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Consequences

John Quick (Goodreads Author)

4.35 · Rating details · 31 ratings · 14 reviews

It was a summer of blood and terror...

For seven friends, graduation night was supposed to be a time to celebrate the end of their high school careers and the start of their real lives. But when an accident while partying at the local haunted house results in tragedy, they find themselves being hunted by a maniac for whom the stakes are decidedly personal. Over the rest of ...more

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Kindle Edition, 245 pages

Published April 11th 2016

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Jun 13, 2016 Michael Hicks rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, advanced-review-copy

Consequences, by John Quick, is a pretty solid debut and one that hints at good things to come as Quick’s career progresses (note: Consequences is independently published, but he’s recently signed with Sinister Grin Press, so I think it’s safe to say Quick is in this for the long haul, or at least I hope he is).

What we have here is a serial killer horror story, based on an urban legend in Quick’s real-life neck of the woods in Tennessee. Back in the 70s, Crazy Freddy killed his entire family – h Consequences, by John Quick, is a pretty solid debut and one that hints at good things to come as Quick’s career progresses (note: Consequences is independently published, but he’s recently signed with Sinister Grin Press, so I think it’s safe to say Quick is in this for the long haul, or at least I hope he is).

What we have here is a serial killer horror story, based on an urban legend in Quick’s real-life neck of the woods in Tennessee. Back in the 70s, Crazy Freddy killed his entire family – hung them with barbed wire and skinned them alive. Flash forward to the present-day, where a group of teens have just graduated from high school are all set to have a party in the abandoned house. Guess who used to live there? Booze is drank, drugs smoked, sex had, and an accidental fire started – all of which upsets the crazed killer lurking in the dark, and off we go on a bloody tear.

The character work here is pretty impressive, particularly for a first-time novelist. I liked these kids, and found myself a bit dismayed at their inevitable ends as I was rooting for more than a few of them to pull through. But alas… Quick goes to some deliriously dark places and pulls off his scenes of torture and violence rather well. He switches up the kills enough to keep us wondering how, exactly, his next victim will suffer, keeping us on our toes even if some of the inevitable demises feel a little too inevitable.

My main complaint with Consequences is that we really never know what makes our nutty slasher tick. The Big Bad presented here is entirely human, with no supernatural gimmicks, and fans of slasher flicks or thriller novels will know where The Big Reveal is headed way before Quick announces it. The really big questions go unresolved, though. Our killer is not presented as a force of nature, but one with a backstory that I really wish I had been privy to as a reader. There’s history lurking in these pages, and I wanted to know about it. Without a deeper examination of the killer’s motives, and some sort of look at Nature vs. Nurture, the why’s behind his murder spree feels flimsy.

While I had a couple other issues with this book — the middle part gets bogged down while the teens try to figure out who’s after them, and the finale feels way too rushed — I enjoyed the read overall. This is a slasher story that wears its influences on its sleeve, and although it doesn’t break any new ground, it’s at least largely entertaining in its delivery.

Final verdict: 3 1/2 stars (rounded up to 4 stars).

[Note: This book was provided for review by Hook of a Book Media and Publicity.]
...more

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Jan 29, 2020 Steve Stred rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **

Big thanks to Poltergeist Press for sending me an ebook of Consequences.

This was my first novel from Mr. Quick, and what a banger this one was.

Consequences tells the story of a group of friends who want to celebrate their high school graduation with one last big get together. Most of the group is moving away, heading to various parts of the country for school.

The key here, is that many years ago, an urban legend sprouted up. A man killed his ** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **

Big thanks to Poltergeist Press for sending me an ebook of Consequences.

This was my first novel from Mr. Quick, and what a banger this one was.

Consequences tells the story of a group of friends who want to celebrate their high school graduation with one last big get together. Most of the group is moving away, heading to various parts of the country for school.

The key here, is that many years ago, an urban legend sprouted up. A man killed his family in a cabin on the outskirts of town. Now people in those parts say he still haunts the abandoned house.

While the kids don’t believe this, they know full well that an abandoned cabin means a perfect place to party.

Quick throws us into the fire, the action beginning from the prologue and never letting up.

I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters within, finding their various story arc’s to be engaging and enjoyable. The Detective who gets assigned to them was hilarious, but not in a funny way. In a very real ‘I have to deal with teens’ way. If this ever was made into a movie, this character needs to be played by actor Dean Winters of Oz and Rescue Me. That’s who I pictured the entire time.

The story itself moves along quickly and Quick did a fantastic job of keeping all of the moving parts in check. There are some tiny twists and turns, which strengthened the narrative and while I found the ending to be slightly rushed, it did feel tangible and realistic, which can be tough to do when you have law enforcement involved to the level that it does here.

Oddly, this was one of those rare books where I was fully engaged and the chapters are short and quick, but I never felt like I was making progress when reading it! Goodreads has it listed at 330 pages, but for some reason this one took me a bit longer to get through than normal. That’s not a negative, just something I noticed and never once was I not invested in returning to this world.

If you haven’t read John Quick yet, I would highly recommend this one. It ticks off a lot of those boxes I normally look for when reading a ‘new-to-me’ author and the writing was fantastic. ...more

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Jul 02, 2016 Reading Reindeer 2021 On Proxima Centauri rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016_indie-read_challenge, 2016_a-z_new-weird, 2016_reads, 2016_horror_challenge, july_2016_reads, a1-i-own-books, armchair-applachia, 2016_fire, 2016_cloak-and-dagger_challenge, a1-by-author-request-reviewed

Review of CONSEQUENCES by John Quick

A well-written, well-executed, well-played novel, a horror-thriller, coming-of-age, first-love-blossoming, rural redneck insanity [that is not a judgment, that's referring to several recurring characters], CONSEQUENCES is a biting, gory, thrill-a-minute roller coaster ride in which the suspense never lets up.

Author John Quick takes especial care with his young (adolescent, newly high school graduates) characters, making sure that although they are realistic "t Review of CONSEQUENCES by John Quick

A well-written, well-executed, well-played novel, a horror-thriller, coming-of-age, first-love-blossoming, rural redneck insanity [that is not a judgment, that's referring to several recurring characters], CONSEQUENCES is a biting, gory, thrill-a-minute roller coaster ride in which the suspense never lets up.

Author John Quick takes especial care with his young (adolescent, newly high school graduates) characters, making sure that although they are realistic "teens," with all that entails, they are also full-fledged individuals, each in his or her own right. They're not just cardboard one-dimensional props. As the story progresses, we truly get to know them, including their hearts and souls. I'll give just one example, chosen not to give anything away: fairly early on, two of the young people, Tyler and Alexis, converse, deeply. Not only does Tyler demonstrate real thoughtfulness sometimes uncommon to his age group (and gender), but his nature is more compassionate than many adults (especially in our current era of "hate").

I can't say I "like" the villain (who shall remain unidentified for purposes of this review), but I do understand the motivations, I think. As with so many serial killers, such as Manson or Bundy, genetics ("nature") collides irretrievably with "nurture" (environment, upbringing), creating an individual who adheres only to his or her own moral code, acting according to his or her own lights, and we find that more than once in this novel. I can't see how the villain in question could have acted much differently, and that implacability, for me, heightens both the suspense and the enjoyment of the novel.

For those interested in the "If you like --(author), will you like this author?" I will mention that Mr. Quick has found comparison to Jack Ketchum, and from my viewpoint, with (wait for it) Bryan D. Smith (also a Tennessee author) and Matt Shaw. I point this out not only in regard to the gore level, but in the way that each author illumines character and raises the plot above the ordinary, to something numinous. ...more

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Jun 29, 2016 Rich D. rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016-novels

Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review

John Quick's Consequences is based on a real-life serial killer legend from his hometown so that coupled with the synopsis for this one had me intrigued and I jumped at the chance to read this one! Everyone has some sort of story or urban legend from when they were growing up, so it was a real treat to see an author take that inspiration and bring it to life in a novel.

John Quick's Consequences opens with a bang, detailing a horrific crime in ...more

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Apr 28, 2016 Douglas Castagna rated it really liked it

This was given to me for an honest review.

The book begins with a bang, "Thirty years ago, Crazy Freddy hung his family up with barbed wire and skinned them alive." That is from the description, and that is enough for me to fall into the fabric that was woven by John Quick in his first published novel. The story is well constructed. The violence, brutal, and the action moves along at a fast pace. The characters were well drawn, but the end of the book comes too quickly for me, or rather the reso ...more

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Jan 12, 2020 Jamie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

If I were to create a list of “A Reader’s Simple Pleasures”, the first two items that I’d jot down are:

1. Reading a good book—but not just any book—one that not only provides a true escape, but the reader also can’t put it down. I’m talking about the kind of book that grasps you from the beginning, and never lets go until the last few words.

2. Discovering new authors—feeling the accompanying sense of excitement and the urgency to tell other readers the great news.

Both of these statements apply If I were to create a list of “A Reader’s Simple Pleasures”, the first two items that I’d jot down are:

1. Reading a good book—but not just any book—one that not only provides a true escape, but the reader also can’t put it down. I’m talking about the kind of book that grasps you from the beginning, and never lets go until the last few words.

2. Discovering new authors—feeling the accompanying sense of excitement and the urgency to tell other readers the great news.

Both of these statements apply to my experience reading Consequences. This book had so many features that I loved. I’ll begin by discussing the layout. I absolutely adore author’s notes of any kind in a book. This includes notes by the author of the book, but it’s an added bonus when there’s also a foreword by another writer. Imagine my glee when I discovered that not only is there a foreword (by Bryan Smith, nonetheless), but there’s also an afterword by John Quick himself. I really enjoyed this aspect, as well as the prologue and epilogue that begin and end this story.

Then we come to the bulk of the story, sandwiched in between the informative authors’ notes, and that’s packed full of some of my favorite things, such as:

-Great pacing: I was drawn in with the events in the prologue, and from then on I never noticed a lull in the story. I loved that the action was spread out over time, and that the killings didn’t happen in only one setting or over the course of a couple hours. Which leads me to the next item…

-Solid character development: I really enjoyed the characters in this one. The pacing of the action in this story allowed for time to get to know each character (some more than others). I was genuinely disappointed with each character who died along the way, and felt fully immersed in the experience. I could even see some of my own traits in a few of the characters, and this allowed for more of a connection to the story. The dialogue is not only true to the setting, but there are also some deep conversations that occur between some of the characters at different points in the story. I found the villain to be extremely sinister. The fact that he was just a man without supernatural powers really creeped me out. There are a few types of villains that truly scare me, and this was one of them.

This is a novel that reads like a slasher film with depth. There are some gory moments when I actually caught myself wrinkling my nose in disgust, but in between those moments, there’s much more to the story. I’m so into John Quick’s storytelling style. He takes the reader on an adventure that conjures up an impressive range of emotions. Fear, disgust, and sadness abound, but there’s also a chance to revel in the connections between the characters—to share their moments of happiness and hope. This is an impressive debut novel, and the fact that this was the author’s first release makes me even more excited to read his other work. Although the bulk of the story is set in modern times, Consequences has all the makings of the “Paperbacks from Hell” style books that we all know and love. For that reason, I think it’s the perfect novel to make its comeback in the form of a mass market paperback. I hope that this updated release sends John Quick into the spotlight where he belongs, and I have no doubt I’ll be sharing more of his work in the near future.
...more

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Jan 22, 2020 John Lynch rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Did you miss John Quicks debut, Consequences? Fear not, the wonderful people at Poltergeist press have got you covered.

Teenage friends decide to throw a little party in a secluded cabin to celebrate graduation, one last hurrah before they go their separate ways. Things don’t go as planned, an accident happens and one of them ends up dead. Someone is out to make sure they suffer the consequences of their mistake.

The book opens fantastically. We start off with a bit of history of where the local “ ...more

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Apr 29, 2016 Emily Maynard rated it really liked it

4.5 stars

Many, many thanks to the author, who provided a free copy of Consequences in exchange for an honest review. He promised a thriller, and have no doubt, he delivered!

Consequences is the story of seven friends whose graduation night party ended in not hangovers and bad decisions, but in tragedy. They thought they had found an abandoned out of the way place to hang out that night - the perfect place to play some music, drink some booze, smoke a bowl and celebrate the first night of a last ...more

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Jul 25, 2016 Angela Crawford rated it really liked it

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this novel.

Consequences is a perfect summer read, reminiscent of the slasher movies that were so prevalent in the 70's and 80's. While no new ground was broken, it didn't matter because this was such a great story to get lost in. The main characters are typical kids just graduating from high school who have to face off with a sociopathic killer and the cop who wants to help them survive ...more

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Oct 26, 2016 Joe Snuffy rated it really liked it

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

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Jun 12, 2016 Aly rated it it was amazing

This book was great! I love horror books and I find them to be rare when they are good. I wish there were more books out there like this one! In this book you are inside the mind of the psychopath. This book remind me of my favorite movie "Freddy Kruger and the Nightmare on Elm Street movies". It was great! * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review* ...more

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Jan 05, 2020 Matt rated it liked it

Shelves: horror-books

Take one part slasher, one part redneck horror, one part teenage drama, mix it all up with a good dose of bad decisions and you have yourself Consequences by John Quick. Some of that might be your bag and some might be the exact opposite of what you are looking for, but there's enough horror to keep anyone hooked. This novel definitely wears its influences on its sleeves so be prepared for all the standard fare that comes with my opening list. For the most part I enjoyed the ride Consequences of Take one part slasher, one part redneck horror, one part teenage drama, mix it all up with a good dose of bad decisions and you have yourself Consequences by John Quick. Some of that might be your bag and some might be the exact opposite of what you are looking for, but there's enough horror to keep anyone hooked. This novel definitely wears its influences on its sleeves so be prepared for all the standard fare that comes with my opening list. For the most part I enjoyed the ride Consequences offered, there were some great tense action scenes and the idea of new slasher was fun, but a number of sections in the book left me a bit underwhelmed.

I'm not completely down on this book. The concept of a killer getting revenge on a bunch of recent high school graduates that burnt down a shack is a lot of fun. This is totally a slasher movie in book form and there's nothing wrong with that. It follows a lot of the tropes, those having sex, drinking, and smoking facing gruesome deaths. The killer here doesn't wear a mask, but is just as crazy as all those famous masked men. Finally, we have a group of kids that are being hunted and must find a way to turn the tables to survive. But, Quick takes these tropes and expands them adding little flourishes here and there to keep it fresh. It's a story that can be added to the pantheon of slashers and no one would question why it's there.

My issue is mostly with pacing. It's a lot longer than it needs to be and the main reason for this is how much time we spend listening to our heroes deal with their drama while lamenting over the fact that they are now out of high school. With all the talk about who is sleeping with who, who thinks who is a slut, and who is stuck up, it makes you question why they are friends and why isn't this a story focused on the tribulations of eighteen-year-olds. This does add conflict, but feels like padding. If we are to compare this to other slasher stories, then we've seen examples that are able to better work in the killer while giving us the inter workings of teens(see Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream).

Now, if we focused just on the drama, I think it could be an interesting story. They are well-written and depending on your tastes could be a compelling read on their own. I just think we spend a little too much time there and lose some of the tension from the horror.

Consequences is a mixed bag of horror and coming-of-age stories. When it does its slasher thing, it does it really well, and when it looks at that time between high school and college it also does it well. But, for some reason when looking at the two together I just couldn't get on board. However, it may work for you, so if you are looking for a slasher, I say at least give it a try. ...more

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Dec 29, 2016 Somer Canon rated it really liked it

Friday the 13th Part 2 meets Fast Times at Ridgemont High!
This is a terrific debut for Mister John Quick! The pacing and writing are as smooth as a baby's round rosy butt, even when the content is disturbing and freaky! All in all, a wholly enjoyable read! ...more

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About John Quick

John Quick

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If you ask his wife, John Quick is compelled to tell stories because he’s full of baloney. He prefers to think he simply has an affinity for things that are strange, disturbing, and terrifying. As proof, he will explain how he suffered Consequences, transcribed The Journal of Jeremy Todd, and regaled the tale of Mudcat. He lives in Middle Tennessee with his aforementioned long-suffering wife, two ...more