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Fell House #1
The Leaping
An edgy, original and terrifying werewolf novel, the first in a series from a young debut author exploring the darkness that lies beneath Britain’s bleak post-industrial northwest.
Jack finished university three years ago, but he’s still stuck in a dead-end job in a sinister call-centre in Manchester. When the beautiful (and rich) Jennifer comes into his life he thinks he has finally found his ticket out of there. Trouble is that his boss is interested in Jennifer as well, and there’s something strangely bestial about him.
So when Jennifer buys Fell House, a mysterious old farm out in remote Cumbria, a house party on a legendary scale seems like the perfect escape. But as the party spins out of control on a seemingly neverending night, they must face up to the terrifying possibility that not all their guests may be human—and some of them want to feed.
An astonishing and innovative blend of horror, folktale and disturbing realism, The Leaping is the first installment in what is shaping up to be a genre-defining series.
Jack finished university three years ago, but he’s still stuck in a dead-end job in a sinister call-centre in Manchester. When the beautiful (and rich) Jennifer comes into his life he thinks he has finally found his ticket out of there. Trouble is that his boss is interested in Jennifer as well, and there’s something strangely bestial about him.
So when Jennifer buys Fell House, a mysterious old farm out in remote Cumbria, a house party on a legendary scale seems like the perfect escape. But as the party spins out of control on a seemingly neverending night, they must face up to the terrifying possibility that not all their guests may be human—and some of them want to feed.
An astonishing and innovative blend of horror, folktale and disturbing realism, The Leaping is the first installment in what is shaping up to be a genre-defining series.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2010
15 people are currently reading
357 people want to read
About the author
Tom Fletcher
24 books1,023 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Tom Fletcher is a writer of horror and dark fantasy novels and short fiction. His first three horror novels, The Leaping, The Thing on the Shore and The Ravenglass Eye, were followed by Gleam and Idle Hands, the first two books in The Factory Trilogy, his first fantasy series. His new novel, Witch-Bottle, is a deeply atmospheric modern gothic tale of grief and guilt. He lives in a remote village in Cumbria with his wife and family.
Tom Fletcher is a writer of horror and dark fantasy novels and short fiction. His first three horror novels, The Leaping, The Thing on the Shore and The Ravenglass Eye, were followed by Gleam and Idle Hands, the first two books in The Factory Trilogy, his first fantasy series. His new novel, Witch-Bottle, is a deeply atmospheric modern gothic tale of grief and guilt. He lives in a remote village in Cumbria with his wife and family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 25, 2012
2 Stars
"When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth."
--George Romero
The Leaping by Tom Fletcher is an interesting supernatural thriller that just never fully realized its potential. This is an urban fantasy that is simply too short, has too little world building, and has an unsatisfying ending to be a good read. Fletcher does a great job at slowly building tension and suspense. He takes the reader through a slow burn as things that seem to be normal turn a strange twist. The best part about this book is the characterizations of our somewhat large cast. Fletcher gives us many interesting, three dimensional, and likable characters to root for. The book as a whole plays out more like a character study than it does an urban fantasy novel or horror story.
The book has some major twists but the ending leaves too much tension left untapped and as a result the story seemed unresolved to me. I did not really care for the urban fantasy twist either, and could see many other directions that Fletcher could have taken this story.
The writing was good and here is a small example:
"We all worked at the same place. A monolithic building that was a multi -storey call center somewhere near the middle of Manchester, compromising the floor upon floor of old, unreliable computers, broken spirits and bowed heads connected via black, curly wires to telephones that crouch like bulbous insects on the dirty desks, the humming of tonnes of electrical equipment, the frustration of bad maths, the pure panic of not knowing all the answers all the time, right now, come on, what are they paying you for, you been to school or what? The slimish scorn of the nation, dripping through earpieces and trickling into our open ears like warm, lumpy milk."
A fast read that could easily be skipped...
"When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth."
--George Romero
The Leaping by Tom Fletcher is an interesting supernatural thriller that just never fully realized its potential. This is an urban fantasy that is simply too short, has too little world building, and has an unsatisfying ending to be a good read. Fletcher does a great job at slowly building tension and suspense. He takes the reader through a slow burn as things that seem to be normal turn a strange twist. The best part about this book is the characterizations of our somewhat large cast. Fletcher gives us many interesting, three dimensional, and likable characters to root for. The book as a whole plays out more like a character study than it does an urban fantasy novel or horror story.
The book has some major twists but the ending leaves too much tension left untapped and as a result the story seemed unresolved to me. I did not really care for the urban fantasy twist either, and could see many other directions that Fletcher could have taken this story.
The writing was good and here is a small example:
"We all worked at the same place. A monolithic building that was a multi -storey call center somewhere near the middle of Manchester, compromising the floor upon floor of old, unreliable computers, broken spirits and bowed heads connected via black, curly wires to telephones that crouch like bulbous insects on the dirty desks, the humming of tonnes of electrical equipment, the frustration of bad maths, the pure panic of not knowing all the answers all the time, right now, come on, what are they paying you for, you been to school or what? The slimish scorn of the nation, dripping through earpieces and trickling into our open ears like warm, lumpy milk."
A fast read that could easily be skipped...
February 27, 2016
This is one of those books that I was unsure as to whether or not I was to buy it, only to decide upon reading it that I should never had questioned picking it up in the first place. Once you get started you are truly hooked to the story, being pulled in, as you’re left unwilling to put it down for any extended period of time.
To begin with there isn’t much real contact with the supernatural world, merely hints of something unnatural being out there, yet once you get around halfway through it hits you in the face and suddenly all the supernatural action is hitting you at once. Filled with a wide range of great characters, you’re soon curious as to what exactly is going to happen next. Moreover, I will admit, the ending came as quite a shock. It did not end anything at all like I was expecting – in fact, it couldn’t have been much further away from what I was expecting – and for that I loved it even more. The unexpected it always loved and such is the case throughout this book.
Honestly, if you’re even debating picking up the book just go for it: you’ll soon be lost in the story.
To begin with there isn’t much real contact with the supernatural world, merely hints of something unnatural being out there, yet once you get around halfway through it hits you in the face and suddenly all the supernatural action is hitting you at once. Filled with a wide range of great characters, you’re soon curious as to what exactly is going to happen next. Moreover, I will admit, the ending came as quite a shock. It did not end anything at all like I was expecting – in fact, it couldn’t have been much further away from what I was expecting – and for that I loved it even more. The unexpected it always loved and such is the case throughout this book.
Honestly, if you’re even debating picking up the book just go for it: you’ll soon be lost in the story.
March 22, 2013
I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't. There are some okay ideas, and some of the scenes are fairly well executed -- hence the two star rating -- but on the whole I found the prose dull and the story not engaging at all.
February 1, 2024
A decent read which primarily focuses on a group of twenty-something who work & live together. The story is told in part by Jack, who, along with his girlfriend Jennifer, move to a remote & run down ruin in the country, namely Fell House. Needless to say, something evil is waiting in the shadows there.....
The second POV comes from Francis, a character who seems to worry about everything but has a particular fear of cancer & death. When the group gather at Fell House all hell breaks loose.....it just takes rather a long time for it to happen!
"Part 3" - when "The Leaping" finally takes place - was a bit hit & miss for me, seeming a bit disjointed at times. This was what everything had been building up to but...well I'm not sure what I felt about it...not disappointed exactly, I just expected something more....
Overall, a good enough read for the most part but had the potential to be better, much better....
...& it's a shame, with Jack's apparent love of folklore & legend, that more wasn't made of the mythology of lycanthropy. Oops...yes this is (eventually) about werewolves, hope that's not a spoiler for anyone!
The second POV comes from Francis, a character who seems to worry about everything but has a particular fear of cancer & death. When the group gather at Fell House all hell breaks loose.....it just takes rather a long time for it to happen!
"Part 3" - when "The Leaping" finally takes place - was a bit hit & miss for me, seeming a bit disjointed at times. This was what everything had been building up to but...well I'm not sure what I felt about it...not disappointed exactly, I just expected something more....
Overall, a good enough read for the most part but had the potential to be better, much better....
...& it's a shame, with Jack's apparent love of folklore & legend, that more wasn't made of the mythology of lycanthropy. Oops...yes this is (eventually) about werewolves, hope that's not a spoiler for anyone!
August 23, 2017
absolutely horrendous! the book didnt go anywhere! nothing happened! big no!
June 17, 2010
Reading Tom Fletcher’s short story ‘The Safe Children’ was all it took for me to place his novel The Leaping on my to-read list. Now that novel is here, and it was worth the wait.
The Leaping centres on a group of twenty-something housemates who all work in the same call centre in Manchester, and particularly on Jack, who also has a sideline in writing articles about the paranormal. One day at work, Jack meets – and falls in love with – the beautiful and enigmatic Jennifer, though she warns him that it’ll be an open relationship, as she believes in the free-love ideals of the Sixties. This leads to certain complications involving Jack’s housemate, Francis (who shares the book’s narration with Jack).
Jennifer has recently come into some money after her mother died, and uses it to buy Fell House, a creaking old mansion in Cumbria, where she moves in with Jack. Back in Manchester, the remaining housemates plan a surprise birthday party for Jack – but some uninvited guests turn up, and everyone discovers that there’s some truth to the old tales of werewolves, after all.
One of the first things I noticed about The Leaping is how good a writer of voice Fletcher is. I like the narrative voices to be differentiated in stories with multiple first-person narrators, and Fletcher does this very well indeed. Francis’s voice is particularly striking, revealing an earnest personality and an obsessive eye for detail (he lists all his friends’ favourite books, films and music because, he says, ‘the only way of working out the true personality of a person, their true soul, is by their taste’ [42:]). Those same character traits are used to brilliant effect later in the novel, when events take a horrific turn.
And it’s the horror where Fletcher’s prose shines its brightest. The best of his passages about the werewolves are as good as one could wish horror writing to be, as Fletcher captures both the profound horror of having one’s very self undermined and transformed, and the primal attraction of the lycanthropes’ existence. He also gives his werewolves an air of genuine strangeness, which makes even this hoary old staple feel fresh – no mean feat.
Where I think The Leaping is less successful is in its treatment of the larger dichotomy it seemingly aims to dramatise – broadly speaking, that of modern life versus nature. Jack expresses disillusionment with urban life – and, with what he and his colleagues have to put up with at the call centre, it’s no wonder – but the ‘push’ of this doesn’t seem to me to be as strongly felt by the novel as the ‘pull’ towards the wildness of nature. When Jack talks about wanting to run with the werewolves, he does so with a deep yearning that’s woven into the very fabric of his words. But Jack’s comments about city life don’t come close to that, and this imbalance dilutes the impact of the theme.
Even taking this into account, though, The Leaping is still a very good piece of horror fiction. That puts an interesting spin on a venerable motif. After years in the wilderness, horror currently seems to be undergoing something of a resurgence; as long as there are writers like Tom Fletcher working in it, the field is in good hands.
The Leaping centres on a group of twenty-something housemates who all work in the same call centre in Manchester, and particularly on Jack, who also has a sideline in writing articles about the paranormal. One day at work, Jack meets – and falls in love with – the beautiful and enigmatic Jennifer, though she warns him that it’ll be an open relationship, as she believes in the free-love ideals of the Sixties. This leads to certain complications involving Jack’s housemate, Francis (who shares the book’s narration with Jack).
Jennifer has recently come into some money after her mother died, and uses it to buy Fell House, a creaking old mansion in Cumbria, where she moves in with Jack. Back in Manchester, the remaining housemates plan a surprise birthday party for Jack – but some uninvited guests turn up, and everyone discovers that there’s some truth to the old tales of werewolves, after all.
One of the first things I noticed about The Leaping is how good a writer of voice Fletcher is. I like the narrative voices to be differentiated in stories with multiple first-person narrators, and Fletcher does this very well indeed. Francis’s voice is particularly striking, revealing an earnest personality and an obsessive eye for detail (he lists all his friends’ favourite books, films and music because, he says, ‘the only way of working out the true personality of a person, their true soul, is by their taste’ [42:]). Those same character traits are used to brilliant effect later in the novel, when events take a horrific turn.
And it’s the horror where Fletcher’s prose shines its brightest. The best of his passages about the werewolves are as good as one could wish horror writing to be, as Fletcher captures both the profound horror of having one’s very self undermined and transformed, and the primal attraction of the lycanthropes’ existence. He also gives his werewolves an air of genuine strangeness, which makes even this hoary old staple feel fresh – no mean feat.
Where I think The Leaping is less successful is in its treatment of the larger dichotomy it seemingly aims to dramatise – broadly speaking, that of modern life versus nature. Jack expresses disillusionment with urban life – and, with what he and his colleagues have to put up with at the call centre, it’s no wonder – but the ‘push’ of this doesn’t seem to me to be as strongly felt by the novel as the ‘pull’ towards the wildness of nature. When Jack talks about wanting to run with the werewolves, he does so with a deep yearning that’s woven into the very fabric of his words. But Jack’s comments about city life don’t come close to that, and this imbalance dilutes the impact of the theme.
Even taking this into account, though, The Leaping is still a very good piece of horror fiction. That puts an interesting spin on a venerable motif. After years in the wilderness, horror currently seems to be undergoing something of a resurgence; as long as there are writers like Tom Fletcher working in it, the field is in good hands.
Read
August 22, 2010The Leaping by Tom Fletcher
Published by: Quercus
439 pages (c) 2010
Review based on UK edition
I first heard about this book on a Facebook group, British Horror Novels. I heard it was about werewolves (a favourite of mine. My first novel was about werewolves--more lycanthropy of the mind than changing...until the end) and I was keen to try a British werewolf story as opposed to the US band I’ve been enjoying.
The leaping is an engrossing book, but I wouldn’t really class it as horror, though it does have all the lovely trappings of a horror novel: a Lord of Hell, werewolves, people attacked and eaten, blood, guts, intestines, a sinister game, ghosts and a violin. It also has: strong characters, drama, friendship, loss, heartbreak and torment.
The book is told in first person by two characters: Jack and Francis (although the book is opened by Erin, for reasons I can’t understand). They are friends that share a house with three others; Graham (your typical hardcore partier, Erin and Taylor (who become a couple). They all work in a call centre and hate their job and supervisor, a sicko by the name of Kenny (kudos on creating this character, he came off very well).
Francis is a complex character who worries about everything, mainly cancer and all the ways of catching it. His father has cancer of the throat and that compounds his fears. He has it, he is sure of that fact and he worries about his flatmates. Jack is your normal everyday guy with a fascination about the history or truth behind lore. Then he meets Jennifer. She is everything he’s wanted in a person. But unfortunately for him, she doesn’t believe in belonging to anyone or having one mate for life. She comes across as a new-age/hippy chick who believes in free love.
It takes a long time for the story to really get going. A very long time, like over 200 pages. But the build up and small hints really enhance the characters and give them a life and a reason for the actions performed. Graham needed a better send off (there wasn’t one, he was just dead). Think of Graham as the hunter with the axe in Little Red Riding Hood.
There are many characters in this book but it is fairly easy to keep track of them. I think only having two characters tell the story works wonders and keeps the reader interested. The many threads in this story is what keeps it going, but the main theme is the party that is thrown for Jack at Fell House—deep in the mountains. It is here that the story kicks into third gear. It’s the time of the Leaping. Werewolves abound. Jennifer kidnapped. Francis is bitten. Graham grabs the axe. The lord of Hell is here with his violin. The time is upon them. The night is long.
82%
Published by: Quercus
439 pages (c) 2010
Review based on UK edition
I first heard about this book on a Facebook group, British Horror Novels. I heard it was about werewolves (a favourite of mine. My first novel was about werewolves--more lycanthropy of the mind than changing...until the end) and I was keen to try a British werewolf story as opposed to the US band I’ve been enjoying.
The leaping is an engrossing book, but I wouldn’t really class it as horror, though it does have all the lovely trappings of a horror novel: a Lord of Hell, werewolves, people attacked and eaten, blood, guts, intestines, a sinister game, ghosts and a violin. It also has: strong characters, drama, friendship, loss, heartbreak and torment.
The book is told in first person by two characters: Jack and Francis (although the book is opened by Erin, for reasons I can’t understand). They are friends that share a house with three others; Graham (your typical hardcore partier, Erin and Taylor (who become a couple). They all work in a call centre and hate their job and supervisor, a sicko by the name of Kenny (kudos on creating this character, he came off very well).
Francis is a complex character who worries about everything, mainly cancer and all the ways of catching it. His father has cancer of the throat and that compounds his fears. He has it, he is sure of that fact and he worries about his flatmates. Jack is your normal everyday guy with a fascination about the history or truth behind lore. Then he meets Jennifer. She is everything he’s wanted in a person. But unfortunately for him, she doesn’t believe in belonging to anyone or having one mate for life. She comes across as a new-age/hippy chick who believes in free love.
It takes a long time for the story to really get going. A very long time, like over 200 pages. But the build up and small hints really enhance the characters and give them a life and a reason for the actions performed. Graham needed a better send off (there wasn’t one, he was just dead). Think of Graham as the hunter with the axe in Little Red Riding Hood.
There are many characters in this book but it is fairly easy to keep track of them. I think only having two characters tell the story works wonders and keeps the reader interested. The many threads in this story is what keeps it going, but the main theme is the party that is thrown for Jack at Fell House—deep in the mountains. It is here that the story kicks into third gear. It’s the time of the Leaping. Werewolves abound. Jennifer kidnapped. Francis is bitten. Graham grabs the axe. The lord of Hell is here with his violin. The time is upon them. The night is long.
82%
June 20, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
The Leaping has an interesting premise, but it doesn’t realize its potential. Three years after finishing university, Jack is still stuck in a dead-end job in a call centre. His best friends and roommates work in the same building, and that’s also where he meets his girlfriend, Jennifer. She reminds him of Morgana le Fay, of some mythical goddess, and he falls over her heads over heels. When Jennifer buys Fell House, an old mansion in remote Cumbria, Jack moves in with her. For his birthay, his friends plan the most epic birthday party ever, over in Fell House. But the guests might not be who they seem to be at first glance…
First, the good. The book is told from the dual POV of Francis and Jack, and each character has an unique voice. It’s easy to know which character is doing the talking. The characterization is no doubt, the best part of the book. Despite a rather large cast of characters – Jack, Francis, Taylor, Erin, Jennifer and Graham being the main crew – the author did an extraordinary job giving each character an unique personality. The characters are three dimensional and likeable (even Graham, who I started out disliking). The writing was good for the most part.
Now, the bad. The “big reveal” wasn’t as original as I had hoped. The book isn’t exactly scary. There was a slow build up, so I had expected a lot from the big climax, but that didn’t happen. It ended up being a dissapointment more than anything. I don’t want to give it away, but it was just ‘meh’ for me. Also, while the writing was good for the most part, sometimes it rambled on for ages, seemingly going nowhere, and the pacing was tediously slow at times. It takes about 200 pages before the story actually starts – or at least, before the horror starts, and although it was a rather pleasant read until then, that’s simply too long before a story to take flight.
So while I liked part of the books, I disliked a lot of it too. It wasn’t original or gripping or scary enough. If you enjoy horror that is rather mild (although gory, but not scary) then I would say ‘go for it’, but if you like really creepy horror, I wouldn’t really recommend it.
The Leaping has an interesting premise, but it doesn’t realize its potential. Three years after finishing university, Jack is still stuck in a dead-end job in a call centre. His best friends and roommates work in the same building, and that’s also where he meets his girlfriend, Jennifer. She reminds him of Morgana le Fay, of some mythical goddess, and he falls over her heads over heels. When Jennifer buys Fell House, an old mansion in remote Cumbria, Jack moves in with her. For his birthay, his friends plan the most epic birthday party ever, over in Fell House. But the guests might not be who they seem to be at first glance…
First, the good. The book is told from the dual POV of Francis and Jack, and each character has an unique voice. It’s easy to know which character is doing the talking. The characterization is no doubt, the best part of the book. Despite a rather large cast of characters – Jack, Francis, Taylor, Erin, Jennifer and Graham being the main crew – the author did an extraordinary job giving each character an unique personality. The characters are three dimensional and likeable (even Graham, who I started out disliking). The writing was good for the most part.
Now, the bad. The “big reveal” wasn’t as original as I had hoped. The book isn’t exactly scary. There was a slow build up, so I had expected a lot from the big climax, but that didn’t happen. It ended up being a dissapointment more than anything. I don’t want to give it away, but it was just ‘meh’ for me. Also, while the writing was good for the most part, sometimes it rambled on for ages, seemingly going nowhere, and the pacing was tediously slow at times. It takes about 200 pages before the story actually starts – or at least, before the horror starts, and although it was a rather pleasant read until then, that’s simply too long before a story to take flight.
So while I liked part of the books, I disliked a lot of it too. It wasn’t original or gripping or scary enough. If you enjoy horror that is rather mild (although gory, but not scary) then I would say ‘go for it’, but if you like really creepy horror, I wouldn’t really recommend it.
September 26, 2020
I stuck this book in my "Surprises" shelf because it really gripped me much more than I was expecting. Seriously. I read it on my brother's wedding holiday, so it wasn't like I had other things to do.
The title is a little silly on first impression, but the book really delivers. There's a certain depth to the prose that really gets inside character heads without being too muddied and introspective. It's thoughts and feelings, not naval-gazing.
A living, believable city (Manchester, I'd recognise it anywhere) and friendship group is wonderfully created, and the supernatural sits alongside the mundane in a way that at no point is cliche or too fantastical, but also never feels too commonplace.
Some of the characters are quite loathsome and irritable, but at no point are their actions or motivations out of line with how they’re presented. I hated them for who they were, not for how they’d been written.
The book really represents the fantastic hot-blooded feeling of “running with the wolf” that is essential to this genre/narrative. Seriously, this book gripped me way more than I was expecting- I read it hip-deep in Mediterranean swimming pools with an outside temperature permanently over 30°C, but I was still drawn into the dark and bleak world of rural northern England, terrified of the darkness inside and the darkness just around the corner.
Nick
xx
The title is a little silly on first impression, but the book really delivers. There's a certain depth to the prose that really gets inside character heads without being too muddied and introspective. It's thoughts and feelings, not naval-gazing.
A living, believable city (Manchester, I'd recognise it anywhere) and friendship group is wonderfully created, and the supernatural sits alongside the mundane in a way that at no point is cliche or too fantastical, but also never feels too commonplace.
Some of the characters are quite loathsome and irritable, but at no point are their actions or motivations out of line with how they’re presented. I hated them for who they were, not for how they’d been written.
The book really represents the fantastic hot-blooded feeling of “running with the wolf” that is essential to this genre/narrative. Seriously, this book gripped me way more than I was expecting- I read it hip-deep in Mediterranean swimming pools with an outside temperature permanently over 30°C, but I was still drawn into the dark and bleak world of rural northern England, terrified of the darkness inside and the darkness just around the corner.
Nick
xx
August 30, 2012
This book was quite a mixed bag, lots of good things about it, but overall I'm not sure it worked. The writing was pretty good and very competent for a new and very young author, strong character descriptions and development, engaging storytelling, but this book read like ti couldn't quite make up its mind as to what it wanted to be. I'd say the main problem was the pacing, for example for 439 page horror novel the horror of any kind didn't start till about page 256. The build up for so incredibly slow, that the first two parts of the book could have served as an individual novel about english 20somethings with dull jobs and complicated love entaglements. Also, the ending (after the much anticipated and credit where credit's due very creative and original take on a classic horror theme) just sort of dissipated in a really weird and nonexciting way and was just saved by the last two chapters. So I liked it more so for its potential and I think once Fletcher works out the pacing challenges, he could be an interesting writer.
July 5, 2017
The Leaping follows a close knit group of colleagues as a new love interest begins to fracture their friendship. As two of them start an off-kilter relationship they move to a semi-derelict house and the second half of the novel explores a potentially supernatural element from that locale. The Leaping keeps its cards very close to its chest and depending on the readers own interests within the horror genre the finales will either be a welcome twist or a bitter disappointment. The build up is first class whereas the second half is stilted with too many red herrings and an untidy action sequence. Fletcher has evidenced an ability to create really strong group dynamics and future works might be able to deliver that amongst a stronger plot - that would make a recommended read.
July 6, 2010
Great interview with Tom here: http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/i-am-t...
November 10, 2025
I first heard about this book on a Facebook group, British Horror Novels. I heard it was about werewolves (a favourite of mine. My first novel was about werewolves–more lycanthropy of the mind than changing…until the end) and I was keen to try a British werewolf story as opposed to the US band I’ve been enjoying.
The leaping is an engrossing book, but I wouldn’t really class it as horror, though it does have all the lovely trappings of a horror novel: a Lord of Hell, werewolves, people attacked and eaten, blood, guts, intestines, a sinister game, ghosts and a violin. It also has: strong characters, drama, friendship, loss, heartbreak and torment.
The book is told in first person by two characters: Jack and Francis (although the book is opened by Erin, for reasons I can’t understand). They are friends that share a house with three others; Graham (your typical hardcore partier, Erin and Taylor (who become a couple). They all work in a call centre and hate their job and supervisor, a sicko by the name of Kenny (kudos on creating this character, he came off very well).
Francis is a complex character who worries about everything, mainly cancer and all the ways of catching it. His father has cancer of the throat and that compounds his fears. He has it, he is sure of that fact and he worries about his flatmates. Jack is your normal everyday guy with a fascination about the history or truth behind lore. Then he meets Jennifer. She is everything he’s wanted in a person. But unfortunately for him, she doesn’t believe in belonging to anyone or having one mate for life. She comes across as a new-age/hippy chick who believes in free love.
It takes a long time for the story to really get going. A very long time, like over 200 pages. But the build up and small hints really enhance the characters and give them a life and a reason for the actions performed. Graham needed a better send off (there wasn’t one, he was just dead). Think of Graham as the hunter with the axe in Little Red Riding Hood.
There are many characters in this book but it is fairly easy to keep track of them. I think only having two characters tell the story works wonders and keeps the reader interested. The many threads in this story is what keeps it going, but the main theme is the party that is thrown for Jack at Fell House—deep in the mountains. It is here that the story kicks into third gear. It’s the time of the Leaping. Werewolves abound. Jennifer kidnapped. Francis is bitten. Graham grabs the axe. The lord of Hell is here with his violin. The time is upon them. The night is long.
The leaping is an engrossing book, but I wouldn’t really class it as horror, though it does have all the lovely trappings of a horror novel: a Lord of Hell, werewolves, people attacked and eaten, blood, guts, intestines, a sinister game, ghosts and a violin. It also has: strong characters, drama, friendship, loss, heartbreak and torment.
The book is told in first person by two characters: Jack and Francis (although the book is opened by Erin, for reasons I can’t understand). They are friends that share a house with three others; Graham (your typical hardcore partier, Erin and Taylor (who become a couple). They all work in a call centre and hate their job and supervisor, a sicko by the name of Kenny (kudos on creating this character, he came off very well).
Francis is a complex character who worries about everything, mainly cancer and all the ways of catching it. His father has cancer of the throat and that compounds his fears. He has it, he is sure of that fact and he worries about his flatmates. Jack is your normal everyday guy with a fascination about the history or truth behind lore. Then he meets Jennifer. She is everything he’s wanted in a person. But unfortunately for him, she doesn’t believe in belonging to anyone or having one mate for life. She comes across as a new-age/hippy chick who believes in free love.
It takes a long time for the story to really get going. A very long time, like over 200 pages. But the build up and small hints really enhance the characters and give them a life and a reason for the actions performed. Graham needed a better send off (there wasn’t one, he was just dead). Think of Graham as the hunter with the axe in Little Red Riding Hood.
There are many characters in this book but it is fairly easy to keep track of them. I think only having two characters tell the story works wonders and keeps the reader interested. The many threads in this story is what keeps it going, but the main theme is the party that is thrown for Jack at Fell House—deep in the mountains. It is here that the story kicks into third gear. It’s the time of the Leaping. Werewolves abound. Jennifer kidnapped. Francis is bitten. Graham grabs the axe. The lord of Hell is here with his violin. The time is upon them. The night is long.
February 28, 2022
The Leaping started off so well and had so much promise for a new author. I enjoyed how Tom Fletcher chaptered the book from separate characters' points of view, allowing the reader to get to know the whole cast individually. The one drawback here, though, was the character's voice. Or should I say lack of it? It would have been nice to have a different feel to their telling of their parts. Unfortunately, each character appears to have the same voice. It does not make the story terrible or unreadable. But after a few pages, it becomes noticeable and draws the attention away from the story. Differing personalities would have also created more interest and relatability for the reader.
That said, the story is still sound, and the idea is original. Though, I could not help but feel as though Fletcher waffled too much. There are times in the narrative when it feels as though you are reading a shopping list. He does like to list things. I know why he does; it creates a sense of unease, wonder, and confusion. But it could have been done by listing fewer items in each of these overly long sentences. By the time you hit the third of these run-on's, you are thinking, oh no, not again - yawn!
Another niggling thing is the disappearance of chapters towards the end of the book. Removing the chapters and extra line spacing damages the story and paragraph structure. In one paragraph, the hero is in the bathroom: After reading about his journey there. In the next, he is out in the barn. These jumps are hindrances to readers, especially when there appears no reason why he should suddenly be there: Though it does become apparent as we read on. Sadly, in this un-chaptered section of the book, there are too many jumps.
In fact, it became so hard to read that I put the book down for a while. Four and a half years later, I came back to finish it off.
And, I finally I get to know about The Leaping. What a letdown. I expected more than a literal ending: No real twist or sting in the tail here. The story kind of whimpers away at the end, which is sad. Because as I said at the start, the premise and idea were good.
I cannot heartily recommend The Leaping, though you may give it a read, because, even though I did not love it, it does not mean you will not. And, Tom Fletcher does appear to be a promising writer, as long as he can get his structuring and editing into shape.
Take Care, Stay Well, And Enjoy.
That said, the story is still sound, and the idea is original. Though, I could not help but feel as though Fletcher waffled too much. There are times in the narrative when it feels as though you are reading a shopping list. He does like to list things. I know why he does; it creates a sense of unease, wonder, and confusion. But it could have been done by listing fewer items in each of these overly long sentences. By the time you hit the third of these run-on's, you are thinking, oh no, not again - yawn!
Another niggling thing is the disappearance of chapters towards the end of the book. Removing the chapters and extra line spacing damages the story and paragraph structure. In one paragraph, the hero is in the bathroom: After reading about his journey there. In the next, he is out in the barn. These jumps are hindrances to readers, especially when there appears no reason why he should suddenly be there: Though it does become apparent as we read on. Sadly, in this un-chaptered section of the book, there are too many jumps.
In fact, it became so hard to read that I put the book down for a while. Four and a half years later, I came back to finish it off.
And, I finally I get to know about The Leaping. What a letdown. I expected more than a literal ending: No real twist or sting in the tail here. The story kind of whimpers away at the end, which is sad. Because as I said at the start, the premise and idea were good.
I cannot heartily recommend The Leaping, though you may give it a read, because, even though I did not love it, it does not mean you will not. And, Tom Fletcher does appear to be a promising writer, as long as he can get his structuring and editing into shape.
Take Care, Stay Well, And Enjoy.
September 29, 2022
Goodness, this is not a good book. It takes far too long to build the horror element, and when it does it's a bit of a jumbled mess. I think this would have been best served if the story stayed in the first setting, with all of the characters in their share house and still working at the same company. Bring the horror element into the company and forget trying to create some sort of twisted folk tale. The author gave us some moments towards the beginning that stood out as really tense moments and I thought they were great. Sadly, that standard did not follow through the rest of the book.
One thing I disliked is the writing style. It's meandering and too often pulls the reader out of any sense of suspense by the author too focused on lists and heavy detail. I don't mind heavy detail, but not at the expense of tension or suspense. The voice of the characters feels too similar, especially the two characters that this story focuses on the most: Francis and Jack. There are also a few character inconsistencies. For example, Francis is petrified of life, it seems. He worries about everything and everybody, with a morbid fear of cancer and death. Why does he then throw himself into danger so readily? That didn't makes sense to me, especially in the moment. The characters are thrown into sudden danger and confusion. You'd think for a character such as Francis, flight would win over fight.
Also, there are moments where the story forgets the situation of a character. For example, Jennifer resigns from her job and tells all it's her last day, she's never going back. A day or so later, Jack says he will walk her to work and she has her work clothes with her. Hang on - she quit her job? That should have been picked up during edit.
Towards the end we learn about The Leaping. It's a long road to get there, and it's so disappointing. Very disappointing. This is a horror novel that tries to switch to a gore fest without retaining substance. It reminds me of Shaun Hutson.
One thing I disliked is the writing style. It's meandering and too often pulls the reader out of any sense of suspense by the author too focused on lists and heavy detail. I don't mind heavy detail, but not at the expense of tension or suspense. The voice of the characters feels too similar, especially the two characters that this story focuses on the most: Francis and Jack. There are also a few character inconsistencies. For example, Francis is petrified of life, it seems. He worries about everything and everybody, with a morbid fear of cancer and death. Why does he then throw himself into danger so readily? That didn't makes sense to me, especially in the moment. The characters are thrown into sudden danger and confusion. You'd think for a character such as Francis, flight would win over fight.
Also, there are moments where the story forgets the situation of a character. For example, Jennifer resigns from her job and tells all it's her last day, she's never going back. A day or so later, Jack says he will walk her to work and she has her work clothes with her. Hang on - she quit her job? That should have been picked up during edit.
Towards the end we learn about The Leaping. It's a long road to get there, and it's so disappointing. Very disappointing. This is a horror novel that tries to switch to a gore fest without retaining substance. It reminds me of Shaun Hutson.
June 7, 2020
It was a torture to get through all the 439 pages it had.
The story drags for too long and it made me hate the characters ESPECIALLY Jennifer. The characters aren't likeable .They tried to make Francis seem as if he worried too much about the world and paranoid regarding health but he immediately threw himself into danger for some girl he barely new and chased her like a lost puppy. It had no character development whatsoever. Their personalities where dry .The only two characters I slightly tolerated where Graham and Erin .Jack was too naive and who the h*ll moves in with someone they barely knew with an arrangement just because she "looked" like Morgana Le Fay. "My kitten. My Jack. My lover." What was that nonsense ?
The story was confusing and there was too much rambling .I couldn't focus on the story. The book is divided into Three parts and the story starts gaining pace only when part 3 starts .
Made me angry for wasting my time overall.
The story drags for too long and it made me hate the characters ESPECIALLY Jennifer. The characters aren't likeable .They tried to make Francis seem as if he worried too much about the world and paranoid regarding health but he immediately threw himself into danger for some girl he barely new and chased her like a lost puppy. It had no character development whatsoever. Their personalities where dry .The only two characters I slightly tolerated where Graham and Erin .Jack was too naive and who the h*ll moves in with someone they barely knew with an arrangement just because she "looked" like Morgana Le Fay. "My kitten. My Jack. My lover." What was that nonsense ?
The story was confusing and there was too much rambling .I couldn't focus on the story. The book is divided into Three parts and the story starts gaining pace only when part 3 starts .
Made me angry for wasting my time overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2017
This book breaks into two distinct parts. The first half is a fairly interesting character study of a group of 20-something slackers living together as though still in a dorm, working soul-crushing jobs at a call center. The second half turns to horror as the group throws a big party in a house in the country and marauding werewolves come calling. The two halves don't quite fit together and it's quite disappointing because I came to care about a couple of the characters, especially OCD Francis who obsesses over cancer because his father has been diagnosed with it. The horror half should might have worked as a creepy mood piece, but it degenerates quickly into oceans of blood, gnashing jaws, breaking bones and grotesque monstrosities. Had this 400 page book been reduced to half its size, I might have liked it, but it wasn't, and I didn't.
November 19, 2017
This is a story about friends, love, hatred and werewolves. The only things that has brought my rating down so far is the hard slog that you have to go through for anything to actually happen. I understand that the author is trying to have the reader understand the situation of desperation and despair that not only Manchester had for these youths but also the dead end jobs they have at the call centre....... but virtually half the book ?????. Didn't think that was needed. Has some amazing ideas, and is honestly the best werewolf book I have read.
November 15, 2022
A group of twenty somethings that met at university now live in a shared house and work for a soulless call centre in Manchester. When Jack's girlfriend buys a house in a remote part of Cumbria life starts getting a little spooky. This was a book of two halves really and they didn't seem to fit together. It held promise but, ultimately, didn't deliver.
June 30, 2021
This comes under the horror genre I guess but there is nothing horrifying about this book.
The story doesn't really start till you read the book more than halfway. I really would not recommend this to anyone.
The story doesn't really start till you read the book more than halfway. I really would not recommend this to anyone.
October 31, 2022
Words cannot describe how bad this book is
March 9, 2017
Very confusing
January 5, 2017
There were parts about this book I enjoyed: Great descriptive writing; good suspense and build up; good gory descriptions... But I felt as though it was almost two books, and perhaps should have been allowed to evolve as an urban horror as that felt like the most realistic place to set the book, given the characters. It was an interesting premise, but my main problem with the book was that I liked no one in it, not at all, and therefore when it came to the horror parts, I wasn't rooting for them... I didn't really care if they made it or not, and that spoilt the fear... After all, if you don't care about the characters, what is there to fear?
Read the book for the descriptive detail. The author has a true eye, which is enjoyable.
Read the book for the descriptive detail. The author has a true eye, which is enjoyable.
August 11, 2014
This is such a weird book. I'm not quite sure what to make of it, beyond an instinctive liking. The fractured language, the way the world is presented - everthing just works for me.I'm not so sure it'd work for many other people though - after years and years of avid reading, much in the fantasy and horror genres, my tastes have become very specific. I guess that when you've read many thousands of books in your lifetime (I estimate around 10k plus from the age of 13) that you start craving books that at least try to do something interesting with language and plot, even if they don't entirely succeed. This tries, and I think it succeeds.
October 23, 2016
"A barrel of wine... A barrel of sewage." What at first seemed to be just another romantised novel about werewolfs turned into a much sinister scenario. Something I hope my friends and I never have to face, to see what choices will be made and what the outcome will be.. Will they accept the gift? Will I? The lycanthrope mythology in this book gave so much to reflect upon and was an intriguing spin on the whole concept. The lead in to the dark and harrowing peak was at first tedious but after reading it made me realise that it was there so that you get a chance to know the other characters. But at what price.. A good page turning thriller that I will defnitely recommend..
February 15, 2015
I had to join this site just to leave a review as having at last finished this rubbish I am amazed it even made it into print! It is the only book I have ever read that I considered stopping.
There was no real story, no real ending and I couldn't care less about any of the characters, the writing style didn't appeal either, although I accept that at least is personal preference. It needs another book to follow on from it, but if such a book has/is written I shall still give it a miss along with any other books by Tom Fletcher.
There was no real story, no real ending and I couldn't care less about any of the characters, the writing style didn't appeal either, although I accept that at least is personal preference. It needs another book to follow on from it, but if such a book has/is written I shall still give it a miss along with any other books by Tom Fletcher.
August 20, 2010
Fantastically atmospheric and extremely realistic (yes, I know it's a werewolf book, but you know what I mean!) I was a little disappointed by the ending, but I think this is purely because the quality is so consistently high and inventive throughout the ending just fell a little flat. Don't let that put you off though - it's an excellent read. Great to see a British horror writer embracing his Britishness rather than trying to copy successful American authors.
February 5, 2012
I thought it was pretty good. Everybody gets dead. Even the good guys. The narrative is very good and it keeps you interested the whole time. It made me think what a shame, these poor bastards....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2013
Couldn't get into the story or find the main characters appealing. When I found myself wading through too much philosophical musings with no action in sight, I dumped the book in favour of something more enjoyable.
May 24, 2010
This book was a total waste of time and money.
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