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12546darcy7890's review against another edition
2.0
way too long also someone needs to let richard laymon know that the average person is capable of remembering that women do have breasts and that there's no need to remind them every 10 seconds. funhouse part was cool tho
jgbradbury's review against another edition
3.0
Reading Richard Laymon is like binging on fast food. You know it’s not the highest quality stuff but damn if you don’t really enjoy it. But there were moments during this read where I began to suspect Laymon’s grease trap hadn’t been cleaned. Like the proverbial rollercoaster this book has its ups and downs. The satisfying climax saves it in the end but along the way there’s a lot of fumbling around. His characters are interesting though, blurring the lines between protagonist and antagonist. Virtuous characters don’t really exist in this world and their struggles with doing the right thing I find much more compelling than having straight up heroes and villains. But as it goes, the villains have no depth, they’re just there to maim and murder and the bulk of the characters we follow are unlikable assholes (which again is kind of interesting) but my main issue revolves around Jeremy. I like that Laymon devotes so much time to a character who’s essentially a sidekick in a bully’s gang but the backstory and setup (which is the Laymon staple of average, horny teenage boy) doesn’t jive with the some of the more depraved acts he ends up committing. Maybe if there was more buildup I could believe it but in the end that character feels way undercooked. Also gross is the depiction of homeless people. Surely you’d think that Laymon wouldn’t make a blanket statement saying that the homeless are inhuman monsters out to rape and murder but that’s what we’ve got here. Pretty much all the characters see them as despicable. The blanket is raised a bit with a redemptive moment toward the end but even then the homeless “troll” cops an unwanted feel during his act of kindness haha. But at the end of the day this kind of political incorrectness is why I read this author. It’s like a breath of fresh air to me these days.
lethaldose's review against another edition
3.0
This is my second Laymon book, he is a brilliant storyteller and it is a shame we lost him so soon. The characters in this book are great just like the other book I read by him, that is what I need for a good story is good characters I am actually interested in. The book could best be labeled a tragedy though, so few of the character you get connected too and involved in have anything remotely approaching a happy ending. But they are great characters and you enjoy your time with them, even the horrible, well actually maybe even especially the horrible ones. The book keeps you interested through out but there is a certain amount of anticipation to the end that seems to go on too long. Although there is alot going on it is the craziness at the end you have been unconsciously waiting for to remind you that Richard Laymon was a horror writer, and by the time it gets there you have forgotten all about this and are kind of wondering where this book is heading. The climax is great though, which makes up for a book of interesting but unmemorable events.
theqwerty's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
bryan_chapman's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book. One of my top three books by mr laymon and one of my top five books ever.
icecale's review against another edition
1.0
Actual Rating: 1.5 Stars
Attracted to this book solely on the setting, I didn't know what to expect going in. It was my first exposure to Laymon, but from I did see I thought it was going to be brutal. There was a lack of gore, and almost too much of Laymon being horny. Even when it should be a tense moment he talks about how soft somebody is, or mentions somebody's rump. We did get a detailed description of a random troll being chopped by an axe which seemed like it was picking up the intensity. Instead though, our main characters get killed and it's either off screen, or Tanya who I'd rank as one of the most important characters just gets one sentence and we move on.
The "epilogue" was also underwhelming, as all of our characters went through this insane thing, and almost all of the remaining characters just have these perfect lives almost immediately? Robin is completely unknown but is now playing the Grand Ole Opry, Nate who was nearly dead isn't even mentioned aside from one brief moment? I did like how Jeremy at least had some effects from what happened, but it's stunning that he's the only one who didn't have a great life afterwards. For a book that lasted far too long I feel like most of the trollers were underbaked and it somehow all felt inconsequential.
Attracted to this book solely on the setting, I didn't know what to expect going in. It was my first exposure to Laymon, but from I did see I thought it was going to be brutal. There was a lack of gore, and almost too much of Laymon being horny. Even when it should be a tense moment he talks about how soft somebody is, or mentions somebody's rump. We did get a detailed description of a random troll being chopped by an axe which seemed like it was picking up the intensity. Instead though, our main characters get killed and it's either off screen, or Tanya who I'd rank as one of the most important characters just gets one sentence and we move on.
The "epilogue" was also underwhelming, as all of our characters went through this insane thing, and almost all of the remaining characters just have these perfect lives almost immediately? Robin is completely unknown but is now playing the Grand Ole Opry, Nate who was nearly dead isn't even mentioned aside from one brief moment? I did like how Jeremy at least had some effects from what happened, but it's stunning that he's the only one who didn't have a great life afterwards. For a book that lasted far too long I feel like most of the trollers were underbaked and it somehow all felt inconsequential.
strawbelbadude's review against another edition
1.0
I have never seen the word rump used so often in a single place.
captainfez's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
larry_yonce's review against another edition
2.0
Under the Boardwalk....Boardwalk!
Boleta Bay has a new kid in town, 16 year old Jeremy Wayne, who wastes no time whatsoever -- hanging with the wrong crowd; namely, a violent group of "trollers", some of which have colorful nicknames like Samson, Shiner, and Cowboy. Jeremy himself is quickly dubbed Duke by Cowboy (from The Duke, John Wayne, of course). The trollers are after the "trolls", a population of derelicts and homeless who inhabit the area around Funland, a seedy amusement park. Some of the trolls are violent as well, some are not. In fact this book is filled with people you'd cross to the other side of the street to avoid if you saw any of them coming your way. The only well-adjusted person in the novel seems to be Jeremy's mother (poor woman!). There is a lot of dialogue in this book, much of which is cringeworthy and/or silly, from adults and teens alike. Lots of angst, lust, insta-love, jealousy, and rage. And not a lot of scares. The inclusion of a "creature feature" scene near the end falls completely flat and makes no sense! There is a bit of poetic justice at the very, very end which was nice. Overall, a disappointment.
Boleta Bay has a new kid in town, 16 year old Jeremy Wayne, who wastes no time whatsoever -- hanging with the wrong crowd; namely, a violent group of "trollers", some of which have colorful nicknames like Samson, Shiner, and Cowboy. Jeremy himself is quickly dubbed Duke by Cowboy (from The Duke, John Wayne, of course). The trollers are after the "trolls", a population of derelicts and homeless who inhabit the area around Funland, a seedy amusement park. Some of the trolls are violent as well, some are not. In fact this book is filled with people you'd cross to the other side of the street to avoid if you saw any of them coming your way. The only well-adjusted person in the novel seems to be Jeremy's mother (poor woman!). There is a lot of dialogue in this book, much of which is cringeworthy and/or silly, from adults and teens alike. Lots of angst, lust, insta-love, jealousy, and rage. And not a lot of scares. The inclusion of a "creature feature" scene near the end falls completely flat and makes no sense! There is a bit of poetic justice at the very, very end which was nice. Overall, a disappointment.