave your body.
This book tapped into my fears in a way that few books have. When I was younger I tried messing around with astral projection and got so scared I never attempted it again. But it's not just the supernatural terror that got to me, it was Sebastian, our protagonist, losing control over his life, with Ewan infiltrating first, followed by the Wendy and Natalie. I felt utterly helpless while reading because at no point was Seb safe, be it awake or asleep. Because of all that, it is personally one of the scariest books I've ever read. What's remarkable is the feeling of dread and fear that's sustained throughout the entire novel, from beginning to end. No easy feat. The characters are disgusting and make me want to shower. The imagery is disturbing as hell. And I'm sure Thin Len will appear in my nightmares...
This book tapped into my fears in a way that few books have. When I was younger I tried messing around with astral projection and got so scared I never attempted it again. But it's not just the supernatural terror that got to me, it was Sebastian, our protagonist, losing control over his life, with Ewan infiltrating first, followed by the Wendy and Natalie. I felt utterly helpless while reading because at no point was Seb safe, be it awake or asleep. Because of all that, it is personally one of the scariest books I've ever read. What's remarkable is the feeling of dread and fear that's sustained throughout the entire novel, from beginning to end. No easy feat. The characters are disgusting and make me want to shower. The imagery is disturbing as hell. And I'm sure Thin Len will appear in my nightmares...
February 8, 2017
In the greylands we found others in different form. They wept in our faces or clawed us from out of the mist. If they are angels or the souls of the departed, then none should be hasty for the dark.” And into those lands and that darkness of his latest book UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE, Adam Nevill invites the reader, to go back again with him to his earlier roots of horror and psychic terror but with a different approach and a change in tone, to discover a new territory of astral terror, and restless spirits, and dreadful spheres!
UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE is not a traditional horror, it is a very original one of different realms and malevolent things, they are as scary as those diabolic deities that live in the Scandinavian forests, very evil as those small shadows who haunt the Red House, they are hungry spirits, restless souls, monstrous things who are lost in dark dimensions parallel to ours! With a fresh eye, a fresh nose and a fresh mind the reader is to visit the disturbing and the maddening presented in a temple of unbearable squalor and filth. And the fears that are induced in those realms are multiple, from mundane to arcane; a fear of home invasion, more of a whole life highjack, a fear of anarchy and chaos, where “the imposition of the chaotic and disorderly into the life of the orderly, the unclean forced upon the clean” it is a fear of losing what was earned by hard work and perseverance, where all can be disappeared in a second; it is by an unwanted intervention, an unwelcome person and a haunting grim past, a life can be shattered to pieces! And that what happened to Seb Logan, an acclaimed horror writer, when Ewan, a ghost from an ugly past, interrupts suddenly his idyllic peaceful life in South Devon. A drunk and an addict vagabond, preaching delusions and weird ideas, Ewan won’t bring only his filth and stench to Seb’s life, but an inescapable nightmarish reality that will turn Seb’s life upside down! Another fear appears here, the return of a miserable period of poverty and trust-abuse and betrayal, of a past that Seb tried hard to erase with his dedication to his work, his self-discipline and organization;
And with mundane fears, come those of the arcane, of the unworldly spheres, of a pure evil where Adam conjures the world of Hades and its inhabitants. It is a place where darkness only lives and to which Seb is involuntarily dragged with the reader: again, the unbearable immense metaphysical manifests itself this time through astral projection, lost spirits trapped for ever. It manifests in a haunted derelict sanatorium, in an unreachable paradise to where the lost skitters on all four, in a dark river in the confines of a dirty tunnel where blind figures wade. To the uncanny atmosphere comes the overwhelming sense of despair that the reader shares with each character, the good and the bad, all are desperate, all are trapped in their shackles, starting with Seb who finds himself tied up in an unwanted situation that keeps deteriorating into a horrible cul-de-sac and ending with the hinderers or the lost souls who are prisoners of the darkness, and in their search for a light that doesn’t exist, they sob, they cry, they claw at the reader’s mind who becomes as well desperate to know if an escape ever exists from the maddening void out there.
Hades, astral projections and l’au-delà are all new themes Adam is tapping into, but old demons cannot hide. The diabolic cult and folk-horror and lunatic fringe of a forgotten society are revisited in UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE, where no one can be trusted. As for the supernatural and the weird and the strange, who is better than Adam Nevill to convey them! Frightening things inhabit each chapter of UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE where Adam turns the banal ordinary into a ghastly extraordinary! the incarnate and discarnate are overlapping, all of the time, in different spheres that exist simultaneously in the same place, those grueling images of the dead, the inhabitants of Hades, the discarnate, are described as hellish emaciated bodies, bone than flesh, patchy scalps with wisps of hair. It is an atmosphere of the macabre that overshadows here.
Like in every book, Adam engages the reader’s senses to his distinct world of smells and visuals and sounds and in UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE, it is into a temple of reeking odours, morbid visuals and horrific voices. Starting with a festival of the miasma, the sebaceous and greasy scents, the sweat of cattle, where every hygienic rule is cruelly violated, where yellow teeth reign and unwashed flesh live. There is an abundance of sensory images and meticulous description of each detail, the sacrilege depicted in smudges and stains are here to haunt the reader’s mind! To the images of the dead and the departed, a cacophony of dreadful voices join. The wretched whining, the distant sobbing of a man in the middle of the night, the shrieks and muffled voices calling for mercy and succour are too scary to fathom. Of those visuals and voices, I find the scenes in the train and in an abandoned derelict house are among the scariest situations and should be considered as substantial references of ones of the most horrific scenes in contemporary horror.
But within the grotesque and horror, Adam draws a beautiful picturesque of South Devon where he lives. It is a very endeared place, to which Adam calls the reader to peek a glimpse. “ a door in heaven might have cracked to release what glittered on the water like a million pieces of polished silver” this is the author’s tribute to his surroundings, “an outstanding natural beauty” amidst the sweet beech and larch, beautiful trees, a beautiful sea where water became of an enticing aquamarine colour, a beautiful old harbour, the vivid purple buddleia flowers, all are displayed through the eyes of the author who cherishes everything about him, these are vivid images drawn without pretentiousness or exaggeration, it is a place etched with a personal affection.
In UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE, Adam exhibits a particular set of characters, from the reclusive loner to the narcissistic sociopath passing by the social misfit. From his short story YELLOW TEETH in SOME WILL NOT SLEEP – Adam Nevill’s collection of short stories- Seb and Ewan originated. Adam granted his protagonist Seb, some of his personal traits and antics, which adds to the character a certain charm and renders him more dimensional and living! Like Adam, Seb is a horror author but a more conventional one, who writes also for PAN. And like Adam, he appreciates his surroundings , the beautiful English coast where he takes long walks to write and which he portrays as a place inspiring creativity “if you can’t write here, you can’t cut it anywhere” he is also neat, organised with dedication and commitment to his writings and he smokes electronic cigarettes. But, unlike the author, Seb leads a lonely existence where he keeps everyone at a distance, he is a loner that finds solace in his isolation and loneliness. In a blunt contrast comes Ewan, this long forgotten mentor materializes in the world of living and dead to contaminate Seb’s life physically, mentally and emotionally so everything metamorphoses into something Seb loathes and fears. It is the author’s creation of the misfit, the rebellious artist, the hater and the egoist, a living example of self-destruction in all levels. A wretched squalor that reeks from each pore and breath, a self-absorbed manipulator with set of odd ideas but who never understood himself. And to those main characters, Adam introduces other faces and other evils, a narcissistic sociopath who lived before on earth but now wanders in a parallel sphere, the Master of the weird and something horrifying called Thin Len .
When it comes to the craft, Adam Nevill presents with eloquence a well-plotted novel with a slow burn quality. The tension builds up without the need to rush actions. Three parts with titled chapters is a new approach used cleverly by the author to masquerade a very intense twist and unexpected turn. The cinematic atmosphere, another trait of Adam’s compelling writing style, is to take part in UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE, in addition to the beautiful fine vocabulary and powerful descriptions and the many aesthetic similes and metaphors to savour such as these beautiful sentences plotted with the dust and the shadows and something insidious had placed itself between his life and the sun.
I should mention, for a reader of Adam Nevill’s work, that the allusion to LAST DAYS and its characters, creates a sense of enjoyable familiarity and reminder of old monsters, as scary as those who exist in UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE .
In UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE, Adam Nevill is without a doubt the Master of the weird , he offers another fiendish book that gives a meaning to sheer terror and maddening and unnerving sentiments and juddering feelings that he intends to leave in every story he tells. Once again, he proves that disappointing is not a word that comes with his books because he cuts them from a personal experience, carves them out of a sharp observation of his surroundings and a fascination for the unexplained and the unthinkable and something immense of uncanny nature, all is evoked in his beautiful fine prose and eloquent writing. UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE is an amalgamation of morbid visuals, reeking odours and sheer despair, all shrouded in the strange and the weird that constitute par excellence Adam’s trademark because no one defines PECULIAR like him.
Hence, to every horror fan and aficionado of the strange, in fact, to every reader who seeks a good fine book with an original story, Adam Nevill simply is the answer.
I take the chance here to thank the author for giving me ARC and which I enjoyed reading and reviewing.
UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE is not a traditional horror, it is a very original one of different realms and malevolent things, they are as scary as those diabolic deities that live in the Scandinavian forests, very evil as those small shadows who haunt the Red House, they are hungry spirits, restless souls, monstrous things who are lost in dark dimensions parallel to ours! With a fresh eye, a fresh nose and a fresh mind the reader is to visit the disturbing and the maddening presented in a temple of unbearable squalor and filth. And the fears that are induced in those realms are multiple, from mundane to arcane; a fear of home invasion, more of a whole life highjack, a fear of anarchy and chaos, where “the imposition of the chaotic and disorderly into the life of the orderly, the unclean forced upon the clean” it is a fear of losing what was earned by hard work and perseverance, where all can be disappeared in a second; it is by an unwanted intervention, an unwelcome person and a haunting grim past, a life can be shattered to pieces! And that what happened to Seb Logan, an acclaimed horror writer, when Ewan, a ghost from an ugly past, interrupts suddenly his idyllic peaceful life in South Devon. A drunk and an addict vagabond, preaching delusions and weird ideas, Ewan won’t bring only his filth and stench to Seb’s life, but an inescapable nightmarish reality that will turn Seb’s life upside down! Another fear appears here, the return of a miserable period of poverty and trust-abuse and betrayal, of a past that Seb tried hard to erase with his dedication to his work, his self-discipline and organization;
And with mundane fears, come those of the arcane, of the unworldly spheres, of a pure evil where Adam conjures the world of Hades and its inhabitants. It is a place where darkness only lives and to which Seb is involuntarily dragged with the reader: again, the unbearable immense metaphysical manifests itself this time through astral projection, lost spirits trapped for ever. It manifests in a haunted derelict sanatorium, in an unreachable paradise to where the lost skitters on all four, in a dark river in the confines of a dirty tunnel where blind figures wade. To the uncanny atmosphere comes the overwhelming sense of despair that the reader shares with each character, the good and the bad, all are desperate, all are trapped in their shackles, starting with Seb who finds himself tied up in an unwanted situation that keeps deteriorating into a horrible cul-de-sac and ending with the hinderers or the lost souls who are prisoners of the darkness, and in their search for a light that doesn’t exist, they sob, they cry, they claw at the reader’s mind who becomes as well desperate to know if an escape ever exists from the maddening void out there.
Hades, astral projections and l’au-delà are all new themes Adam is tapping into, but old demons cannot hide. The diabolic cult and folk-horror and lunatic fringe of a forgotten society are revisited in UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE, where no one can be trusted. As for the supernatural and the weird and the strange, who is better than Adam Nevill to convey them! Frightening things inhabit each chapter of UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE where Adam turns the banal ordinary into a ghastly extraordinary! the incarnate and discarnate are overlapping, all of the time, in different spheres that exist simultaneously in the same place, those grueling images of the dead, the inhabitants of Hades, the discarnate, are described as hellish emaciated bodies, bone than flesh, patchy scalps with wisps of hair. It is an atmosphere of the macabre that overshadows here.
Like in every book, Adam engages the reader’s senses to his distinct world of smells and visuals and sounds and in UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE, it is into a temple of reeking odours, morbid visuals and horrific voices. Starting with a festival of the miasma, the sebaceous and greasy scents, the sweat of cattle, where every hygienic rule is cruelly violated, where yellow teeth reign and unwashed flesh live. There is an abundance of sensory images and meticulous description of each detail, the sacrilege depicted in smudges and stains are here to haunt the reader’s mind! To the images of the dead and the departed, a cacophony of dreadful voices join. The wretched whining, the distant sobbing of a man in the middle of the night, the shrieks and muffled voices calling for mercy and succour are too scary to fathom. Of those visuals and voices, I find the scenes in the train and in an abandoned derelict house are among the scariest situations and should be considered as substantial references of ones of the most horrific scenes in contemporary horror.
But within the grotesque and horror, Adam draws a beautiful picturesque of South Devon where he lives. It is a very endeared place, to which Adam calls the reader to peek a glimpse. “ a door in heaven might have cracked to release what glittered on the water like a million pieces of polished silver” this is the author’s tribute to his surroundings, “an outstanding natural beauty” amidst the sweet beech and larch, beautiful trees, a beautiful sea where water became of an enticing aquamarine colour, a beautiful old harbour, the vivid purple buddleia flowers, all are displayed through the eyes of the author who cherishes everything about him, these are vivid images drawn without pretentiousness or exaggeration, it is a place etched with a personal affection.
In UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE, Adam exhibits a particular set of characters, from the reclusive loner to the narcissistic sociopath passing by the social misfit. From his short story YELLOW TEETH in SOME WILL NOT SLEEP – Adam Nevill’s collection of short stories- Seb and Ewan originated. Adam granted his protagonist Seb, some of his personal traits and antics, which adds to the character a certain charm and renders him more dimensional and living! Like Adam, Seb is a horror author but a more conventional one, who writes also for PAN. And like Adam, he appreciates his surroundings , the beautiful English coast where he takes long walks to write and which he portrays as a place inspiring creativity “if you can’t write here, you can’t cut it anywhere” he is also neat, organised with dedication and commitment to his writings and he smokes electronic cigarettes. But, unlike the author, Seb leads a lonely existence where he keeps everyone at a distance, he is a loner that finds solace in his isolation and loneliness. In a blunt contrast comes Ewan, this long forgotten mentor materializes in the world of living and dead to contaminate Seb’s life physically, mentally and emotionally so everything metamorphoses into something Seb loathes and fears. It is the author’s creation of the misfit, the rebellious artist, the hater and the egoist, a living example of self-destruction in all levels. A wretched squalor that reeks from each pore and breath, a self-absorbed manipulator with set of odd ideas but who never understood himself. And to those main characters, Adam introduces other faces and other evils, a narcissistic sociopath who lived before on earth but now wanders in a parallel sphere, the Master of the weird and something horrifying called Thin Len .
When it comes to the craft, Adam Nevill presents with eloquence a well-plotted novel with a slow burn quality. The tension builds up without the need to rush actions. Three parts with titled chapters is a new approach used cleverly by the author to masquerade a very intense twist and unexpected turn. The cinematic atmosphere, another trait of Adam’s compelling writing style, is to take part in UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE, in addition to the beautiful fine vocabulary and powerful descriptions and the many aesthetic similes and metaphors to savour such as these beautiful sentences plotted with the dust and the shadows and something insidious had placed itself between his life and the sun.
I should mention, for a reader of Adam Nevill’s work, that the allusion to LAST DAYS and its characters, creates a sense of enjoyable familiarity and reminder of old monsters, as scary as those who exist in UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE .
In UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE, Adam Nevill is without a doubt the Master of the weird , he offers another fiendish book that gives a meaning to sheer terror and maddening and unnerving sentiments and juddering feelings that he intends to leave in every story he tells. Once again, he proves that disappointing is not a word that comes with his books because he cuts them from a personal experience, carves them out of a sharp observation of his surroundings and a fascination for the unexplained and the unthinkable and something immense of uncanny nature, all is evoked in his beautiful fine prose and eloquent writing. UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE is an amalgamation of morbid visuals, reeking odours and sheer despair, all shrouded in the strange and the weird that constitute par excellence Adam’s trademark because no one defines PECULIAR like him.
Hence, to every horror fan and aficionado of the strange, in fact, to every reader who seeks a good fine book with an original story, Adam Nevill simply is the answer.
I take the chance here to thank the author for giving me ARC and which I enjoyed reading and reviewing.
June 20, 2017
Highly original. Utterly terrifying. Nobody translates stress and terror to the page like Adam Nevill does.
April 28, 2017
This book is going to be my horror read of the year.
There's so much that's horrifying about this tale, but strangely, what got to me the most, was the imposition into Seb's life. The character of Ewan I found utterly infurating, I've never been so annoyed at someone who isn't real! Similarly, the way Wendy and Natalie slyly inserted themselves into Seb's life, had a revolting, cultish vibe about it. The way Nevill describes the softly creeping infection into this poor author's life makes for a truly believable and sinister horror.
And that's before I explained anything about the plot, but you can go read the blurb for that!
There are elements of cosmic horror as well as the aforementioned cultish feel - think Scientology, but even creepier and not so well-groomed (yellow teeth!). The people herein are at least as horrifying as the otherworldly monsters, though my mental image of 'Thin Len' is going to linger for some time to come.
Highly recommended for any horror fan.
There's so much that's horrifying about this tale, but strangely, what got to me the most, was the imposition into Seb's life. The character of Ewan I found utterly infurating, I've never been so annoyed at someone who isn't real! Similarly, the way Wendy and Natalie slyly inserted themselves into Seb's life, had a revolting, cultish vibe about it. The way Nevill describes the softly creeping infection into this poor author's life makes for a truly believable and sinister horror.
And that's before I explained anything about the plot, but you can go read the blurb for that!
There are elements of cosmic horror as well as the aforementioned cultish feel - think Scientology, but even creepier and not so well-groomed (yellow teeth!). The people herein are at least as horrifying as the otherworldly monsters, though my mental image of 'Thin Len' is going to linger for some time to come.
Highly recommended for any horror fan.
November 21, 2021
It took me a rather long time to finish this book. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I had other priories hence my reading has slowed down. However, it was a great read. It’s not my favourite Adam Nevill book, however it reads well. Interesting storyline however I felt it could have explored the supernatural side a bit more. But I’d recommend the read.
December 27, 2016
Sometimes what we perceive as the ultimate horror, the nadir of our existence is but the beginning…
That is certainly the case for Sebastian 'Seb' Logan, well-to-do horror author with an almost unhealthy obsession for cleanliness and order. Earlier in his life, while still trying to find both himself and his way, Seb looked for guidance and temporarily found it in Ewan - the literary, philosophical, artistic type who always seems to put art above other necessities of life, eventually degenerating so far that existing within normal society is no longer possible. Not quite in as deep as Ewan, Seb managed to escape this strange codependency and the squalor that came with it.
Decades later, his strange roommate all but forgotten, Seb has come to some fame and settled down comfortably, albeit in almost complete isolation, save for the occasional superficial contact. All is tidy, organised, regulated. Seb might occasionally feel lonely, but is not nearly bothered enough to initiate change. Soon, though, the choice is take from his hands as uncanny experiences start to make him question both his physical as well as his mental health. It seems Ewan has found a way to reintroduce himself into Seb's life and force him out of his comfort zone, in a manner as extraordinary and unnatural as has always been his second nature.
Yet dealing with his once-again roommate is hardly the biggest challenge Seb has to face as he slowly comes to realise that there is much more to Ewan's delusions than he ever expected; that restoring his life to its previous order involves far more than simply removing his roommate and those he brought with him…
***
After portraying a very real 'evil' - in both nature and man - in 'Lost Girl', Adam Nevill once more returns to undeniably supernatural realms with 'Under a Watchful Eye'. Allusions to his previous novel 'Last Days' are well placed and give the informed reader an idea of what to expect from 'Eye'. Nevill skilfully draws from real life ideas and transforms them into the disturbing, unnerving images we have come to expect from his writings.
Once again we are thrust into a world that is almost our own, but different to just such a minuscule degree that the ordinary effortlessly takes on terrifying qualities. More than once the reader will stop to think, to consider, to listen. And more than once he/she will shudder and look around cautiously, hoping to spy nothing - no shadow, no peripheral movement. He/she will know there is nothing, CAN be nothing. But then again, don't we all think we know something for certain… until we are proven wrong?
If you loved Nevill's previous work, getting 'Under a Watchful Eye' should be a given; if you call yourself a fan of horror but have never read any of his novels or stories, that is a blunder which should quickly be corrected. Since I first read 'The Ritual' years ago, I have been eagerly awaiting each new novel and have not once been disappointed - which is quite a feat, considering what a picky reader I am.
(While I did receive an ARC of 'Under a Watchful Eye', I would have gladly paid for it - and will certainly order the hardcover/paperback once it becomes available).
That is certainly the case for Sebastian 'Seb' Logan, well-to-do horror author with an almost unhealthy obsession for cleanliness and order. Earlier in his life, while still trying to find both himself and his way, Seb looked for guidance and temporarily found it in Ewan - the literary, philosophical, artistic type who always seems to put art above other necessities of life, eventually degenerating so far that existing within normal society is no longer possible. Not quite in as deep as Ewan, Seb managed to escape this strange codependency and the squalor that came with it.
Decades later, his strange roommate all but forgotten, Seb has come to some fame and settled down comfortably, albeit in almost complete isolation, save for the occasional superficial contact. All is tidy, organised, regulated. Seb might occasionally feel lonely, but is not nearly bothered enough to initiate change. Soon, though, the choice is take from his hands as uncanny experiences start to make him question both his physical as well as his mental health. It seems Ewan has found a way to reintroduce himself into Seb's life and force him out of his comfort zone, in a manner as extraordinary and unnatural as has always been his second nature.
Yet dealing with his once-again roommate is hardly the biggest challenge Seb has to face as he slowly comes to realise that there is much more to Ewan's delusions than he ever expected; that restoring his life to its previous order involves far more than simply removing his roommate and those he brought with him…
***
After portraying a very real 'evil' - in both nature and man - in 'Lost Girl', Adam Nevill once more returns to undeniably supernatural realms with 'Under a Watchful Eye'. Allusions to his previous novel 'Last Days' are well placed and give the informed reader an idea of what to expect from 'Eye'. Nevill skilfully draws from real life ideas and transforms them into the disturbing, unnerving images we have come to expect from his writings.
Once again we are thrust into a world that is almost our own, but different to just such a minuscule degree that the ordinary effortlessly takes on terrifying qualities. More than once the reader will stop to think, to consider, to listen. And more than once he/she will shudder and look around cautiously, hoping to spy nothing - no shadow, no peripheral movement. He/she will know there is nothing, CAN be nothing. But then again, don't we all think we know something for certain… until we are proven wrong?
If you loved Nevill's previous work, getting 'Under a Watchful Eye' should be a given; if you call yourself a fan of horror but have never read any of his novels or stories, that is a blunder which should quickly be corrected. Since I first read 'The Ritual' years ago, I have been eagerly awaiting each new novel and have not once been disappointed - which is quite a feat, considering what a picky reader I am.
(While I did receive an ARC of 'Under a Watchful Eye', I would have gladly paid for it - and will certainly order the hardcover/paperback once it becomes available).
December 25, 2016
Adam Nevill has launched to the top of numerous lists as being one of the finest, and consistent, horror writers out there, and his latest, "Under A Watchful Eye," is another excellent addition to his prominent published resume.
"Under A Watchful Eye" is a story that easily unnerves the reader from the very beginning, when the strange appearance of a "watcher" erupts the daily routine of Sebastian Logan's idyllic, semi-famous life. What follows is a horrifying journey that pulls him apart, piece by piece, dissolving his rational misconception of reality, and ultimately allowing him to learn the truth of what lies beyond the physical realm of this world.
To say any more would ruin the effect of the story, and it is this EFFECT that truly mesmerized me. Honestly, at first, I went into reading this with a full head of steam, and got derailed early on. I realized I had to stop and begin again because I was approaching it the wrong way: I had to slow down and savor the writing like a fine, delicious wine. And like he does with all of his works, Adam Nevill infuses his story perfectly with the five senses, breathing life into the words, allowing the characters and world to come alive inside the reader imagination. And honestly, this is where "Under A Watchful Eye" really separates itself from its predecessors: it's as if it IS a living, breathing thing, pulling the reader under its dark embrace, immersing themselves into the unfolding nightmare too. I honestly had some restless nights while reading this story.
Lastly, fans will appreciate that "Under A Watchful Eye" and "Last Days" are bookends to each other, both stories intertwined within the same mythos of cults, extremists, and relentless search of answering the truth of WHAT LIES BEYOND.
A MUST HAVE for all horror fans.
"Under A Watchful Eye" is a story that easily unnerves the reader from the very beginning, when the strange appearance of a "watcher" erupts the daily routine of Sebastian Logan's idyllic, semi-famous life. What follows is a horrifying journey that pulls him apart, piece by piece, dissolving his rational misconception of reality, and ultimately allowing him to learn the truth of what lies beyond the physical realm of this world.
To say any more would ruin the effect of the story, and it is this EFFECT that truly mesmerized me. Honestly, at first, I went into reading this with a full head of steam, and got derailed early on. I realized I had to stop and begin again because I was approaching it the wrong way: I had to slow down and savor the writing like a fine, delicious wine. And like he does with all of his works, Adam Nevill infuses his story perfectly with the five senses, breathing life into the words, allowing the characters and world to come alive inside the reader imagination. And honestly, this is where "Under A Watchful Eye" really separates itself from its predecessors: it's as if it IS a living, breathing thing, pulling the reader under its dark embrace, immersing themselves into the unfolding nightmare too. I honestly had some restless nights while reading this story.
Lastly, fans will appreciate that "Under A Watchful Eye" and "Last Days" are bookends to each other, both stories intertwined within the same mythos of cults, extremists, and relentless search of answering the truth of WHAT LIES BEYOND.
A MUST HAVE for all horror fans.
July 1, 2018
This was my initial response when reading the book: I am unsure about Adam Nevill's writing style. I don't hate it, but I am not entirely digging it either. I detect a slight conceit in his tone, a pretentious element in his words that just doesn't sit right with me. I am barely ten pages in and I am already irritated.
This was my response a few more chapters in:
"His name had been called from an inner distance and one that took form inside his imagination as a grey and misted space at the edge of his mind. He sensed the drab emptiness was entirely without borders and reached much further than he was glimpsing. Tasting hormones of terror in a dry mouth, he emerged from behind the shrubbery. Moving his legs was too conscious a manoeuvre."
What. In. The. Actual. #%¥$?
This was my response when I had absolutely lost it: This book has definitely gone into the DNF pile. It's ridiculous. Everything has to be described in absolutely unnecessary details. There is so much telling, so little of showing. The characters are uncompelling, tethering on boring and being unpleasant. Nothing truly happens in this book. NOTHING. Oh god. It's so convoluted in literary style that I couldn't go beyond 5 chapters. I hardly DNF books, but this... this I cannot carry on.
This was my response a few more chapters in:
"His name had been called from an inner distance and one that took form inside his imagination as a grey and misted space at the edge of his mind. He sensed the drab emptiness was entirely without borders and reached much further than he was glimpsing. Tasting hormones of terror in a dry mouth, he emerged from behind the shrubbery. Moving his legs was too conscious a manoeuvre."
What. In. The. Actual. #%¥$?
This was my response when I had absolutely lost it: This book has definitely gone into the DNF pile. It's ridiculous. Everything has to be described in absolutely unnecessary details. There is so much telling, so little of showing. The characters are uncompelling, tethering on boring and being unpleasant. Nothing truly happens in this book. NOTHING. Oh god. It's so convoluted in literary style that I couldn't go beyond 5 chapters. I hardly DNF books, but this... this I cannot carry on.
April 22, 2018
This was my second book by Adam Nevill, and I enjoyed it. The writing is easy to read, and Mr. Nevill is very good with painting dark scenery and making you feel the dread. With the story on this one, I was a little disappointed with how things turned out. The first part of the book points towards a certain ending, but the story seems to fall short of that. I'm going with 3.5/5.0 stars rounded down for my disappointment. I do look forward to reading some other of Mr. Nevill's books.
December 14, 2016
Scary imaginative stuff here from Adam Nevill.
Review to follow soonish.
Review to follow soonish.
August 13, 2021
I swear Adam Nevill's books need to come with tasting notes!
One thing I absolutely love about all of Nevill's work is his ability to truly assault the senses with descriptions of pestilence, corruption, decrepitude and pure filth. It's a factor in so many of his books and he captivates brilliantly the sights and smells of squalor and illness. It's a factor in many of his books but in 'Under A Watchful Eye' it's pushed to 100% and I love it!
'Under A Watchful Eye' is the story of a fifty year old successful horror writer called Seb Logan who is struggling to complete his latest book. Things start to go very bad for him when he encounters an old flat mate - an alcoholic ex-student from a privileged background who exploited him in his youth. Things start to go even worse when this person is no longer involved with his life...
The book is very clever, and dare I say quite playful in it's structure, plot and characterisation. I can imagine elements really getting on the nerves with some readers but I recognised the playfulness and had a lot of fun reading it (if novels about filth encrusted astral projectors and elderly cultists can be considered playful...).
Nevill is clearly having fun with his audience. The author of the story is the same age as Nevill, is set where he lives and describes a working class author who has worked hard, wrote a bunch of novels whilst working multiple dead end jobs before making it big with a novel (which turned into a film). For fans of Nevill this isn't exactly subtle!
This is a book written by an author, perhaps for other authors and one for his fans. For instance, the notion that now Logan has lost his edge, or is even a sell-out is a theme in the book (Logan's last book is often referred to as 'not very good'). Logan complains to his agent about one star reviews on Goodreads and suggests they are all from the same person. There is even a nod to the successful author needing to knock back multiple endorsements and literary 'can you just' favours which I am sure successful authors get a lot of and aspiring authors would grasp at eagerly. Nevill even sets the book in Birmingham and the English Riviera on the Devon south coast which are places he has been to before.
The 'Easter Eggs' are even more explicit in this one, and I always look forward to finding them. So we have a name check of everyone's favourite band from 'The Ritual' - 'Blood Frenzy', but in this story there are a number of logical links to people from 'Last Days' which really make sense in the book and add to the richness of Nevill's little universe.
So is it scary? The first half - definitely. The central premise of 'someone from your past who you don't want to see turns up back in your life' is really effective and the reader is thrown in at the deep end. Ewan, Seb's former flatmate is brilliantly characterised and when I think back to my youth I can see people like him who invade your home and you can't really get to leave. I think many of us can identify those acquaintances who enter into your friendship circle who you can't get rid off. Nevill is a bit older than me, but I can see a lot of the 'Brew Crew Punks' from the mid-90's in Ewan. Often stinking - (yep Stenchcore was a thing) and treating homes and shared spaces like a rubbish tip, often with pretensions of grandeur and also from privileged backgrounds. I remember squatting in the mid-90's and a room being given over to the 'dog toilet' so I kind of know what is being described with this unwanted guest. Empty cans of cider and takeout trays have never been so evocative! You just know that Nevill has lived in some right dumps in his youth, with people who don't give a shit about some basic courtesies like putting things in a bin. Yeah - that horror of the person you used to hang out with coming back is very real! That notion that you probably owe them a courtesy but you know you will get robbed or exploited is very real!
The second half of the novel gets into more 'traditional' horror mode. There were times when I lost my way a little - particularly during 'dream sequence' writing, because I struggled to follow when Seb was awake or dreaming. I am sure the disorientation is deliberate but it did detract from my enjoyment of the novel a little. I felt the book was lagging a little towards the end of the second act, but at the same time I can't deny that I had spent most of the afternoon reading and really didn't want to put it down.
The third act really made me smile and where it went was quite clever and again tapped into that notion of breaking down the wall between art and reader with a few clever winks. The third act bumped this from a 3 to a 4 but there is part of me that wants to leave this positive review up but score it a 1 just to annoy Seb Logan.
Scary and suspenseful, Nevill fans will love it, new readers may find it a little pretentious rather than clever. Recommended.
One thing I absolutely love about all of Nevill's work is his ability to truly assault the senses with descriptions of pestilence, corruption, decrepitude and pure filth. It's a factor in so many of his books and he captivates brilliantly the sights and smells of squalor and illness. It's a factor in many of his books but in 'Under A Watchful Eye' it's pushed to 100% and I love it!
'Under A Watchful Eye' is the story of a fifty year old successful horror writer called Seb Logan who is struggling to complete his latest book. Things start to go very bad for him when he encounters an old flat mate - an alcoholic ex-student from a privileged background who exploited him in his youth. Things start to go even worse when this person is no longer involved with his life...
The book is very clever, and dare I say quite playful in it's structure, plot and characterisation. I can imagine elements really getting on the nerves with some readers but I recognised the playfulness and had a lot of fun reading it (if novels about filth encrusted astral projectors and elderly cultists can be considered playful...).
Nevill is clearly having fun with his audience. The author of the story is the same age as Nevill, is set where he lives and describes a working class author who has worked hard, wrote a bunch of novels whilst working multiple dead end jobs before making it big with a novel (which turned into a film). For fans of Nevill this isn't exactly subtle!
This is a book written by an author, perhaps for other authors and one for his fans. For instance, the notion that now Logan has lost his edge, or is even a sell-out is a theme in the book (Logan's last book is often referred to as 'not very good'). Logan complains to his agent about one star reviews on Goodreads and suggests they are all from the same person. There is even a nod to the successful author needing to knock back multiple endorsements and literary 'can you just' favours which I am sure successful authors get a lot of and aspiring authors would grasp at eagerly. Nevill even sets the book in Birmingham and the English Riviera on the Devon south coast which are places he has been to before.
The 'Easter Eggs' are even more explicit in this one, and I always look forward to finding them. So we have a name check of everyone's favourite band from 'The Ritual' - 'Blood Frenzy', but in this story there are a number of logical links to people from 'Last Days' which really make sense in the book and add to the richness of Nevill's little universe.
So is it scary? The first half - definitely. The central premise of 'someone from your past who you don't want to see turns up back in your life' is really effective and the reader is thrown in at the deep end. Ewan, Seb's former flatmate is brilliantly characterised and when I think back to my youth I can see people like him who invade your home and you can't really get to leave. I think many of us can identify those acquaintances who enter into your friendship circle who you can't get rid off. Nevill is a bit older than me, but I can see a lot of the 'Brew Crew Punks' from the mid-90's in Ewan. Often stinking - (yep Stenchcore was a thing) and treating homes and shared spaces like a rubbish tip, often with pretensions of grandeur and also from privileged backgrounds. I remember squatting in the mid-90's and a room being given over to the 'dog toilet' so I kind of know what is being described with this unwanted guest. Empty cans of cider and takeout trays have never been so evocative! You just know that Nevill has lived in some right dumps in his youth, with people who don't give a shit about some basic courtesies like putting things in a bin. Yeah - that horror of the person you used to hang out with coming back is very real! That notion that you probably owe them a courtesy but you know you will get robbed or exploited is very real!
The second half of the novel gets into more 'traditional' horror mode. There were times when I lost my way a little - particularly during 'dream sequence' writing, because I struggled to follow when Seb was awake or dreaming. I am sure the disorientation is deliberate but it did detract from my enjoyment of the novel a little. I felt the book was lagging a little towards the end of the second act, but at the same time I can't deny that I had spent most of the afternoon reading and really didn't want to put it down.
The third act really made me smile and where it went was quite clever and again tapped into that notion of breaking down the wall between art and reader with a few clever winks. The third act bumped this from a 3 to a 4 but there is part of me that wants to leave this positive review up but score it a 1 just to annoy Seb Logan.
Scary and suspenseful, Nevill fans will love it, new readers may find it a little pretentious rather than clever. Recommended.
December 21, 2016
This is such a strange story. I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it before.
The protagonist, Seb, reminded me of leading characters in Adam Nevill's other books. He's a loner, withdrawn, inflexible, unable to tolerate other people very well and not very able to stand up for himself. Part of the horror of this tale comes from Seb being forced out of his meticulously constructed ivory tower into situations where he no longer has any control and has to deal with people who completely disregard the material standards he has built his life around. At the point when he could have walked away it is Seb's vanity and pursuit of success that eventually ensnares him in an unimaginable supernatural web of horror.
In this book the writer explores an aspect of "The Unexplained" that has fascinated me since I was a kid. I really don't want to say any more than that as I don't want to spoil it for the reader. I will say that Nevill takes these ideas to new levels of darkness - down, down, down into the abyss of no return.
Adam Nevill's writing style may not be to everyone's taste but I really enjoy it. I believe he's influenced by MR James but with a very contemporary twist and a bit of filmic horror added to the mix. One of his strengths is the visuals he paints with his words. Some scenes in this book seriously creeped me out and have stayed with me. That fella, Thin Len, is going to be sticking around in my head for a fair while I think.
The protagonist, Seb, reminded me of leading characters in Adam Nevill's other books. He's a loner, withdrawn, inflexible, unable to tolerate other people very well and not very able to stand up for himself. Part of the horror of this tale comes from Seb being forced out of his meticulously constructed ivory tower into situations where he no longer has any control and has to deal with people who completely disregard the material standards he has built his life around. At the point when he could have walked away it is Seb's vanity and pursuit of success that eventually ensnares him in an unimaginable supernatural web of horror.
In this book the writer explores an aspect of "The Unexplained" that has fascinated me since I was a kid. I really don't want to say any more than that as I don't want to spoil it for the reader. I will say that Nevill takes these ideas to new levels of darkness - down, down, down into the abyss of no return.
Adam Nevill's writing style may not be to everyone's taste but I really enjoy it. I believe he's influenced by MR James but with a very contemporary twist and a bit of filmic horror added to the mix. One of his strengths is the visuals he paints with his words. Some scenes in this book seriously creeped me out and have stayed with me. That fella, Thin Len, is going to be sticking around in my head for a fair while I think.
November 30, 2016
From the Publisher:
"Seb Logan is being watched. He just doesn't know by whom.
When the sudden appearance of a dark figure shatters his idyllic coastal life, he soon realizes that the murky past he thought he'd left behind has far from forgotten him. What's more unsettling is the strange atmosphere that engulfs him at every sighting, plunging his mind into a terrifying paranoia.
To be a victim without knowing the tormentor. To be despised without knowing the offence caused. To be seen by what nobody else can see. These are the thoughts which plague his every waking moment.
Imprisoned by despair, Seb fears his stalker is not working alone, but rather is involved in a wider conspiracy that threatens everything he has worked for. For there are doors in this world that open into unknown places. Places used by the worst kind of people to achieve their own ends. And once his investigation leads him to stray across the line and into mortal danger, he risks becoming another fatality in a long line of victims "
This is a beautifully-written, captivating book which further delves into the mythos which Adam Nevill started in 'Banquet of the Damned' and developed in 'Last Days', 'The Ritual' and 'No One Gets Out Alive'. I enjoy Adams writing very much, and this book is no different; a potent mix of supernatural horror blended with the more mundane evils of everyday humanity. Greed, selfishness, ignorance and avarice are as much a threat to the protagonist as the various ghouls and ghosts, which stand on the sidelines hungrily. . It's also the area where the authors talent shines out - while all manner of unearthly horrors are elegantly described, the human characters are described with such clarity that they are easily relatable and their motives understandable The only character I felt was slightly underdeveloped was the protagonist Seb, although as the plot progresses, reason for this is made abundently clear and makes perfect sense.
As related above, the monsters which dwell within are described efficiently and effectively - A hallmark of Nevills writing allowing for all manner of personal embellishment to create genuinely unsettling beasts, which will no doubt live in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf.
The main plot of the novel is purposefully sparse - minimising the number of set pieces in favour of maximising the effectiveness of each scene and filling out with a wealth of background detail. As with the authors other works (Nevill novels?) it would transpose easily to celluloid and has a genuine cinematic quailty. It also showcases the evolution of Nevills writing style and is a fusion of the visceral horror seen in LD and the first half of NOGOA with the more thoughtful style displayed in HOSS. This fusion is used to great effect, with moments of outright horror, melancholy reflection and even triumph; an unusual combination for the genre. This is compounded by a number of plot twists, some being well telegraphed and others coming out of left field. The third act specifically came as a complete surprise but as with the other twists and turns, it felt organic and made sense in the context of the plot.
There are also links to the previous novels, as well as the authors (and likely most fans – although I stopped listening to Emperor and Venom a good while back) cultural touchstones, all of which give the book verisimilitude and create the feeling that the Nevill-verse (An awful term for which I apologise) is no more than a hairs breadth from our own.
In summary, an excellent addition to the mythos, and a fine horror novel in its own right. Both longtime readers and new acolytes will find something to terrify and delight within.
I received my copy through Netgalley for review.
"Seb Logan is being watched. He just doesn't know by whom.
When the sudden appearance of a dark figure shatters his idyllic coastal life, he soon realizes that the murky past he thought he'd left behind has far from forgotten him. What's more unsettling is the strange atmosphere that engulfs him at every sighting, plunging his mind into a terrifying paranoia.
To be a victim without knowing the tormentor. To be despised without knowing the offence caused. To be seen by what nobody else can see. These are the thoughts which plague his every waking moment.
Imprisoned by despair, Seb fears his stalker is not working alone, but rather is involved in a wider conspiracy that threatens everything he has worked for. For there are doors in this world that open into unknown places. Places used by the worst kind of people to achieve their own ends. And once his investigation leads him to stray across the line and into mortal danger, he risks becoming another fatality in a long line of victims "
This is a beautifully-written, captivating book which further delves into the mythos which Adam Nevill started in 'Banquet of the Damned' and developed in 'Last Days', 'The Ritual' and 'No One Gets Out Alive'. I enjoy Adams writing very much, and this book is no different; a potent mix of supernatural horror blended with the more mundane evils of everyday humanity. Greed, selfishness, ignorance and avarice are as much a threat to the protagonist as the various ghouls and ghosts, which stand on the sidelines hungrily. . It's also the area where the authors talent shines out - while all manner of unearthly horrors are elegantly described, the human characters are described with such clarity that they are easily relatable and their motives understandable The only character I felt was slightly underdeveloped was the protagonist Seb, although as the plot progresses, reason for this is made abundently clear and makes perfect sense.
As related above, the monsters which dwell within are described efficiently and effectively - A hallmark of Nevills writing allowing for all manner of personal embellishment to create genuinely unsettling beasts, which will no doubt live in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf.
The main plot of the novel is purposefully sparse - minimising the number of set pieces in favour of maximising the effectiveness of each scene and filling out with a wealth of background detail. As with the authors other works (Nevill novels?) it would transpose easily to celluloid and has a genuine cinematic quailty. It also showcases the evolution of Nevills writing style and is a fusion of the visceral horror seen in LD and the first half of NOGOA with the more thoughtful style displayed in HOSS. This fusion is used to great effect, with moments of outright horror, melancholy reflection and even triumph; an unusual combination for the genre. This is compounded by a number of plot twists, some being well telegraphed and others coming out of left field. The third act specifically came as a complete surprise but as with the other twists and turns, it felt organic and made sense in the context of the plot.
There are also links to the previous novels, as well as the authors (and likely most fans – although I stopped listening to Emperor and Venom a good while back) cultural touchstones, all of which give the book verisimilitude and create the feeling that the Nevill-verse (An awful term for which I apologise) is no more than a hairs breadth from our own.
In summary, an excellent addition to the mythos, and a fine horror novel in its own right. Both longtime readers and new acolytes will find something to terrify and delight within.
I received my copy through Netgalley for review.
April 23, 2023
Another awesome read by my absolute favourite. Loved it!
Seb is an author doing ‘ok’ until a stinky friend turns up from his past. The writing here is so good I could smell Ewan myself 😷 It gets MUCH worse though and Seb slides further into a horrible world where people leave their earthly bodies at will…. Yikes. I could not put this down.
The themes in this one chimed deep with me. The terrifying unknown is described perfectly (just like in Apartment 16). There is nothing more frightening for me that an eternity of struggling and searching and not knowing why. I need to read something a bit more cheery now I think 😁
Seb is an author doing ‘ok’ until a stinky friend turns up from his past. The writing here is so good I could smell Ewan myself 😷 It gets MUCH worse though and Seb slides further into a horrible world where people leave their earthly bodies at will…. Yikes. I could not put this down.
The themes in this one chimed deep with me. The terrifying unknown is described perfectly (just like in Apartment 16). There is nothing more frightening for me that an eternity of struggling and searching and not knowing why. I need to read something a bit more cheery now I think 😁
October 30, 2017
An occult conspiracy threatens to drive an old frenemy back into a professional writer's life...the artsy poser who never wrote anything of worth returns...
I'm going to give this four stars, although I didn't like it--it's in a style that I dislike. Probably on a more objective level it's a four. Your mileage may vary.
(It's the kind of style that treats the characters without history or much attitude in the style itself, although of course the characters themselves have backstories. It feels as though the heavy lifting of imagining things is left to the reader so the author can get on with the plot. Some people will like, others dislike this.)
I wish the plot were more cohesive; the information I neded to find the ending satisfying was withheld until too late for me to care about it. People pop in and out, too briefly to build up a good love or hate for them, and then...that's it, kaput. It was all logical--perfectly reasonable--but felt less impactful for it. And I didn't buy the ending for the same reason. BUT I also think it's fair to say that I am strongly biased here.
I'm going to give this four stars, although I didn't like it--it's in a style that I dislike. Probably on a more objective level it's a four. Your mileage may vary.
(It's the kind of style that treats the characters without history or much attitude in the style itself, although of course the characters themselves have backstories. It feels as though the heavy lifting of imagining things is left to the reader so the author can get on with the plot. Some people will like, others dislike this.)
I wish the plot were more cohesive; the information I neded to find the ending satisfying was withheld until too late for me to care about it. People pop in and out, too briefly to build up a good love or hate for them, and then...that's it, kaput. It was all logical--perfectly reasonable--but felt less impactful for it. And I didn't buy the ending for the same reason. BUT I also think it's fair to say that I am strongly biased here.
February 6, 2017
Seb Logan is being watched. He just doesn't know by whom.
The appearance of a new Adam Neville novel is always a delight tinged with a feeling of "What am I letting myself in for this time?" vibe
A long time fan of Neville I love the way he turns a quintessential British landscape into something ghastly.
The book begins with Seb Logan being unnerved by a mysterious figure on the beach who is undoubtedly watching him - an irresistible homage to M.R. James "Oh, Whistle, And I'll Come To You, My Lad". This opening sets the tone of the whole novel, is he being haunted, stalked or is it his paranoid mind teetering on the edge of madness?
As Seb's well ordered, controlled life crumbles before his eyes he is led along a road best not travelled, at least not by the sane.
Beautifully written, the suspense and tension builds slowly with hints of things scurrying in the shadows and the set pieces have a nightmare like weirdness that drips with eye watering menace.
I had no idea where it was going or how it would end but I was pulled in along with Seb and it was a very unnerving experience that made me feel oddly off kilter.
Original, compulsive and utterly fearlessly fearsome
PS - Thin Len will stay with me forever
Thanks to ARC for a preview copy
The appearance of a new Adam Neville novel is always a delight tinged with a feeling of "What am I letting myself in for this time?" vibe
A long time fan of Neville I love the way he turns a quintessential British landscape into something ghastly.
The book begins with Seb Logan being unnerved by a mysterious figure on the beach who is undoubtedly watching him - an irresistible homage to M.R. James "Oh, Whistle, And I'll Come To You, My Lad". This opening sets the tone of the whole novel, is he being haunted, stalked or is it his paranoid mind teetering on the edge of madness?
As Seb's well ordered, controlled life crumbles before his eyes he is led along a road best not travelled, at least not by the sane.
Beautifully written, the suspense and tension builds slowly with hints of things scurrying in the shadows and the set pieces have a nightmare like weirdness that drips with eye watering menace.
I had no idea where it was going or how it would end but I was pulled in along with Seb and it was a very unnerving experience that made me feel oddly off kilter.
Original, compulsive and utterly fearlessly fearsome
PS - Thin Len will stay with me forever
Thanks to ARC for a preview copy
December 31, 2016
This is the best book Neville has written since The Ritual. Unlike many of his other books, it is not dragged down by a long-winded second half. Instead it is short, focused, and as equally intense as Last Days or The Ritual.
I was initially a little doubtful if the well worn trope of the horror writer pulled into real horrors, but it is effectively worked into the structure and themes of the story.
Also notable is the intensity of the human conflict. Seb's clashes with his parasitic old friends, and the two cult members, has great emotional traction. And I could feel the weight of old wounds brought to bear in Ewan, the parasitic flatmate from hell. A fantastic book.
I was initially a little doubtful if the well worn trope of the horror writer pulled into real horrors, but it is effectively worked into the structure and themes of the story.
Also notable is the intensity of the human conflict. Seb's clashes with his parasitic old friends, and the two cult members, has great emotional traction. And I could feel the weight of old wounds brought to bear in Ewan, the parasitic flatmate from hell. A fantastic book.
January 8, 2020
Another page turning, creepy read.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
February 1, 2022
What a harrowing,horrific read!!Great writing,of course!A.N really knows how to make you feel claustrophobic and brilliant characters who you love to hate.
February 7, 2017
WOW. Just WOW.
I was lucky enough to stumble across Adam Nevill's work last month when I downloaded 'Some Will Not Sleep' and I can safely say that I am a firm fan of his.
I have not been so excited about a new book release since the Harry Potter series (I was one of those nerdy teens who queued outside WH Smith for the release) and I was over the moon when Macmillan gave me the opportunity to read this early (and for free!) via Netgalley.
Seb Logan is an author who suddenly starts to see something - someone - following him. His fears are realised early on, but he has no idea the horrors ahead of him.
Some reviewers have mentioned that the book is overly-descriptive. I found this true of the first 10 pages or so, but after this it read like a normal book. The detailed description was quite confusing, but I found this helped understand the confusion of the main character.
This story really unsettled me. I loathed the reading of it sometimes as the character of Ewan repulsed me so. His character angered me and frustrated me and I could easily put myself in the position of Seb. I had the same feelings with a similar story in 'Some Will Not Sleep', but I think Nevill has excelled himself in this version of the story.
Nevill is the only author who manages to chill me to my bones when reading horror. I cannot wait to read his other books.
I was lucky enough to stumble across Adam Nevill's work last month when I downloaded 'Some Will Not Sleep' and I can safely say that I am a firm fan of his.
I have not been so excited about a new book release since the Harry Potter series (I was one of those nerdy teens who queued outside WH Smith for the release) and I was over the moon when Macmillan gave me the opportunity to read this early (and for free!) via Netgalley.
Seb Logan is an author who suddenly starts to see something - someone - following him. His fears are realised early on, but he has no idea the horrors ahead of him.
Some reviewers have mentioned that the book is overly-descriptive. I found this true of the first 10 pages or so, but after this it read like a normal book. The detailed description was quite confusing, but I found this helped understand the confusion of the main character.
This story really unsettled me. I loathed the reading of it sometimes as the character of Ewan repulsed me so. His character angered me and frustrated me and I could easily put myself in the position of Seb. I had the same feelings with a similar story in 'Some Will Not Sleep', but I think Nevill has excelled himself in this version of the story.
Nevill is the only author who manages to chill me to my bones when reading horror. I cannot wait to read his other books.
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