Wither

While browsing a Borders Paperback section looking for interesting titles to buy my wife for her Birthday one year I came upon 'Wither's Rain' which I later found out was a sequel story to the first entitled 'Wither'.Not knowing who John Passarella was at the time, neither of us read the book and honestly it sat in the pile of 'to read' books for almost two years collecting dust...Browsing a different Borders I came upon 'Wither' and without a moments hesitation picked it up because of its familiarity. This was yesterday. Today, John Passarella has a lifetime fan! 'Wither' is by far one the BEST stories I've ever read. As an avid reader of all genres I can honestly say that this book was not only written extremely well but it was fun, thought provoking, and so well developed that you will fall in love with the characters overnight. I know I did.

Windale, Massachusetts has a heritage of witches. Three evil women were accused of witch craft and hanged over three hundred years ago. However, Wither, Rebecca, and Sarah did not die. Now, they are little more than monsters with a caretaker who is more of a slave to them. He must feed them and then dispose of the remains. It used to be cattle. Now they mainly feed off the college students who dwell in town.THIS Halloween, the three witches plan to drain the life force of three women, so they may "live" again. Wendy is a college student who dabbles in white magic. Karen is a single, pregnant professor. Abby is an eight year old who stumbles across the graves of the three witches. The circle is cast. The battle begins.***In a word, "WOW!" I wish I could make all horror fans go purchase this one! It's hard to believe this is J.G. Passarella's first novel. From page one chills went down my spine. I never put the book down. A definate "Keeper" to be read many times in the future. It is a dark, irresistible, and demonic story to keep you up at night!***

This novel definitely deserves its Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel in Horror. A fast paced, bloody read with characters developed way beyond your average horror fare. The witches/monsters were written in vicious cinematic action sequences that scream MOVIE (apparently if you believe the back of the book, this is already in progress). My only complaint here was the somewhat predictable ending, but I guess that's what people want. A very nice twist on what BAD witches really are. The character of Wendy really stands out, kind of a cross between Glenda, Good Witch of the North and Dr. Van Helsing. Her character was developed to the point where she felt almost like a long lost sister. A weird one, but a sister nonetheless. This is an excellent horror novel that flirts very close with "Classic" status. Any tale that takes a small, New England town, witchcraft, monsters, and throws it against the backdrop of approaching Halloween deserves to be read. Especially if you claim to be a Horror fan. Check this book out and find out what witches really look like, and how they can fly without broomsticks!

This not normally the type of book I would read, but I borrowed this book from the library and read it in two days! The first day I went to bed with the book and was so captivated that I was shocked when I looked at the clock and saw 3:00 AM! I was halfway through the book and finished it the next day. HOWEVER, I didn't sleep well since the story was so haunting and utterly terrifying! Mr. Passarella portrays in this book a charming college town on the brink of terror beyond imaging. The town has a centuries old history of three witches condemned to die in the only witch trial the town. Unlike many innocent women convicted of being witches during their time, these were not innocent women, they were evil to the core -- the worst of all three was one called "Wither". The three witches come back to terrorize the small town in the 20th century and steel the lives of three innocent people -- a college professor, a young college student, and an 8 year old girl. To tell much more of the story would ruin the mystery that unravels in it the book. The characters are well developed, particularly the character of Wendy a girl who dabbles in white magic and believes she has brought the terror to her sleepy town accidently and also believes that she must find away to banish it on her own. Read it, but make sure you leave a light on because you won't sleep well when you do!

Windale, Massachusetts has a heritage of witches. Three evil women were accused of witch craft and hanged over three hundred years ago. However, Wither, Rebecca, and Sarah did not die. Now, they are little more than monsters with a caretaker who is more of a slave to them. He must feed them and then dispose of the remains. It used to be cattle. Now they mainly feed off the college students who dwell in town. THIS Halloween, the three witches plan to drain the life force of three women, so they may "live" again. Wendy is a college student who dabbles in white magic. Karen is a single, pregnant professor. Abby is an eight year old who stumbles across the graves of the three witches. The circle is cast. The battle begins. ***In a word, "WOW!" I wish I could make all horror fans go purchase this one! It's hard to believe this is J.G. Passarella's first novel. From page one chills went down my spine. I never put the book down. A definate "Keeper" to be read many times in the future. It is a dark, irresistible, and demonic story to keep you up at night!***