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We Are Always Watching
They’ve watched over the house for generations…
The move from New York to the decrepit Pennsylvania farmhouse is as bad as West Ridley thought it would be. His father’s crippling vertigo only seems to get worse, and even with his mother working herself to the bone, they’re out of money and options.
Grandpa Abraham is a drunk bastard and the living embodiment of the long neglected farmhouse. He claims the place is haunted. Ghosts roam the hall at night and their muffled cries fill the silence of warm, summer nights.
On the ceiling above West’s bed are the words WE SEE YOU. In a house plagued by death and mysterious visitations, West realizes something beyond the fiction of his favorite horror books has to be faced.
Dark secrets are buried deep, and there are Guardians who want to keep it that way. No matter where they go or what they do, West and his family know one thing… they are always watching.
The move from New York to the decrepit Pennsylvania farmhouse is as bad as West Ridley thought it would be. His father’s crippling vertigo only seems to get worse, and even with his mother working herself to the bone, they’re out of money and options.
Grandpa Abraham is a drunk bastard and the living embodiment of the long neglected farmhouse. He claims the place is haunted. Ghosts roam the hall at night and their muffled cries fill the silence of warm, summer nights.
On the ceiling above West’s bed are the words WE SEE YOU. In a house plagued by death and mysterious visitations, West realizes something beyond the fiction of his favorite horror books has to be faced.
Dark secrets are buried deep, and there are Guardians who want to keep it that way. No matter where they go or what they do, West and his family know one thing… they are always watching.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2017
56 people are currently reading
1263 people want to read
About the author
Hunter Shea
66 books1,009 followersHunter Shea is the author of over 25 books, with a specialization in cryptozoological horror that includes The Jersey Devil, The Dover Demon, Loch Ness Revenge and many others. As part of the new horror line at Flame Tree Press, his novel Creature has gained critical acclaim. His novel, The Montauk Monster, was named one of the best reads of the summer by Publishers Weekly. A trip to the International Cryptozoology Museum will find several of his cryptid books among the fascinating displays. Living in a true haunted house inspired his Jessica Backman: Death in the Afterlife series (Forest of Shadows, Sinister Entity and Island of the Forbidden). In 2011, he was selected to be a part of the launch of Samhain Publishing’s new horror line alongside legendary author Ramsey Campbell. When he’s not writing thrillers and horror, he also spins tall tales for middle grade readers on Amazon’s highly regarded Rapids reading app.
An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II.
A lifetime New Yorker, Hunter is supported by his loving wife and two beautiful daughters. When he’s not studying up on cryptozoology, he’s an avid explorer of the unknown, having spent a night alone on the Queen Mary, searching for the Warren’s famous White Lady of the Union Cemetery and other mysterious places.
You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com.
An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II.
A lifetime New Yorker, Hunter is supported by his loving wife and two beautiful daughters. When he’s not studying up on cryptozoology, he’s an avid explorer of the unknown, having spent a night alone on the Queen Mary, searching for the Warren’s famous White Lady of the Union Cemetery and other mysterious places.
You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
April 15, 2017
When the Ridley family falls on hard times, they're forced to move in with Abraham Ridley, Matt's father. Grandpa Ridley is a real son of a bitch but he's nothing in comparison to the Guardians, persons unknown who have been harassing the Ridleys and the other folk of Buttermilk Creek for generations...
Hunter Shea is the man and I was planning on reading this anyway when I won a copy on Horror After Dark. Thanks!
This isn't your usual Hunter Shea book. I'm a tremendous fan of his creature features starring cryptids and the mayhem they incite but this one was different, a slow-burner with more of a psychological bend.
Since time out of mind, the people of Buttermilk Creek have been harassed by the Guardians, people or creatures that leave threatening notes and that are constantly watching their targets. When West's father, Matt, suffers a brain injury leading to chronic vertigo, their lives fall apart and they leave NYC behind to live with his grandfather. Abraham is an asshole of the highest caliber and blames the family for the Guardians springing into action once again after years of silence.
The book feels like a coming of age tale at first. West is a likeable kid, a fan of horror movies and books. He's enamored with the only pretty girl in town that he's met and wonders about the truth of the Guardians and his own family's troubled past. When shit goes down, he acts in a very believable way and is in no way a Gary Stu.
Hell, the whole Ridely clan is subtly nuanced. Debi resents her husband's condition and keeps on trucking. Matt feels inadequate and pissed off because of his vertigo but can't help but lash out at his family. And Abraham has more than his share of skeletons in his closet.
The book is a slow burner but reaches a fever pitch around the 75% mark, when it goes from coming of age psychological horror to a fucking blood bath. I was felt like a mile of bad road after finishing it.
As always, Hunter Shea continues to impress the shit out of me. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Hunter Shea is the man and I was planning on reading this anyway when I won a copy on Horror After Dark. Thanks!
This isn't your usual Hunter Shea book. I'm a tremendous fan of his creature features starring cryptids and the mayhem they incite but this one was different, a slow-burner with more of a psychological bend.
Since time out of mind, the people of Buttermilk Creek have been harassed by the Guardians, people or creatures that leave threatening notes and that are constantly watching their targets. When West's father, Matt, suffers a brain injury leading to chronic vertigo, their lives fall apart and they leave NYC behind to live with his grandfather. Abraham is an asshole of the highest caliber and blames the family for the Guardians springing into action once again after years of silence.
The book feels like a coming of age tale at first. West is a likeable kid, a fan of horror movies and books. He's enamored with the only pretty girl in town that he's met and wonders about the truth of the Guardians and his own family's troubled past. When shit goes down, he acts in a very believable way and is in no way a Gary Stu.
Hell, the whole Ridely clan is subtly nuanced. Debi resents her husband's condition and keeps on trucking. Matt feels inadequate and pissed off because of his vertigo but can't help but lash out at his family. And Abraham has more than his share of skeletons in his closet.
The book is a slow burner but reaches a fever pitch around the 75% mark, when it goes from coming of age psychological horror to a fucking blood bath. I was felt like a mile of bad road after finishing it.
As always, Hunter Shea continues to impress the shit out of me. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
October 1, 2018
Thank you to Sinister Grin Press and Erin for sending the #NightWorms a review copy of We Are Always Watching
3.5 stars!
This is a tough book to give a star rating to because it wasn't quite a 4 but it was better than a 3 and 3 stars means "I liked it but it had a lot of issues" this book had issues for me, but I enjoy Hunter Shea's writing more than I cared about the issues.
Kind of a quirky preface, I know. Let's get into the details of my thoughts and feelings on this book. Reading it with the Night Worms and discussing our progress here and there may have influenced my relationship with this book a little bit.
Mainly we discussed the way this story reads, it's a pretty slow burn--which isn't always a bad thing (I love slow burns and here's a perfect time to plug Shea's newest release, CREATURE--I loved that book so hard!)
And as slow burns go in horror fiction, this one wasn't boring because the characters were so compelling. Hunter Shea delivers what I want in terms of taking care of my heart. I always show up to a book to fall in love and invest, emotionally so this book took care of me there--where it was lacking was the other important part of a good horror story--the teeth.
I want a haunted house story to creep me the eff out. I want to be in the character's shoes and ask myself, what would I do if I was being haunted like this??
In WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING, the characters frustrated me in how they reacted to the signs of being haunted...there are threatening messages and troublesome explanations for them from Grandpa Abraham but nobody seemed that uncomfortable with it. Even West, who is my son's age and I know that my son (despite trying to be cool 24/7) would be totally unhinged in these situations.
So that seemed a little unrealistic and hurt the story's credibility.
Hunter cranks up the horror and the action a little over halfway but by this time, as a reader, all my lovable characters are unreliable so I wasn't really buying into the last 40% of the book (which is the fun part). Almost had the same feeling as a good tension-filled scary movie with well acted characters and great dialog but with not-so-great special effects and some odd direction choices.
But hold up! Before it sounds like I'm really pulling this apart...I'm not. I love Hunter Shea's writing and I loved his characters (even if they didn't behave quite the way I wanted them to) and the book overall is worthy to be in your horror collection. I'm for sure a new Hunter Shea fan and I'm eager to build out my shelves to accommodate more from his back catalog, so recommendations are welcomed!
3.5 stars!
This is a tough book to give a star rating to because it wasn't quite a 4 but it was better than a 3 and 3 stars means "I liked it but it had a lot of issues" this book had issues for me, but I enjoy Hunter Shea's writing more than I cared about the issues.
Kind of a quirky preface, I know. Let's get into the details of my thoughts and feelings on this book. Reading it with the Night Worms and discussing our progress here and there may have influenced my relationship with this book a little bit.
Mainly we discussed the way this story reads, it's a pretty slow burn--which isn't always a bad thing (I love slow burns and here's a perfect time to plug Shea's newest release, CREATURE--I loved that book so hard!)
And as slow burns go in horror fiction, this one wasn't boring because the characters were so compelling. Hunter Shea delivers what I want in terms of taking care of my heart. I always show up to a book to fall in love and invest, emotionally so this book took care of me there--where it was lacking was the other important part of a good horror story--the teeth.
I want a haunted house story to creep me the eff out. I want to be in the character's shoes and ask myself, what would I do if I was being haunted like this??
In WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING, the characters frustrated me in how they reacted to the signs of being haunted...there are threatening messages and troublesome explanations for them from Grandpa Abraham but nobody seemed that uncomfortable with it. Even West, who is my son's age and I know that my son (despite trying to be cool 24/7) would be totally unhinged in these situations.
So that seemed a little unrealistic and hurt the story's credibility.
Hunter cranks up the horror and the action a little over halfway but by this time, as a reader, all my lovable characters are unreliable so I wasn't really buying into the last 40% of the book (which is the fun part). Almost had the same feeling as a good tension-filled scary movie with well acted characters and great dialog but with not-so-great special effects and some odd direction choices.
But hold up! Before it sounds like I'm really pulling this apart...I'm not. I love Hunter Shea's writing and I loved his characters (even if they didn't behave quite the way I wanted them to) and the book overall is worthy to be in your horror collection. I'm for sure a new Hunter Shea fan and I'm eager to build out my shelves to accommodate more from his back catalog, so recommendations are welcomed!
March 16, 2017
4.5 stars!
WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING, by Hunter Shea, is an absorbing, intensely character driven novel that I wouldn't hesitate to classify as "psychological horror" at its finest! We begin with the Ridley family, Matt--nearly an invalid after a devastating accident several years ago, his wife, Debi, and their fourteen year old son, West. Due to financial difficulties, they have no choice but to move to the rural town of Matt's unhappy childhood, and stay in the home of his father, Abraham.
"If ever a house was haunted, this was it."
The rising tension that West felt between his parents lately was nothing compared to the unbridled resentment from his grandfather, at their intrusion into his life. The first thing he tries to do is convince West that the old farm is haunted--a notion West scoffs at until the odd noises begin . . . and then there are the words printed on the ceiling of his "new" bedroom: "WE SEE YOU".
". . . Was it the good, fun kind of creepy, or the crap your pants kind of creepy? The jury was still out."
The character of Grandpa Abraham was, in my opinion, the most complex. On the surface, a drunken, cantankerous man with unfettered hostility towards everyone around him. Yet even early on, Shea gives the reader enough to realize that much deeper emotions are grounding the man, and his anger may be masking something else completely--something that has been around for centuries.
". . . The land itself has been in our family for two hundred years . . . "
Trying for the sake of his parents, West is as confused as we are in deciphering the old man's words and behaviors. The eerie, creeping sensation subtly builds for him (and the readers!) as notes begin popping up around the farm, reminding all that "the Guardians" are constantly monitoring their every move.
". . . As for the other spirits, the remnants of bad energy . . . Were they watching him now? Of course they were. It said so on his ceiling."
The novel's pacing is deliberately steady, allowing for the dread to continuously escalate in the readers' subconscious. Before long, I was jumping at nearly every noise along with the characters! For myself, the best part of the book was the "uncertain" element--the fact that they were constantly under watch, but having no idea who--or what--was the actual force behind it.
". . . They say emotions can be left behind, just like spirits. These four walls have absorbed their fair share."
Although Matt Ridley grew up with the knowledge of "the Guardians", as soon as he was old enough to move away, he allowed his mind to believe that they were either long dead, or had moved on: ". . . Matt should have known better than to cling to hope. What was the point when it always let you down?" After literally having no choice but to relocate his family there, the overwhelming guilt over this, and the reasons behind their financial distress, give Matt's character another side to his personality. He becomes a "real" person that we can, at times--pity, root for, encourage, and loathe--the entire gauntlet of emotions.
". . . You got away once. I don't know if they're big on second chances."
In the end, the dynamics of the characters continued to hold center stage in my mind. There are some dramatic revelations that I had never thought of, and a profound growth in the personalities of the entire Ridley family.
". . . Perhaps evil didn't have to make sense. It just was. It festered and survived by its own rules . . . what did that say about his family that chose to live among such evil? . . ."
Hunter Shea is an author who is not afraid to hold anything back, or to take his characters and tales into completely unpredictable positions. For this, he has earned my admiration and continued support in all of his writing. He is unconcerned with making "popular" or "unpopular" decisions for his creations, and this is just one of the things that I applaud him for.
WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING is a captivating tale of the unknown, the bonds of a family unit, and outside forces that push against the natural boundaries people have constructed.
Highly recommended!
WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING, by Hunter Shea, is an absorbing, intensely character driven novel that I wouldn't hesitate to classify as "psychological horror" at its finest! We begin with the Ridley family, Matt--nearly an invalid after a devastating accident several years ago, his wife, Debi, and their fourteen year old son, West. Due to financial difficulties, they have no choice but to move to the rural town of Matt's unhappy childhood, and stay in the home of his father, Abraham.
"If ever a house was haunted, this was it."
The rising tension that West felt between his parents lately was nothing compared to the unbridled resentment from his grandfather, at their intrusion into his life. The first thing he tries to do is convince West that the old farm is haunted--a notion West scoffs at until the odd noises begin . . . and then there are the words printed on the ceiling of his "new" bedroom: "WE SEE YOU".
". . . Was it the good, fun kind of creepy, or the crap your pants kind of creepy? The jury was still out."
The character of Grandpa Abraham was, in my opinion, the most complex. On the surface, a drunken, cantankerous man with unfettered hostility towards everyone around him. Yet even early on, Shea gives the reader enough to realize that much deeper emotions are grounding the man, and his anger may be masking something else completely--something that has been around for centuries.
". . . The land itself has been in our family for two hundred years . . . "
Trying for the sake of his parents, West is as confused as we are in deciphering the old man's words and behaviors. The eerie, creeping sensation subtly builds for him (and the readers!) as notes begin popping up around the farm, reminding all that "the Guardians" are constantly monitoring their every move.
". . . As for the other spirits, the remnants of bad energy . . . Were they watching him now? Of course they were. It said so on his ceiling."
The novel's pacing is deliberately steady, allowing for the dread to continuously escalate in the readers' subconscious. Before long, I was jumping at nearly every noise along with the characters! For myself, the best part of the book was the "uncertain" element--the fact that they were constantly under watch, but having no idea who--or what--was the actual force behind it.
". . . They say emotions can be left behind, just like spirits. These four walls have absorbed their fair share."
Although Matt Ridley grew up with the knowledge of "the Guardians", as soon as he was old enough to move away, he allowed his mind to believe that they were either long dead, or had moved on: ". . . Matt should have known better than to cling to hope. What was the point when it always let you down?" After literally having no choice but to relocate his family there, the overwhelming guilt over this, and the reasons behind their financial distress, give Matt's character another side to his personality. He becomes a "real" person that we can, at times--pity, root for, encourage, and loathe--the entire gauntlet of emotions.
". . . You got away once. I don't know if they're big on second chances."
In the end, the dynamics of the characters continued to hold center stage in my mind. There are some dramatic revelations that I had never thought of, and a profound growth in the personalities of the entire Ridley family.
". . . Perhaps evil didn't have to make sense. It just was. It festered and survived by its own rules . . . what did that say about his family that chose to live among such evil? . . ."
Hunter Shea is an author who is not afraid to hold anything back, or to take his characters and tales into completely unpredictable positions. For this, he has earned my admiration and continued support in all of his writing. He is unconcerned with making "popular" or "unpopular" decisions for his creations, and this is just one of the things that I applaud him for.
WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING is a captivating tale of the unknown, the bonds of a family unit, and outside forces that push against the natural boundaries people have constructed.
Highly recommended!
June 18, 2017
Fun times!
This book was a lot of fun. The story is good, the characters believable (well some of them lol). It's so good it won't take long to read. It's hard to put down!
This book was a lot of fun. The story is good, the characters believable (well some of them lol). It's so good it won't take long to read. It's hard to put down!
January 8, 2018
I think I'm the black sheep on this one.
The Guardians were getting bolder. What the hell was their endgame? After all these years, they had to have something in mind, a final straw they’d been meaning to break.
The Ridley family has fallen on hard times. Matt suffers from crippling cerebral vertigo resulting from a car crash; on bad days, he can't walk unassisted and nausea and vomiting are almost constant. His wife Debi has tried to be breadwinner and support for the family, but her secretarial job doesn't pay near enough and the stress gets to her. Their 14 year old son West is a devoted horror fan, just trying to survive his family's upheaval.
With nowhere else to turn, they are forced to move to Buttermilk Creek, Pennsylvania to live with Matt's father, Abraham Ridley. Matt finds his childhood home mostly the same, only a more decrepit and dusty version of the old creaky farmhouse. His father hasn't changed much either. He's still the same racist, cranky bastard he always was.
And of course, one thing never changes. The Guardians. They are still watching.
WE WILL ALWAYS BE HERE. WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE.
Let's talk what I did like first: the characters! I pretty much have to care for at least one character for a horror to feel successful to me. And while this wasn't a major success, I did like the Ridley clan. Matt was a pretty likeable kid, but I think the biggest strength of We Are Always Watching is the relationship between Debi and Matt. Their pain, frustration, love, and anger came across beautifully.
I also thought the beginning of the story showed a lot of promise. The messages left around the house, on the ceiling, hidden in drawers, scrawled though dust. What did Grandpa Abraham know? There was a great general unease being teased at and I enjoyed that.
Unfortunately where the story lost me was in the payoff.
Crazy could only account for so much. Sooner or later, crazy either burned itself out or took one step too far.
My biggest problems are with the ending. I liked the action and energy being ramped up. But plot wise? Yeah, no.
Comechat rant with me in spoilerville. WARNING: it's a loooong rant.
Let it rot, alone and unwanted....Just let it rot.
We Are Always Watching had loads of eerie potential and great characters, but it couldn't deliver when it came to the ending. I'd happily give Hunter Shea another chance to knock my socks all the way off, but sadly, this just wasn't the one for me.
The Guardians were getting bolder. What the hell was their endgame? After all these years, they had to have something in mind, a final straw they’d been meaning to break.
The Ridley family has fallen on hard times. Matt suffers from crippling cerebral vertigo resulting from a car crash; on bad days, he can't walk unassisted and nausea and vomiting are almost constant. His wife Debi has tried to be breadwinner and support for the family, but her secretarial job doesn't pay near enough and the stress gets to her. Their 14 year old son West is a devoted horror fan, just trying to survive his family's upheaval.
With nowhere else to turn, they are forced to move to Buttermilk Creek, Pennsylvania to live with Matt's father, Abraham Ridley. Matt finds his childhood home mostly the same, only a more decrepit and dusty version of the old creaky farmhouse. His father hasn't changed much either. He's still the same racist, cranky bastard he always was.
And of course, one thing never changes. The Guardians. They are still watching.
WE WILL ALWAYS BE HERE. WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE.
Let's talk what I did like first: the characters! I pretty much have to care for at least one character for a horror to feel successful to me. And while this wasn't a major success, I did like the Ridley clan. Matt was a pretty likeable kid, but I think the biggest strength of We Are Always Watching is the relationship between Debi and Matt. Their pain, frustration, love, and anger came across beautifully.
I also thought the beginning of the story showed a lot of promise. The messages left around the house, on the ceiling, hidden in drawers, scrawled though dust. What did Grandpa Abraham know? There was a great general unease being teased at and I enjoyed that.
Unfortunately where the story lost me was in the payoff.
Crazy could only account for so much. Sooner or later, crazy either burned itself out or took one step too far.
My biggest problems are with the ending. I liked the action and energy being ramped up. But plot wise? Yeah, no.
Come
Let it rot, alone and unwanted....Just let it rot.
We Are Always Watching had loads of eerie potential and great characters, but it couldn't deliver when it came to the ending. I'd happily give Hunter Shea another chance to knock my socks all the way off, but sadly, this just wasn't the one for me.
June 30, 2017
4.5 stars.
We Are Always Watching by Hunter Shea is a finely crafted psychological horror novel, and it came close to making it onto my list of all-time favorites. I'll get around to why it didn't quite make that list shortly, but make no mistake, for those who enjoy character driven plots it remains a must read book.
Matt & Debi Ridley are a couple whose life is all but in the gutter. Several years earlier Matt had suffered a debilitating injury, and this disability has resulted in the trappings they once enjoyed slipping away from them.
On the verge of financial ruin, the Ridleys, and their fourteen-year-old son West, up-sticks and vacate the city in favor of the (now all but derelict) countryside farm where Matt spent his formative years, and which is still home to Matt's estranged father, Abraham.
Abraham Ridley is a cantankerous, hard drinking son-of-a-bitch who seems anything but pleased by the familial returnees. The older Ridley has no kind words for his family, and seems to relish his discord with Matt.
Abraham Tells young West that their family home is - and has always been - haunted, and very soon strange sounds are heard within the house, and odd notes begin appearing from forces that refer to themselves as the GUARDIANS.
Further odd happenings continue to occur, and this helps in building the sense of dread and foreboding that surrounds the farmhouse. There is a large portion of this book that is - at least action wise - fairly low key, but this is actually the true strength of the novel.
Hunter Shea invests a great deal of time allowing us into the heads of his central cast, and this slow and steady characterization presents us with a masterfully drawn family dynamic. Debi is a capable woman, driven to maintain her position as a strong wife and mother, but pushed close to breaking point by the situation in which they find themselves and her husband's injury-induced mood-swings. Matt considers himself a failure, the injury which ruined him also denying him of being a 'real' and 'capable' man.
West is your typical teenager, obsessed with gory movies, horror books and magazines, and equally fixated by thoughts of girls and the highly-anticipated charms they present. Abraham Ridley offers perhaps the most interesting dynamic among any of the cast; despite his unsociable manner and equally unpalatable hygiene, his early interactions with West show us that there is more to the old man, and from early on I was hoping he would turn out to be a gold-star hero.
This is a well written novel, and there is always something going on out of scene, so it is difficult for the reader to pin down who the true 'big bad(s)' will turn out to be. I can't stress enough how nicely crafted the majority of this novel is, but unfortunately (at least for me) it floundered a little over the last 25%.
The author had created such a masterful setup I had hoped for this to continue until the end of the book, but, instead, the final 25% shifted up several gears, moving into high-octane, horror-movie-trope overdrive. I believe this big-bash finale was deliberate on the part of the author, and I'm sure there will be many, many people who absolutely love this smash-and-bash finish. Personally though, after what is some of the best build-up I have read in a long while, I just hoped for something that would blow me away.
But, hey, that's just my opinion, right?
Seriously, if you enjoy finely crafted horror, with great characterization, then you'll love this book. So go buy a copy!
We Are Always Watching by Hunter Shea is a finely crafted psychological horror novel, and it came close to making it onto my list of all-time favorites. I'll get around to why it didn't quite make that list shortly, but make no mistake, for those who enjoy character driven plots it remains a must read book.
Matt & Debi Ridley are a couple whose life is all but in the gutter. Several years earlier Matt had suffered a debilitating injury, and this disability has resulted in the trappings they once enjoyed slipping away from them.
On the verge of financial ruin, the Ridleys, and their fourteen-year-old son West, up-sticks and vacate the city in favor of the (now all but derelict) countryside farm where Matt spent his formative years, and which is still home to Matt's estranged father, Abraham.
Abraham Ridley is a cantankerous, hard drinking son-of-a-bitch who seems anything but pleased by the familial returnees. The older Ridley has no kind words for his family, and seems to relish his discord with Matt.
Abraham Tells young West that their family home is - and has always been - haunted, and very soon strange sounds are heard within the house, and odd notes begin appearing from forces that refer to themselves as the GUARDIANS.
Further odd happenings continue to occur, and this helps in building the sense of dread and foreboding that surrounds the farmhouse. There is a large portion of this book that is - at least action wise - fairly low key, but this is actually the true strength of the novel.
Hunter Shea invests a great deal of time allowing us into the heads of his central cast, and this slow and steady characterization presents us with a masterfully drawn family dynamic. Debi is a capable woman, driven to maintain her position as a strong wife and mother, but pushed close to breaking point by the situation in which they find themselves and her husband's injury-induced mood-swings. Matt considers himself a failure, the injury which ruined him also denying him of being a 'real' and 'capable' man.
West is your typical teenager, obsessed with gory movies, horror books and magazines, and equally fixated by thoughts of girls and the highly-anticipated charms they present. Abraham Ridley offers perhaps the most interesting dynamic among any of the cast; despite his unsociable manner and equally unpalatable hygiene, his early interactions with West show us that there is more to the old man, and from early on I was hoping he would turn out to be a gold-star hero.
This is a well written novel, and there is always something going on out of scene, so it is difficult for the reader to pin down who the true 'big bad(s)' will turn out to be. I can't stress enough how nicely crafted the majority of this novel is, but unfortunately (at least for me) it floundered a little over the last 25%.
The author had created such a masterful setup I had hoped for this to continue until the end of the book, but, instead, the final 25% shifted up several gears, moving into high-octane, horror-movie-trope overdrive. I believe this big-bash finale was deliberate on the part of the author, and I'm sure there will be many, many people who absolutely love this smash-and-bash finish. Personally though, after what is some of the best build-up I have read in a long while, I just hoped for something that would blow me away.
But, hey, that's just my opinion, right?
Seriously, if you enjoy finely crafted horror, with great characterization, then you'll love this book. So go buy a copy!
August 22, 2017
3.5 stars, rounded up.
Though Matt Ridley vowed that he would never return to his childhood home, the financial strain caused by injuries sustained in a car accident (and subsequent unemployment) forces him to break that vow. He takes his wife, Debi, and teen-aged son, West, to his father's dilapidated farmhouse located in a remote area of Pennsylvania. There, his family discovers that they are not alone. The "Guardians" send constant reminders that they are watching them. Benign at first, the messages get increasingly menacing. But who are these Guardians? Matt's father, the cantankerous drunk known as Grandpa Abraham, claims that the house is haunted. Are the Guardians flesh-and-blood intruders or supernatural specters? And will their threats be taken to the next level?
The writing, although simple and straight-forward, is quite engrossing and kept me guessing. I had no idea who the Guardians were and kept changing my mind about them. I'll be honest, the ending did let me down--not because of the Guardian's revelation but because a couple things just didn't make sense to me and could have been better explained.
The story was on the slow side for the first seventy/seventy-five present or so before the action takes place. There's a lot going on within that final quarter and some of it seems rushed. I can't say that I found the ending satisfying. I can accept all sorts of endings--happy endings, grim endings--even sappy endings. But an unsatisfying ending can be unforgiving. Fortunately, it didn't ruin the story...it just ended on a low note for me and was a bit disappointing because it started out with such potential.
Overall, a good, unique story but a bit too tame for my taste in horror.
Though Matt Ridley vowed that he would never return to his childhood home, the financial strain caused by injuries sustained in a car accident (and subsequent unemployment) forces him to break that vow. He takes his wife, Debi, and teen-aged son, West, to his father's dilapidated farmhouse located in a remote area of Pennsylvania. There, his family discovers that they are not alone. The "Guardians" send constant reminders that they are watching them. Benign at first, the messages get increasingly menacing. But who are these Guardians? Matt's father, the cantankerous drunk known as Grandpa Abraham, claims that the house is haunted. Are the Guardians flesh-and-blood intruders or supernatural specters? And will their threats be taken to the next level?
The writing, although simple and straight-forward, is quite engrossing and kept me guessing. I had no idea who the Guardians were and kept changing my mind about them. I'll be honest, the ending did let me down--not because of the Guardian's revelation but because a couple things just didn't make sense to me and could have been better explained.
The story was on the slow side for the first seventy/seventy-five present or so before the action takes place. There's a lot going on within that final quarter and some of it seems rushed. I can't say that I found the ending satisfying. I can accept all sorts of endings--happy endings, grim endings--even sappy endings. But an unsatisfying ending can be unforgiving. Fortunately, it didn't ruin the story...it just ended on a low note for me and was a bit disappointing because it started out with such potential.
Overall, a good, unique story but a bit too tame for my taste in horror.
May 7, 2018
A big thank you to Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi at Sinister Grin Press for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
So I was glancing at some of the reviews for this one after I decided what my star rating would be, and I'm seeing a number of people who didn't really care it. To each his own, not everyone is going to love the same books, but boy did I have a rollicking good time with this one!
I don't care about some of the typos. I don't care if people had problems with the story, or if the story really doesn't stand up well under a microscope. What I do care about is that I was drawn into this book from the very beginning, totally interested and invested in the characters and the mystery of The Guardians, and once the reveal came the action-packed ending totally delivered for me.
This is one of those books that grabbed me in the very beginning, and really had me intrigued for the entire book. I had fun with this one, and I really liked the characters. West and his parents have their issues, but they are likable people, and I found myself really rooting for them. Sure Grandpa Abraham is a jerk, but his crusty personality adds to the story. This is a haunted house novel that has a lot more going on than you initially think, and I loved every page of it.
This is my first novel by Shea, and I'm really looking forward to picking up more from him. He has a lot to choose from, so I may have to ask around and find out which of his books I should read next.
So I was glancing at some of the reviews for this one after I decided what my star rating would be, and I'm seeing a number of people who didn't really care it. To each his own, not everyone is going to love the same books, but boy did I have a rollicking good time with this one!
I don't care about some of the typos. I don't care if people had problems with the story, or if the story really doesn't stand up well under a microscope. What I do care about is that I was drawn into this book from the very beginning, totally interested and invested in the characters and the mystery of The Guardians, and once the reveal came the action-packed ending totally delivered for me.
This is one of those books that grabbed me in the very beginning, and really had me intrigued for the entire book. I had fun with this one, and I really liked the characters. West and his parents have their issues, but they are likable people, and I found myself really rooting for them. Sure Grandpa Abraham is a jerk, but his crusty personality adds to the story. This is a haunted house novel that has a lot more going on than you initially think, and I loved every page of it.
This is my first novel by Shea, and I'm really looking forward to picking up more from him. He has a lot to choose from, so I may have to ask around and find out which of his books I should read next.
June 23, 2017
This was a book worth reading. It had crazy family dynamics and dysfunction. It had a creepy mystery that went on for generations. The last 25% of the book was non stop action and terror as things were finally explained. The ending really fit the book and I thought it was perfect.
The author participated in the group read for this book being available to answer questions which made it even better.
An excellent read that I would recommend to anyone who likes their horror with a psychological aspect to it.
The author participated in the group read for this book being available to answer questions which made it even better.
An excellent read that I would recommend to anyone who likes their horror with a psychological aspect to it.
October 2, 2018
I’ve tried reading this book twice now. I could finish it neither time. This fails as a scary novel, an effective haunted house story, and a compelling family drama. These characters are boring and lifeless; their family history is almost insufferable to read about.
I don’t understand the great reviews this has gotten since last year.
Thanks to Sinister Grin for hooking us Nightworms up with free review copies.
I don’t understand the great reviews this has gotten since last year.
Thanks to Sinister Grin for hooking us Nightworms up with free review copies.
August 6, 2017
Hunter Shea has to be the hardest working author in the horror genre right now. It seems as if, in the past year, he's releasing a new offering every month or two. That's quite the pace considering the turmoil the industry is in currently. They say during hard times that the cream rises to the top. We Are Always Watching is Shea on the top. I dove into this baby during a group read and it knocked my socks off.
West and his family have stumbled upon hard times. His dad was involved in a bad car accident and is now struggling with a crippling case of vertigo. Its so bad that he has lost his job and can't work. With their money drying up and the bills becoming insurmountable, they are forced to move in with West's crabby and contentious Grandpa Abraham in his old and spooky house in rural Pennsylvania. Upon arrival, things get weird for West right away. Mysterious and ominous messages begin appearing including one that says, We Are Always Watching. Grandpa Abraham takes them all in stride without shedding much light on them, only saying that he has it all under control. Does Grandpa really know what's going on or doesn't he care because he spends most of the day getting drunk down and the VFW? With West's mom working all day in the city, his dad a mess from his vertigo, and with no cell phone or internet access to the outside world, he has no one to turn to until one day he meets the beautiful neighbor's daughter. She seems just as mysterious as Grandpa Abraham. Is there really someone (or some thing) that has been writing these messages or is the house really haunted?
We Are Always Watching is a tension-filled pot-boiler with some great characters that transcend the story from being a good one to being a great one. Shea really has done something here and I hope he continues to flex this new found muscle he has.
5 Spinning Ghosts out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
West and his family have stumbled upon hard times. His dad was involved in a bad car accident and is now struggling with a crippling case of vertigo. Its so bad that he has lost his job and can't work. With their money drying up and the bills becoming insurmountable, they are forced to move in with West's crabby and contentious Grandpa Abraham in his old and spooky house in rural Pennsylvania. Upon arrival, things get weird for West right away. Mysterious and ominous messages begin appearing including one that says, We Are Always Watching. Grandpa Abraham takes them all in stride without shedding much light on them, only saying that he has it all under control. Does Grandpa really know what's going on or doesn't he care because he spends most of the day getting drunk down and the VFW? With West's mom working all day in the city, his dad a mess from his vertigo, and with no cell phone or internet access to the outside world, he has no one to turn to until one day he meets the beautiful neighbor's daughter. She seems just as mysterious as Grandpa Abraham. Is there really someone (or some thing) that has been writing these messages or is the house really haunted?
We Are Always Watching is a tension-filled pot-boiler with some great characters that transcend the story from being a good one to being a great one. Shea really has done something here and I hope he continues to flex this new found muscle he has.
5 Spinning Ghosts out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
July 5, 2017
When 16yr old West Ridley's parent's find themselves drowning in insurmountable debt, they decide to move out of the city and return to the rundown house where Matt Ridley spent his childhood. Matt's wife Debi realizes this decision could prove problematic, as the house is still home to Matt's estranged father.
And old-man Abraham is an unpleasant bastard.
A few years earlier Matt was involved in a RTA that left him with ongoing disabilities, and the resulting inability to work has lead the family towards financial ruin.
Abraham has always insisted the old farmhouse is haunted, and it isn't long before mysterious messages begin arriving, and unusual sounds and events are experienced.
This book is very well written, and I really enjoyed the way Hunter Shea unfolded the story while also developing and exploring the various character dynamics. It is always interesting, though there is not a load of action, at least not until the last 25% of the book when things crank into high voltage terror.
I'm not totally sure how I feel about how the novel ended, although I lean toward disliking the ending. Nevertheless this is still a 5 star read.
I read this book as part of a group read on Gore & More.
And old-man Abraham is an unpleasant bastard.
A few years earlier Matt was involved in a RTA that left him with ongoing disabilities, and the resulting inability to work has lead the family towards financial ruin.
Abraham has always insisted the old farmhouse is haunted, and it isn't long before mysterious messages begin arriving, and unusual sounds and events are experienced.
This book is very well written, and I really enjoyed the way Hunter Shea unfolded the story while also developing and exploring the various character dynamics. It is always interesting, though there is not a load of action, at least not until the last 25% of the book when things crank into high voltage terror.
I'm not totally sure how I feel about how the novel ended, although I lean toward disliking the ending. Nevertheless this is still a 5 star read.
I read this book as part of a group read on Gore & More.
October 15, 2018
A terrific thriller. What a great storyline and talk about crazy generation dynamics. This had me eager and excited to see how it was going to end.
March 17, 2017
Review copy
Due to dire circumstance, Matt Riley, his wife, Debi, and their fourteen-year-old son, West had to move in with West's Grandpa Abraham. Grandpa insisted the place where he lived was haunted. That was fine with West, "(he) devoured horror books like they were M&Ms." I loved the mentions of popular horror podcasts and magazines, as well as a number of today's most read writers within the genre. It's not long before the Ridley's realize something is not right about their temporary home. For West, it began with a message on the ceiling of his bedroom.
WE SEE YOU.
Other notes with similar messages appear throughout the house and Grandpa Abraham reveals the legend of the Guardians. The activity intensifies and the notes become more and more threatening.
The family dynamics in We Are Always Watching are perfect, so believable.
"Mothers were so exasperating. Every stray animal had rabies, every lawn had poison ivy laying in wait, and Halloween candy was full of razors and poison."
BTW, Grandpa Abraham is one of my favorite characters so far this year. The word curmudgeon doesn't begin to do him justice. Matt's boyhood friend, James sums him up nicely.
"A kinder, gentler Abraham Ridley is an actual sign of the apocalypse. I literally just read that in Bible study class."
To say more would give to much of the story away and this is one you really should enjoy for yourself. Just let me say, Hunter Shea is a dependable author for a solid horror read.
This is one book I can thoroughly recommend.
We Are Always Watching is available in both paperback and e-book formats from Sinister Grin Press.
From the author's bio - Hunter Shea is the product of a childhood weened on The Night Stalker, The Twilight Zone, and In Search Of. He doesn't just write about the paranormal - he actively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experiences them for himself.
Hunter is an amateur cryptozoologist, having written wild, fictional tales about Bigfoot, The Montauk Monster, The Dover Demon and many new creatures to come. Copies of his books, The Montauk Monster and The Dover Demon, are currently on display in the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, ME.
Living with his wonderful family and two cats, he's happy to be close enough to New York City to get Gray's Papaya hot dogs when the craving hits. His daughters have also gotten the horror bug, assisting him with research, story ideas and illustrations that can be seen in magazines such as Dark Dossier.
Due to dire circumstance, Matt Riley, his wife, Debi, and their fourteen-year-old son, West had to move in with West's Grandpa Abraham. Grandpa insisted the place where he lived was haunted. That was fine with West, "(he) devoured horror books like they were M&Ms." I loved the mentions of popular horror podcasts and magazines, as well as a number of today's most read writers within the genre. It's not long before the Ridley's realize something is not right about their temporary home. For West, it began with a message on the ceiling of his bedroom.
WE SEE YOU.
Other notes with similar messages appear throughout the house and Grandpa Abraham reveals the legend of the Guardians. The activity intensifies and the notes become more and more threatening.
The family dynamics in We Are Always Watching are perfect, so believable.
"Mothers were so exasperating. Every stray animal had rabies, every lawn had poison ivy laying in wait, and Halloween candy was full of razors and poison."
BTW, Grandpa Abraham is one of my favorite characters so far this year. The word curmudgeon doesn't begin to do him justice. Matt's boyhood friend, James sums him up nicely.
"A kinder, gentler Abraham Ridley is an actual sign of the apocalypse. I literally just read that in Bible study class."
To say more would give to much of the story away and this is one you really should enjoy for yourself. Just let me say, Hunter Shea is a dependable author for a solid horror read.
This is one book I can thoroughly recommend.
We Are Always Watching is available in both paperback and e-book formats from Sinister Grin Press.
From the author's bio - Hunter Shea is the product of a childhood weened on The Night Stalker, The Twilight Zone, and In Search Of. He doesn't just write about the paranormal - he actively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experiences them for himself.
Hunter is an amateur cryptozoologist, having written wild, fictional tales about Bigfoot, The Montauk Monster, The Dover Demon and many new creatures to come. Copies of his books, The Montauk Monster and The Dover Demon, are currently on display in the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, ME.
Living with his wonderful family and two cats, he's happy to be close enough to New York City to get Gray's Papaya hot dogs when the craving hits. His daughters have also gotten the horror bug, assisting him with research, story ideas and illustrations that can be seen in magazines such as Dark Dossier.
August 19, 2017
Uh…holy crap. This one takes a while to develop, focusing on the characters and letting the reader get to know them, but the shit sure hits all the fans down the home stretch.
Generations of family dysfunction and secrets come bubbling to the surface when the Ridley family falls on hard times and must move back home to rural Pennsylvania to live with crusty old Grandpa Abraham.
Unfortunately for Matt, Debi and their son West, Grandpa Abraham isn’t the only thing awaiting their return. The Guardians are there too. Watching their every move. Just as they always have.
Well written with excellent characterizations and certainly no lack of crazy going on. A solid 4+ Stars and Highly Recommended!
Generations of family dysfunction and secrets come bubbling to the surface when the Ridley family falls on hard times and must move back home to rural Pennsylvania to live with crusty old Grandpa Abraham.
Unfortunately for Matt, Debi and their son West, Grandpa Abraham isn’t the only thing awaiting their return. The Guardians are there too. Watching their every move. Just as they always have.
Well written with excellent characterizations and certainly no lack of crazy going on. A solid 4+ Stars and Highly Recommended!
September 16, 2018
Review: WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING by Hunter Shea
Hunter Shea' s reputation for locking on to a wide range of horror potentials is spot on. Whatever particular avenue crosses his imagination, is delivered to readers with talent and finesse. WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING is one scary novella, and ought to be enjoyed outside in broad daylight. This is not the lately routine stalking-serial killer novel; instead this story focuses on the Guardians, an invisible, inaudible, omnipresent entity or entities, which are ubiquitous and omniscient. Outdoors, indoors, "They" watch, wait, and warn. Possibly they are simply Observers; possibly they are killers. Possibly.
The treasure of this story, apart from the SCARY, is West Ridley. Fourteen years old and wise beyond his years, West loves the horror genre in all its aspects and his life purpose is to become a paranormal investigator. Far from being a one-dimensional hormone-driven early-adolescent, West' s character is deep. Hunter Shea explicates West from inside out, and I readily cheered for the boy, because even though there are other "good guys," (for example, West' s mother Debi, and his late grandmother), West is "the man." Reminded me of Holden Caulfield. So I can call WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING a terrifying, wonderful, deep, coming-of-age horror.
Hunter Shea' s reputation for locking on to a wide range of horror potentials is spot on. Whatever particular avenue crosses his imagination, is delivered to readers with talent and finesse. WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING is one scary novella, and ought to be enjoyed outside in broad daylight. This is not the lately routine stalking-serial killer novel; instead this story focuses on the Guardians, an invisible, inaudible, omnipresent entity or entities, which are ubiquitous and omniscient. Outdoors, indoors, "They" watch, wait, and warn. Possibly they are simply Observers; possibly they are killers. Possibly.
The treasure of this story, apart from the SCARY, is West Ridley. Fourteen years old and wise beyond his years, West loves the horror genre in all its aspects and his life purpose is to become a paranormal investigator. Far from being a one-dimensional hormone-driven early-adolescent, West' s character is deep. Hunter Shea explicates West from inside out, and I readily cheered for the boy, because even though there are other "good guys," (for example, West' s mother Debi, and his late grandmother), West is "the man." Reminded me of Holden Caulfield. So I can call WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING a terrifying, wonderful, deep, coming-of-age horror.
March 23, 2017
This is my favourite of Hunter Shea's novels so far, a wonderfully spooky tale about a kid who's forced to move to his grandfather's house with his parents after his dad is injured in a horrific accident. Problem is, the house is haunted...and not necessarily by ghosts. And as for the grandfather, let's just say he has some issues.
Though I'm a fan of Shea's work, what most drove me to read this book was the fact that it was inspired by true events that are beyond chilling. Shea took that glimmer of an idea and turned it into a haunted house tale that is truly unique, which isn't easy to do.
Imagine you're living in a place where someone always seems to be watching you--when you're in the shower. When you're in bed. And especially when you do something The Guardians don't like. I couldn't put this one down. Even writing about it now gives me the shivers.
Highly recommended!
Though I'm a fan of Shea's work, what most drove me to read this book was the fact that it was inspired by true events that are beyond chilling. Shea took that glimmer of an idea and turned it into a haunted house tale that is truly unique, which isn't easy to do.
Imagine you're living in a place where someone always seems to be watching you--when you're in the shower. When you're in bed. And especially when you do something The Guardians don't like. I couldn't put this one down. Even writing about it now gives me the shivers.
Highly recommended!
February 27, 2017
After a string of successful outings involving wildly fun cryptid horror, Hunter Shea turns toward darker subjects in his latest, We Are Always Watching.
Life for the Ridley family isn't easy. Matt, the patriarch of the family, was involved in a severe car accident that left him with brain damage and a crippling case of vertigo. Debi, his wife, has been forced to change careers, just as their money has run out, forcing them to replant their familial roots to the home Matt grew up in...and escaped. Their son West hates leaving behind his New York stomping grounds, but is thrilled to live in what his grandfather promises is a haunted house. Fourteen-year-old West is a horror aficionado, and once relocated to a Pennsylvania farm out in the sticks of Buttermilk Creek he spends most of his time in the cornfields, reading Brian Keene, Jack Ketchum, and a slew of other modern-day fright masters.
Not all is peachy, though. Strange notes begin appearing randomly around the house - including one on the ceiling above West's bedroom, which gravely intones WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING.
Shea ditches the high-octane action thrills of his recent books for a slow-burn potboiler, one whose horror staples shift and mutate over the course of the novel. There's plenty of secret history buried in Buttermilk Creek, and damn is it some good stuff. Shea ratchets up the suspense and intrigue roller-coaster style, and once the story - and the Ridley family - have hit their breaking point, it's all out captivating crazy for the last third or so.
I've been a fan of Shea's books for a short while now, but this one is easily his best in my estimation. He digs a bit deeper here to generate some old-school chills, crafting a group of characters we get to know intimately. I became so attached to West that I wish I could have spent longer with him in the aftermath of the story's climax, which hurtles along at such breakneck pace that the book's end came too soon for me. I would not have minded another chapter or two, but this is by no means a deal breaker. Hunter Shea is at the top of his game with this one, and over the last couple years he's become an author that I'll certainly always be watching.
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, Sinister Grin Press, via Hook of a Book Media and Publicity.]
Life for the Ridley family isn't easy. Matt, the patriarch of the family, was involved in a severe car accident that left him with brain damage and a crippling case of vertigo. Debi, his wife, has been forced to change careers, just as their money has run out, forcing them to replant their familial roots to the home Matt grew up in...and escaped. Their son West hates leaving behind his New York stomping grounds, but is thrilled to live in what his grandfather promises is a haunted house. Fourteen-year-old West is a horror aficionado, and once relocated to a Pennsylvania farm out in the sticks of Buttermilk Creek he spends most of his time in the cornfields, reading Brian Keene, Jack Ketchum, and a slew of other modern-day fright masters.
Not all is peachy, though. Strange notes begin appearing randomly around the house - including one on the ceiling above West's bedroom, which gravely intones WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING.
Shea ditches the high-octane action thrills of his recent books for a slow-burn potboiler, one whose horror staples shift and mutate over the course of the novel. There's plenty of secret history buried in Buttermilk Creek, and damn is it some good stuff. Shea ratchets up the suspense and intrigue roller-coaster style, and once the story - and the Ridley family - have hit their breaking point, it's all out captivating crazy for the last third or so.
I've been a fan of Shea's books for a short while now, but this one is easily his best in my estimation. He digs a bit deeper here to generate some old-school chills, crafting a group of characters we get to know intimately. I became so attached to West that I wish I could have spent longer with him in the aftermath of the story's climax, which hurtles along at such breakneck pace that the book's end came too soon for me. I would not have minded another chapter or two, but this is by no means a deal breaker. Hunter Shea is at the top of his game with this one, and over the last couple years he's become an author that I'll certainly always be watching.
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, Sinister Grin Press, via Hook of a Book Media and Publicity.]
October 12, 2017
This was a pretty stellar read. I'm a sucker for the back-woods isolated horror set up, but Shea thankfully doesn't just go for the obvious here. He uses the familiar tropes of the genre to draw you in but then takes what you're expecting and turns it on its head. Well-developed characters, creepy setting, a driving mystery with plenty of scares, and most importantly, characters you actually care about. Pretty much sums up what a good horror novel should be.
February 28, 2017
“You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!”
Eagles, 1976
Well, I am going to start off and say this book for me was quite different from the creature features/cryptozoology I am used to author, Shea writing. So, I feel readers will fall into 2 categories of liking it or not in the end. I was even stuck for a while between 4 Stars and 5. That was until about the middle of the book when the Bomb finally dropped. That scene immediately sent off panic and warning alerts.
Author, Hunter Shea takes a lot of time in this book with character development and vivid depictions of old farm town life. That is what makes the story drag a little bit in the beginning, but if you stick with it, you will be rewarded in the end. Shea centers his story around ghosts haunting the farm house but there are underlying issues and hidden secrets involving not only the main family but the whole town. Then you have the “Guardians’” unseen house intrusions, which gives you the sense being stalked. As their frequency escalates so does the intensity of story-line. I tried to speculate who they were and was not even close. Which is why my rating went up to 5 stars, because if you can keep me guessing about your evil plot, then the writer must be doing something correctly. Then once, that switch is triggered the terrifying and atrocious secrets all bubble to the surface. This ends in a very shocking, action-packed, bloody battle for survival because “They Are Always Watching”.
So, meet the Ridley Family; Father, Matt, mother Debi, and 14-year-old son West. Down on their luck due to Debi being laid off and Matt’s disability, which makes him no longer able to work, they set out for Buttermilk Creek, Pennsylvania. So, they are stuck moving back home to Matt’s father’s rundown farmhouse. (I mean rundown.) This triggers the events that follow, causing “the Guardians” to become angry. Now add Grandpa Abraham’s old ghost stories and West now hearing bangs and a girl’s cries in the night. You now have a feud going back decades, severe hatred, and evil deception. West already fears Grandpa Abraham, but what he ultimately gets dragged into is unbelievable and will leave you speechless.
Note: “DON’T LEAVE AGAIN. YOU DO THAT, HE DIES AND WE TEAR DOWN THAT WHICH WE’VE GUARDED FOR SO LONG”
Are you scared now????
Reviewed by robinleesdarkside.com/
Eagles, 1976
Well, I am going to start off and say this book for me was quite different from the creature features/cryptozoology I am used to author, Shea writing. So, I feel readers will fall into 2 categories of liking it or not in the end. I was even stuck for a while between 4 Stars and 5. That was until about the middle of the book when the Bomb finally dropped. That scene immediately sent off panic and warning alerts.
Author, Hunter Shea takes a lot of time in this book with character development and vivid depictions of old farm town life. That is what makes the story drag a little bit in the beginning, but if you stick with it, you will be rewarded in the end. Shea centers his story around ghosts haunting the farm house but there are underlying issues and hidden secrets involving not only the main family but the whole town. Then you have the “Guardians’” unseen house intrusions, which gives you the sense being stalked. As their frequency escalates so does the intensity of story-line. I tried to speculate who they were and was not even close. Which is why my rating went up to 5 stars, because if you can keep me guessing about your evil plot, then the writer must be doing something correctly. Then once, that switch is triggered the terrifying and atrocious secrets all bubble to the surface. This ends in a very shocking, action-packed, bloody battle for survival because “They Are Always Watching”.
So, meet the Ridley Family; Father, Matt, mother Debi, and 14-year-old son West. Down on their luck due to Debi being laid off and Matt’s disability, which makes him no longer able to work, they set out for Buttermilk Creek, Pennsylvania. So, they are stuck moving back home to Matt’s father’s rundown farmhouse. (I mean rundown.) This triggers the events that follow, causing “the Guardians” to become angry. Now add Grandpa Abraham’s old ghost stories and West now hearing bangs and a girl’s cries in the night. You now have a feud going back decades, severe hatred, and evil deception. West already fears Grandpa Abraham, but what he ultimately gets dragged into is unbelievable and will leave you speechless.
Note: “DON’T LEAVE AGAIN. YOU DO THAT, HE DIES AND WE TEAR DOWN THAT WHICH WE’VE GUARDED FOR SO LONG”
Are you scared now????
Reviewed by robinleesdarkside.com/
September 27, 2018
"It's like living in one of those small towns in Goosebumps."
The synopsis of We Are Always Watching caught my attention, and I was really looking forward to reading this one. I love creepy house books, and figured this one would be right up my alley.
At first, this book just appears to be a slow burn. That's fine. Most creepy house books are. Then somewhere around page 60, I realized that there had been no suspense whatsoever. There was no burn to keep me going. The "creepy parts" were written in a way that was telling instead of showing, and I had a hard time connecting with this book.
I noticed that a lot of time was spent talking about food. I don't know why. I feel like there was more food discussion than horror in the first half of this book. We Are Always Watching is also filled with family drama, and I would label it as that first before horror.
I ended up skimming the second half of the book. Some aspects were really predictable, but I didn't have everything figured out, so there's that. The story ended up being more far-fetched than I expected.
This one just didn't work for me, and this was my second book from this author. I may try another book from this author at some point since I've heard good things.
The synopsis of We Are Always Watching caught my attention, and I was really looking forward to reading this one. I love creepy house books, and figured this one would be right up my alley.
At first, this book just appears to be a slow burn. That's fine. Most creepy house books are. Then somewhere around page 60, I realized that there had been no suspense whatsoever. There was no burn to keep me going. The "creepy parts" were written in a way that was telling instead of showing, and I had a hard time connecting with this book.
I noticed that a lot of time was spent talking about food. I don't know why. I feel like there was more food discussion than horror in the first half of this book. We Are Always Watching is also filled with family drama, and I would label it as that first before horror.
I ended up skimming the second half of the book. Some aspects were really predictable, but I didn't have everything figured out, so there's that. The story ended up being more far-fetched than I expected.
This one just didn't work for me, and this was my second book from this author. I may try another book from this author at some point since I've heard good things.
April 5, 2017
Of all of the Hunter Shea books I've read, I'd say this is by far his most mainstream and accessible. There is a slower build than some of his previous work and that works in its favor. The characters in this are superb and I don't think the story would have worked as well as it did without getting to know them first. I really cared for this family and was bummed when I reached the end of the book.
Shea is a helluva writer.
Shea is a helluva writer.
October 1, 2018
I love a good slow-burning novel, where the tension really keeps you on edge, not knowing when the lid is going to pop off and all the proverbial you-know-what is going to hit the fan.
This book did not check those boxes for me, try as it might.
The whole premise is based on these strange notes, left on paper, in mirrors, on the side of the house, telling West and his family that they are being watched. But I was so confused, as I spent more than half the book thinking that it was one type of story, and I just didn't understand the way that all of the characters just accepted the grandfather's (lack of) explanation of the notes—all of them just giving in to the fact that there wasn't anything they could do and that they would be stalked and watched no matter what they did.
It is hard to explain my frustration and confusion without potentially spoiling the plot.
The main thrust of the plot follows West, but the book does switch perspective to his mom and dad and a few other characters, which I found jarring. I wish it could have been contained to one perspective, or the narration could have been smoothed out a little more.
This book also falls into my least favorite storytelling trap, which is that there is no chance that the reader could have solved the mystery. You are not given all the pieces of the puzzle to figure out exactly what's going on until it is revealed to you, with plenty of backstory over-explaining. Snore.
If you're looking for a great book by Hunter Shea, I much preferred Creature and would recommend that one.
My thanks to Sinister Grin Press for sending the Night Worms copies of this one to read and review.
This book did not check those boxes for me, try as it might.
The whole premise is based on these strange notes, left on paper, in mirrors, on the side of the house, telling West and his family that they are being watched. But I was so confused, as I spent more than half the book thinking that it was one type of story, and I just didn't understand the way that all of the characters just accepted the grandfather's (lack of) explanation of the notes—all of them just giving in to the fact that there wasn't anything they could do and that they would be stalked and watched no matter what they did.
It is hard to explain my frustration and confusion without potentially spoiling the plot.
The main thrust of the plot follows West, but the book does switch perspective to his mom and dad and a few other characters, which I found jarring. I wish it could have been contained to one perspective, or the narration could have been smoothed out a little more.
This book also falls into my least favorite storytelling trap, which is that there is no chance that the reader could have solved the mystery. You are not given all the pieces of the puzzle to figure out exactly what's going on until it is revealed to you, with plenty of backstory over-explaining. Snore.
If you're looking for a great book by Hunter Shea, I much preferred Creature and would recommend that one.
My thanks to Sinister Grin Press for sending the Night Worms copies of this one to read and review.
April 9, 2017
The Ridley family, Matt, Debi and their son West, were forced to leave New York, because of financials problems. Matt was in a car crashed a few years ago and it left him with vertigo, which seemed to only get worse. Matt family, has been forced to move into an old Pennsylvania farmhouse owned by Matt's father, Abraham. Abraham, was an old man, who was always getting drunk. He was never the same after his wife passed away. He ran the farmhouse into the ground. Abraham, doesn't care about anybody else but himself. West is very confused with the words and actions of his grandfather. West would rather explore the land around the farmhouse, then be trapped in the house with his grandfather. Grandpa Abraham's claims the house that he lives in is haunted. Message keep popping up all over the house. One of the messages is, We see you! Abraham, tells his family that the Guardians are leaving the messages. With each message that is left, they become more threading.
Matt's relationship with his father is very weak. When Matt was growing up, he had seen the messages that were left, but never knew who the Guardians were. Abraham, blames the Guardians, for killing his wife. Abraham, has told his family, that the Guardians will not bother them. He has done something to keep them in check. His also warns his family to stay out of the cellar. There are many twist and turns along the road, to finding out who the Guardians are. This book was inspired by true events. I highly recommend this book.
Matt's relationship with his father is very weak. When Matt was growing up, he had seen the messages that were left, but never knew who the Guardians were. Abraham, blames the Guardians, for killing his wife. Abraham, has told his family, that the Guardians will not bother them. He has done something to keep them in check. His also warns his family to stay out of the cellar. There are many twist and turns along the road, to finding out who the Guardians are. This book was inspired by true events. I highly recommend this book.
June 23, 2017
3.8/5
STORY 4/5 (The perfect definition of a slow burn horror. The suspense was killing me the entire time and I was kept guessing until the very end.)
CHARACTERS 4/5 (I really enjoyed the family in this story. I felt like they really operated like a real dysfunctional family. I especially liked West but some of the other characters were a little lack luster.)
WRITING 3/5 (easily my least favorite part. It felt stilted and was honestly so distracting to me)
UNIQUENESS 4.5/5 (I have HONESTLY never read ANYTHING like this)
ENJOYMENT 3.75/5 (I didn't like the writing but the stories and characters saved it for me.)
STORY 4/5 (The perfect definition of a slow burn horror. The suspense was killing me the entire time and I was kept guessing until the very end.)
CHARACTERS 4/5 (I really enjoyed the family in this story. I felt like they really operated like a real dysfunctional family. I especially liked West but some of the other characters were a little lack luster.)
WRITING 3/5 (easily my least favorite part. It felt stilted and was honestly so distracting to me)
UNIQUENESS 4.5/5 (I have HONESTLY never read ANYTHING like this)
ENJOYMENT 3.75/5 (I didn't like the writing but the stories and characters saved it for me.)
April 2, 2017
Hunter Shea has to be one of the most prolific and consistently excellent writers on the planet right now and he always produces new scares and situations to keep the reader guessing. We Are Always Watching is the latest worthy addition to his growing library.
The story starts innocently enough. The Ridley family, down on their luck following the father’s (Matt’s) terrible accident, arrive at the home of Grandpa Abraham Ridley. Right from the minute they arrive, things are clearly not right. The old, disgustingly neglected and smelly farmhouse reflects the habits of the owner himself as we are introduced to the man Matt would have happily never laid eyes on again. Some entities called The Guardians leave threatening messages around the property and all is far from normal in Buttermilk Creek.
Much of the story is told from the point of view of West, the Ridleys’ fourteen year old son. This will be a summer he will never forget. None of them will. Although, as the plot develops and becomes more and more twisted, you just want to tell West to run like hell and never look back.
I lost track of time reading this book and loved every minute of the exciting, sinister story, never guessing the outcome until the final pages. Hunter Shea is my kind of horror writer. Already eagerly anticipating his next story
The story starts innocently enough. The Ridley family, down on their luck following the father’s (Matt’s) terrible accident, arrive at the home of Grandpa Abraham Ridley. Right from the minute they arrive, things are clearly not right. The old, disgustingly neglected and smelly farmhouse reflects the habits of the owner himself as we are introduced to the man Matt would have happily never laid eyes on again. Some entities called The Guardians leave threatening messages around the property and all is far from normal in Buttermilk Creek.
Much of the story is told from the point of view of West, the Ridleys’ fourteen year old son. This will be a summer he will never forget. None of them will. Although, as the plot develops and becomes more and more twisted, you just want to tell West to run like hell and never look back.
I lost track of time reading this book and loved every minute of the exciting, sinister story, never guessing the outcome until the final pages. Hunter Shea is my kind of horror writer. Already eagerly anticipating his next story
April 11, 2017
At first I didn't think I liked the way this thing was such a slow burn during the buildup. But you come to realize that it's essential to the story's outcome and the incredible, in your face, rocket-fueled violence of the last third of the book makes it well worth the price of admission.
*Full review coming to HorrorTalk soon*
*Full review coming to HorrorTalk soon*
July 30, 2017
Fun, creepy read. Great characters and lots of mystery. I especially enjoyed the coming of age and dealing with injury plotlines. The book is a slowburn mystery/psychological horror for the first 2/3 then hits breakneck speed and never lets up. Definitely worth reading!
September 21, 2017
Over the past year or so I've become a huge fan of Hunter Shea so when my friend and I were looking for a buddy read, this became the obvious choice. "We Are Always Watching" grabbed me right from the start and didn't let go until the end - and that ending! 14-year-old West and his parents have had to move to Pennsylvania to live with his Grandpa Abraham on a rundown, decrepit farm. West's father suffers from severe vertigo which makes him quite handicapped following a car accident and the family has fallen on hard times. West's father hates returning to his childhood home and his mother is busy working so the family can eventually move out.
Immediately from the start, West senses something is wrong. His Grandfather has hinted that the house is haunted and West and the family starts finding messages left on the inside and the outside of the home. Grandpa finally discloses that the house is being watched by The Guardians, who do not like change and disruption. Things start happening around the home such as messages left on mirrors and finding Grandpa passed out and bound outside, but the more people whom the family tells what is happening, the more that happens.
I loved this entire book! Grandpa is an old crotchety drunk and not an very likable character, but ultimately he is trying to keep his family safe, although he is also hiding a lot of secrets. West's parents are just struggling to get by and not lose hold of their family in the process. However, West if by far the best character. First of all, he loves everything horror, in fact, he is initially intrigued that the house might be haunted. West always has his nose stuck in a horror book and he has posters from famous movies plastered all over his bedroom walls. "We Are Always Watching" took a real turn about halfway through the novel and I have to admit, it wasn't what I expected. Without giving too much away, it's best to go into this book with limited knowledge so the reader feels the shock and terror right along with the family.
This was a fun book to buddy read and I feel like I read enough of Shea's work. He's definitely an auto-buy author for me and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!
Immediately from the start, West senses something is wrong. His Grandfather has hinted that the house is haunted and West and the family starts finding messages left on the inside and the outside of the home. Grandpa finally discloses that the house is being watched by The Guardians, who do not like change and disruption. Things start happening around the home such as messages left on mirrors and finding Grandpa passed out and bound outside, but the more people whom the family tells what is happening, the more that happens.
I loved this entire book! Grandpa is an old crotchety drunk and not an very likable character, but ultimately he is trying to keep his family safe, although he is also hiding a lot of secrets. West's parents are just struggling to get by and not lose hold of their family in the process. However, West if by far the best character. First of all, he loves everything horror, in fact, he is initially intrigued that the house might be haunted. West always has his nose stuck in a horror book and he has posters from famous movies plastered all over his bedroom walls. "We Are Always Watching" took a real turn about halfway through the novel and I have to admit, it wasn't what I expected. Without giving too much away, it's best to go into this book with limited knowledge so the reader feels the shock and terror right along with the family.
This was a fun book to buddy read and I feel like I read enough of Shea's work. He's definitely an auto-buy author for me and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!
March 15, 2017
Excellent! I simply couldn't put it down, read it in one sitting.
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