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acouplereadss's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
elliereadsss's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this one up because I wanted a Christmas book with a bit of a different vibe to the typical romances/ children's books I usually go for. I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by the opening and I liked the short, fast paced chapters. I did struggle to keep on top of the characters despite the short length of the story, and I lost focus during the action because of this as I didn't know who was who. Whilst this isn't a new favourite for me, I enjoyed it more than I was expecting and I'm glad I gave it a go.
theatretenor's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this alien horror novella! I’d be interested in reading more from this author! And thank you, Sergio, for the Christmas gift at the end of the book. I’d have been quite unhappy to say the least.
woofer's review against another edition
2.0
I'm always on the lookout for tales of Christmas horror, so when I saw The Visitor by Sergio Gomez, I thought I'd give it a shot. And I'm sorry I did.
The Visitor tells the story of a group of strangers stranded in a roadside dinner on Christmas Eve because of a major storm. It isn't long before we realize they are the targets of an extraterrestrial hunt, and one by one they are being picked off. The big question, as with any story of this type, is who will survive to see Christmas morning. This has so much potential, but the author fails to deliver.
First off, let's talk about the editing, or lack thereof. I'm willing to let a lot of stuff slide for the sake of the author's voice, but that wasn't the case here. It was simply a case of a hastily written story with no one to provide honest feedback. Given the number of reviews that make mention of the poor editing, you'd think the author, during the span of two years, would have gone back over the manuscript and released a revised version, but it's obvious that wasn't an opportunity the author chose to seize. So the author is left to stumble through a mercifully short narrative the way his characters should have been stumbling through the snow.
Which brings me to my second issue. Even though the author has stated, "...it [the snow] was making visibility out here damn near impossible...", we're expected to believe that Xavier, after his accident, with "No buildings. No lights anywhere." can see through the blizzard a semi parked ahead on the side of the road. A semi, mind you, that has already pulled into a diner. And a roadside diner that can't fit a semi? That's normally the mainstay of these types of diners, so to have a parking lot so small as not to be able to accommodate at least one truck is a hard pill to swallow. And when Santiago is approaching Xavier through the storm, one has to wonder why the man was walking away from the diner, casually strolling through a blizzard with visibility (remember) damn near impossible. So despite the weather, the author often has the characters acting and reacting as if it's a beautiful spring day. Later on, when the refugees are fleeing from the diner, they seem to be making good time moving away from the building, and Xavier even proves his athleticism by running through the snow with what appears to the the grace of a gazelle, dodging and weaving, instead of trudging through it. At one point, Xavier is able to lift a grown woman and carrying her through the snow while running despite the woman's struggles to get to her wounded husband. It's just one impossible situation after another, where, if the author had taken the time to visualize the scenarios as they played out, he would realize just how implausible the actions of his characters really are.
And when it comes down to the alien, it feels like we have a generic Predator here, very little description, which gives the reader the impression the author had no clear vision of the creature in his head. And while he did have a semi-clear vision of the alien's "dog," it wasn't entirely original. Based on the author's description, I know I've seen this creature before, but for the live of me I can't remember where. And on the subject of aliens, a race of creatures that has traveled through the far reaches of space to get there, their technology doesn't seem so technological. I mean, when Xavier manages to get his hands on the alien's "rifle," he doesn't appear to have any problem figuring out how to aim and fire it. "Chambering a round" appears to be another story, but even the blades are just blades, nothing advanced about them. And their body armor is likewise un-technologically advanced. In fact, everything seems to be designed so there's no real challenge when it comes to having to defeat one of these visitors from another planet.
As for suspense... Well, there isn't any. The author seems focused on this happened, then this happened, and then this happened. Very straight forward, will little to entice the reader and keep them on the edge of their seat.
So after all this, you might find yourself asking if the book has anything going for it, or is it all bad? As I said before, it has potential. It's mercifully short.
And oh, yes... The dog lives. That's a good boy, good author.
The Visitor tells the story of a group of strangers stranded in a roadside dinner on Christmas Eve because of a major storm. It isn't long before we realize they are the targets of an extraterrestrial hunt, and one by one they are being picked off. The big question, as with any story of this type, is who will survive to see Christmas morning. This has so much potential, but the author fails to deliver.
First off, let's talk about the editing, or lack thereof. I'm willing to let a lot of stuff slide for the sake of the author's voice, but that wasn't the case here. It was simply a case of a hastily written story with no one to provide honest feedback. Given the number of reviews that make mention of the poor editing, you'd think the author, during the span of two years, would have gone back over the manuscript and released a revised version, but it's obvious that wasn't an opportunity the author chose to seize. So the author is left to stumble through a mercifully short narrative the way his characters should have been stumbling through the snow.
Which brings me to my second issue. Even though the author has stated, "...it [the snow] was making visibility out here damn near impossible...", we're expected to believe that Xavier, after his accident, with "No buildings. No lights anywhere." can see through the blizzard a semi parked ahead on the side of the road. A semi, mind you, that has already pulled into a diner. And a roadside diner that can't fit a semi? That's normally the mainstay of these types of diners, so to have a parking lot so small as not to be able to accommodate at least one truck is a hard pill to swallow. And when Santiago is approaching Xavier through the storm, one has to wonder why the man was walking away from the diner, casually strolling through a blizzard with visibility (remember) damn near impossible. So despite the weather, the author often has the characters acting and reacting as if it's a beautiful spring day. Later on, when the refugees are fleeing from the diner, they seem to be making good time moving away from the building, and Xavier even proves his athleticism by running through the snow with what appears to the the grace of a gazelle, dodging and weaving, instead of trudging through it. At one point, Xavier is able to lift a grown woman and carrying her through the snow while running despite the woman's struggles to get to her wounded husband. It's just one impossible situation after another, where, if the author had taken the time to visualize the scenarios as they played out, he would realize just how implausible the actions of his characters really are.
And when it comes down to the alien, it feels like we have a generic Predator here, very little description, which gives the reader the impression the author had no clear vision of the creature in his head. And while he did have a semi-clear vision of the alien's "dog," it wasn't entirely original. Based on the author's description, I know I've seen this creature before, but for the live of me I can't remember where. And on the subject of aliens, a race of creatures that has traveled through the far reaches of space to get there, their technology doesn't seem so technological. I mean, when Xavier manages to get his hands on the alien's "rifle," he doesn't appear to have any problem figuring out how to aim and fire it. "Chambering a round" appears to be another story, but even the blades are just blades, nothing advanced about them. And their body armor is likewise un-technologically advanced. In fact, everything seems to be designed so there's no real challenge when it comes to having to defeat one of these visitors from another planet.
As for suspense... Well, there isn't any. The author seems focused on this happened, then this happened, and then this happened. Very straight forward, will little to entice the reader and keep them on the edge of their seat.
So after all this, you might find yourself asking if the book has anything going for it, or is it all bad? As I said before, it has potential. It's mercifully short.
And oh, yes... The dog lives. That's a good boy, good author.
em_jay's review against another edition
5.0
A short fun holiday themed scifi horror novella jam packed with excitement, thrills, and mystery.
joshua_williams's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly reminds me of those nights having the friends over for drinks picking a random movie none of us have ever heard of before and having a blast watching the groups new favorite film. Maybe this is a terrible way to review a book. Well if you want a short but sweet bloody good time check out The Visitor.
jbrown77's review against another edition
3.0
there were a few instances where grammar or wording would pull me out of the immersion, but overall it was a fun atmospheric holiday horror story.
leafhead's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0