What do you think?
Rate this book
Dandelion
Reverend Deacon Elder does the Lord's work in his own unique way. A former marine with the ability to detect and cast out demons, Deke goes where the need--and the evil--is greatest.
After receiving a terrifying warning of a botched exorcism, Deke shows up in Somerton, Tennessee, ready for battle. The demon possessing sixteen-year-old Carlyss Bolerjack had only partially been driven out, and Deke must convince a traumatized Carlyss to submit to a second exorcism.
But there's more than one demon in Somerton. A powerful evil going by the name Dandelion has sunk its claws into Linda Scote, the local mean girl who was more than willing to invite the demon in.
As Deke tries to save both women, he's opposed by both a bogus tent-revival evangelist and Linda's slacker cousin, who may harbor his own demon. He's helped by Carlyss's social worker, who draws the line at believing in true evil, and another minister who's seen demons up close. But what part is played by the giant twenty-four-hour TLC-Mart outside of town, which hides its own sinister secret behind bright lights and insipid jingles?
After receiving a terrifying warning of a botched exorcism, Deke shows up in Somerton, Tennessee, ready for battle. The demon possessing sixteen-year-old Carlyss Bolerjack had only partially been driven out, and Deke must convince a traumatized Carlyss to submit to a second exorcism.
But there's more than one demon in Somerton. A powerful evil going by the name Dandelion has sunk its claws into Linda Scote, the local mean girl who was more than willing to invite the demon in.
As Deke tries to save both women, he's opposed by both a bogus tent-revival evangelist and Linda's slacker cousin, who may harbor his own demon. He's helped by Carlyss's social worker, who draws the line at believing in true evil, and another minister who's seen demons up close. But what part is played by the giant twenty-four-hour TLC-Mart outside of town, which hides its own sinister secret behind bright lights and insipid jingles?
9 pages, Audible Audio
First published September 27, 2022
3 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Alex Bledsoe
68 books796 followersI grew up in west Tennessee an hour north of Graceland (home of Elvis) and twenty minutes from Nutbush (home of Tina Turner). I've been a reporter, editor, photographer and door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. I now live in a big yellow house in Wisconsin, write before six in the morning and try to teach my two kids to act like they've been to town before.
I write the Tufa novels (The Hum and the Shiver, Wisp of a Thing, Long Black Curl and Chapel of Ease), as well as the Eddie LaCrosse series (The Sword-Edged Blonde, Burn Me Deadly, Dark Jenny, Wake of the Bloody Angel and He Drank, and Saw the Spider). the Firefly Witch ebook chapbooks, and two "vampsloitation" novels set in 1975 Memphis (Blood Groove and The Girls with Games of Blood).
I write the Tufa novels (The Hum and the Shiver, Wisp of a Thing, Long Black Curl and Chapel of Ease), as well as the Eddie LaCrosse series (The Sword-Edged Blonde, Burn Me Deadly, Dark Jenny, Wake of the Bloody Angel and He Drank, and Saw the Spider). the Firefly Witch ebook chapbooks, and two "vampsloitation" novels set in 1975 Memphis (Blood Groove and The Girls with Games of Blood).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 6, 2022
Tremendously effective possession story, taking place in a small town in West Tennessee. Bledsoe has always had a strong ear for dialog, and his ability to write the warts of Southern life without lapsing into parody is in full force here.
The story is creepy too the point of being unsettling, and I there were a couple of nice curveballs thrown in for good measure.
I recommend this one....
The story is creepy too the point of being unsettling, and I there were a couple of nice curveballs thrown in for good measure.
I recommend this one....
May 22, 2025
As a proud GenX-er, reading this felt like when I used to sneak Stephen King and other “inappropriate” paperbacks as a kid. Except now I’m allowed to read books with swearing and sex, and this one is updated for a new generation with Big Box store madness, modern day mean girls and frothy religious revivals.
January 3, 2023
This was an entertaining read. Sex, demons, dark humor, and rednecks. Like the Exorcist meets Wal-Mart. Was this guy ever a ghost writer for Stephen King? Apparently he went to my alma mater, in Tennessee, so that explains some of it.
April 12, 2023
Excellent horror
Well, this was certainly disturbing - as all good horror should be! Demonic possession with a Southern twist. Some imagery that has haunted me since I started reading this book, and that will likely remain for a while. Bledsoe can certainly turn a phrase in a memorable way!
Well, this was certainly disturbing - as all good horror should be! Demonic possession with a Southern twist. Some imagery that has haunted me since I started reading this book, and that will likely remain for a while. Bledsoe can certainly turn a phrase in a memorable way!
May 10, 2023
Fun read. Love the author's take on demonic possession. The story is dark and gritty, with moments of humor and social commentary. Character's are fun, funny, likable and in some cases creepy and detestable. Most of all they are distinct and the plight engaging. A couple of wild and innovative scenes, some moments to make you squirm, with only implied gore. Will recommend and read more from Alex Bledsoe.
October 21, 2022
Alex Bledsoe is one of my favorite writers. Guy knows his way around some tasty, easy-to-digest prose. In "Dandelion," Bledsoe puts his considerable gifts with words to work on the interesting and horrible idea of demonic possession.
In the end, I think the fear of possession comes from the idea of losing control. If I were looking for a theme in this book, I'd say it was control. The idea that something inhabits us and causes us to lose control of our minds, of our bodies--that's is terror right there. Demons just a convenient idea that represents that loss of control, and this book uses those ideas to great effect.
TLC Mart (which is basically an amalgam of Walmart) is the center of demonic activity in the book. The department store giant comes to the sleepy town of Somerton and pretty soon, it kills off the rest of the town. Where once the town controlled its own destiny, now they hand that destiny over to TLC Mart. The teenagers in the book whom the demons prey upon are the embodiment of the struggle for control. Teenagers in general want to be seen as adults, in control of their own lives, but they're still kids, prone to doing stupid kid things, which often includes losing control (even without demonic assistance) in ways that manifest as cruelty. Cruelty is often the lowest form of control. It's a method used by small minds to wrench back a modicum of the feeling of control, and the more it harms someone else, the more control they feel. The men in the book are often controlled by women because the promise of sex is a strong currency of control. Knowledge can be a unit of control, and the knowledge of good and evil, or the knowledge of unspoken truths control others. Even the themes of religion manifest as control, like the charlatan preacher Brother Knode controlling his revival meetings as a well-orchestrated stage show to separate the gullible of the town from their money in much the same way that large-scale megachurches and their charlatan pastors prey upon the gullible in modern society--"Salvation is free--but to get there will cost you cash."
Control is a powerful motivation, and it's a powerful source of fear. We all crave control and fear the loss of it. This novel uses that fear as its root and makes you worry about the darkness that might be unnoticed in our neighbors. In a horror novel that takes a painful look at dying southern towns and the cruelty people visit upon each other, Alex Bledsoe controls a tight, terrifying narrative that walks a fine line between southern noir and a classic tale of demonic possession. It is a book that opens with a bang and doesn't let up until the horrifying, chilling end.
In the end, I think the fear of possession comes from the idea of losing control. If I were looking for a theme in this book, I'd say it was control. The idea that something inhabits us and causes us to lose control of our minds, of our bodies--that's is terror right there. Demons just a convenient idea that represents that loss of control, and this book uses those ideas to great effect.
TLC Mart (which is basically an amalgam of Walmart) is the center of demonic activity in the book. The department store giant comes to the sleepy town of Somerton and pretty soon, it kills off the rest of the town. Where once the town controlled its own destiny, now they hand that destiny over to TLC Mart. The teenagers in the book whom the demons prey upon are the embodiment of the struggle for control. Teenagers in general want to be seen as adults, in control of their own lives, but they're still kids, prone to doing stupid kid things, which often includes losing control (even without demonic assistance) in ways that manifest as cruelty. Cruelty is often the lowest form of control. It's a method used by small minds to wrench back a modicum of the feeling of control, and the more it harms someone else, the more control they feel. The men in the book are often controlled by women because the promise of sex is a strong currency of control. Knowledge can be a unit of control, and the knowledge of good and evil, or the knowledge of unspoken truths control others. Even the themes of religion manifest as control, like the charlatan preacher Brother Knode controlling his revival meetings as a well-orchestrated stage show to separate the gullible of the town from their money in much the same way that large-scale megachurches and their charlatan pastors prey upon the gullible in modern society--"Salvation is free--but to get there will cost you cash."
Control is a powerful motivation, and it's a powerful source of fear. We all crave control and fear the loss of it. This novel uses that fear as its root and makes you worry about the darkness that might be unnoticed in our neighbors. In a horror novel that takes a painful look at dying southern towns and the cruelty people visit upon each other, Alex Bledsoe controls a tight, terrifying narrative that walks a fine line between southern noir and a classic tale of demonic possession. It is a book that opens with a bang and doesn't let up until the horrifying, chilling end.
December 9, 2022
You won't regret listening to this hair raising story. There's no better combination than a story written by Alex Bledsoe narrated by Stefan Rudnicki!
November 17, 2022
I read the novel, not the audiobook. Anyway! Brand new book by the author of the Tufa series, which I liked quite a lot (the final book was disappointing, but that's another story). THIS book was nothing like the Tufa novel - it is a horror story, very reminiscent of early Stephen King (think Christine, or Salem's Lot). Character creation, dialogue, story arc are all excellently executued. Knowing that the author is from Tennessee, and having lived myself in the deep South for a couple of years before returning to the midwest (Wisconsin), AND knowing that the author now also lives in Wisconsin, made his presentation of religion and big-box consumerism really, really interesting - and relatable. The reason I didn't give it that 5th star is because there were just too many times where the horror and gore and religious fervor demonic presentations were over the top, and unnecessarily awful. Again, reminiscent of early Stephen King (and I grew up reading those novels...what were my parents thinking??). So, beware.
July 27, 2025
3.5, though it's a 4 or 4.5 until the ending.
Bledsoe's good at capturing the sad, wornout side of the south, like the slowly dying town here where a big box store has sucked out the life from the local economy. On top of which there's demonic possession. Carlyss is a teen with a demon on her back; Haven's the psychiatrist trying to treat her; Deacon Elder practices "deliverance" (Protestant exorcism); and something evil called Dandelion is coming.
Both the setting and the supernatural stuff build slowly and gradually through the book ... which makes the urban fantasy-style, demon-fighting, spectacular climax very jarring. Plus it involves a literal deus ex machina and too much setting up for Book Two.
Bentley Little's The Store did a better job with the "Wal-Mart Is Satanic" concept.
Bledsoe's good at capturing the sad, wornout side of the south, like the slowly dying town here where a big box store has sucked out the life from the local economy. On top of which there's demonic possession. Carlyss is a teen with a demon on her back; Haven's the psychiatrist trying to treat her; Deacon Elder practices "deliverance" (Protestant exorcism); and something evil called Dandelion is coming.
Both the setting and the supernatural stuff build slowly and gradually through the book ... which makes the urban fantasy-style, demon-fighting, spectacular climax very jarring. Plus it involves a literal deus ex machina and too much setting up for Book Two.
Bentley Little's The Store did a better job with the "Wal-Mart Is Satanic" concept.
October 15, 2022
I enjoyed this one. It was an exorcism genre type book but not following the Catholic traditions. There was plenty of tent revivals/ evangelical preachers and demons aplenty. The ending felt a bit rushed and needed a good dose of suspension of disbelief. The author does come across as a little heavy handed in the constant references to characters race and the descriptions themselves are extremely stereotypical. I chose to just go with it and enjoyed the story despite this. Will I read this author again? Probably.
Would I recommend this title? Probably...with a disclaimer in regards to the overt portrayal of characters as their race first ( and sometimes only) development.
Would I recommend this title? Probably...with a disclaimer in regards to the overt portrayal of characters as their race first ( and sometimes only) development.
November 17, 2022
I've really enjoyed Alex Bledsoe's books, but I don't like this one as much as the Tufa novels or the Eddie Lacrosse novels. It definitely has Bledsoe's trademark humor, and the premise of a demon-riddled version of Walmart resonates with me. I'm not sure why, but it just didn't enthrall me like usual. However, I still enjoyed the characters, fast-paced plot, and satisfying yet open-ended conclusion. Will there be more Deacon Elder books in the future? I think that would be fun.
November 28, 2022
I just finished this and holy shit.
I'm not normally interested in demonic possession books, because I don't believe in demonic possession. Or, at least, I didn't used to.
Bledsoe makes these people seem so real. It's a gradual process of him drawing you in, until you can't quite put it down. No spoilers, but anyone who enjoys a chilling horror, or enjoys Alex Bledsoe books, even the fairy ones, I think will really enjoy this tale.
I'm not normally interested in demonic possession books, because I don't believe in demonic possession. Or, at least, I didn't used to.
Bledsoe makes these people seem so real. It's a gradual process of him drawing you in, until you can't quite put it down. No spoilers, but anyone who enjoys a chilling horror, or enjoys Alex Bledsoe books, even the fairy ones, I think will really enjoy this tale.
July 22, 2024
I'm not the only one who pictured Walmart when reading about the TLC-Mart, right? :D They might not have the jingles, but still....
For the most part I enjoyed this tale of demonic possession in Somerton, Tennessee.
I didn't like the ending though. I think it could have done without that chapter with what I would call a cabal.
For the most part I enjoyed this tale of demonic possession in Somerton, Tennessee.
I didn't like the ending though. I think it could have done without that chapter with what I would call a cabal.
January 5, 2023
Wow, what a great read! I've read all of Alex's books, and this one has a definite Stephen King vibe. It drips with sweaty, deep-south imagery, with a small, dying town as the backdrop for a battle between love and fear. I highly recommend it.
December 28, 2023
If you would like to read a great book on possession this is the one. It incorporates familiar ideas and almost familiar places that makes you think “Man! I have thought the same things.” I loved the way the author put this book together.
January 22, 2024
This is an interesting possession horror novel. I bought it because of the cool and creepy cover. The TLC Mart is obviously a stand in for the WalMart, and having it be a place of demonic activity is a clever concept.
March 11, 2024
Fast paced, possession tale without any room for a breather!
Listened to this on Audible and absolutely loved it. Fantastic narration really brought the book to life. Completed book over 24hr period!
A must for any possession horror fan!
Listened to this on Audible and absolutely loved it. Fantastic narration really brought the book to life. Completed book over 24hr period!
A must for any possession horror fan!
September 17, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the narrator. It was creepy as it was funny. Linda was such a nasty villain. And Deacon was such a flawed but likable protagonist. This has everything a fan of possession horror wants and more. Definitely would recommend.
December 15, 2022
Scary..... Good!
March 12, 2023
It's got humor AND horror! With social commentary thrown into the mix. A fun read!
March 3, 2024
Great to see Alex Bledsoe publishing again, after years of IRL complications...
This was a creepy horror story with potential for sequels... but decent standalone for now...
This was a creepy horror story with potential for sequels... but decent standalone for now...
April 12, 2024
Felt like if the Exorcist was written by Chuck Wendig. Really enjoyed it.
November 22, 2024
I loved it, Five Stars and all that jazz. But it’s left me stuck on 2 things.
Behind the fantasy of the narrative is a very accurate and scathing portrayal of the rural south in which I grew up, complete with its hypocrisy and deeply rooted misogyny and bigotry. I could see the scenes set in my hometown as easily as the fictional town in Tennessee. Frankly, this could be any town in “‘Murica”, north or south, east or west.
On top of that mostly unflattering portraits is serious thought and commentary on the nature of good vs evil and on the meaning of true faith and the nature of God. In chapter 23, Deacon Elder quotes from Corinthians “… these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” This sets firmly the point from which good, and therefore God, comes. According to Deacon, love, especially sacrificial love, is the way we exert God’s power in the world. I think he’s right.
Read this book.
Behind the fantasy of the narrative is a very accurate and scathing portrayal of the rural south in which I grew up, complete with its hypocrisy and deeply rooted misogyny and bigotry. I could see the scenes set in my hometown as easily as the fictional town in Tennessee. Frankly, this could be any town in “‘Murica”, north or south, east or west.
On top of that mostly unflattering portraits is serious thought and commentary on the nature of good vs evil and on the meaning of true faith and the nature of God. In chapter 23, Deacon Elder quotes from Corinthians “… these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” This sets firmly the point from which good, and therefore God, comes. According to Deacon, love, especially sacrificial love, is the way we exert God’s power in the world. I think he’s right.
Read this book.
January 10, 2025
Almost put it down on the beginning but stuck with it because I love the author. After the initial hump I ended up really enjoying this. End was a bit bizarre but this was definitely the right way to write a possession book (as in better then MBFE).
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews