What do you think?
Rate this book
Elder
They said his father would never walk again. They couldn't have been more wrong. Inside the complicated relationship between an aging father and his fifty-something son, IKE HAMILL uncovers secrets and mysteries that bring ELDER to unimaginable places. Raymond is witnessing the disintegration of his father. The man's body and mind are failing, but there's an outside chance that surgery will help him see a few more good years. With nothing to lose, Raymond makes the decision. Little does he know that he and his father will be recovering together, and their fates will be intertwined. Soon, Raymond will have to make another decision. How much will he have to sacrifice for his father's future? What debt does he owe to the man who raised him?ELDER is available in paperback or eBook.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2021
27 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Ike Hamill
54 books188 followersIke Hamill writes fast-paced horror novels with strong, relatable characters. His books have gained a steady following amongst readers who enjoy his blend of sci-fi, paranormal, occult, and suspense. Whether focused on a small family trying to survive the move to a haunted house, or following a band of angry rebels determined to withstand an apocalypse, his stories draw the reader into the lives of real people in crisis. Readers are always sad to leave the characters behind when the book is finished.
Reviewers compare Ike to Dean Koontz and Stephen King—two of his favorite authors. His narrative often jumps between interwoven stories, presenting readers with a fresh perspective and keeping them guessing until the last chapter. Most of Ike’s readers are repeat customers. Pick up one of his books to learn why.
Reviewers compare Ike to Dean Koontz and Stephen King—two of his favorite authors. His narrative often jumps between interwoven stories, presenting readers with a fresh perspective and keeping them guessing until the last chapter. Most of Ike’s readers are repeat customers. Pick up one of his books to learn why.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 4, 2021
One thing that is absolutely predictable about Ike Hamill is that his novels are unpredictable. They all have elements of science fiction, horror and or fantasy, but it is often hard to tell in the early going which genre the next one is going to be or where it it going to end up. So it is with ELDER.
The protagonist, Raymond, is a single 50-something pretty average guy with an elderly father who is in the early stages of dementia. Ray is in the process of selling his business (we never really find out that that is and it drove me nuts). His dad is living alone home somewhere in rural Maine when Ray visits and finds him in the dark in the basement with a badly broken ankle and some ancillary injuries. The house is pretty much a disgusting, stinky wreck. Ray gets his father to the hospital where the father undergoes multiple surgeries, followed by intensive rehab designed to make him able to walk again. One day after a depressing hospital visit, Ray is waking back to his car, thinking about a million other things and is promptly run over, suffering severe injuries to his right leg and ending up in the same hospital where his father was. Ray needs surgery, intensive rehab and physical therapy. So what to do with dad?
Eventually when Ray is recovered enough to at least be able get around, he brings his father home from the rehab facility where he was staying to finish his convalescence at Ray's home. These early sections of the novel capture perfectly the trials and tribulations of rehabbing from serious orthopedic surgeries and the slow, painful and incremental progress towards relearning to walk that is made by both Ray and his father. Anyone who has every had knee or ankle surgery will recognize the verisimilitude of this part of the novel.
Simultaneously, Ray has to deal with the increasing dementia of his dad, which complicates everything. Here too, anyone who has had to deal with a parent with dementia will recognize how painful, frustrating and guilt-inducing this whole ordeal is.
But this is an Ike Hamill novel so the constant reader is waiting (a fairly long time - a good 60% of the way into the novel) before thing start getting wonky. There are some red herrings along the way and some reflections back to some seemingly insignificant descriptions early on. But then slowly at first, and then faster and faster, things get weirder and weirder until this is no longer some feel good story that one might read in the "Atlantic".
No spoilers but once again Hamill goes where he has never gone before. This was a good one.
Highly Recommended.
JM Tepper
The protagonist, Raymond, is a single 50-something pretty average guy with an elderly father who is in the early stages of dementia. Ray is in the process of selling his business (we never really find out that that is and it drove me nuts). His dad is living alone home somewhere in rural Maine when Ray visits and finds him in the dark in the basement with a badly broken ankle and some ancillary injuries. The house is pretty much a disgusting, stinky wreck. Ray gets his father to the hospital where the father undergoes multiple surgeries, followed by intensive rehab designed to make him able to walk again. One day after a depressing hospital visit, Ray is waking back to his car, thinking about a million other things and is promptly run over, suffering severe injuries to his right leg and ending up in the same hospital where his father was. Ray needs surgery, intensive rehab and physical therapy. So what to do with dad?
Eventually when Ray is recovered enough to at least be able get around, he brings his father home from the rehab facility where he was staying to finish his convalescence at Ray's home. These early sections of the novel capture perfectly the trials and tribulations of rehabbing from serious orthopedic surgeries and the slow, painful and incremental progress towards relearning to walk that is made by both Ray and his father. Anyone who has every had knee or ankle surgery will recognize the verisimilitude of this part of the novel.
Simultaneously, Ray has to deal with the increasing dementia of his dad, which complicates everything. Here too, anyone who has had to deal with a parent with dementia will recognize how painful, frustrating and guilt-inducing this whole ordeal is.
But this is an Ike Hamill novel so the constant reader is waiting (a fairly long time - a good 60% of the way into the novel) before thing start getting wonky. There are some red herrings along the way and some reflections back to some seemingly insignificant descriptions early on. But then slowly at first, and then faster and faster, things get weirder and weirder until this is no longer some feel good story that one might read in the "Atlantic".
No spoilers but once again Hamill goes where he has never gone before. This was a good one.
Highly Recommended.
JM Tepper
November 17, 2021
This was an interesting novel that was scary in a different way. What do you do when a loved one needs constant help? What if you are the only one that can help, but are also having problems of your own? What if they aren`t the person they used to be anymore? Raymond`s father can no longer walk. Also, dementia is setting in. When he decides to take him in, he has an accident of his own and they are both in rough shape. What he doesn`t know is that his father has a secret and he will walk again, no matter who has to pay for it. This is a really creative and original novel.
January 9, 2024
Ike Hamill never disappoints
Up until halfway through the story, I thought this would be a philosophical look at an aging parent. I had thought about abandoning it; but curiosity got the better of me, so I finished it and was glad I did. Needless to say, things got strange and then horrific. Not all my questions were answered, and it was probably the author’s intent to leave it that way. The plot was good. I thought the characters were pretty well developed. And I could’ve used more details in the scene settings. I will continue to read this author’s works.
Up until halfway through the story, I thought this would be a philosophical look at an aging parent. I had thought about abandoning it; but curiosity got the better of me, so I finished it and was glad I did. Needless to say, things got strange and then horrific. Not all my questions were answered, and it was probably the author’s intent to leave it that way. The plot was good. I thought the characters were pretty well developed. And I could’ve used more details in the scene settings. I will continue to read this author’s works.
October 16, 2022
Giving too much
This was Ike's most autobiographical book, for sure. I can relate, because I am caring for my Dad. Even if there had been NO supernatural aspect to this story, it was a good, honest treatment of caregiving. There IS an element of "energy vampire" in it, a "giving too much", a weakening - and a resistance to being "used", or more accurately, "used up" by another person. Bravo, Ike.
This was Ike's most autobiographical book, for sure. I can relate, because I am caring for my Dad. Even if there had been NO supernatural aspect to this story, it was a good, honest treatment of caregiving. There IS an element of "energy vampire" in it, a "giving too much", a weakening - and a resistance to being "used", or more accurately, "used up" by another person. Bravo, Ike.
January 18, 2022
No vampires! TG..
Not disappointed. I'm glad it wasn't about vampires again. Like keeps your mind spinning. There is just no way in the world to predict where he's going to go in a story. The only thing that is predictable is that 98% of the time it'll be a wild ride.
Not disappointed. I'm glad it wasn't about vampires again. Like keeps your mind spinning. There is just no way in the world to predict where he's going to go in a story. The only thing that is predictable is that 98% of the time it'll be a wild ride.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews