The Abandoned

I am one of the trapped souls listed in the early part of the book along with several hundred other trapped souls. So, needless to say I highly recommend reading Douglas Clegg's masterpiece of horror fiction.

This book was so wierd I had to review it. Not because it's a "keeper" per se, but because it was just so... wierd. It's about a town that has a big manor/mansion house that everyone's afraid of. A wild teen party gets out of hand one night, and the kids there find a little boy hanging in the cemetary, his insides, well, they're no longer inside. That kid's death unleashes the house to all the evil it's been caging. The evil rampages through the town killing people in the most gruesome ways. This was true horror. I found myself rereading parts to make certain I hadn't imagined what Clegg imagined. Turns out I hadn't. They were just as gory the second and third time I read them.

Doug Clegg's new novel of Harrow House is a welcome addition to his own dark mythology. He digs deep into the minds, language, and culture of marginalized youth, of the nightmare of small towns and the way they isolate those who stray from the norm. Without giving away any spoilers, this is a tale steeped in Grue and darkness, unapologetic as it digs beneath the skin, and moves quckly from invasion to paranoia, to apocalyptic destruction reminiscent of Stephen King's "Needful Things." In the end it is not Harrow House that is haunted, but the characters who gaze into the mirror at the truths of who they really are. While some of the characters are less fully realized than in his other novels, notably his amazing novel "The Hour after Dark," "The Abandoned" continues to break convention in the haunted house tale. I'm eagerly looking forward to his next novel, a significant departure into a medieval fantasy world populated by Vampires --"The Priest of Blood," to which Publishers Weekly has given amazing praise and a starred review. (four stars)

Dreams have often been an obssession for horror authors. After all, in dreams we find nightmares. Clegg, in his new and probably last Harrow story, deals with dreams and nightmare, and with unbeliveable terrors. This is not the typical Clegg book. It is more violent, more action-oriented and less complicated plot-wise. And I have to admit that I had troubles with the book at first, but as I read along, I suddenly realised that the story had been able to steal me away and terrify me. Welcome to Watch Point, the small town that has already appeared in previous Clegg novels. It is in Watch Point that we find Harrow, the haunted mansion that starred in The Infinite, Mischief and Nightmare House. Only this time, Harrow wants revenge. It wants to be alive and it will take every life it needs in order to do so. Soon enough, Watch Point becomes a source of terror. Everyone, it seems, is either turning insane or caught in a very deep sleep. Only a few unlucky souls are spared to witness the terrors all around them. Young children kill adults, animals become wild and violent beasts, and neighbours that had once been friendly are now feeling a thirst for death and murder. Everyone seems to be in a daze as the house controls their every action, and the few survivors are left to witness the horrors created by the people they once knew. Can you imagine killing your brother or sister? This is the kind of plot twist this novel offers. When you pick up a Clegg novel, you just know that it will be well written and that the suspense will build towards an amazing finale. And on those points, The Abandoned does not disappoint. But the book's biggest flaw is that in never really gives us characters to care for. The book is close to 400 pages long, and it's first half is used to describe the mayhem and violence taking place in Watch Point. By the time you know who the story's heroes are, it's a bit late to really care for them. Although you still want to know what happens next, this isn't a book about characters. It's all about suspense and terror. And there was this one character that had hero potential, but he is discarded much too quickly. Like Stephen King's Needful Things, this is one book that dares to take a city and completely destroy it within the span of its narrative. Some moments are shocking and nearly unpredictable. But during those moments, I would have liked someone to root for. You have to hand it to Clegg though, cause he knows how to deliver the chills. The last 150 pages is a real roller coaster ride that you won't want to get off of. Although this isn't one of Clegg's best, it's still a very decent entry in his body of work.

Let me be the first to say this is a great book. It's creepy and very well written. For those of you out there who have read the other Harrow books you will really enjoy this. The basic plot center's around the madness of Harrow leaking out and affecting nearly everyone in town.The cause is the sacrifice of a dead boy to the house. A handful of characters remain unaffected to a certain extent and it is up to them to end the madness affecting everyone before it can spread further. This book is full of action and it rarely ever drags.From the get go the book picks up steam and keeps on rolling to the very end...and there is the problem. The ending like so many other books fail's to deliver.Everything that happens in the book leads you to believe that there will be alot of supernatural fireworks but that is far from what actually happens. Why Harrow affects people like it does and what is ultimately behind the evil is never truly explained only vaguely hinted at and it left me frustrated. Nevertheless this was a great book and very enjoyable i suggest you pick up a copy you'll enjoy it.