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Still
THEN-
Zane Mcfadden had given everything to be a Los Angeles his health, his family, his sanity... Now Zane only cared about one thing...
The scrapbook had become Zane's very own special cross to bear. Page after page of unsolved murder cases from the 1930s, '40s, and '50s would lead Zane down a path of obsession and self-destruction until eventually he comes face-to-face with a nine-year-old hitman.
Now-
A new century is here and Peter Beta has received an old scrapbook as a gift. He was just an avid collector of horror items this shouldn't have to be his burden. But the sins of others found their way out of the old book and worked their way into his flesh. Now he must show the world the cruelty of mankind through a non-stop bible of atrocity playing endlessly across his skin, constantly moving and constantly screaming... for release.
Zane Mcfadden had given everything to be a Los Angeles his health, his family, his sanity... Now Zane only cared about one thing...
The scrapbook had become Zane's very own special cross to bear. Page after page of unsolved murder cases from the 1930s, '40s, and '50s would lead Zane down a path of obsession and self-destruction until eventually he comes face-to-face with a nine-year-old hitman.
Now-
A new century is here and Peter Beta has received an old scrapbook as a gift. He was just an avid collector of horror items this shouldn't have to be his burden. But the sins of others found their way out of the old book and worked their way into his flesh. Now he must show the world the cruelty of mankind through a non-stop bible of atrocity playing endlessly across his skin, constantly moving and constantly screaming... for release.
- GenresHorror
339 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
2 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Charlee Jacob
66 books79 followersCharlee Jacob has been a digger for dinosaur bones, a seller of designer rags, and a cook - to mention only a few things. With more than 950 publishing credits, Charlee has been writing dark poetry and prose for more than 25 years. Some of her recent publishing events include the novel STILL (Necro), the poetry collection HERESY (Necro), and the novel DARK MOODS. She is a three-time Bram Stoker Award winner, two of those awards for her novel DREAD IN THE BEAST and the poetry collection SINEATER; the third award for collaborative poetry collection, VECTORS, with Marge Simon. Permanently disabled, she has begun to paint as one of her forms of phsycial therapy. She lives in Irving, Texas with her husband Jim and a plethora of felines.
Courtesy: http://www.williamcookwriter.com
Courtesy: http://www.williamcookwriter.com
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 14, 2020
Plague Review 3: Still by Charlee Jacob
Detective Zane Mcfadden is a martyr and no one appreciates it; he keeps a scrapbook of all the unsolved murder cases from his job and he has lost his family due to his unhealthy obsession with it. Hard-drinking and pill-popping, Mcfadden is a case away from losing it all if he hasn't already. Enter Pearly Solloway, a child born out of adversity and discrimination but possessing grim preternatural gifts as ordained by his having been born with a caul. He is unnaturally smart, can see otherworldly beings, and possesses a disregard for human life that belies his age. Pearly uses his talents to take revenge for his mother and soon is offering his services to the world, ranging from street kids to big-time mobsters. When a brutal murder case forces Zane and Pearly to collide, the scrapbook can only welcome more pictures to its grisly pantheon.
And then there's Peter Beta, a man who collects horror and exploitation material as a hobby. When he receives a still from a supposed snuff movie from the 50s as a birthday gift (and after licking the same!), he begins to experience terrible visions. Wanting more, he is eventually introduced to a far more potent source: Zane Mcfadden's scrapbook.
Charlee Jacob is often regarded by critics as the "queen of hardcore (extreme) horror" but that description, I feel, undersells her true talents. Jacob began her career as a poet and it shows in her prose stuff as well, with her constant scintillating wordplay. ("Drawing room niceties of bloodshed were like cozy murder mysteries: oxymorons. Oxy for morons") Her writing is not just scenes of violence and depravity either; there are endless literary, film, and (subtle) pop culture references. And there is her constant stream of macabre trivia, ranging from gruesome medical facts to sick historical anecdotes. The made-up violence and depravity in her books almost seem quaint in comparison. This is true from the books of hers I've read including this one.
This also means, unfortunately, that this book is not for everyone, even those who just read for the sake of extreme content. The pace is sacrificed in favor of digressions into morbid philosophy, pathos, discussions on bizarre medical conditions, movie and literature trivia, etc. Those expecting a quick-paced Bryan Smith or Wrath James White shocker is not gonna like it. I will say her style is akin to Peter Straub if he were sicker in the head and less concerned with metafiction.
The book's great strength is its ability to make you feel for its main characters, no matter how broken or unconventional they may be. Zane is understandably haunted and you just pity him as he attempts to take on another job to prevent another addition to his scrapbook. Pearly is portrayed to be someone who realizes his natural talent for killing is a way out of his nonsensical and empty life as an orphan. The disparity between the two characters is evident but somehow you want both of them to succeed at what they do.
Having said that, I felt nothing for the character of Peter, as well as the rest of the characters he interacts with. He is constantly doing stupid stuff and suffering for it only for the sake of the story moving forward. I can't also fathom the inclusion of his wife, a very cliched Christian fundamentalist who questions his taste for movies (!) and who leaves him the moment his life becomes a shit show. I could no longer relate to the story, despite the truly depraved shenanigans that happen in the second half of the story.
The saving grace of this book, for me, is the exploration of the question of recording atrocities. If someone died a disgusting death and no camera was present, did that person really die? Our society is always keen on keeping records, and a little death never stopped us. While no one would want to collect morbid pictures, there is always somebody out there to fetishize the same. One man's job (burden) is another man's pleasure. That pursuit of pleasure is what Jacob describes in excruciating detail.
Detective Zane Mcfadden is a martyr and no one appreciates it; he keeps a scrapbook of all the unsolved murder cases from his job and he has lost his family due to his unhealthy obsession with it. Hard-drinking and pill-popping, Mcfadden is a case away from losing it all if he hasn't already. Enter Pearly Solloway, a child born out of adversity and discrimination but possessing grim preternatural gifts as ordained by his having been born with a caul. He is unnaturally smart, can see otherworldly beings, and possesses a disregard for human life that belies his age. Pearly uses his talents to take revenge for his mother and soon is offering his services to the world, ranging from street kids to big-time mobsters. When a brutal murder case forces Zane and Pearly to collide, the scrapbook can only welcome more pictures to its grisly pantheon.
And then there's Peter Beta, a man who collects horror and exploitation material as a hobby. When he receives a still from a supposed snuff movie from the 50s as a birthday gift (and after licking the same!), he begins to experience terrible visions. Wanting more, he is eventually introduced to a far more potent source: Zane Mcfadden's scrapbook.
Charlee Jacob is often regarded by critics as the "queen of hardcore (extreme) horror" but that description, I feel, undersells her true talents. Jacob began her career as a poet and it shows in her prose stuff as well, with her constant scintillating wordplay. ("Drawing room niceties of bloodshed were like cozy murder mysteries: oxymorons. Oxy for morons") Her writing is not just scenes of violence and depravity either; there are endless literary, film, and (subtle) pop culture references. And there is her constant stream of macabre trivia, ranging from gruesome medical facts to sick historical anecdotes. The made-up violence and depravity in her books almost seem quaint in comparison. This is true from the books of hers I've read including this one.
This also means, unfortunately, that this book is not for everyone, even those who just read for the sake of extreme content. The pace is sacrificed in favor of digressions into morbid philosophy, pathos, discussions on bizarre medical conditions, movie and literature trivia, etc. Those expecting a quick-paced Bryan Smith or Wrath James White shocker is not gonna like it. I will say her style is akin to Peter Straub if he were sicker in the head and less concerned with metafiction.
The book's great strength is its ability to make you feel for its main characters, no matter how broken or unconventional they may be. Zane is understandably haunted and you just pity him as he attempts to take on another job to prevent another addition to his scrapbook. Pearly is portrayed to be someone who realizes his natural talent for killing is a way out of his nonsensical and empty life as an orphan. The disparity between the two characters is evident but somehow you want both of them to succeed at what they do.
Having said that, I felt nothing for the character of Peter, as well as the rest of the characters he interacts with. He is constantly doing stupid stuff and suffering for it only for the sake of the story moving forward. I can't also fathom the inclusion of his wife, a very cliched Christian fundamentalist who questions his taste for movies (!) and who leaves him the moment his life becomes a shit show. I could no longer relate to the story, despite the truly depraved shenanigans that happen in the second half of the story.
The saving grace of this book, for me, is the exploration of the question of recording atrocities. If someone died a disgusting death and no camera was present, did that person really die? Our society is always keen on keeping records, and a little death never stopped us. While no one would want to collect morbid pictures, there is always somebody out there to fetishize the same. One man's job (burden) is another man's pleasure. That pursuit of pleasure is what Jacob describes in excruciating detail.
April 26, 2022
Charlee Jacob books are dark and gory. This story was split into 3 parts. I was confused at the start about the story, but then it started to come together. The 2nd half of the book gets very extreme and dark.
July 31, 2017
2,5 stars.
Let's see. I liked the cover. I liked the idea. There's something quietly creepy about old black-and-white photos. So much potential there. I liked the first part of the book, about Zane McFadden and little Pearly. Zane's quest for justice was desperate and beautiful because it was doomed. Everything about Pearly was amazing. The child genius/assassin - incredibly fascinating. His meeting with Noom Chambers alone was memorable as fuck. There were some scenes that made me feel it was one of the greatest horror books I've ever read.
Well, but the first part ended - and all the good ended with it. The second part was quirky... like The Fly movie, in a way. I didn't dig it particularly and it felt dragging but it still was okay, I guess. I kept expecting it to go somewhere, to become amazing again.
But it never happened. Instead, the last part turned out a disaster. I can barely believe the same person wrote the first and the last part. Cliched boring "action"; obligatory insipid romance; recounting gross details that are really quite ridiculous. A guy is sucking his own dick until its tip emerges from his anus? Must be twenty-meter long dick. Or something.
Okay, never mind, there were worse things there - the worst of them: I didn't care. Didn't care for Pete, or Nika, or evil being punished. Just bored.
Can forgive the book for giving us Pearly in the first part and then tossing him away for the sake of boring, boring Peter and his boring, boring action/romance stuff. Horribly bland ending, too, nothing to remember.
Let's see. I liked the cover. I liked the idea. There's something quietly creepy about old black-and-white photos. So much potential there. I liked the first part of the book, about Zane McFadden and little Pearly. Zane's quest for justice was desperate and beautiful because it was doomed. Everything about Pearly was amazing. The child genius/assassin - incredibly fascinating. His meeting with Noom Chambers alone was memorable as fuck. There were some scenes that made me feel it was one of the greatest horror books I've ever read.
Well, but the first part ended - and all the good ended with it. The second part was quirky... like The Fly movie, in a way. I didn't dig it particularly and it felt dragging but it still was okay, I guess. I kept expecting it to go somewhere, to become amazing again.
But it never happened. Instead, the last part turned out a disaster. I can barely believe the same person wrote the first and the last part. Cliched boring "action"; obligatory insipid romance; recounting gross details that are really quite ridiculous. A guy is sucking his own dick until its tip emerges from his anus? Must be twenty-meter long dick. Or something.
Okay, never mind, there were worse things there - the worst of them: I didn't care. Didn't care for Pete, or Nika, or evil being punished. Just bored.
Can forgive the book for giving us Pearly in the first part and then tossing him away for the sake of boring, boring Peter and his boring, boring action/romance stuff. Horribly bland ending, too, nothing to remember.
November 29, 2024
Even though I didn't understand a lot of what happened (my reading comprehension has been on the decline ... T-T ), I still enjoyed myself.
It gets gory, it gets weird. Charlee Jacob's writing is beautiful.
The random paragraph with the (not really spoiler but still) made me question reality, because is that even possible? (Probably.) And if so, what the heck.
I did not understand the ending, nor did I get (spoiler, ig) Though, to answer all my questions, I probably just missed a lot of stuff – this is not criticism in any way!
Oh yeah, wtf, Charlee Jacob ...
Tbh, idk if those () were meant to be comedic, but I laughed. A lot.
Going back to the actual book instead of (mostly) random tidbit moments, the first part of three was by far my fav: I loved the characters (Zane, especially, though Pearly was fun, too) and the atmosphere and feel of it was just *amazing*
With part two, I managed to figure out what was happening in the beginning! (Before my brain died.) I do not know how to feel about the shift into .
The third part ... Uh, yeah. It had it's moments, though, imo, it didn't live up to the earlier parts, with part one being the strongest. Though that's not to say parts two and three were bad, just that part one was so so so so soooo good!
Woah, that's my """"review"""" of this book. I highly recommend, if you can get your hands on this rare book (which i luckily snagged a signed and numbered hardcover of), because I can't even find a pdf for it ... (At the moment, it costs, like, >$250 to get a softcover ... Jesus.)
5/5; 7.8/10
It gets gory, it gets weird. Charlee Jacob's writing is beautiful.
The random paragraph with the (not really spoiler but still) made me question reality, because is that even possible? (Probably.) And if so, what the heck.
I did not understand the ending, nor did I get (spoiler, ig) Though, to answer all my questions, I probably just missed a lot of stuff – this is not criticism in any way!
Oh yeah, wtf, Charlee Jacob ...
Tbh, idk if those () were meant to be comedic, but I laughed. A lot.
Going back to the actual book instead of (mostly) random tidbit moments, the first part of three was by far my fav: I loved the characters (Zane, especially, though Pearly was fun, too) and the atmosphere and feel of it was just *amazing*
With part two, I managed to figure out what was happening in the beginning! (Before my brain died.) I do not know how to feel about the shift into .
The third part ... Uh, yeah. It had it's moments, though, imo, it didn't live up to the earlier parts, with part one being the strongest. Though that's not to say parts two and three were bad, just that part one was so so so so soooo good!
Woah, that's my """"review"""" of this book. I highly recommend, if you can get your hands on this rare book (which i luckily snagged a signed and numbered hardcover of), because I can't even find a pdf for it ... (At the moment, it costs, like, >$250 to get a softcover ... Jesus.)
5/5; 7.8/10
June 25, 2019
Pretty good start with Pearly, Peters’ section was
Pretty interesting, not to mention Sexual and Violent, but the supernatural element with him and the pictures and then the beyond over the top party at the end was a total push through to find out what happens. Luckily the twist at the end made up for most of the ending. Either I was simple and didn’t see it coming or I was so displeased with the story that this was the best part.
Pretty interesting, not to mention Sexual and Violent, but the supernatural element with him and the pictures and then the beyond over the top party at the end was a total push through to find out what happens. Luckily the twist at the end made up for most of the ending. Either I was simple and didn’t see it coming or I was so displeased with the story that this was the best part.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews