Dweller

Apr 24, 2012 Lou rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: august-read-list, adapted-to-screen, bram-stoker-nominee, dystopia, horror

If you ever happen to want to befriend a Bigfoot/Dweller there are rules.
1)You must not run away from the animal when you first sight it out of fear.
2)Make sure you have no stings attached, no family and no women.
3)Relocate the beast miles from humans.
4)Cover your tracks and make sure it's not following you home and you are not leading people to it.
5)Never trust anyone with you're secret.
6)Never get personal, when push comes to shove and things don't go by the the rules you need to execute the b...more If you ever happen to want to befriend a Bigfoot/Dweller there are rules.
1)You must not run away from the animal when you first sight it out of fear.
2)Make sure you have no stings attached, no family and no women.
3)Relocate the beast miles from humans.
4)Cover your tracks and make sure it's not following you home and you are not leading people to it.
5)Never trust anyone with you're secret.
6)Never get personal, when push comes to shove and things don't go by the the rules you need to execute the beast swiftly and efficiently.
7)Last point from the time of befriending and until execution of the beast do not consume intoxicants or drugs, You must be in control!

This was a coming of age and a coming of retirement story. Boy and beast wonderful, there are a few nice stories and movies out there, The Bfg by Dahl and the movies Bigfoot and the Henderson's and recently Where The Wild Things Are. Hold on let me rewind what I said a second and there are also stories of The Boy and Beast that are scary stories, where the beast kills and things turn tragic.
We watch Toby the boy grow through his youth to a man and deteriorate through old age. We follow him receiving brutal beating from school bullies and loosing his virginity to his first Love quite late in his youth.
This story follows his rather complicated friendship with the Bigfoot kind of beast friend of his. Jeff Strand the author, has written a engrossing plot that hooks you in and keeps you turning pages. This was a Bram Stoker award nominee and has got loads of great feedback from friends. The boy/man and beast story not made for Disney but created for an adult audience, Strand serves up plenty of blood and love. He defines the story in being a dark poignant story of friendship and horror instead of becoming just another boy and beast Disney-like story of friendship. This story is one that stays with you thoughts and is written well.

One lesson you can take away from this, or maybe a few lessons, tread carefully in dangerous relationships, how long can you keep it a secret? When matters get beyond your control how are you going to end it?
If you happen to befriend any beasts tread carefully and during and until the end of the friendship, do not consume alcohol or take drugs you must always be in control!
There is also a little country song for Dweller on a book trailer showing here. (less)

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Feb 04, 2012 Charlene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Jeff Strand does an amazing job with this book.
Young Toby encounters a monster in the woods, but when he tells his family no one will believe him.
So begins a lifelong relationship between Toby and the monster.
The reason I say Jeff Strand did an amazing job is twofold. First, you really care for Toby, even though his relationship with the monster takes some nasty turns (and when I say nasty, I mean VERY nasty). You can't help but feel sorry for him. Second, you really care for the monster alth...more

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Apr 26, 2010 Tressa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bullying, horror, 2010

What a great read Dweller is. It's one of those "coudn't put down" books that I love breaking open.

Toby and Owen's adventure begins back in 1953, when Toby is a friendless 8-year-old. He is out exploring in the vast woods behind his house when he sees a Bigfoot-like creature. He befriends the beast and names him Owen, after one good friend he had for a short while before screwing up the friendship.

This horror book doesn't progress the way one might think. There isn't some "feed the trouble-makin...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Steve Vernon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

I have been waiting a very long time for Jeff Strand’s second Leisure Book.

His first, Pressure, was a pneumatic vice-grip of a novel that caught hold of the reader at a suitably vulnerable point and s-q-u-e-e-z-e-d.

Dweller is equally as intense.

The book takes a look at the life of a young boy named Toby who has been literally touched by a sort of Bigfoot-style creature. Toby names the monster Owen and in time, in spite of the inevitable speed bumps that arise in any friendship – namely massacre...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Nick Cato rated it 5 of 5 stars

Who among us horror fans--during our childhood--didn't daydream about being friends with Kong, Godzilla, Freddy, Jason, or some kind of monster who'd be our friend and watch our backs? You didn't? Liar! I have many, many times.

In Strand's second "serious" novel, a young boy named Toby wanders into the woods, led away by his active imagination. He runs out with everything he has after an encounter with a bigfoot-type creature and eventually wonders if he's losing his mind. His parents help him to...more

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May 29, 2012 Layton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-books, horror, 5-star-downright-incredible

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 05, 2012 Bret rated it 5 of 5 stars

I normally don't feel compelled to write book reviews, but in this case, this is one that stuck with me. It sounds silly: a boy meets a monster in the woods, and they form a friendship that lasts throughout their lives—lives wracked with poor choices, tragedy, and horror. Despite the preposterous sounding premise, it's really a striking read. I found myself making time to read some pages here and there until I'd devoured the book in a handful of days.

The book focuses on Toby Florin, a misfit an...more

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Jun 29, 2011 William M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

FAVORITE BOOK OF 2010

For me, this was probably the most complete and wholly satisfying horror novel I've read in years. I can usually find something in any book that doesn't sit right with me or a section that I think could have used some work, but with "Dweller", Jeff Strand has written a perfect story. The last time I remember a reading experience this nostalgic and magical, was with Robert R. McCammon's "Boy's Life".

Author Jeff Strand's writing flows very smoothly and is laced with layers of...more

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Apr 05, 2010 Scott Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jeff Strand is developing quite a following. With his last book, Pressure, he set himself up to be a bright new voice in the horror world. With Dweller, he shows us that not only can he build a tight story, but he can also build one that is oddly poignant, touching, and just as bloody as can be.

Toby Floren was just eight years old when he first met the monster in the woods. As you might imagine, it scared the hell out of him. But that didn't stop him from going back, befriending t he beast, and...more Jeff Strand is developing quite a following. With his last book, Pressure, he set himself up to be a bright new voice in the horror world. With Dweller, he shows us that not only can he build a tight story, but he can also build one that is oddly poignant, touching, and just as bloody as can be.

Toby Floren was just eight years old when he first met the monster in the woods. As you might imagine, it scared the hell out of him. But that didn't stop him from going back, befriending t he beast, and naming him Owen. So begins the lifelong stormy friendship of Toby and Owen, whose lives more or less involve only each other. Toby has no real friends, is socially awkward, and often dreams up ways of exacting revenge on the bullies that torment him every day. Owen, on the other hand, is alone, possibly the last of his kind, and more than willing to accept the treats Toby brings in exchange for some friendship. Of course, anyone else who comes around Owen somehow winds up dead and eaten, but then again, what friendship is perfect?

Dweller is an odd sort of story in that, just when you think you have it pinned down, Strand goes and does something unexpected. We're told the story from Toby's point of view, but not in a traditional way. Strand employs what the book refers to as "glimpses" to take a pertinent piece of a conversation and slip it in to provide the reader with just enough information to paint the picture of Toby's mental or emotional state. While what we get is essentially a one-sentence paragraph, it is a strangely effective technique in Strand's hands.

The characters in the book, Toby and Owen, could be mirrors of the same soul. Toby is an outcast in his own world, mainly due to his own social ineptitude, while Owen is an outcast because his kind are very few and far between. In the beginning, Owen is shown to be more than a monster, and throughout the book he grows into something less of a grotesque thing and more of an intelligent, caring being. We watch Toby grow up, from age eight to age sixty-five, and several times it becomes questionable just who the monster really is, and what could keep an old man returning to a monster in the woods instead of making friends of his own kind.

Lest you think this book is to become the next Disney flick, Strand has filled quite a few pages with blood and mayhem. Owen is described as something similar to a bigfoot with huge claws and teeth, and using them does a wonderful job of painting the ground with blood. In fact, the first few pages of the book seem like they're going to be sedate, but end up being remarkably horrific.

From the first few paragraphs, I was hooked on this book. It wasn't a book I would've picked up normally, but I was glad I did. It's quirky, strange, and not at quite what one would expect, but it is well worth the read. Strand shows once again that he is a talented writer with a unique style and a warped imagination.(less)

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Aug 20, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, 2012-favorites, 2012-reads

I have read quite a few of Jeff Strand's lighter horror novels. Make no mistake, those books are dark and twisted, but there is a humorous tone that really sets them apart. I wasn't sure what one of his serious horror novels was going to be like. It didn't take long to realize why this was nominated for the Bram Stoker. This is dark fiction with real heart and insight.

Dweller has a dark humor to the story, to be sure. But it is the humor of a man who is deceiving himself and we cringe each time...more

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Dec 24, 2011 Bill rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

A couple of years ago I read Strand's novel Pressure, and at last count, I am still the lone reviewer to have given that a one-star rating.
I simply couldn't buy into the main character's actions.
It was enough to put me off him, but then Dweller came along, and again I couldn't ignore the praises heaped upon it.

I guess I'm the only one around here who doesn't love his works. I'll give him this: he does pace his stories extremely well, and I did burn through both of his novels because I had to see...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

To those clueless few unaware of Jeff Strand, he's known for his trademark blend of whacky humor and twisted horror and he's been doing his thing successfully for years now. Before the Leisure Books meltdown, he'd published two horror novels from them, Pressure and Dweller, and I'm ashamed to admit I'd just now gotten around to reading this amazing (and to-date, my favorite) novel. The book opens up in 1946, in Ohio, where a group of postwar soldiers are out on a camping trip with their girlfrie...more To those clueless few unaware of Jeff Strand, he's known for his trademark blend of whacky humor and twisted horror and he's been doing his thing successfully for years now. Before the Leisure Books meltdown, he'd published two horror novels from them, Pressure and Dweller, and I'm ashamed to admit I'd just now gotten around to reading this amazing (and to-date, my favorite) novel. The book opens up in 1946, in Ohio, where a group of postwar soldiers are out on a camping trip with their girlfriends...and fighting for their lives as bloodthirsty creatures attack and maul most of them, even as they kill some of the monsters in order to survive. Flash forward to 1953 and we're introduced to nerdy Toby Floren, who's the regular target of vicious bullies. One day during a long walk deep into the woods he happens upon a cave, and while exploring, he discovers a nightmarish creature, hairy, with long claws and razor-sharp teeth...but they become good friends. Toby is happy to finally have a good friend, possibly a best friend, and when the merciless and cruel bullying continues, he finds himself confronted in the woods by the bullies, who'd followed him almost to the cave where his monster-friend dwells.

Ummm, not to give TOO much away but you can perhaps glean what might've happened next. Needless to say, Toby continues to foster his most unlikely and bestial friendship with the creature he'd dubbed Owen, and their friendship spans many years, and into adulthood, as Toby remains in the same small town, buying a home near the woods, so he can be close to his best friend. Even as he tries to have a normal life, career, and lovelife, his bizarre friendship with Owen remains solid, and while sweet, like most things, the choices we make in life come with a cost...and sometimes the cost is high...way too high. Yes, friendship and choices in life are ultimately the big themes in this novel, along with moments of utter hilarity and horror, done in such a way that only Strand can pull off. The novel closes with a mid-sixties Toby, trying to piece together the way his latter years ended up, his ailing health and some bright spots, not the least of which is his unflagging devotion to his best friend, Owen. Unfortunately, like in life, some good things come to an end...and some good things just get all fucked up. MUST read!(less)

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Feb 11, 2013 Trev Twinem rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've never read anything quite like this before, in fact I am stunned by what I see as one of the most amazing horror...come fantasy...come friendship..come relationship stories I have ever read. Toby Floren is bullied at school and his whole world changes when he meets a monster in the woods near his home, a monster that becomes his best pal and life long friend. Let's face it what would life be without true friendship and we follow Toby from his young innocent years to the twilight of his life...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Adam Wilson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Toby and Owen. Those two names when put together like that make so many emotions flow through me it is unreal. Jeff Strand's best novel, in my opinion anyway (and I

haven't read all of them yet so it could change), is one of those novels classified as horror, but it is so so much more. It has the feel of a very unpopular boy just

trying to survive in the hostile land of public school. Strand captures his feelings and actions perfectly. The question that hits us a short way into the book is this:...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Lil' Grogan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 4, humour, sob, dark-fantasy

Part of me is still that kid that wanted their own special pet monster. The charm of this book was living it vicariously for awhile. We've seen this story before - humans unable to appreciate the wild, and the wild not living by the same rules; asking who the real monster is after all. The draw here for me was the friendship.
Toby, a social outcast, is not admirably drawn and is the perfect person to befriend the monster in the woods. Owen, though the monster, is sympathetically portrayed from t...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Tonya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

I enjoy horror books, very much, so much so when I was younger I sometimes saw the question in my father’s eye if I liked them a little too much.

Dweller was a good read, it was well constructed for the amount of time it had to cover and conveyed the friendship, odd as it was, of Toby and Owen so well it’s almost believable.

I expected something completely different when I picked up Dweller than what I read, I was pleasantly surprised though.

I at times thought that Owen was more human than Toby w...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Debra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-supernatural

Horror Aficionados group read.

At first blush, I thought the premise was going to be just too silly to believe. But the author makes it work, really! A very unique approach to the monster meets boy story. I read this in 2 days; a quick page-turner. Give it a try!

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Jul 10, 2012 Todd Russell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, monsters

Wouldn't it be cool to have a pet monster? In this awesome story Toby does and he even gives the creature a name, Owen. I can see why Strand got a nomination for a Stoker in 2010 with this novel, because it's a fantastic horror read. As a reader, you're right there with Toby and Owen, following their sometimes scary, never boring, adventure. There isn't as much of Strand's typical humor in this one (although he can't resist pulling a few jokes along the way), it's played straight and at times it...more

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Jan 27, 2011 BarkLessWagMore rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

Toby is a young, friendless, socially awkward boy relentlessly picked on by two school bullies. His only friend is a monster he meets in the woods and names Owen. Dweller follows Toby as he meanders his way through life trying to maintain a sort of “normal” life and maintaining his friendship with the man-eating monster who is his best pal.

Dweller isn’t an extraordinarily deep book and Toby is a bit of a mess but it’s touching, vaguely disturbing and very readable. Toby screws up big-time on mo...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Don rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a very disturbing and bittersweet morality tale of horror where a young boy discovers a monster in the woods and befriends him. Through 55 years, the book blurs the relationship with the creature as the reader slowly discovers the real monster. Very well written with characters the reader will both love and hate. Extremely well done climax. Amidst all the suspense, gore and horror I truly felt sorry for both the creature and the man. He truly screwed up his life and it does make one wond...more

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May 02, 2013 Lionel Green rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm an avid fan and reader of horror, and "Dweller" was my favorite horror novel of 2010. Not a chiller-thriller, but Strand introduces you to an improbable relationship and grounds it in reality. I had to read it in one sitting to find out how this doomed relationship ended? What are the limits of friendship and loyalty? Strand certainly explores those themes, but ultimately "Dweller" is just a masterfully written life journey full of nostalgia, especially for those of us who grew up in the 70s...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-horror

I finished this book about 3 weeks ago and it still crosses my mind every day. It is a sick, twisted & emotional rollercoaster ride about the love / hate relationship between a boy & his monster. At the end above all else, I felt a sense of sadness for the main character. Anyone who has ever felt socially awkward as a teenager (or hell, even an adult) can surely relate to the main character. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories of unconventional friendships and unusual rel...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Kathy Jackson rated it 4 of 5 stars

OK, it is official - I'm never reading another Jeff Strand book...EVER! EVER!

There are specific requirements for monster stories - they strike fear in your very soul; they make you afraid to walk outside alone at 3am; you find yourself looking over your shoulder expecting to see the monster pressed up against the picture window in your living room glaring at you menacingly; you know that when you least expect it, the monster will pounce.

Monster stories DO NOT make you cry. They don't make you lo...more OK, it is official - I'm never reading another Jeff Strand book...EVER! EVER!

There are specific requirements for monster stories - they strike fear in your very soul; they make you afraid to walk outside alone at 3am; you find yourself looking over your shoulder expecting to see the monster pressed up against the picture window in your living room glaring at you menacingly; you know that when you least expect it, the monster will pounce.

Monster stories DO NOT make you cry. They don't make you love the monster so that you cry like a baby when it dies. You aren't supposed to side with the monster over the humans - it is an intense survival of the fittest and the humans always win. Hideous monsters aren't tamed pets or best friends unless you are writing CHILDREN'S books or watching a movie like Monster's Inc. ARGH!

Well, I'm too emotionally exhausted to rant anymore. If he makes the fire ants in Mandibles fun and loveable, I'm going to show up at his door with a hungry polar bear and then manically laugh as the bear explains that animals aren't always cute and cuddly. Whew - glad I got that off my chest. Just kidding, Mr Strand...mostly... anyway I don't have access to a polar bear...

Goodreads describes the book as:

Young Toby's only friend is a humanoid creature who will do anything for him, including killing his enemies.

First off, I will say with that I didn't like Toby - not from the get-go. As I said before, he was bullied and all that but something is wrong with a person who lets their rage take so control of them that they can murder. Such a person was never right in the head to begin with making it quite possible that the other children bullied him because they sensed the evil inside. Toby went into the relationship thinking only of himself and continued to do so many times throughout the book. You will not get me to feel sorry for this character.

Owen is another story. Owen is all alone in the world so he makes friends with the boy who offers him a chance to belong and be loved. Owen is like an abused dog you rescue from the shelter - it feels so alone, so miserable and so unsure of its new owner's love. Will the person be nice or will they just add to the dogs misery? Toby added, in many ways, to Owen's misery.

OK, I suppose not all of that is fair - Toby did love Owen but his was a destructive love that the monster probably would have been better never having. Oh quit your fuming...it is my opinion and I told you from the beginning that I sided with the monster. Not every relationship is good for a person even if it has a few good parts here and there.

The writing is well done, Owen is well thought out and easy to picture in your head as you read. Having such a strong, negative reaction to Toby also means the author presented the story with enough flair that the reader was free to make that choice. I'm sure there are thousands of readers who thought Toby was great.

Overall, the book was well worth the read though it does not top Wolf Hunt or Graverobbers Wanted. I give the book an A - but remember to grab a box of tissues when you get close to the end.
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Sep 01, 2011 Alex Sheldon Savva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-dark-fantasy

A story spanning 57 years of a boy who befriends a monster in the woods sounds like a fantastic premise, and it pays off.
Although the back cover would have you believe that this was more a novel of horror, it's actually more of a tragic social drama with many tense moments, and all the better for it.

One might argue that the characters could have been further developed and the passing of time a little lengthier; but lacking this, the story moves in a briskly manner with a pace that never quite sl...more

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Jul 18, 2010 Melissa Helwig rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, favorites

After reading Dweller by Jeff Strand (author of Pressure) I have decided that I want a monster BFF/pet. I have a cat, but she doesn’t hug me, or say my name, or even communicate with me through our own made-up sign language. She doesn’t like to eat people though, so I suppose that’s a good thing.

The first time Toby Floren sees the monster in the woods, he is only 8-years-old and he flees in terror. Seven years later, at age 15, Toby is an outcast. When he encounters the monster this time, his lo...more After reading Dweller by Jeff Strand (author of Pressure) I have decided that I want a monster BFF/pet. I have a cat, but she doesn’t hug me, or say my name, or even communicate with me through our own made-up sign language. She doesn’t like to eat people though, so I suppose that’s a good thing.

The first time Toby Floren sees the monster in the woods, he is only 8-years-old and he flees in terror. Seven years later, at age 15, Toby is an outcast. When he encounters the monster this time, his loneliness leads him to befriend it. Toby names him Owen and ventures into the woods frequently to vent his problems to him and to feed him treats (his favourite is ice cream). To Toby, being best friends with a real-life monster is great, except for Owen’s occasional cravings for more substantial, bloodier, treats….

The plot is like a gory version of Harry and the Hendersons, because this is also a tale of a friendship with a Bigfoot-type creature – albeit a Bigfoot with huge fangs and claws. But there are only a few gory scenes; the focus is on the bond between Toby and Owen. And Strand interchanges the dark, intense scenes with humorous ones. He had me laughing several times while reading.

Instead of the novel taking place over the course of a day, week or month, like most novels, Dweller spans Toby’s entire lifetime. But since it isn’t an epic length (only 292 pages), Strand uses a unique method of writing, where he provides “glimpses” of what happens over the years. Usually just a few paragraphs of a funny or important event and sometimes only a line or snippet of dialogue, making Toby’s life seem like it’s flying by and the pace move quickly.

Any horror fan can relate to the main character, Toby, for his desire to have a monster as a best friend. And although Owen is a monster, and the cause of most of the bloodshed in the novel, he is portrayed as a loveable pet. Strand makes the existence of this creature - and even his friendship with a human - plausible. I became attached to both of these characters throughout the course of the novel and was touched by the bond they share.

Dweller is one of the best novels I’ve read. It manages to be funny, scary, gory, sad, happy and touching at the same time. All horror fans, animal lovers or Harry and the Hendersons fans must read this book – actually I think everyone should read this, regardless of literary preference. But beware: it’s a tearjerker.

Read more of my reviews at http://littlemisszombie.blogspot.com (less)

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Jul 06, 2012 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: horror fans

Shelves: read-in-2012, horror, fiction

I've read more than a few paperbacks from Leisure Fiction, all of them of the seedy horror variety, something akin to the low-budget horror movies you might find on the Sci-Fi channel. In reading these novels I've come to the conclusion that there must be some type of clause in their publishing contracts that states their books can be no longer than three to four-hundred pages, or whatever number of words that's equivalent to. Pure speculation on my part of course. For the most part this seems t...more I've read more than a few paperbacks from Leisure Fiction, all of them of the seedy horror variety, something akin to the low-budget horror movies you might find on the Sci-Fi channel. In reading these novels I've come to the conclusion that there must be some type of clause in their publishing contracts that states their books can be no longer than three to four-hundred pages, or whatever number of words that's equivalent to. Pure speculation on my part of course. For the most part this seems to hurt these novels, leaving parts of the story unfinished or rushed.

This is where Jeff Strand's Dweller stands apart. Not only did he tell a satisfyingly coherent story in just under three-hundred pages, he accomplished the unthinkable and managed to successfully fit a character's entire lifetime into those pages. Quite an achievement in my opinion.

I read this book in one sitting, something I almost never do. I admit there were quite a few cringe worthy moments of amateurish writing at the beginning, but soon I found my critical self forgotten and was instead engrossed in the story. My only true criticism of the book has to do with how it ended. Spoilers ahead.

(view spoiler)

Despite this minor flaw I give the story itself three stars. The fourth star I've added for Jeff Strand's excellent use of pacing and its ability to keep me reading until two in the morning.
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Apr 27, 2012 Grey Liliy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bromance, horror, monster

What happens when a monster is best friends with a kid suffering from an overactive imagination and serious amounts of trauma? This book.

It doesn't quite come across in the summary, but this is definitely more of a head-trip than what I was expecting. I came into it thinking "Oh, this'll be like Let The Right One In, where the kid has his monster-best-friend protect him from the bullies and/or kill things for him...Not so much. The first deaths in the novel (or rather how they came about) surpri...more What happens when a monster is best friends with a kid suffering from an overactive imagination and serious amounts of trauma? This book.

It doesn't quite come across in the summary, but this is definitely more of a head-trip than what I was expecting. I came into it thinking "Oh, this'll be like Let The Right One In, where the kid has his monster-best-friend protect him from the bullies and/or kill things for him...Not so much. The first deaths in the novel (or rather how they came about) surprised me, actually, and I think it was a good change. The monster is actually pretty cute, despite all the claws and teeth and carnage of his feeding--you get this vision of a giant puppy who can understand what you're saying.

The protagonist though, is the main focus, and we're smack dab in the middle of his world from age eight to when he dies old and grey. Toby has some serious issues thanks to the events that put him one-on-one with his monster buddy Owen, and the book takes us through his head every step of the way. Between an over-active imagination (he's very good at imagining what shouldbe happening instead of what actually is), hallucinations (very active, conversation filled hallucinations who like to pester him), justifications (It's not his fault, he didn't mean it...), and having his only friend being a giant monster who eats whatever you throw at him be it ice cream or human flesh (self explanatory)--Toby's mind is an interesting place to be.

In other words: The protagonist is probably crazier and more dangerous than the monster in the woods. Maybe not in a literal "he's going to intentionally try and hurt you" sense, but in a "Ah, he didn't think this through, did he?" sense. It's endearing and depressing all in the same breath.

My biggest problem with the book, is probably also what worked best for it--so I've got odd feelings about it. It's written in a style that very much reminded me of stream of consciousness as it jumps very quickly from current events, to Toby's imagination, to back to current events, to a jump in scene all in the same chapter, or in some cases the block of text. It's all fairly seamless, but it's got it's moments that caused me to reread a paragraph or two to figure out what's going on.

Most of the switches are separated by line breaks, and I had no problems with those, but a few switched people, scenes and possible days in one paragraph block--I'm not sure if that was intentional or just a formatting error in the Kindle edition, but it got to be a little confusing when I had to figure out who said what in the few instances where it wasn't labeled.

It was hard to keep track of, though that was probably the point, since it's reflecting what's going on in Toby's head. Despite being a tad annoying when I had to stop and regroup my thoughts, it was a good way to cover all the ground this novel covers. It essentially contains the bulk of Toby's life with Owen, from child to old man in short neat flashes. So, stream of consciousness and lots of jumping around.

But aside from that, the novel was good & I enjoyed the read. Toby's dedication to Owen is sweet, in a twisted way whether they're getting along or fighting. Some of my favorite moments in the book were after their fights and the two made up. Loved their hugs & the few times Toby felt save enough to sleep next to Owen.

If you like a good boy & his monster book--I'd give this one a go. :) (less)

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Dec 13, 2010 Daniel Russell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reads-since-the-big-move

Followers of my reviews will know that I have loved Jeff’s previous books, Pressure and Benjamin’s Parasite. Dweller, it seemed to me, had a lot more hype than the other books, perhaps by riding on the waves made by Pressure.

The books starts with a massacre: some holidaying soldiers during WW2 are attacked by large, hairy, fanged, clawed creatures. Skip to the 50s. Toby is a geeky kid who is being tormented by two particularly nasty bullies at school. Seeking comfort in the deep woods that surr...more Followers of my reviews will know that I have loved Jeff’s previous books, Pressure and Benjamin’s Parasite. Dweller, it seemed to me, had a lot more hype than the other books, perhaps by riding on the waves made by Pressure.

The books starts with a massacre: some holidaying soldiers during WW2 are attacked by large, hairy, fanged, clawed creatures. Skip to the 50s. Toby is a geeky kid who is being tormented by two particularly nasty bullies at school. Seeking comfort in the deep woods that surround his house, Toby stumbles across a large, hairy, fanged, clawed beast living in a small cage. His first reaction? To run screaming, of course. Years later, and as an even more bullied teenager, Toby finds the monster again. This time, in a more controlled confrontation, Toby learns that the monster isn’t a feral, rabid beast after all…it can be his friend.
So starts a friendship that lasts decades between loner Toby and the creature he calls Owen.
As with Pressure, Jeff takes us on the journey of a lifetime, and we see how events of the past can heavily change and warp the future for the poor protagonist. We have a very sympathetic lead character in Toby. You can see his inner torment, and as a reader, you get dragged into his decisions. Okay, at times things seemed a little forced to get to an action scene or bump up the tension, such as Toby making some truly awful and moronic decisions. At the time of reading, I was thinking about the level of believability. Seriously, I was asking the book what the fuck are you thinking, Tobes? However, the more you think about it, the more his ill-informed decisions fit the plot. He’s socially inept, not overly bright, and going through a conflict of emotions. Is he really going to do the right thing? Seeing him make the wrong choice, and then watching his world collapse around him, rather than frustrating gets you invested in his fate.
Enough about Toby. What about Owen? I couldn’t help but picture Owen as Wildmutt from Ben 10 as I was reading this novel. Don’t know why. Anyway, Owen is a surprising character. He could have been treated like a big dog, but Strand gives him just above ape-like intelligence, granting him some basic communication. This cements the relationship between Toby and Owen further.
The side characters are adequately fleshed out and are a good support. But they aren’t the key players here. It’s all about Toby and his monster.
The gore is not excessive (well, as much as you’d expect with a monster eating people. Nom nom nom!) and just on the money. Pacing is great, and there’s a few twists and turns.
I think that people who read this as their first taste of Strand’s work will lap it up. Personally, while I enjoyed this book, I preferred Pressure…but that might be that I read it first. Strand has shocks a plenty, but after Pressure, I couldn’t trust him, and was watching for these awful, awful shock scenes early. Pressure is the nastier novel, but Dweller focuses more on relationships and friendships. It depends how you like your horror served.
Hell, just buy both. And Benjamin’s Parasite. And anything else of Jeff’s. Period.
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May 31, 2011 The Black Pearl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, kindle, 2011-reads, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 13, 2012 Kasia S. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dweller is one of the more unusual monster stories, more than once I felt my heart squeeze itself in my body because the story makes you feel for both the human and the creature for different reasons. After reading many crazy horror books through the years it was nice to finally enjoyed liking the monster this time, Owen reminded me of a big yeti but unlike most yetis he had a great sense of humor, at least what we could see of it. I instantly liked him even though he did some very bad things I...more Dweller is one of the more unusual monster stories, more than once I felt my heart squeeze itself in my body because the story makes you feel for both the human and the creature for different reasons. After reading many crazy horror books through the years it was nice to finally enjoyed liking the monster this time, Owen reminded me of a big yeti but unlike most yetis he had a great sense of humor, at least what we could see of it. I instantly liked him even though he did some very bad things I was constantly worried about his own well being, humans are delicate with their easily to pull off limbs and soft flesh to slash but they can also be cruel and destructive before anything else. I wouldn’t call this horror even though there are some intense scenes and there is blood shed but Strand manages to make it about relationships and how we choose to live our life and our dynamics with others. For Toby that other was Owen, a tall, hairy, sharp clawed and toothed monster that he found in a forest that one time when he went further than he was allowed. Toby got chased by some bullies plenty of times and there were kids who didn’t like him. But there was way to make them go away, a way that would haunt Toby for the rest of his life

The story progresses though a few decades, we first meet Toby when he’s just a kid and continue on his journey as his life changes through new jobs, relationships, marriage, children, deaths… as his life continues so does his strange relationship with Owen, I’m gong to keep this review brief and spoiler free if I can, the less I knew about this story the better it felt as I read it, some things shocked me while others made me sad with worry. Be prepared to care for the flesh eater, keep a tissue nearby as you might need it, it’s an intense story with a heart that spellbinds the reader from page one. Little boy and his monster are real in this book and not all of their adventures are fun, some turn into tragic events that change their lives forever.

- Kasia S.
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