kitpower's review
4.0
Condemned is a tight, taut horror story that reads like a movie. In a good way.
Lefebvre has a prose style that is economic and sparse. He sets the scene with minimal fanfare or flourish, drawing you straight into the narrative. The use of present tense reinforces the feeling that you are observing the events as as they unfold, and the story and character pull you forwards. That same sparse style manages to be deeply atmospheric, creating very effectively a sense of building dread, with zero recourse to hyperbole or purple prose. Lefebve allows the 'facts' to speak for themselves. This is a very hard book to put down, and the feeling of fear has built long before events descend into chaos.
The exposition for the setting is deftly handled, and when the tension finally breaks into action, it doesn't disappoint. This is a deeply compelling and expertly paced horror story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Lefebvre has a prose style that is economic and sparse. He sets the scene with minimal fanfare or flourish, drawing you straight into the narrative. The use of present tense reinforces the feeling that you are observing the events as as they unfold, and the story and character pull you forwards. That same sparse style manages to be deeply atmospheric, creating very effectively a sense of building dread, with zero recourse to hyperbole or purple prose. Lefebve allows the 'facts' to speak for themselves. This is a very hard book to put down, and the feeling of fear has built long before events descend into chaos.
The exposition for the setting is deftly handled, and when the tension finally breaks into action, it doesn't disappoint. This is a deeply compelling and expertly paced horror story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
More...