silvan's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sarabook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aliseaymcmahon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
chloesnotscared's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Child death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Violence, Racism, Blood, Death, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and War
superperfundo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
jensen1's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Good horror, but it didn’t keep my interest as much as the others of his I’ve read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Suicide, and Self harm
bucher_freund's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
1965, Alabama. Sarah's husband Dean was drafted for Vietnam, but while he was still in basic training, a freak accident with a rifle sends him home a vegetable. Now Sarah is stuck living with her absolutely horrid mother-in-law Jo, working at the rifle factory during the day, nursing Dean and waiting on Jo at night. Jo blames the rifle factory, and the whole town, for what happened to Dean, and she lets loose a cursed amulet that turns its wearers murderous. Sarah figures out the pattern of deaths and desperately tries to locate the amulet before it claims more victims.
And so continues my love affair with Michael McDowell's novels. I've read The Elementals, the Blackwater saga, and now this. McDowell's writing is assured and engaging, and he is an expert storyteller even in this, his first horror novel. The Amulet is less of a subtle, slow burn of a story than the others I've listed, but his knack for creating fascinating southern characters and atmosphere is on display here. This one also has quite a dry, pitch black sense of humor in places. The deaths are creative and horrifying, and a few made me physically cringe while I was reading. Definitely recommended.
And so continues my love affair with Michael McDowell's novels. I've read The Elementals, the Blackwater saga, and now this. McDowell's writing is assured and engaging, and he is an expert storyteller even in this, his first horror novel. The Amulet is less of a subtle, slow burn of a story than the others I've listed, but his knack for creating fascinating southern characters and atmosphere is on display here. This one also has quite a dry, pitch black sense of humor in places. The deaths are creative and horrifying, and a few made me physically cringe while I was reading. Definitely recommended.
graemeh's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
angrybread's review against another edition
5.0
Didn't enjoy it as much as my first McDowell novel, The Elementals, but it was still damn good. I scarcely put the book down after reaching the halfway point. Once the action starts it doesn't stop until the final, bloody moments. It gets weird, gross and endearing, and the final pages will leave you questioning everything.
Word of warning: If you pick up the Valancourt reissue, save the introduction for the end as it spoils a few things.
Word of warning: If you pick up the Valancourt reissue, save the introduction for the end as it spoils a few things.
annetteb713's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fantastic vintage horror that kept me gripped from beginning to end. It really was so much fun. A throughly exciting page turner with some of the most wickedly constructed deaths .
It got my heart racing in some chapters , and towards the end I found myself reading faster and faster to finish .
4.5⭐️Vintage horror at its absolute finest . Great stuff
It got my heart racing in some chapters , and towards the end I found myself reading faster and faster to finish .
4.5⭐️Vintage horror at its absolute finest . Great stuff