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Lakebridge: Spring (Lakebridge #1)

by Natasha Troop (Goodreads Author)

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 39 ratings · 21 reviews

Vermont, picturesque and lovely, attracts visitors from across the country in search for the perfect picture, the perfect fall foliage or perhaps a taste of maple syrup. Stansbury is best known for the odd covered bridge that spans Stansbury Lake and goes nowhere, connecting no roads and serving no known purpose. The locals call it the Lakebridge. Very few know of its myst...more

Paperback, 260 pages

Published April 25th 2011 by Createspace

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Nov 13, 2012 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first book in the Lakebridge Cycle from Natasha Troop, Lakebridge: Spring, is an old-fashioned thriller. It's the kind of book that understands it takes more than just blood and gore to make a great story - it takes an interesting premise to hook readers, a unique setting to orient them within the story, well-developed characters to make them care about what happens next, and an author who truly enjoys spinning a tale to bring it all together.

This is a story where everybody, including the mo...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Kriss Morton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cabin-goddess-review-intention, review-needed

There is a running theme on my website where I post my reviews first. It is a theme that fits within a sub-genre under horror in literature. But I have an issue with the term genre. When someone asks me what genre I read, I run my mouth off with a list of things that apparently fit the bill but frankly I read from where it has taken me emotionally, psychologically, intellectually and even physically. Horror is one of these things. It is not a genre, It is a term used by the masses because we as...more There is a running theme on my website where I post my reviews first. It is a theme that fits within a sub-genre under horror in literature. But I have an issue with the term genre. When someone asks me what genre I read, I run my mouth off with a list of things that apparently fit the bill but frankly I read from where it has taken me emotionally, psychologically, intellectually and even physically. Horror is one of these things. It is not a genre, It is a term used by the masses because we as a society find the need to label everything and fit it in its own special little niche.

As children we are afraid of the shadow of a tree branch across the quilt that grandma just tucked around us. We continue to have our heart rate increase as the clown that lives in the closet starts moving the boxes of old clothes around on his way closer and closer. The gurgling of the toilet is actually the alligator your brother told you about right before you went to sleep by yourself for the first time in the guest bedroom instead of the kids room with the babies. As we grow older our fears are laced by the world outside those bedroom walls. We are tainted with real world horrors, the terror of the falling towers, the death of our grandmother, the sniffle our child has turning out to be something so serious it requires them to be hospitalized, our imagination is lost to those of the real world. However in the case of a well written tale of horror, the author infringes our psyches, bypassing rational thought and stroking the fears and terrors we put into the back of the closet behind the box holding that quilt that used to keep us safe.

The experience I had was layer upon layer of different emotions which the characters pulled from me, dragging me into the closet of my childhood, and under the bed and clawing me from the safety of my cabin. To say I was a bit excited to find something which aroused these feelings of terror, which made my heart race, made me exclaim an “oh my god!” as a surprise turn in the action threw me off the cliff with the brambles in the bottom, and not the one that would have landed me in the drink is an understatement. I sat up, or hunkered down under the covers, I had to really pay attention or I would end up drowning under a bridge.

Oh yes, the bridge, just what is up with the bridge? It is New England,and Vermont, the beauty of the covered bridge is sprinkled all over the area. I used to live in New England and I remember driving every weekend to some corner of a small county just to see a covered bridge, or some other in the New England flavor. I am a huge fan of Lovecraft so living where his stories were wrought from was exciting and I live to experience, and breathe through my mouth, tasting life, not just sniffing politely in the corner of a coffee shop. I have a distinct memory of my first covered bridge, it was not anything special, that bridge but I remember looking into the shadows, not seeing the light at the other side, but of the way my chest tightened at the idea of walking through the shadows in the middle of the bridge. When I read Lakebridge, it was the thought of those shadows from my wanderlust years that popped up. As I have stated before, sometimes a bridge is not just a bridge. It drew not only me, but it drew the inhabitants of Stansbury. Each stating different reasons yet truthfully they are not. Is the bridge evil? I believe it is a symbol, a physical statement of what I believe Stansbury is.

As you can see, I find myself having difficulty describing this book and what it is about. It is about a small town with each character described and built much like Chaucer‘s characters within the pages of “The Canterbury Tales“, they embody the idealistic ideals of each member of a small town populace. The town sweetheart, our school teacher, the town quirky storekeeper, Gil who runs the gas station all tourists stop at, even the serial killer plays a very solid idealistic and necessary roll. There is hope, love, terror, birth, death and it is encapsulated and expanding, stretching from clearest of skies, the darkest stormy nights.

So go get that quilt from the box in the closet, making sure you shut the door tight behind you, Tuck yourself in and begin your own experience in the cycle of Lakebridge. Oh, that shadow? Do not worry, it’s just a tree branch, I swear!(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Lindsay Klug rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting read, to say the least. The story is centered around a bridge built by the founder of Stansbury, and supposedly a link to a realm few of us wish to encounter. I won't delve too deeply into the plot or details, as it would be difficult to explain without giving away the whole book.

One thing I noticed in this book was the intricate detail the author went into with each person's life. At times, this made the book a bit daunting, but at others it was interesting to read. The...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Red Haircrow rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, speculative-fiction

To read my recent interview with Natasha Troop, please visit Flying With Red Haircrow website http://flyingwithredhaircrow.wordpres...

"Clean, clear, crisp writing about dark magic and sinister scenes that gave me shivers both of pleasure at the sheer skill of the writing and the unpredictable nature of the story itself. Evident from the very start, the author’s plotting and pace was perfect, with visual descriptions that were never overwhelming or heavily wrought. They suited the story’s sense o...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fave, own, review-copy, signed

It's sad really that I am not nearly eloquent enough to express just how great this book is. I can and will gush like the goof I am but in all seriousness this book is wonderful and I am just sorry that I can't convey with words how much of an impact it had.

The most interesting thing is that once I started reading the second in the series Lakebridge Summer I began to love the first even more. I think it has to do with the connection with the characters you come to care for them so much that see...more It's sad really that I am not nearly eloquent enough to express just how great this book is. I can and will gush like the goof I am but in all seriousness this book is wonderful and I am just sorry that I can't convey with words how much of an impact it had.

The most interesting thing is that once I started reading the second in the series Lakebridge Summer I began to love the first even more. I think it has to do with the connection with the characters you come to care for them so much that seeing what happens to them you feel it all the more.

Lakebridge Spring is what I like to refer to as a foundation. The series will take place over four books two of which are out. The first Spring lays out the story of a little town in Vermont called Stansbury. It's small, pretty, nice people for the most part and has this lake with a bridge on it that has quite the history.

Natasha has a lovely writing style different than what I've read. From any and everyone's point of view including that of a moose which by the way rocks. I love that moose and I love how the start and end of each point of view are tied together. It's quite fascinating. It's what hooked me when I started the book. I just grinned I love this and that's when I knew I'd like the book. In addition Natasha writes these long endless sentences that just keep going like a train of thought so much fun. I loved it. Fantastic writing style really.

Beyond the style of writing which worked so well for me was the story again its about the town, the people and the damn bridge.

The characters are so well written you find out their little quirks and you just take them in your heart you hurt for them because while reading the story there is no outright monster and yet there is. You can see but even more so feel the menace in the story. It's laced into everything, this constant creepiness about something not being right in Stansbury and as the story progresses and you learn more about the town, the bridge and it's history and the people who live there the more clear it becomes that bad things are coming like a tidal wave on the horizon.

I enjoyed Lakebridge Spring and appreciated it even more once I started Lakebridge Summer. I am very much looking forward to the next two and will get them as soon as I am able because they are a perfect example of why it is I read indie press and indie authors. What I get is actually some of the best reads out there. Talent that far too few know about. If you haven't read the Lakebridge Series I highly recommend adding it to your TBR list. (less)

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Nov 06, 2012 Elisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-rule-tour

Perfectly horrific. Dang, I am disturbed. Review to follow.
I am on the LakeBridge Summer First Rules publicity virtual book tour and was given this book as well as Summer. I like to read series in order whenever possible, even though it doesn't always happen, so I jumped on the chance to read them both. So glad I did, there is a lot of backstory that I think will be helpful in the next book. And it was creeptastic. I am quite disturbed actually.

Getting into this story took me a little while. It...more Perfectly horrific. Dang, I am disturbed. Review to follow.
I am on the LakeBridge Summer First Rules publicity virtual book tour and was given this book as well as Summer. I like to read series in order whenever possible, even though it doesn't always happen, so I jumped on the chance to read them both. So glad I did, there is a lot of backstory that I think will be helpful in the next book. And it was creeptastic. I am quite disturbed actually.

Getting into this story took me a little while. It is told with a little bit of a stream of consciousness type style so when you follow a character, you are mostly in their heads. Thoughts run into each other, they repeat themselves and you learn things slowly because you have to delve past the surface thoughts. Plus Troop wants you invested and liking her characters, and to not really know what is going on until she gets you in the middle of the bridge. Then all hell breaks loose.

The bridge is a covered bridge across a tiny lake. No road leads to the bridge because it wasn't meant for driving, it was meant to transport to evil realms by some Lord who founded the town and named it after himself. Somehow this bridge never needs a touch of paint, instead it needs other things.

But you don't know much for a while. You follow normal people with normal issues, but in the back of their minds they know there is something weird about their town. Except for a few folks, a few nutty ones and a few who keep it together a bit better than the others. Most everyone else just tra la las through life in the small town. Bad things have happened...but the thought is, "don't bad things happen everywhere?"

And you also get to go inside the head of a moose. So fun. He is an obsessive compulsive moose who likes to help keep nature tidy, he also likes to stare at the yellow line in the middle of the road. Once you get used to it, the stream of consciousness is extremely effective. You get motivation, history and a feel for the person quite quickly. The difficult is there are run on sentences and long paragraphs. If you need a break, it sometimes takes some reading before you get there. But in your thoughts, not many of us follow perfect sentence structure, so it makes sense and is well done. There are a few issues, some almost exact repeats of sentences, so I think some of it could be shortened, but it works and works well.

So I felt like one of the people in the town under the fog of forgetfullness. Yes, bad things have happened, but life is good, the sun is shining and then suddenly I was horrified by the things that happened. Holy smokes. I was hopeful about one of the scenes, because you go inside the person's head. I was hoping for good, only to have my hopes dashed. There is evil in this town and I am wondering when or if it will be defeated. There are four books planned. I will be reviewing Lakebridge: Summer tomorrow. 4 bright red stars that never need painting.
(less)

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Apr 13, 2013 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thrillers

Lakebridge: Spring

Odd, quirky tale!

This review is from: Lakebridge: Spring (Supernatural Horror Literary Fiction) (Kindle Edition)

This tale is an odd, supernatural one, which kept my attention, but frustrated me. There were many typos in the Kindle edition, which is distracting. The writing style is almost one long run on sentence. There are no chapters, just endless story. Lots of characters, all very quirky, but I was drawn into their lives. I did find it difficult to keep them all straight....more

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Sep 08, 2011 iamjenai rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review is not for the entire book as I have only read the first 50+ pages. I tried reading this many times, and I really could not get into the story.

The introduction was way too long for me, like a never ending one. The book has a lot of long narrative paragraphs (like 1-2 pages long) with very little dialogue, thus making the story hard to follow. It would have been better if there were more character dialogues instead of just narrating the whole story for the readers.

The book didn't wor...more

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May 11, 2013 M. Mendrygal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, contemporary-fiction

Reading this book was a peculiar experience, to say the least. Written as a series of first-person narratives, the story unwound in an elliptical fashion, with the POV shifting among every character one encountered -- including the occasional moose or dog. It proved an interesting but not entirely successful creative device.

The narrative developed a tale that transformed slowly -- going from simply quirky to genuinely horrific -- like tracking the movements of a timepiece's minute hand. That is...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Literary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Cover

Like: It reminds me of fog or shadows, which makes the reader think the book is mysterious and spooky.

Plot

There is evil in Stansbury ... in the form of a bridge. A covered bridge. Built by some English gent to access the darkness of his evil powers.

The bridge never fades. The bridge never needs repairs. The bridge can never be brought down. The bridge is here to stay to, obsessively and possessively, "love" the inhabitants of the town named after its creator, Lord Stansbury.

Will the Silver...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Alis Bookshelf rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the flow and plot of this book, I must say I loved each character and how they got to tell the story, their take on it. I love getting to see all the different takes and sides of a story. No story is never only one sided and this one the author does a great job at showing each side.

I liked how descriptive the author was in this book as well, she really is great at painting the picture so you can see it all play out in your head. Plus she was great at the small tidbits of humor s...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Bonnie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. It has an interesting storyline and well developed characters. As a whole, it needed a little more editing. The chapters were very long. Some sections were a bit repetitive. I will be reading the next book in Mrs. Troop's series. I see a lot of potential here.

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Mar 28, 2013 Barbara Zeh rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

Most of the time, I'm the kind of person that HAS to finish the book...even when I'm really not enjoying it. I'm not sure if it's the desire to know what happens, or just plain hoping it gets better. I was probably 80% of the way through this book before it even captured me in the slightest. I won't be reading the next one in the series...I just can't put myself through this again. I found it incredibly hard to follow, between flash backs with no warning, and then back to the present, and consta...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

I definiely give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

If you are looking for a book with plenty of mystery, horror, character development, humor and a lot of suspense then this one is for you!

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Jun 22, 2011 Becca Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Amazing! If you like old school Stephen King, you'll LOVE this book! Awesome read!

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Jul 21, 2012 E. Bard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Working on the review today. More of a psychological horror. Can definitely see influences from other horror authors with the style - but the author's voice is original. Not what I was expecting.

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Mar 23, 2013 Danni marked it as to-read

Free ibook

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Nov 11, 2012 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-and-delicious, favorites

Great read review pending.

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Feb 08, 2013 Megan added it

I really enjoyed this book. It was just exactly my sort of weird. The characters were great, the story was interesting. I can't wait to start the summer one.

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Apr 27, 2013 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very strange and unique story construction with each person's history tole from first person, but yet all linked together. It wasn't the story I expected, but it hooked me completely.

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May 20, 2013 Adreanna rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm not sure how it's classified as a horror. I honestly felt that the author just rambled on about whatever. not too sure how I feel about this book. I was really hoping for a classic horror.

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May 19, 2013 Allison Miller is currently reading it

May 11, 2013 Panda Green marked it as to-read

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Apr 24, 2013 Nicole marked it as to-read

Apr 20, 2013 Mary Nell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 18, 2013 Karyn marked it as to-read

Apr 17, 2013 Neal marked it as to-read

Shelves: fiction, kindle

Apr 15, 2013 Sabrina marked it as to-read

Shelves: fiction, kindle-and-e-books

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The Indie Exchang...: Lakebridge Cycle - 2 books June 13-19	1	11	Jun 14, 2012 10:47pm

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About Natasha Troop

Natasha grew up in Southern California and received her Bachelor’s degree from UCLA in Comparative Literature. She also holds Masters’ Degrees in both Secondary Education and Creative Writing. Natasha currently lives in the Phoenix area with her spouse, son, daughter and menagerie of pets, including one very overprotective collie dog. Aside from writing and teaching high school students to love th...more

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Lakebridge: Spring (Lakebridge #1)

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