Back From The Dead

by J.F. Gonzalez

Tim Gaines was the town pariah. Mocked and teased continuously since he was in the sixth grade, he approaches his senior year of high school with a sense of cautious trepidation. Years before, when he was in the sixth grade, a group of boys led by Scott Bradfield—a popular, well-liked kid from well-to-do parents—spread a vicious rumor that he was a devil-worshipper. The rumor stuck, and is believed by most of the students and even a few of the teachers and administrators. It's a rumor Tim can't beat, and one he sometimes feels he's brought on to himself due to his love of horror novels and movies. Now Tim has become friends with a loose-knit group of kids who have also become social outcasts thanks to other rumors spread about them by the student elite. With their mutual support, Tim has begun to come out of his shell. He's going out with them, being invited to parties, and even begins to have a romantic interest in a girl, something he never thought would happen to him in high school. But all that will change when Scott Bradfield and his friends set their sights on Tim again. Only this time, they need his help. Like most of the student body of Spring Valley High School, they sincerely believe Tim Gaines is a devil-worshipper. And they believe he has a dark power. Now they want to use him and that power for their own sinister plight... ...To bring back the dead homeless man they'd kidnapped and brutally beaten to a pulp in the guesthouse that resides on the Bradfield residence. They want him brought back not because they're scared of getting caught for his murder, but so they can savagely beat and murder him again... ...and again...

Genres: Horror, Zombies, Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2011

About the author

Jesus F. Gonzalez was an American author, primarily of horror fiction (writing under the pseudonym J. F. Gonzalez). He has written many notable novels and has done collaborations with Bram Stoker Award winners Mike Oliveri and Brian Keene. His novel Survivor has been optioned for film.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

While arguably most known for his hardcore horror gorefest, SURVIVOR, or helming the cult classic series, CLICKERS, the late JF Gonzalez really shines in this novel, which was recently republished from Midnight Library.

Teenage outcast Tim Gaines loves horror novels and films, and because of this has been targeted by bullies for years. But when a group of students from the wealthy elite in town decide to finally appear to accept him, and bury the hatchet, Tim is obviously reluctant...but hopeful. Things have begun to turn around for him, new friends and even a girlfriend come into his life.

However that all comes to an end when Tim is approached by one of his former bullies, asking for his help. Because they've done something terrible, something they now claim was his fault. And promise that worse horrors than mere bullying will come to him and the ones he love...

While I've enjoyed everything he's written, this novel may be my favorite. Stark and gruesome with not so subtle social commentary, this is JF Gonzalez at his horrific best.

Highly recommended!

[Karl]

This is copy L of 22 Lettered copies.

[Ms. Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

****SPOILERS****



Odd chick out. This was just a meh read, bordering on 'I didn't like it.' The main character, Tim, was hated on for being goth to the point of ridiculousness. He was blamed for everything 'bad' that happened in the town that the jocks/ bullies actually did, including the making of zombies which I thought was going to creep me out. Instead, I got teens who wanted someone to beat on longer before they died so, they said a spell and made the undead. There was way too much dialogue in this story that was plain filler. It did nothing but add on to the length of this novel. I was never invested enough in the story to care about the outcome of the characters which made this read: Not For Me. And to be honest; I don't see myself picking up anything else by this author although I already have Clickers.

[Justin]

Ok, at 55% I'm ready to move this to my "gave up on" folder and call it quits. The reason being that it is so stupidly unbelievable and nothing makes any sense. Now I know it is about reanimating dead body's and not supposed to be believable but that's not what I'm referring to. Here is the basic premise of the book. Seven years ago tim gains was assaulted by a group of bullies. His family called the police but the bullies rich parents threatened a law suit that even if Tim's family won would bankrupt them so they are forced to drop it. Pissed off, the bullies start spreading rumors that tim is a devil worshipping practitioner of witchcraft and Tim became the town outcast. Then awhile later the boys decide they want to start killing people but kidnapping them is to risky and get the bright idea to ask tim, the local devil worshipper for advise on making a zombie so they can just kill it over and over. despite the fact they themselves started all the rumors, they believe that he can do it. The rest of the book up to the point I am at now is mildly entertaining but mostly boring and full of more foolishness, still I suck with it up until now. I need a spoiler tag to tell why I finally gave up on it, if you haven't read it yet I guess this is the end of the review and my final words are don't waste your time. Here is the 55% spoiler so, one of the bullies just told tim everything and says that he wants to show him dead bodies on Scott's property tonight to prove he is telling the truth but if Tim tells on him he will say tim did it and he buried part of a body on his property so they will believe him. Tim decides not to tell the police because they might not believe him. Seriously? He thinks that finding dead body's on Scott's property won't be enough to convince the police? And he is worried that if it isn't true the police will what? Find part of a body that they didn't actually kill on his property and blame him for something that didn't happen? I hate books that the main protagonist should clearly go to the police but don't and try to come up with some bullshit reason why not that don't make any sense at all. This entire book don't make any sense and I'm done with it.

[Adam Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back From the Dead is a zombie novel, if you didn’t get that from the title. More specifically, it is a very good zombie novel by J. F. Gonzalez. It is a little similar to Wrath James White’s The Resurrectionist, but only slightly. The book reminded me a bit of John Saul’s novels since it envolves high school kids. Have of the main ones are the bullies who, although loved by the townsfolk, are becoming steadily more and more dangerous and insane. The other main kids are outcasts do to their love of horror fiction and because of the terrible way false accusations follow students all the way through school. When you read the book, you can really tell how much contempt Gonzalez has for people who make life difficult for horror readers and writers. Tim, the main protagonist, should be very likeable to anyone who even knows of J. F. Gonzalez and his novels and it is this connection with the high school outcast that made me really get into this book. Some of the things that Tim goes through (both before the main time of the plot and in the past) are aweful to say the least, but I expect nothing less from the author of Survivor. I also enjoyed how Gonzalez named two of his police officers Officer Clapton and Officer Walsh. Little things like that are interesting to me as long as it isn’t overdone. The book is also a bit like Strand’s Pressure and Crouch’s Desert Places because of blackmail and things spiraling out of control, but like I said before, Gonzalez has written a nice new addition to the massive library of zombie novels and I think most horror fans would enjoy it. As usual, the ending is the most memorable part of the book and horror fans who like the shocker endings will love it as well.

[Mike Kazmierczak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was a pleasant surprise on multiple fronts. It did not end up going where I thought it would. And rather than being a straight forward single topic horror story, it was a very well executed blend of multiple horror genres into a single solid novel.

Tim Gaines is a social outcast at his school. His love of horror novels and movies has gotten him labeled as a devil worshiper; in the ultra-conservative town where he is living, this guarantees his outcast status and very few friends. He's finally turned the corner and starting to get a social life. At the same time, the school bullies have been upping their violent streak outside of school, a streak that has reached a point where someone has died. Tim is viewed as their solution since as a devil worshiper, he can bring the dead back to life. A ridiculous idea, until it happens.

As I mentioned before, the blend of genres is worked into the story beautifully. It is part revenge on school bullies, part evil from the past coming back to be righted, part zombie. The story veers in directions that are unexpected but very enjoyable. There are a few points where credibility is extra stretched but nothing crazy. Any story that brings someone back from the dead will do that. It all worked together very nicely and resulted in a novel that I would happily recommend.

[Paul Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the five novels I've now read by J.F. Gonzalez, this is currently my hands-down favorite, and I think it’s absolutely some of his best work! While the exposition rambles a bit at times the overall narrative is extremely well done; the plot is superbly crafted, the characters have depth and are quite intriguing, the action is phenomenal, and the ending, though absolutely heart-wrenching, is brilliantly handled! On a side note, the introduction by Mike Lombardo may have left me a bit misty-eyed as well.

[Chuck Rios · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a J. F. Gonzalez fan since I read the first Clickers novel. His writing is sharp and full of mean, lean kick ass prose, which is why he paired so well when he collaborated with Brian Keene. In this novel, available from Dark Fuse dot com, his imagination flies and he never pulls a punch.

BACK FROM THE DEAD is a zombie story about resurrection, youthful rage and being an outcast. There are also strong themes of isolation and deceit sprinkled throughout this novel. My favorite part of this book was the black magic aspect that lent a nice twist to the already stale zombie genre.

Set in Pennsylvania, a group of teens get their kicks from beating the crap out of people. These kids are tops in their class, seem nice to the public and everyone never suspects a thing. The teens get a rush from the action of their sadistic game until things go horribly wrong. That’s when they need a little help from a boy they used to bully around, Tim Gaines.

The stories protagonist is Tim Gaines. He’s a ridiculed teenager who is shunned by the community for his love of all things horror (movies, music, books, ect). He is also fighting a rumor that he just can’t shake. The town thinks that he worshiped the devil and is just no good but it’s far from the truth. Tim Gaines gets caught up in this band of teens and slowly the story develops into Tim coming out of his hermetically shy shell and onto the action stage. But the group of teens just want to use him, and use a ritual from Tim’s factious horror novel, aptly names BACK FROM THE DEAD, to raise the dead and make a zombie slave of sorts. They want to bring the man they murdered back to life only to kill him, again and again.

Brutal!

But Gonzalez doesn’t let it happen that easy. There is also a strong element of love and longing within that caught me off guard. All in all, it was a great story and if you dig the monster’s back from the dead scenario like I do, this is a must read.

Although BACK FROM THE DEAD reminds me of Wrath James White’s THE RESSURECTONIST, other that the themes of resurrection and the killing over and over again, the similarities end. BACK FROM THE DEAD started off a little slow but believe me, stick with it because a quarter into the book, it turns into a page burner till the climactic and shocking end.

And I never saw it coming.