The Omen Tree

by Fredrick Niles

A sleepy town. A missing person. A strange figure lurking in the woods. The small town of Poplar is a quiet, comfortable, and respectable place to raise children. The neighbors are decent and the seasons are beautiful. All is well until the night young Ian Whelan glimpses something moving around in his backyard. Then everything begins to change. Lies are exposed, bodies are uncovered, and a well-hidden killer is finally dragged out into the light. Slowly, the stark reality of what's been going on in the gloomy woods and musty basements of Poplar is realized, and this revelation will leave a pile of bodies in its destructive wake. From the author of Ash Above, Snow Below comes a poignant meditation on how we confront the monsters of our childhood. Equal parts grim and adventurous, The Omen Tree features a variety of adventurous outcasts and deviant rogues that will capture your heart one moment and darken it the next.

Genres: Horror

284 pages, Paperback

Published April 10, 2020

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started very strong. Three children hunting a monster, a mysterious cult ("the elders") secretly watch what's going on in town, an ancient evil and an elderly serial killer (living next door) on a killing spree. Pretty much action for one book. But the fascinating coming of age tale (especially Ella was really well carved) that reminded me a bit on IT soon got mixed up with the story of the serial killer and the ancient evil. Could have been compelling but became very tedious and dragging at parts. Somehow the author lost a bit focus and punch on the story line. That was sad. Otherwise this could have been the hell of a horror story. So it was okay. Nothing too special after such a promising opening! Fascinating cover though.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small town coming of age novel packed with secrets and folklore.

A young girl disappears and strange figures lurk in the woods of the small town of Polar. The search for answers falls on three young teens; armed only with sharpened sticks and a staple gun. Ancient folklore and small town secrets conspire against them in their quest. But does one of their own know more than they share?

As with most coming of age stories, the first half is devoted to character building which are well rounded - the childish of the group given a voice reflective of their perspectives while Ella, who has endured suffering in her short life, is guarded, angry and less than wholesome with the truth. This truth evades the reader, but positions nicely for a potential sequel.

The cover of The Omen Tree by Fredrick Niles shows three children, armed with sticks, walking through a snowy and darkened wood.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author and happy to leave my reveiw.
Despite some questions I have about some of the background details and this not being my usual genre I found this book grabbed my interest fairly quickly. The writing was well done and had just enough foreshadowing to both keep the reader on edge and give hope. I really enjoyed how each person was linked into the story. Graphic but more evocative images than outright gore or lengthy abuse scenes.

[Kelsey Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the story was well written, but it ends on more cliffhangers than answers... especially in the epilogue. Is there a second book? The first two thirds of the book focuses on main characters and evil... but then spirals out of control and introduces almost too many new horrors, unless of course, it was leading us to a second book.

[Claudette Bigby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange ending

This was a great book. About the snake people all along. Good for Ella shooting the serial killer &she knew alk about the snakes but didn't explain it to us.

[Marissa Kallaugher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sucked me in from the beginning, but the ending left me with more questions than answers

[Seth Voorhees · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, well written and creative

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was hard to get through. I think the structure of a good book is there but I found it boring.

[Jennifer Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well fleshed our characters, edited well, and a story that draws you in quickly. I think I smell a sequel or a series here. 100% worth every penny and minute.