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20th out of 42 books
—
8 voters
Bloodstone
by
Nate Kenyon (Goodreads Author)
Something evil has taken root in White Falls and has waited centuries for the right time to awaken.
Mass Market Paperback, 333 pages
Published
April 29th 2008
by Leisure Books
(first published 2006)
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It’s been a long time since I’ve read a horror story like this one. Most horror novelists are either very good at openings but then the rest of the tale doesn’t hold up, or they are excellent a mood but the characters are week, or sometimes you get the occasional author who struggles in the beginning but if you can make it 50 pages or so into the book, it really gets rocking and rolling. For a debut novel, I am unbelievably impressed by the even-ness of the entire book. We start out creepy, and...more
Driven by nightmares of the dead, Billy Smith kidnaps a girl called Angel and heads for the sleepy Maine town of White Falls. The town has a few oddballs and a tragic history, mainly concerning the eccentric Thomas family and a young man called Jeb, whose father murdered Jeb's mother and recently died in prison.
History begins to repeat itself with Jeb following the same dark path as his father, and as the town descends towards madness, the reason Billy and Angel have been drawn to White Falls be...more
History begins to repeat itself with Jeb following the same dark path as his father, and as the town descends towards madness, the reason Billy and Angel have been drawn to White Falls be...more
Just finished this book and it was creepy as crap in some places. The author did a good job with many of the characters - making them feel realistic and sympathetic. I think he could have done a little better with Stowe, but other than that, this was a great first effort by the author.
There were a couple/few places that felt a bit unpolished, but it wasn't enough to make me knock a star off the review. I was a tad confused about events at the end, but I think I do get it after all.
There was one...more
There were a couple/few places that felt a bit unpolished, but it wasn't enough to make me knock a star off the review. I was a tad confused about events at the end, but I think I do get it after all.
There was one...more
Bloodstone is a return to the classic theme involving a small, secluded town with a dark secret. Strangers with dreams, an outcast teenager, a town prophet, and a history of violence converge in a steady buildup to a satisfying climax. The writing was solid throughout, but I felt at times Kenyon was holding back from turning the horror-dial up a few notches. With the exception of the final 50 pages, the tone, although creepy and atmospheric, floated in the PG-13 realm. My tastes run a little mor...more
Feb 18, 2011
Merredith
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
stephen king fans, horror lovers
Shelves:
4-or-5-stars,
horror
Nate Kenyon is my new favorite horror author. Remember when Stephen King used to be good? All those early books set in Maine with their odd little towns & the scary goings-on? Well that's Nate Kenyon. This book is about an old small Maine town that was built on some bad land, and the main character is drawn to find a woman from a miami beach and bring both of them here. And strange things are happening in town. Well, it's a horror story so i cant give too much away without being tmi. There w...more
Just finished this book and...I don't know who won Bram Stoker award in 2008, but I'm going to find out as soon as I'm done with this review, because I would be very interested to hear of a book more deserving of the prize than Bloodstone. In other words, Bloodstone was an amazing book. Sometimes, I get overly generous with the ratings on here, especially if the books are by authors I like. This was an absolutely five star read. The kind of book that makes you go out and get all the other books...more
Bloodstone is a plodding supernatural tale that never got off the ground for me. I struggled to get through the first 200 pages and should have stopped at that point and moved on to another book. I kept going only because a number of reviewers noted that the book improved dramatically during its last third. Well, maybe that was true, but not enough for me to give the book more than one star.
The book contained characters that I really didn't care about, and frankly, found unlikeable. The story, a...more
The book contained characters that I really didn't care about, and frankly, found unlikeable. The story, a...more
This was a Halloween book which ended up taking waaaayyy to long. I lovingly call books like these my crappy horror books, but as I get older and my palate for novels and literature gets more refined, it becomes harder and harder to come back to these mainstays of my youth. I understand that these books are written within a year an probably aren't fleshed out because of deadlines, but I still feel like one has to live up to expectations. The writing in this on was sound and the characterization...more
Wow, great book! I love horror and it's hard to find good stories, good characters, and someone who can blend it all together and scare me. Nate Kenyon did a good job. I know when I am struggling to keep my eyes open, to just keep reading no matter how late it is or how early I have to get up the next morning because I HAVE to know what happens next.....that's a good book.
I always enjoy a good horror book. Bloodstone is a good one. It starts out with Billy Smith having nightmares every night. He keeps moving further East from California until he finds himself in Miami Beach. He kidnaps Angel and heads to White Falls, Maine. This is a town that was built on land that the Indian guides would not step on when it was settled. The book has a very slow build to horror.
My Opinion:
Great read and nail biting. Let me just say I didn’t expect the twist almost at the ending. You know it was there in front of my face just never connected it. I was drawn to this book like a moth to a flame. I spent almost every minute I could reading it. But not rushing through it. I had no idea why Angel and Billy were drawn to this town and as it unfolded I was so wrapped up in it I didn’t even notice time flying by. I loved almost all the characters and didn’t feel that Nate left...more
Great read and nail biting. Let me just say I didn’t expect the twist almost at the ending. You know it was there in front of my face just never connected it. I was drawn to this book like a moth to a flame. I spent almost every minute I could reading it. But not rushing through it. I had no idea why Angel and Billy were drawn to this town and as it unfolded I was so wrapped up in it I didn’t even notice time flying by. I loved almost all the characters and didn’t feel that Nate left...more
A man with a past and a woman taken against her will. One man consumed by rage, a small town tainted by a past of darkness, a horrifying secret that's about to be revealed. A centuries old evil is about to awaken and no one is safe from the growing darkness that awaits them. A finalist for the Bram Stoker Award and well deserved.
When I first began to read this book, I felt it was not going to live up to what I was hoping for. It took a while to get super interesting. I was pleased towards the end! I got a little of what I wanted. I am impressed that this is the first book written by the author. A great job at a first attempt. I gave it four stars because I probably will never have a desire to read it again, but I am glad I did.
The family legacy that haunts this book is fascinating and definitely keeps you invested. I did want a bit more background on the history of the talisman that this story worked around (I tend to be a bit of a nerd toward artifacts and ancient relics....especially when it comes to occult based histories or mysteries.) The outcome of the book did surprise me and the character development was rich with "blood-ties." I look forward to reading books by Nate Kenyon.
The book starts out like some kind of sick road movie thriller: a recovering alcoholic kidnaps a prostitute. But, as already suggested by the recurring nightmares both of them have, things take a completely different turn once they arrive in White Falls. Bit by bit, the backgrounds of Billy and Angels are revealed, turning them into characters we can start to sympathize with and ally against the evil force that lives in this small town.
Though the explanation about the origin of the evil and the...more
Though the explanation about the origin of the evil and the...more
This one was real boring for the first half of the book, but it picked up big time in the second half, scaring the crap out of me! Taboo stuff mixed in with big time frights, welcome Nate Kenyone to horror history!
I was expecting more from this book. I could go as high as 3.5 stars, but the novel is a mixed bag. It starts out very slowly. The narrative plods along for about two thirds of the book. Many characters were introduced at a rapid pace. You would read about them once, and then not see them again for quite a while. By this point I had forgotten who they were, and what their story was. I had to keep reading until something jogged my memory. On the upside, the last 70 or 80 pages are dynamite. Kenyo...more
Excellent slow-burn horror, very atmospheric and creepy, with great characters. Felt like I'd been on the journey with them by the end of the book, I'll definitely be reading more by Kenyon.
The horror builds slowly, making it all that more satisfying when it comes full bloom at the end. Plus, I grew up in a small, rural town, so I am endlessly fascinated by stories about the evils hidden in such places.
Loved loved loved this book! It sucked me in from the very first page! Some parts were kinda easy to see what was coming further along in the book but otherwise it was a great read and I would definitely recommend it.
The dead are hungry. They're dangerous and they want to reach out to us. They've found a way. The key must be destroyed.
This read started off rather sedated with a not-so like-able character taking the reins. Others soon joined the cast and we get a little story and background info on each one. The writing itself was deceptively simple, otherwise I might not have finished this or stayed interested due to the fact that the pace never really varied. The epilogue diminished the climatic conclusion...more
This read started off rather sedated with a not-so like-able character taking the reins. Others soon joined the cast and we get a little story and background info on each one. The writing itself was deceptively simple, otherwise I might not have finished this or stayed interested due to the fact that the pace never really varied. The epilogue diminished the climatic conclusion...more
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This was a first time author of horror and it was a book that was written totally by the numbers. Very predictable! I really didn't like my characters, there were absolutely no surprises as this storyline has been done over and over again. It was not the least bit scary and a bit jumpy and leaving lot's of things unexplained. It felt very rushed as well. It read like someone just graduated from writing class and this was their first attempt.
I don't think the author is bad, he just needs time to...more
I don't think the author is bad, he just needs time to...more
I read this one in a day, it moves fast and captures you from the start.
This book caught me from page one...very good readings, will read more of nate kenyon
I don't think this book will be particularly memorable for me, but I did enjoy it.
I felt the leads Billy Smith and Angel (Gloria Jackson) were likeable and the pace of the action was steady and exciting.
Probably won't read it again, but enjoyed it.
I felt the leads Billy Smith and Angel (Gloria Jackson) were likeable and the pace of the action was steady and exciting.
Probably won't read it again, but enjoyed it.
I've previously enjoyed Nate Kenyon's later novels, The Reach and Sparrow Rock. However this debut novel, Bloodstone, left me cold. It is a tentative affair often reading like a King or Straub imitation with none of the freshness and excitement. It was obviously a first attempt and I can attest that the author recovered later. So don't dismiss this as a "stay away". It is rather s "Skip this" and move on to Mr. Kenyon's more recent and superior works.
This was a well written, creepy debut. What if you were having dreams/visions/nightmares, that you were supposed to be somewhere. To find someone to take with you on your journey. Stopping in a small town in Maine, because it "feels right" , that this is the place. Don't want to say why, and what our protagonist's find there. A well paced good vs. evil story, that leaves you feeling like you had just walked into a spider web.
Feb 12, 2010
Heather Lusher
added it
just started
Fine debut novel from Nate Kenyon. Stephen King-esque setting (small Maine town with secrets) has good, strong characters, an atmospheric location and a literary device that works really well. Bloodstone, for me invoked the vintage /old school horror written in the 70/80s by King, Straub, Masterton et al
Excellent story! Another great read by Nate Kenyon! My heart ached for Billy - Uuuugh! I so wanted a happy ending here! Hard to put into words what I felt about this book - creepy, page-turning, unique story with an array of characters you can't seem to help but begin to feel a bond with.
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Nate Kenyon grew up in a small town in Maine. His first novel, Bloodstone, received raves from places as varied as Library Journal, Fangoria, Publishers Weekly, about.com, Cemetery Dance and The Romance Studio, and praise from authors such as Brian Keene, Tim Lebbon, Douglas Clegg, Mort Castle and Rick Hautala. Bloodstone was a Bram Stoker Award finalist and and P&E Novel of the Year Award win...more
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