Come Closer

Dec 14, 2011 Tressa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demons, 2011

I never thought I'd say this, but this is a beautifully written book about demon possession. There are no spinning heads and spewing pea soup, just a tale about an average happily married woman named Amanda unlucky enough to have been chosen for possession by a female demon with pointy teeth named Naamah.

The possession starts out at a snail's pace, tapping inside the walls of her home; dreams about sitting in a red beach with a beautiful woman who hugs her tightly and whispers that she'll never...more

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May 21, 2012 Tfitoby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: black-as-night

For those of you who know Sara Gran for her crime novels and read the quote "probably this year's scariest novel" and wondered what was going on, I point you to the other quote that starts "like Patricia Highsmith" and hopefully you understand just why this is a scary novel and then continue your enjoyment of Sara Gran as an interesting new literary voice.

For those readers who take a look at that nice generic quote from The Charlotte Observer "It's terrifying" then combine it with the demonic po...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Clarabel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Quel roman ! Je l'avais à peine ouvert qu'il m'a ensuite été impossible de le lâcher. Il se lit en une goulée, tant il nous captive dans la descente aux enfers de son héroïne. Amanda, une architecte new-yorkaise d'une trentaine d'années, mène une vie heureuse et comblée... jusqu'au jour où un rêve étrange la surprend en train d'être embrassée par une autre femme, très belle et irrésistible. Dans les jours, puis les semaines, qui vont suivre, rien ne sera plus pareil dans son existence. Petit à p...more

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Jan 06, 2009 Alisha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

I read "Come Closer" in one day (it was an exceptionally short read) and in broad daylight. And while I was reading it, I was thinking "yeah, good story, interesting, creepy, but not downright scary." All along I was thinking that it wouldn't affect me the way other books/movies about possession would (The Exorcist traumatized me severely as a kid. I kept thinking that if I slept in my bed it would start shaking and I would be possessed. Yes, yes, I had an extremely active imagination like most...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Kristin Walcott Figueroa rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read Come Closer because I wanted to review a horror novel for Halloween. This book was in my TBR pile, so I thought I’d give it a shot. This quote from the description held great promise:

“The mystery behind what's happening to Amanda in Come Closer is so frightening that it "ought to carry a warning to...readers.””

Sadly, it did not deliver. Novels about demon possession can be very creepy, especially in a quiet not-so-obvious way that can sneak up on you. I did have one such experience while...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Robert rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books

I don't recall exactly how I heard of Sara Gran - probably through searching for novels about demonic possession. One of my favourite novels is William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist, and since the concept of possession is one that I find particularly unsettling, I decided to try Come Closer.

It's a fairly short novel - I was able to read it over the course of a few 30-minute bus journeys and lunch breaks. The writing, in my opinion, seems to be more suited to trashy chick-lit or even young adult h...more I don't recall exactly how I heard of Sara Gran - probably through searching for novels about demonic possession. One of my favourite novels is William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist, and since the concept of possession is one that I find particularly unsettling, I decided to try Come Closer.

It's a fairly short novel - I was able to read it over the course of a few 30-minute bus journeys and lunch breaks. The writing, in my opinion, seems to be more suited to trashy chick-lit or even young adult horror fiction. There are some undeniably eerie sections, but they are very rare, and even when they appear in the narrative, there is often very little descriptive text to accompany the spooky imagery. The protagonist is Amanda, an architect who increasingly finds herself acting strangely and violently, much to the consternation of her husband, Ed.

The first few pages are riddled with overused tropes, and I was dismayed to find the rest of the novel relied heavily on tired cliches far too much. The first character, other than Amanda, that we are introduced to is hardly mentioned again in the story, if at all. A particularly cringeworthy section begins when Amanda is sent a book on demonic possession instead of the architecture book she ordered. Nonetheless, she keeps it around, presumably due to the handy Are You Possessed? quiz within its pages that she uses over and over again. Other similar instances of worn-out horror tropes fill the rest of the narrative: Amanda visits a psychic to treat her problems, who gives her a bottle of Demon Burning fluid. Once-friendly street dogs begin to growl at her when her demonic manifestation begins to take hold. The examples, unfortunately, are numerous.

Sadly, the above examples aren't the only issues I had with the novel. Subplots are hinted at but never explored. If the author had expanded these instances a little more, Come Closer could have been a richer, deeper novel. Fleeting references to the demon, Naamah, possibly having a place in Amanda's childhood as an imaginary friend could have been great foundations for an entire backstory involving the connection between the possessed and the possessor, but it is never referred to again.

There are also huge sections of the plot that are so far removed from reality that I caught myself audibly sighing whilst reading them. Granted, the novel is fictional and is concerned with demonic possession, and I am very willing to suspend disbelief to enjoy a novel, but the particular sections I'm referring to are handled lazily and seem rushed in order to progress the story, such as it is. A police investigation near the end of the novel is started and finished within about two pages.

Overall, I found this to be a childishly-written, lazy piece of fiction. I gave two stars overall because, as I stated above, there are sections in the story that are undeniably creepy, and I admit that there were times when I wasn't reading the novel that I found myself thinking about the demon - but not enough for me to give it a higher rating. I didn't care for any of the characters - in fact it would be difficult to forge any kind of connection when the characterisation of the protagonists is so sparse and lacking. It is an intriguing read however, if only because the lack of description or subplots make you feel as if you're about to be given a huge whack of backstory... something that never arrives.(less)

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Jun 30, 2011 Gwenyth Love rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book hit so close to home, it scared the sanity out of me. Everything about Amanda reflected major aspects of my life onto the page, pulling me in like an invisible lead on a collar. I couldn’t help but fall in love with her. Some people might call her plain, or boring. I, however, found her “normal” nature and “normal” issues to be an intriguing characteristic in this type of novel. Too often characters in this genre are so over the top that they become completely unbelievable, unreal, the...more This book hit so close to home, it scared the sanity out of me. Everything about Amanda reflected major aspects of my life onto the page, pulling me in like an invisible lead on a collar. I couldn’t help but fall in love with her. Some people might call her plain, or boring. I, however, found her “normal” nature and “normal” issues to be an intriguing characteristic in this type of novel. Too often characters in this genre are so over the top that they become completely unbelievable, unreal, thereby crushing any credibility the story might have held. Amanda couldn’t be more real if she sat snuggled up beside you on the couch, breathing softly against your neck as you read to yourself. All the characters are realistic. These people could be co-workers, friends or even family; I feel I know them so well.

The story on a whole rarely came off sounding false. I had to keep pouring back over events in my own life to see if perhaps I could be suffering from a similar scenario. Evil is everywhere. It could lurk inside your mailman, your pharmacist, your daycare worker or nanny. No one is immune. Who knows, perhaps there’s a demon inside me right now screaming to be let out, and you wouldn’t even know it until it was too late. Is there one in you? There are no flowers or puppies or choirs of angels in this story, so break out the pitchfork and welcome to Hell!

There was no fluff to this novel. Clocking in at a scant 192 pages, the pacing was perfection. Sara Gran expertly uses the rule that states you should only write to advance character or plot, nothing more.

I was extremely ecstatic to find that the author followed through all the way to the end, tying everything off exactly the way I hope. This woman has balls and isn’t afraid to write the way the story should be told, rather than the way the Powers That Be want it told. Her writing style flowed with ease, making for an effortless read.

The only thing that grated on my nerves, like fingernails on a chalkboard, was Amanda’s husband, Ed. An annoyingly anal-retentive hard-ass, he is overly observant and prone to picking at details, but conveniently becomes blind to the glaring differences that manifest in his wife. I found it very hard to swallow that he could so easily overlook certain actions that should have alerted him to Amanda’s plunge into despair, such as the sudden reintegration of habits that she had given up years ago to better their relationship.

I give this book 4 flaming pitchforks. It was so close to perfection, (minus the hubby slip), that I would encourage everyone to rush out and grab it now--grab it in trade paperback, don’t wait for the mass market edition. Indulge yourself, read it over and over, and descend into darkness.

Review originally posted at http://www.horror-web.com/reviews/YaB... on May 14, 2007.(less)

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Feb 02, 2011 Christie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I dunno. Margot Livesey said “Come Closer ought to carry a warning to readers. It’s impossible to begin this intense, clever, beautifully written novel without turning every page.” And Stewart O’Nan said: “Sara Gran has created a sly, satisfying novel of one young woman possessed not only by a demon but also by her own secret desires.”

I quote these two reviews because I have read both Livesey and O’Nan and admire their writing. Believing their assessment of this book is sort of like reading fic...more

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Jul 14, 2010 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Classified as part thriller and part horror, Come Closer is an enjoyable read for lovers of those particular genres. At 168 pages, it isn't going to take long to read, but the action starts on page one and does not let up until the last sentence. It is an intense psychological thrill ride that has one questioning what it means to be happy or insane, self-possessed or demon-possessed.

Amanda is discontent with her life, which is a huge reason (in my opinion) why certain events unfold as they do. S...more Classified as part thriller and part horror, Come Closer is an enjoyable read for lovers of those particular genres. At 168 pages, it isn't going to take long to read, but the action starts on page one and does not let up until the last sentence. It is an intense psychological thrill ride that has one questioning what it means to be happy or insane, self-possessed or demon-possessed.

Amanda is discontent with her life, which is a huge reason (in my opinion) why certain events unfold as they do. She has changed everything for her husband and is ultimately not acting in accordance with her true self on a day-to-day basis. Because of her unconscious chafing at her life, the reader has sympathy for Amanda even as her actions and certain events spiral out of control One might argue then that possession is a metaphor for freedom - freedom from her self-imposed restraints she added to her life when she chose to settle down with her husband, freedom to be who she was truly meant to be,

The topic of possession is, in itself, quite interesting. Is it a metaphor for freedom, for insanity, for obsession, for the loss of control, or for all of the above? One could also argue that demonic possession is a real event. Regardless of one's beliefs, what occurs to Amanda creates some interesting questions. Just how far should loved ones go to saving someone from a downward spiral, for whatever reason? Do we fight it? Do we give up or give in to one's demands? Do we sit and watch it happened without batting an eye?

I cannot remember who reviewed this book initially that had me list it on my Wish List, but I definitely owe that person a note of thanks! Surprisingly difficult to find, Come Closer is delightfully creepy, engaging, extremely well-written, and surprisingly humorous. One would not think that the descent into madness could be funny, but Ms. Gran confirms that a story can be horrifying and funny at the same time. It is a combination that works well, making Come Closer a quick and compelling read at the same time providing food for thought on relationships and one's obligations in those relationships. Come Closer works because of these compelling questions and the hint of the macabre. This would make for an excellent read during Halloween!

(less)

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Jun 27, 2011 Paul Eckert rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read quite a few books in a year, but I don't consider myself a fast reader. However, I started this book last night and finished a few minutes ago.

This is a story of demonic possession in a way that I've never experienced it before - from the point of view of the possessed. Sentence by sentence we're drawn into the story of Amanda and the strange tapping noises she hears, and from this point on her life will never be the same. Her life becomes entangled in the stuff from horror movie cliches...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Alisi ☆ needs to stop starting new books ☆ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: character-driven-plot, good-but-not-great, horror, i-like-but-don-t-know-why, horribly-ending, oh-look-totally-forgot-the-plot-lin, plot-what-plot, the-birth-of-a-sociopath, urban-fantasy

This is a hard book to rate and properly review. If I were to pick a rating based on plot, I'd give it a one star. If I were to pick a rating based on story, I'd give it five.

Poor Amanda is having a bad life. She's getting possessed by the demon Naamah (supposedly the second wife of Adam that he rejected. Third times a charge, I suppose.)

First things first. This book has no plot. I'm using the term plot in the more finite definition of it -- as in, plot is the external events and story is the i...more This is a hard book to rate and properly review. If I were to pick a rating based on plot, I'd give it a one star. If I were to pick a rating based on story, I'd give it five.

Poor Amanda is having a bad life. She's getting possessed by the demon Naamah (supposedly the second wife of Adam that he rejected. Third times a charge, I suppose.)

First things first. This book has no plot. I'm using the term plot in the more finite definition of it -- as in, plot is the external events and story is the internal/emotional events.) The plot reads like a diary, basically, with some blackouts thrown in. It is definitely not horror or anything close to a thriller.

The first half is consists of her picking up all her bad habits and raging that people are stupid (basically.) It didn't draw me in, though it didn't push me away either. There's only really one event that has any kind of emotional charge other than her whiny "why do people care if I smoke" thing and that's when she snuffs her cigarette on her hubby's arm.

This book just didn't work. It feels like an overly ambitious character piece. It has the feeling of The Tell-Tale Heart but it didn't work for this book because there is an actual plot in that story AND it's a short-ish story.

Since we start out with Amanda when she's getting possessed, we have no background to draw from. We don't really bond with her. We have no outside VP to see how what she's doing is totally unusual. Is she always bitchy and we're supposed to ignore it or is something else happening? There's nothing in the story to bounce this off of. We have to take her at her word but she's supposedly getting possessed so who knows right?

Which brings up another pet peeve of mine: the author, I think, realized this. The POV goes from limited to the "all knowing" and back again several times to explain how, exactly, this is different from her regular self -- that totally ruins the whole thing, though.

One of the reasons I love Stephen King so much is that he deals with possession in such a masterful way. Take Christine or The Shining. We see the struggles they're facing before the possession and the possession of each is related to said struggles. In Christine, Arny is trying to become an independent person but he doesn't know how and was never shown how. He latches onto the first powerful thing that comes into his life but, unfortunately, he doesn't realize that that isn't independence.

We're given POV from several different, carefully chosen, people that are all on a kind of spectrum in Arny's life. You have the girlfriend who doesn't know him before he got Christine. His parents (told through the other two.) Arny himself. And his best friend, who totally sympathizes (and could've been in the same boat) as Arny.(less)

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Jul 18, 2011 Emilie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, thriller, mystery

I discovered this book last year at a bookstore and was immediately attracted by the french cover (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76...) and then the synopsis. But at the time, only the hardcover was available and it was too expensive so I waited for the paperback version... goodness, I did well. No wonder we say "Don't judge a book by its cover".

The good points of this book are that it's short and easy to read... that's all for me.
The only thing that comes to mind after the last page (well...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Sarah Botkin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Is Amanda possessed or is she mentally ill?
That seems the key question behind Sara Gran's creepy and depressing little novel.
Not at all the regular spooky haunted house rehash I was expecting, Come Closer is an uncomfortably intimate look at the universal and core selfishness of the mentally ill. It gets inside your head and toys with every humans biggest fear- the loss of ones empathy and impulse control, for those are what make us human, yeah?
If you want a conventional The Exorcist-esque ha...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Mely rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Dashiell Hammett fans, Melanie Tem fans, feminist horror fans

Protagonist may be possessed, or may just be going crazy. The first chapter is the most striking and shocking, just because of the abrupt intrusion of malice and psychological violence, and the rest of it veers away from the examination of the pressures of the workplace on contemporary women into more standard pressures-of-femininity in romance/personal interactions horror territory. Still striking. I like her re-gendering of standard genre tropes as female, whether it's possession horror here o...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I always thought of myself as someone who loved the horror genre, but really what I am is a fan of horror MOVIES who's read a few Stephen King novels here and there. It's still a little hard for me to grasp that there are people out there writing really good horror novels, they just don't happen to be superstars like King, and people aren't constantly trying to adapt everything they've written to film, and so they work in relative obscurity.

I'd like to read more scary literature, but it's not e...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Tracey Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A brief and scary novel. Whether you think that Amanda, the perfect wife with a perfect life, is actually demonically possessed or descending into insanity, the author's depiction of her fall is so frightening that it really doesn't matter. If you are looking for levitating bodies or loads of gore, you will be disappointed. The author uses only the sparest of prose to build the kind of tension that will have you jumping at those little household noises that you normally ignore when your nerves a...more

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May 13, 2011 Carly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

As many readers of this blog will know, I'm an absolutely huge horror fan. I love all types of horror but my favourites are those that linger in my mind long after finishing the book - I love those that slowly seep into my subconcious and terrify me when I least expect it. Come Closer is definitely one of those books.

In novels and films we generally see demonic possession from the point of view of the victim's boyfriend or best friend - very rarely from the point of view of the character who is...more As many readers of this blog will know, I'm an absolutely huge horror fan. I love all types of horror but my favourites are those that linger in my mind long after finishing the book - I love those that slowly seep into my subconcious and terrify me when I least expect it. Come Closer is definitely one of those books.

In novels and films we generally see demonic possession from the point of view of the victim's boyfriend or best friend - very rarely from the point of view of the character who is becoming possessed. What helps to make Come Closer so absorbing and terrifying is that it's written in the first person, so as the demon slowly takes hold of Amanda we see her personality and voice change from a vibrant young woman who lives life to the full to a vindictive, sly demon who destroys everybody around her. Truly creepy.

One of the things I loved about Come Closer is how subtly and slowly the story develops. At first Amanda's out of character acts barely register on the demon possession scale and initially I did begin to wonder if the novel was going to take off but boy did it! After the first few chapters things really kick off and Amanda's downward spiral into Naarmah's clutches is absolutely haunting - and so realistic, by the end of the novel I really was on the look out for signs of demons everywhere!

Come Closer would work so well on the big screen and I would love to see a really well crafted film adaptation, definitely with Natalie Portman playing Amanda/Naarmah. It's a very visual film and Gran's writing is top notch - I found it so easy to visualise Amanda and Ed's world and I would love to see this in the hands of a careful director who loves the genre. It could be awesome.

Come Closer really is a gem - I only found it through hours of searching through Amazon but it definitely deserves more hype. It's a brilliantly written book with realistic characters and a truly unsettling story. I read it in a single sitting and would absolutely recommend it to anybody who likes to scary themselves silly - fans of Long Lankin, ahoy!(less)

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Apr 05, 2012 Tracy Walters rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was soooooo excited to read this book.......since the reviews I had read were calling it one of the scariest books ever......and I had been searching a really good scary read.

Well....I was very disappointed in this book.....maybe I'm just desensitized by all the horror books I read......but this book was just not scary......it was actually a bit predictable and I caught myself laughing at a few parts.....especially the 'Are You Possessed By A Demon' questionnaire....oh how I chuckled at that o...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Thom (T.E.) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A short novel that has regular moments of exhilarating power. For everyone who read "The Killer Inside Me" and loved the intensity added by the point of view, here's a great concept: the first-person telling of what it's like to fall under demonic possession.

Gran has ingenious motifs that she uses for pacing and to offer perspective. I especially liked the frequent encounters with spiritualists and guidebooks that all have a self-help bent, which amounts to a funhouse-mirror reflection of the p...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Bandit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one and its front cover praise, proclaiming it to be the year's scariest book. I don't know if it was, but then again I don't know/probably haven't read all the scary books that came out that year. But...this book was very very good. It dealt with the subject of demonic possession in a very matter of fact first person narrative that I found to be very effective. If it was all an elaborate metaphor, it clearly went right over my head, but as a straight-up po...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Renee Beaucage added it · review of another edition

I very much enjoyed the different style that Sara Gran offers her readers in this book. The idea of the demon possession was something I certainly wasn't expecting but was excited to pursue! I couldn't help but think, though, through the entire book, how many of the "traits" that pointed to demon possession were the same as someone who suffers of multiple personalities. So for the most part, I felt like I was reading about someone with MPD.

Overall, very good read, nice and quick, I finished it...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Rowan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book frustrates me. Because in many ways it was very very good. Very strong narrative that created believable, vivid characters and settings with few words. And there were some genuinely bone-chilling moments. But then the ending...well, it basically went exactly where you could pretty much see it going from rather early on, and there was no real excitement or twist or anything, really. I felt like I was building up to something as I read, and I was really curious where it was going, but th...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Gareth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: the-horror

Got this for £2 in the British Heart Foundation shop on the basis of a Bret Easton Ellis recommendation printed on the back cover of the book. Like Blatty's The Exorcist and Bloch's Psycho fused and streamlined, Sara Gran's creeping little tale held me spellbound from the opening chapter. This should at least give you a chill even if you're not that easily disturbed. Works well as a metaphor for the pressures people find themselves under in contemporary, paranoid society, or as a straight-forwar...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Rich Stoehr rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Come Closer is a summer storm of a novel - unexpected, hard, fast, and intense.

You can read it in a day - in just a few hours, really. It starts with hints and suggestions, like the smell of heavy clouds, full of foreboding. Amanda, married and successful, starts hearing strange noises in her house, tapping and scratches in the walls. They're worst when she's alone. She becomes irritable and unpredictable, with sudden urges of violence. She finds herself turning into someone she doesn't know, bu...more Come Closer is a summer storm of a novel - unexpected, hard, fast, and intense.

You can read it in a day - in just a few hours, really. It starts with hints and suggestions, like the smell of heavy clouds, full of foreboding. Amanda, married and successful, starts hearing strange noises in her house, tapping and scratches in the walls. They're worst when she's alone. She becomes irritable and unpredictable, with sudden urges of violence. She finds herself turning into someone she doesn't know, but someone familiar...and she is forced to think the unthinkable.

The story progresses quickly, never letting up to breathe. It washes over you like hard rain, flashes of pure vivid horror like lightning, illuminating everything for just a moment, then fading, leaving images imprinted on the imagination. When it's over, you're left sodden and heavy, wondering just what happened.

Is it scary? At specific moments it was. Some of the things Amanda sees (and does) are truly frightening, and those things will stick with you. In the end, though, I didn't buy into the character enough to care that much. The book reminded me a little of how I felt after seeing The Blair Witch Project for the first time. It wasn't scary, but it was intense. It would probably make a really good, creepy movie. As a book, though, I think I wanted to like it more than I did.

The subject matter works too. Good horror works on deep-seated fears that we all share. In this case, it's the fear of losing control of oneself, of giving in to urges and desires to an extreme - of becoming someone (or something) that frightens us. That is a very real fear, and Come Closer pokes and prods at it until it hurts, a sharp quick jab of pain to remind us just who we are.

Come Closer is definitely worth reading, for those brilliant flashes of lightning, those moments when everything becomes too focused, too clear, too much. It could have been done better, with a little more depth to stretch the buildup out more, but it succeeds on the level of creating images that stick with you, of building a sharp intensity, and for reminding us that who we are is a fragile thing indeed. (less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Cynthia Eaton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

Come Closer is a really great, fast read. The book itself is only 168 pages.

The main character is Amanda. She's a happily married architect whom slowly becomes possessed by a demon. This book spans about a year of Amanda's life from the beginning of the possession. Amanda's whole world slowly begins to change. She's changing, and with this change comes destruction of herself and the people around her. Others have said this book is really scary, but I didn't find it to be so. It was, however rea...more

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Apr 01, 2009 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-spring-challenge, horror, read-2009

This book FREAKED me out!! I loved it! It's was suggested to me for my off genre task for the TNBBC Spring Challenge and I'm so glad that I took a chance on it.

Amanda has a perfect life, then suddenly things start to go terribly wrong. She hears strange noises, starts doing things she would never do, blacks-out for long periods of time with no idea what she's been doing. She tries to get help, but can't. Things just keep escalating and getting worse.

I think the scariest thing about this book, is...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't gory, and it wasn't quite unbelievable as so many horror novels are...I think that's what made is so scary.
I love horror. It's a hard genre to do well without being cheesy, and Sara Gran did a wonderful job with Come Closer. I finished the book in one sitting; closed it and felt quite unsettled.
In the end I had to give the book four stars because of how unsettled I was by it. I have read lots of memorable books...but never had one reply in my head and terrif...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Despair Speaking rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

The creepy fall of a girl to darkness as she is slowly being possessed by a demon...

This book requires:
1. patience (its pacing is slow to effectively show how such terrible things start out small so a person will not notice until it is too late)
2. bravery (it gets pretty scary as it goes on)
3. time (it is better to read this in one sitting to really FEEL the book)

If you have all three, I guarantee you will enjoy Come Closer!

(I initially thought this was some sort of erotica book or romance book...more

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Nov 24, 2008 Juliet rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nov08, horror

I'm a sucker for horror novels (even though I make sure I'm not alone at night after I've read them) and I found this neat little book with a terrifying cover in the horror section of the library. It also had raves from well-known authors such as Brett Easton Ellis which is a good sign.

I don't know if it was just my overly active imagination or if I was really scared. The first few chapters definitely had a more spooky tone than the end half of the book. Is she crazy or is she demon possessed?...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Gizell Dixon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So this book was ok. You won't get creeped out while reading but when the book is down and you're alone in your home and you hear a random noise that sounds like the ones in the book, you can't help but feel a little jumpy.

As one of the reviews I read, questioned if she really was possessed or is mentally-ill. Thought that was a reasonable question. Though I'm not a health professional nor one that studied about possession I really can't tell you what I conclude. Part of me is thinking psycholo...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1850827.Come_Closer?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320487096l/1850827.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1850827.Come_Closer?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Come Closer by Sara Gran[/url]

Come Closer

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