What do you think?
Rate this book
White Tribe
An earthquake in Northern California casts an unlikely band of survivors together in a church in Mendocino. Amongst the turmoil and struggles, they encounter something another survivor—one who has returned, one who is seeking. This novel journeys through a world that is all too real and yet visionary at the same time.
- GenresHorror
100 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2006
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 1, 2008
To the authors out there that I am about to rip – I love you. I just don’t love your recent publications. And as much as I’d like to say it’s me, not you… Well, it is you, not me. What is about to unfold has nothing at all to do with my menstrual cycle, the weather, or my repressed anger. I had hope for you all. I did. I, in fact, ran to you for comfort, for peace of mind, for a breath of fresh air. And the first person I ran towards was a man I knew could never disappoint me…
Those hopes? Yeah, dashed. I wanted to gush and squeal over Mr. O’Neill’s latest novella. I really did. But after ten pages into it, I realized that love – or in this case, admiration – would be futile. So, after I settled for likeability, I read in stride. And let me tell you people, that path is littered with angry curses and blatant public defacement. I hold no accountability, as it was the direct result of a book that should have been at least two hundred pages longer. The rumor that he is currently working on that very problem does nothing for my disconcertment.
With a gratuitous lesbian make-out session, the token misunderstood Japanese criminal, the heroic cop that really is just a tool, and a setting that lacked any and all personality, the story is considerably lacking. In fact, I’ve seen better storylines with worthier characters watching USA’s Up All Night. Now, while the execution of the story was flaccid and the cast one-dimensional, the outline itself was interesting. I’d actually be tempted to read the novel, should it be released. So, Mr. O’Neill earns himself a point right there. But only one.
As far as pace and atmosphere, Mr. O’Neill dismissed them immediately after the third page. Rather than work in the history and folklore that helped materialize the events that were unfolding, he kept it separate and inserted it between character perspectives. Had he worked it into the story itself, rather than leave it factual and disconnected, it would have moved the story along faster and maybe even accomplished to create some ambience. Yet another example of show, don’t tell.
My rating? I give it 2. Although Mr. O’Neill set out to thrill readers, it most definitely came up wanting, but I still have to give the man credit for an original idea and, though misplaced, intriguing elements. My advice? Unless you can borrow it from a friend, save your money and wait for the novel.
-As posted on Horror-Web.com
Those hopes? Yeah, dashed. I wanted to gush and squeal over Mr. O’Neill’s latest novella. I really did. But after ten pages into it, I realized that love – or in this case, admiration – would be futile. So, after I settled for likeability, I read in stride. And let me tell you people, that path is littered with angry curses and blatant public defacement. I hold no accountability, as it was the direct result of a book that should have been at least two hundred pages longer. The rumor that he is currently working on that very problem does nothing for my disconcertment.
With a gratuitous lesbian make-out session, the token misunderstood Japanese criminal, the heroic cop that really is just a tool, and a setting that lacked any and all personality, the story is considerably lacking. In fact, I’ve seen better storylines with worthier characters watching USA’s Up All Night. Now, while the execution of the story was flaccid and the cast one-dimensional, the outline itself was interesting. I’d actually be tempted to read the novel, should it be released. So, Mr. O’Neill earns himself a point right there. But only one.
As far as pace and atmosphere, Mr. O’Neill dismissed them immediately after the third page. Rather than work in the history and folklore that helped materialize the events that were unfolding, he kept it separate and inserted it between character perspectives. Had he worked it into the story itself, rather than leave it factual and disconnected, it would have moved the story along faster and maybe even accomplished to create some ambience. Yet another example of show, don’t tell.
My rating? I give it 2. Although Mr. O’Neill set out to thrill readers, it most definitely came up wanting, but I still have to give the man credit for an original idea and, though misplaced, intriguing elements. My advice? Unless you can borrow it from a friend, save your money and wait for the novel.
-As posted on Horror-Web.com
December 11, 2009
Gene O'Neill, White Tribe (Dimensions, 2006)
Novella-length piece from O'Neill (the “about the author” bit says he's turning this into a full-length novel) about an Indian legend awakened from its deep sleep and the rural coastal town it terrorizes. The length is its biggest problem, and I'm hoping that a full-sized novel will get us farther into the lives and motivations of these characters (as well as giving us a bunch more minor characters for said creature to gobble up); what we have here is outlines of characters and the occasional skeleton. It's enough to make me want more, but as it stands, it's not complete yet. If you look at this as a teaser for the hopefully-forthcoming novel-length version, it does its job quite well, but as a finished piece, it feels incomplete. ***
Novella-length piece from O'Neill (the “about the author” bit says he's turning this into a full-length novel) about an Indian legend awakened from its deep sleep and the rural coastal town it terrorizes. The length is its biggest problem, and I'm hoping that a full-sized novel will get us farther into the lives and motivations of these characters (as well as giving us a bunch more minor characters for said creature to gobble up); what we have here is outlines of characters and the occasional skeleton. It's enough to make me want more, but as it stands, it's not complete yet. If you look at this as a teaser for the hopefully-forthcoming novel-length version, it does its job quite well, but as a finished piece, it feels incomplete. ***
Want to Read
February 27, 2015This copy is signed by Mr. O'Neill.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews