When the Watcher Shakes

by Timothy G. Huguenin

The walls were meant to keep evil out—but they only hid the evil within.

John has given up his ordinary life to find wisdom traveling the country and enjoy the freedom of living as a nomad. But when he stumbles across a mysterious town tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains, walled off from modern society, he discovers a group of people who could use some freedom of their own. Are they a harmless religious sect, or is there something malignant beneath the surface?

Genres: Horror, Fiction

223 pages, Paperback

Published July 15, 2016

About the author

Timothy G. Huguenin is a hillbilly writer of the strange and spooky, living in the dark Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia. He is the author of the books WHEN THE WATCHER SHAKES, LITTLE ONE, and UNKNOWING, I SINK. His short stories have appeared in various publications including VASTARIEN: A LITERARY JOURNAL, COSMIC HORROR MONTHLY, and the THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. Follow his work and get a free ebook at https://tghuguenin.com/

Reviews

[Susan Snodgrass · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this book. I really did. It was like something from The Twilight Zone; incredibly interesting, good characters, well written. However, what caused me to give this book only 1 star was the language. Two uses of 'gd', several other minor swear words. I will not tolerate taking God's name in vain. This writer could have left that out and the book would not have suffered for it. If this is Christian horror, I want none of it. The profanity did not make the story better, it hindered it, in my opinion. Too bad, too, because I liked this writing and the plot very much. I will not read anything else this author writes because of the language

[Peter Younghusband · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was asked by the author a few months ago, to review this debut novel before it was released but was unable to due to my review schedule. I did add it to my personal To Be Read list for later reading. It was only when the author made it free that I decided to download it instead of buying when I planned to read it. Out of pure curiosity, I started to read the first page or two and I was hooked. I then decided to rearrange my entire weekend to reading it. I simply could not put this down. I realised what caused this and it is multifactorial.

First, it is the plot and the secluded setting. A pseudo Christian community (the word sect comes to mind) set in the mountains of West Virginia that is walled from the outside world with its own interpretation of living out the word of God and corrupted with man made rituals and extreme forms of punishment for sinning.

Second, the sense that all is not as it seems and that is something lurking in the background that keeps you wondering what this is or could be, and sometimes thinking "Where is the author going with this?"

Thirdly, how does all this affect John, the Outsider and how does John's influence affect this community that has no idea of what the outside world is like except that they are indoctrinated that is is evil?

Fourth, it is Huguenin's writing style. He writes well, it is crisp, to the point, specific and he describes the events really well. This transported me to this walled community, I could picture the town, the clean ordered streets, the behaviour and attitudes of the people in their interaction with each other and the air of deception, fear, oppression that hangs in the air.

Fifth, this novel is well constructed and everything fits together very nicely. Reads like a very finely tuned engine. Smooth, consistent, one event building onto the next. No peaks or troughs in the pace or plot.

For a debut novel, you would never know it. It seems that Huguenin has a combination of talent and good mentoring. One has only to read the Acknowledgements to see where some of this comes from. It has paid off exceptionally well for him. If this is the quality of his first novel, then I am very much looking forward to everything else coming from his pen in the future. He sets a high standard from the start.

I usually find novels where there is spiritual oppression and deception hard to read as it angers and frustrates me but in this novel, it was not the case. The way Huguenin constructed this is done well with enough intrigue and suspense to keep you wanting to find out more and to see what is behind this deception. However, as much as the author has constructed this deception based on abuse of the Word of God and the Letters and Journals of Abe, the Esteemed One, founder of this community, I would have appreciated more of what these Letters and Journals contained to explain the basis of this grand deception of this community and to back up the enforcing of the (legalistic) rules and regulations/rituals that the community live under. It would also have provided more of the background to this community and how it came to be like it is. This is not to say that the absence of this was a weakness of this novel, or where it falls short, just that it would have added more depth and credibility to the deception that Huguenin successfully develops.

Through all this, the author has done a great job of showing how abuse of power, distortion of the Truth, in this case the Word of God, and basing a government on a Pharisaic legalism style is evil, self serving, oppressive, demoralising and destructive. One characteristic of control of the masses in this system and is also characteristic of it being a cult, is to suppress, ban, block the masses from questioning the way things are, but to only concentrate on the what, the when, the where,

The people of Abestown did not care to speculate on the whys of any given topic, only the topic itself: the what, the when, the where. Rarely did they even concern themselves with the how. This was strange to Isaac, who had come to think that the why was the most intriguing, if not the most important, question to concern himself with.

This is the icing on the cake of oppression and deception, where the masses are not encouraged or taught to think for themselves or to question any element of their lives. This is epitome of control, power and its destructiveness. Huguenin does not just leave it there either, he shows what the consequences are in this deception and legalism when someone steps out of this mold and does question the order of things and it is this that adds more suspense and darkness to this novel.

Huguenin definitely shows what happens when a society is ruled on legalism and grace is totally absent. Jesus exposed the dangers of this and so did Paul in his Epistles. There is no balance between these two elements in this novel as there is in the Bible and in how Jesus taught us to live. Not sure if this is one of the messages Huguenin wanted to portray but it definitely stood out to me as I have seen this inbalance in some of the churches and behaviour of Christians over the years. Either extreme is just as destructive as the other.

When the control of the community began to get out of control and two main characters started to see the truth of this oppressive legalistic regime and rebel against it and its perpetrators, I would have expected these characters to have found the truth in the Gospel, seeing that their spirituality is based on this and they did know this but part of this oppressive regime enforced by the Head Historian and the Council of Historians was that the Bible was not encouraged to be read or studied by the community and instead the Council and Head Historian were the ones that interpreted and instructed them in it, albeit a corrupted interpretation, that further supported the legalistic regime. Very much reminds me of the denomination of the church of my youth. However, I would have loved to have seen this community find the salvation and freedom found in the true Gospel message and show the power of this Gospel unto salvation. This would have made a great ending or epilogue.

I really liked this novel and I look forward to more from this author. I feel he is one to watch. He has made a great debut with this novel for all the reasons I have mentioned above.

Strongly Recommended

World Building 5/5

Characterisation 5/5

Story 5/5

Spiritual Level 3/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 3/5

Average Rating 4.2/5

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the imagery in this book. The word pictures are great. For instance, "...the lantern's light was only good for a few feet before the darkness bullied it into submissive shadow." That's a great sentence on its own, but the imagery of bullying, submission and shadows perfectly parallels the community and theme of the book. The whole book feels like every word was specifically chosen. Brilliantly crafted.

[John Hanscom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong fictional indictment of "blind faith" religion without intelligent discernment. God gave us brains to be used.

[Doug Hohbein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some story spoilers*** I'm probably too harsh with a 2-star rating, but while the book is well written, there are problems that make it difficult for me to recommend the book. While the author paints some good pictures with the descriptions, there was too much missing for my taste. I'd love to know more about Abe and some history behind the cult. The leader of the cult has extreme strength and apparently the ability to 'see' through others eyes (or something like that). What is up with Rob, what special powers does he have and where did they come from? How can the Historians make people not see what is in front of them or hear what the Outsider can clearly hear? What is the Trial process and do people actually die? If not, what happens and how? Why would they ever allow an Outsider in the walls? How can an entire city exist without anyone from local law enforcement or the County or State not know they are there? Lastly, what is up with the train? Is it real, is there any significance other than the whistle? The questions make a potentially really good book frustrating.

[Stephen Case · Rating 3 out of 5]

Timothy Huguenin’s book When the Watcher Shakes is a solid debut novel by a solid new writer. The story explores a cultic, isolated town hidden in an Appalachian valley and is told with an easy confidence. Huguenin has a good handle on the tools of the craft: the writing is clear and precise, and the straightforward tone and pacing kept me reading even when the characters themselves felt at times a bit unrealistic. I was still turning pages up to the very conclusion of the novel, and apart from a few very minor typos, the work was artfully done. My main disappointments, outlined below, were in the depiction of the characters and in ultimately unsettled questions.

Abestown is a walled city in a forest, governed by a council of Historians and overseen by a sinister Head Historian who keep the inhabitants in line with threats of strange creatures beyond the walls (akin to M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village). The town is governed in a stranger, more metaphysical way by the clocktower dominating its center. We see the town through the perspective of John, a hapless, easy-going wanderer who sights the town from a nearby highway and decides to investigate, despite having met Jerry, an old man who grew up in the town and departed but now lives on the mountain overlooking. Once inside the town, where the inhabitants are polite but suspicious, John’s inquisitive personality influence the thinking of Isaac, the town janitor and “watcher” of the title. Eventually and inevitably, John’s destabilizing influence transforms life within the town.

Huguenin puts all of the elements in place for a darkly unsettling mystery, and his writing style and skill is enough to clinch it, which make it disappointing when the hidden nature of the town is never truly revealed and the spectacular confrontations built toward (for example, between the Head Historian and Isaac) never are quite carried through. There are plenty of hints of darker things afoot—in the nature of the clocktower itself, for instance, which seems to predate the town itself in some ways, and in the supernatural strength of Rob Kai, the Head Historian— but these mysteries are never explored. Perhaps Huguenin is setting the stage for further work in which the history of Abestown, will be further developed. But if that’s the case, there are no obvious hooks that leave the reader on the line for another installment. Instead, we’re left to drift away from the walls and their mysteries like Lisa, the only character in the work who truly finds freedom.

These things were disappointing because of their potential. If the novel had been weaker, perhaps they wouldn’t have been so troubling, but When the Watcher Shakes was rife with interesting things popping up that were never followed out. One of the first things John notices in the town, for instance, is that he clearly hears the whistle of a passing train but none of the other townsfolk hear it. We come to realize that the council somehow has such a hold over the town that whatever the council declares to exist or not exist shapes the way the rest of the town experiences reality. (This gives rise to some clever wordplay, for example when Isaac realizes that when the train whistles he hears nothing, and that he has heard nothing several times before.) Again though, besides the power of suggestion, this is never fully explored—and the mysterious train that first gave John some understanding of how strange the town really was is never addressed either (though it is where John meets his ultimate, grizzly fate).

The town’s isolation is also never fully explored, and it gave rise to a few strange paradoxes in the novel. For instance, we learn that the newcomer’s name is one “Abe would approve of,” indicating Biblical names are probably preferred. There are other Biblical names as well (Isaac and Obadiah, for instance), but there are several more modern names: Lisa, Rob, and Jerry, for starters. The inhabitants of the town don’t know what trucks or cocoa are, but there is a restaurant in the town that serves “deer burgers,” and Rob, the primary villain, on several occasions refers to other characters as “punks.” Moreover, for a town that insists to live in such isolation and believes outsiders like John pose such a threat, the ease with which John first found the town and wandered into it seemed far too convenient.

The primary weakness of When the Watcher Shakes though was the characters’ impotence in enacting any real change in their circumstances. John seemed laughably naive and oblivious to his own danger in his insistence that an easy-going nature would get everything weird about the town sorted out. Isaac was a bit more developed, and it seemed he would become the hero to actually stand up to Rob, the Head Historian. He eventually did, but this confrontation was ultimately futile, and Rob was only destroyed by an accidental fluke. There was no final confrontation in which the masks came off and truths about the town were revealed. The only real crisis overcome by a character changing and overcoming odds was when Lisa, the abused wife of the Head Historian stood up to him to defend Isaac at his trial, but even that lacked an ultimate resolution between Rob and Lisa. (As an aside: the attitude of the town/cult leader to the women in his community was an obvious generalization hit upon heavily in the work.)

For all that though, Huguenin’s writing was strong enough to make Abestown feel like a real place and the characters come to life. Though portions of the narrative seemed a bit contrived, the terseness of the prose itself kept the overall story gripping. When the Watcher Shakes is an example of a writer setting out to create, testing his narrative grasp, and finding it true. I look forward to his next offering, and I hope it rises to the challenges his own stories set forth.

[Phil Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story. It makes you consider twice a trip through the forests of the Appalachian Mountains. Certainly beware of the lonely gas station along the way.

I'm not a horror reader and hence the 3 stars. The stars represent my personal reaction to the book and not its technical expertise. It is well written with good characters and descriptive narrative. The exposure (albeit fictional) of a cult enclave rife with hypocrisy and terror is an interesting premise and Timothy does it justice.

I'm not sure just where horror fits into the Christian genre, but with a few exceptions Timothy pulls it off.

[Sherry Bledsoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty cool story

About the way I imagine a real cult works. Starts out maybe at the beginning with good intentions but like with any thing that is ruled with flawed and changing laws.....It rots from within and eventually corruption changes it all.

[NESS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could not put down...

Gripping to the last page. What a fascinating study of human nature. Just brilliant., as Abe would want.. How chilling !

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Valicity Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve used the word ‘unique’ to describe many of the stories I’ve reviewed. Stories I’ve liked, stories I’ve disliked, even stories that were so-so. This one is no different—which technically doesn’t make it unique.

In all honesty, this book IS unique. Every individual part of it is unique but when its put together as a complete story, it feels like a copy of a book I’ve read before. That’s not to say the plot wasn’t good or that the characters weren’t well developed. When the Watcher Shakes is good, but maybe not my kind of book.

We have John, a man whose kind of thrown everything away. He’s given up his regular life to wander through the mountains and rediscover himself. John is not your average guy who fell on bad luck. He’s that guy who’s never satisfied with what’s right in front of him. He always asks ‘why’ he always needs more. So it’s no surprise that heads clash when John happens upon a seemingly innocent group of religious followers living in a hidden city in the mountains.

These people aren’t just a nomadic bunch of travelers, they’re people who’ve willingly closed themselves off from the outside society in order to follow God’s Word—more or less. I don’t think I need to go into great detail to say that most of the religious aspects were dramatized and portrayed as brainwashing. Of course, John was this free-thinking savior there to liberate and break the chains of the oppressive restraints locked in place by the sect’s beliefs. Unique, but typical—as I said before.

I was prepared for that type of portrayal and I honestly applaud Huguenin for providing some entertaining debate and conversation. John was a good challenger to the corrupt and controlling leaders of the townsfolk. The book felt very dystopian when you looked at it from John’s perspective. There was emotion, betrayal, drama, and even a little well placed humor. What was portrayed as wrong, turned out to be wrong. What was good, was good. I just wish religion did not have to be the focal point of good or bad. This was not a book that bashed religion, not at all. But it did explore the ugly side of it—and somewhat ignored the good side of it.

If you enjoy books that challenge a character’s thinking as well as your own, you will definitely enjoy this book. Anyone interested in the positive and negative aspects of religion will find this read to be entertaining and informative. The story itself is unique and the writing is mature. The characters are well developed and the pace flows smoothly from one scene to the next. I enjoyed the story and the content, I’m just not a fan of religious controversy or oppression. BUT I do think the book is worth a chance from other readers and would recommend it to anyone.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best fictional stories I have read in a long while. It is hard to stop reading once you start. If you or anyone else you know has ever experienced spiritual control by a group, this book will resonate with you!

I know a book is good when I immediately want to read it again after finishing it. The author has written a book like that! I am really glad I stumbled across it on Kindle.

[Mark Carver · Rating 4 out of 5]

What starts out a warm, sentimental mountain tale turns cold and creepy. Echoes of The Village, The Wicker Man, and The Lottery resonate throughout the book, and if you're a fan of quaint, country charm simmering over a sinister flame, When the Watcher Shakes will keep you entertained well into the night.

[Timothy Shrout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I loved this fast paced book. I couldn't put it down! It took me less than 24 hours to devour its scintillating and rollicking pace. As a believer in Truth, not as others define it, but as it is revealed to me in many ways, the strain of the story against dogmatic rigidity was inspiring as well.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing style. I look forward to more books by this author.

I was left with several questions, mostly logistical about the plot setting. But it wasn't enough to detract from the story.

Well-written, fast-moving, and compelling.

[ejs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a familiar story, with a religious sect isolating itself from the world (in the extreme). A leader, who through time, becomes more power hungry and corrupts it all. It is simply written, but a book that you want to continue reading.

[Jacque Moran Strike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting read! While I usually can forecast the ending of a novel, Timothy's book kept me guessing until the end!
Can't believe this is his first book!

[Rosann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this book .. and I did try.

[Janina s. Asselin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite different and good

This is a little gem. Different and good. Take some time and read this offering and you will find yourself immersed in a different world.