A review by paperbackstash
Fear by Ronald Kelly
4.0
I read this years and years ago...most books not long after I read them, even if I really loved them during the read. I read so many books, they become like broken records after awhile. Fear, however, always stayed with me. I loved it then, and after I found another copy recently, I love it now just as much.
It reads almost like an adult fairy tale type. Young adults could read and enjoy this one as much as adults, but that shouldn't put off the 'grown up' readers. It almost seems like Kelly took every horrible thing he could think of out of his brain and placed it in this book. There’s not just one monster there’s this one, that one, and even that one over there. The atmosphere in different areas of the county the woods, or the water, or the cabin all were amazing.
Much of the beginning is focused on the internal issues Jeb has, so some may feel impatient to get the action moving, but while there isn't as much action present, it was all interesting and fun. I really felt drawn to the characters in a real, emotional way, cheering them on the whole time.
Dialogue is told through a small-town, hickish type dialect, with words such as "'ol," "how're," "gonna," and "dangrum." Surprisingly this doesn't get annoying. The style of writing is easily comprehended, straightforward, and consistent. The ending was one that was happy and miserable at the same time. Kelly relies on as much internal dialogue as external. "Fear" is written in multiple POV viewpoints, mainly third person flexible, but the majority is seen through the eyes of the child 'Jeb.'
I heard from somewhere that Kelly hasn’t been writing anymore; if this is true, it’s a shame, because he has talent.
It reads almost like an adult fairy tale type. Young adults could read and enjoy this one as much as adults, but that shouldn't put off the 'grown up' readers. It almost seems like Kelly took every horrible thing he could think of out of his brain and placed it in this book. There’s not just one monster there’s this one, that one, and even that one over there. The atmosphere in different areas of the county the woods, or the water, or the cabin all were amazing.
Much of the beginning is focused on the internal issues Jeb has, so some may feel impatient to get the action moving, but while there isn't as much action present, it was all interesting and fun. I really felt drawn to the characters in a real, emotional way, cheering them on the whole time.
Dialogue is told through a small-town, hickish type dialect, with words such as "'ol," "how're," "gonna," and "dangrum." Surprisingly this doesn't get annoying. The style of writing is easily comprehended, straightforward, and consistent. The ending was one that was happy and miserable at the same time. Kelly relies on as much internal dialogue as external. "Fear" is written in multiple POV viewpoints, mainly third person flexible, but the majority is seen through the eyes of the child 'Jeb.'
I heard from somewhere that Kelly hasn’t been writing anymore; if this is true, it’s a shame, because he has talent.