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Beneath the Lake
Thirty Years Ago
On a camping trip by a remote lake, the Mercer family enjoyed the vacation of a lifetime - until a violent tragedy forced them to make a decision that would haunt them for ever.
This Summer
When the younger Mercers learn their father is dying, the family reunites at the lake, seeking a second chance to put their lives back together. But something is waiting . . .
Four Days of Hell
Also arriving at the lake are estranged son Raymond Mercer and an alluring stranger, Megan, both ignorant of the family's secrets. Within hours, they are all trapped in a relentless nightmare and fighting for their lives. Some places are better left. Some secrets are better forgotten. Some people are better dead.
On a camping trip by a remote lake, the Mercer family enjoyed the vacation of a lifetime - until a violent tragedy forced them to make a decision that would haunt them for ever.
This Summer
When the younger Mercers learn their father is dying, the family reunites at the lake, seeking a second chance to put their lives back together. But something is waiting . . .
Four Days of Hell
Also arriving at the lake are estranged son Raymond Mercer and an alluring stranger, Megan, both ignorant of the family's secrets. Within hours, they are all trapped in a relentless nightmare and fighting for their lives. Some places are better left. Some secrets are better forgotten. Some people are better dead.
- GenresHorrorSupernatural
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
About the author
Christopher Ransom
8 books117 followersChristopher Ransom is the author of internationally bestselling novels including The Birthing House and The People Next Door. He studied literature at Colorado State University and worked at Entertainment Weekly magazine in New York, and now lives near his hometown of Boulder, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
February 25, 2016
To be reviewed closer to pub. date!
June 16, 2015
13/6 - "Oh dear." That's what I said when I saw the average rating for this book. Admittedly that average is taken from only four ratings, but still it's not very promising for potential readers. Hopefully I'll buck the trend and really enjoy this (I did enjoy The Orphan more than the average reader...). To be continued...
14/6 - The 'crazy local yokel telling wild tales of that evil place' storyline is always a hit with me, although this local yokel isn't quite crazy enough to make her truly creepy, but the tales she tells of the unexplained and unbelievable deaths at the lake certainly are. Makes me think of the season one episode of Supernatural, Dead in the Water. To be continued...
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END STOP READING NOW!!!!!
16/6 - I was going to write a 'midway through the book' review for this yesterday, but I couldn't put quite manage to put the book down just to write a review. That "oh dear" from the start of my review? Erase it from your memory because this was fantastic. Beneath the Lake was scary, and creepy, and filled me with a constant sense of dread over what was going to happen next. To start with I thought it was going to be a psychological horror pretending to be some kind of supernatural horror, but it wasn't pretending, the horror really was supernatural. I'm still a bit unsure what happened at the end. I understand that they all died, but I didn't understand the 'vision' Ray had of meeting Megan back at the lake when they were children. What was that supposed to mean? Was that heaven? I also had a small objection to the fact that they did all die, as I don't think it's fair to kill two adults who were innocent children at the time of the original event, and an actual child who has almost no knowledge of what's going on around her due to her age. That felt like cheating to me, I felt like Ransom had set up these logical (within the story) rules for who would die and why and then went "Stuff the rules, I want to kill more people!". From what I understood of the explanation Andie the diner waitress gave to Ray, the evil that's killing people, been killing people for as long as the lake's been there, is somehow related to mother nature and mother nature is very angry with the way humans have been treating her planet. So she has been eliminating the threat whenever she can. Therefore, I can understand why Leonard, Colt, and parents had to go, but eight and six-year-old (at the time) Ray and Megan, and three-year-old Sierra were innocent children, they had done nothing to pollute the planet. So in my opinion it wasn't fair to kill them.
I've really enjoyed two of Ransom's books now, I'll definitely keep my eye out for his other books when I'm at the library.
PopSugar 2015 Reading Challenge: A Book that Scares You
14/6 - The 'crazy local yokel telling wild tales of that evil place' storyline is always a hit with me, although this local yokel isn't quite crazy enough to make her truly creepy, but the tales she tells of the unexplained and unbelievable deaths at the lake certainly are. Makes me think of the season one episode of Supernatural, Dead in the Water. To be continued...
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END STOP READING NOW!!!!!
16/6 - I was going to write a 'midway through the book' review for this yesterday, but I couldn't put quite manage to put the book down just to write a review. That "oh dear" from the start of my review? Erase it from your memory because this was fantastic. Beneath the Lake was scary, and creepy, and filled me with a constant sense of dread over what was going to happen next. To start with I thought it was going to be a psychological horror pretending to be some kind of supernatural horror, but it wasn't pretending, the horror really was supernatural. I'm still a bit unsure what happened at the end. I understand that they all died, but I didn't understand the 'vision' Ray had of meeting Megan back at the lake when they were children. What was that supposed to mean? Was that heaven? I also had a small objection to the fact that they did all die, as I don't think it's fair to kill two adults who were innocent children at the time of the original event, and an actual child who has almost no knowledge of what's going on around her due to her age. That felt like cheating to me, I felt like Ransom had set up these logical (within the story) rules for who would die and why and then went "Stuff the rules, I want to kill more people!". From what I understood of the explanation Andie the diner waitress gave to Ray, the evil that's killing people, been killing people for as long as the lake's been there, is somehow related to mother nature and mother nature is very angry with the way humans have been treating her planet. So she has been eliminating the threat whenever she can. Therefore, I can understand why Leonard, Colt, and parents had to go, but eight and six-year-old (at the time) Ray and Megan, and three-year-old Sierra were innocent children, they had done nothing to pollute the planet. So in my opinion it wasn't fair to kill them.
I've really enjoyed two of Ransom's books now, I'll definitely keep my eye out for his other books when I'm at the library.
PopSugar 2015 Reading Challenge: A Book that Scares You
September 16, 2015
Confusion Clouds the Early Promise of this Novel, 10 Sept. 2015
On a seemingly perfect camping trip at Blundstone Lake, Nebraska, the Mercer family find themselves embroiled in another family’s violence. The Mercers are forced to take action, and then to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives. Thirty years later, Ray, the youngest of the Mercers, is summoned from his life of coasting, to a family reunion at the lake. There, they must confront the past if there is to be any hope of a future.
A glorious sense of unease drifted through this book, like fog on a winter’s night; rising, falling but never truly dissipating. From the opening drama, which is never fully explained, to the final climax there is an eerie tension that promised a great deal.
We first meet the Mercers part way through their holiday, and each character is artfully drawn: their strengths, their flaws, their relationships with one another, all beautifully defined and relatable to any modern day family. The Mercers and the mystery of the opening chapters had me clamouring for more, but unfortunately the rest of the story didn’t carry the same momentum.
Intrigue dissolved into indifference and confusion: there was a supernatural element to this story that felt muddled. This was further complicated by poor pacing: instead of arcing to a crescendo, the story peaked in a number of places and then fell flat again. A few times I was certain I had reached the conclusion, only to find there was another ‘encounter’ to be had, with no clearer explanation than before. The story jumped between the present day and the events of thirty years ago, at times rewriting those events. At times I was so unsure of what had actually happened, my frustration tempted me to abandon the book altogether. And the ending was such a disappointment, I now wish I had!
Christopher Ransom is a fantastic writer, his debut novel, The Birthing House, is proof of that, and there is evidence in Beneath the Lake that that talent still exists. But the rhythm and pacing of this book are its downfall.~Anouk
Rating: Two Stars.
bestsellingcrimerthrillers.com was provided with a copy for review.
On a seemingly perfect camping trip at Blundstone Lake, Nebraska, the Mercer family find themselves embroiled in another family’s violence. The Mercers are forced to take action, and then to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives. Thirty years later, Ray, the youngest of the Mercers, is summoned from his life of coasting, to a family reunion at the lake. There, they must confront the past if there is to be any hope of a future.
A glorious sense of unease drifted through this book, like fog on a winter’s night; rising, falling but never truly dissipating. From the opening drama, which is never fully explained, to the final climax there is an eerie tension that promised a great deal.
We first meet the Mercers part way through their holiday, and each character is artfully drawn: their strengths, their flaws, their relationships with one another, all beautifully defined and relatable to any modern day family. The Mercers and the mystery of the opening chapters had me clamouring for more, but unfortunately the rest of the story didn’t carry the same momentum.
Intrigue dissolved into indifference and confusion: there was a supernatural element to this story that felt muddled. This was further complicated by poor pacing: instead of arcing to a crescendo, the story peaked in a number of places and then fell flat again. A few times I was certain I had reached the conclusion, only to find there was another ‘encounter’ to be had, with no clearer explanation than before. The story jumped between the present day and the events of thirty years ago, at times rewriting those events. At times I was so unsure of what had actually happened, my frustration tempted me to abandon the book altogether. And the ending was such a disappointment, I now wish I had!
Christopher Ransom is a fantastic writer, his debut novel, The Birthing House, is proof of that, and there is evidence in Beneath the Lake that that talent still exists. But the rhythm and pacing of this book are its downfall.~Anouk
Rating: Two Stars.
bestsellingcrimerthrillers.com was provided with a copy for review.
May 14, 2016
It seems really harsh giving this book a one star review and honestly, I hate to do it. It started off well with so much potential but then it just kind of...well...fell apart. Towards the end I was so close to giving up but I powered through and finished at least.
Okay, it's not all negative. Characters had brilliant back stories and the pace was good. But, the storyline? Well that's a different matter. It's seemed all a bit of a blur and a mess. I'm not sure what the author was trying to do, I'm not even sure if it was even horror, I mean there were ghosts and stuff but also a weird crazy lake and time travel and just a bombardment of ideas that I personally didn't feel linked particularly well.
I can't recommend this book. I mean I'm not going to tell you it's a waste of time reading it because I don't agree with that idea (I mean I'll read anything, as long as it has words I'm there) but it wasn't overly enjoyable. It kept me entertained through lunch breaks at work but I never really dived in to read at home much. I wouldn't bother personally, and it won't go into my pile for re-reading but I suppose some people love this kind of story. It just wasn't for me. Also as a side note, I found the blurb a little misleading. It's not a run for your life book as it kind of makes out.
Okay, it's not all negative. Characters had brilliant back stories and the pace was good. But, the storyline? Well that's a different matter. It's seemed all a bit of a blur and a mess. I'm not sure what the author was trying to do, I'm not even sure if it was even horror, I mean there were ghosts and stuff but also a weird crazy lake and time travel and just a bombardment of ideas that I personally didn't feel linked particularly well.
I can't recommend this book. I mean I'm not going to tell you it's a waste of time reading it because I don't agree with that idea (I mean I'll read anything, as long as it has words I'm there) but it wasn't overly enjoyable. It kept me entertained through lunch breaks at work but I never really dived in to read at home much. I wouldn't bother personally, and it won't go into my pile for re-reading but I suppose some people love this kind of story. It just wasn't for me. Also as a side note, I found the blurb a little misleading. It's not a run for your life book as it kind of makes out.
May 10, 2017
2 STARS
No, no, Mr. Ransom!
I was really hoping that I would enjoy this book, despite the reviews, like I did The Orphan.
The first 400 pages was a good horror story, which I did enjoy. If it had ended there, I probably would have given this one 3.5 to 4 stars. And he could have ended it there!
The next 50 pages were a disaster and left me very disappointed with the story.
***SPOILER!***
It seems like the author attempted another twist in the story, where you thought the people were out of the nightmare, but suddenly they find themselves back in it. I have read stories that have worked very well this way – 1408 and The Ring comes to mind – but in this case it feels like the author didn’t know whether he wanted a happy or sad ending. It was confusing, to say the least, and contributed nothing good or exciting.
It just didn’t work for me, so if you decide to read this novel, think long and hard before you read that last part.
No, no, Mr. Ransom!
I was really hoping that I would enjoy this book, despite the reviews, like I did The Orphan.
The first 400 pages was a good horror story, which I did enjoy. If it had ended there, I probably would have given this one 3.5 to 4 stars. And he could have ended it there!
The next 50 pages were a disaster and left me very disappointed with the story.
***SPOILER!***
It seems like the author attempted another twist in the story, where you thought the people were out of the nightmare, but suddenly they find themselves back in it. I have read stories that have worked very well this way – 1408 and The Ring comes to mind – but in this case it feels like the author didn’t know whether he wanted a happy or sad ending. It was confusing, to say the least, and contributed nothing good or exciting.
It just didn’t work for me, so if you decide to read this novel, think long and hard before you read that last part.
July 8, 2016
In all honesty, I don't know what the author tried to do with this book. It started off with so much promise and had a gripping opening that left me wanting more. Then, it all went downhill. A creepy lake, ghosts, some monster-creature, people in masks walking around the place....I was often left wondering "what the hell is going on?" I got no answers either which was left me worse off. It just felt like a mess. Not very good. 2 stars.
May 26, 2021
The reason I didn't like this book is because I couldn't get a feel or likeness of any of the characters. I thought they were badly written and very boring and there was no feeling to them
July 23, 2015
Beneath the Lake, started off freaky and scary, and it continued that way.
The Mercer family are on a camping trip to a lake and got embroiled in a fight with another family, for what reason I am not entirely sure, it reads as if the one family were taken over by some evil force, the husband tried to murder the wife, the father (Mr Mercer) jumps in to save her and the whole lot of them end up fighting. I wondered at that point were the other family dead, didn't seem clear, but it sure made you think they were. The only person not involved in the fight was the younger Mercer boy who was locked in the campervan, watching as much as he could out of the windows).
Years later the younger Mercer boy is now an adult and summoned to the lake by his family, he is told that his father is dying and they are to have one last holiday together. After a horrendous trip, getting himself and his companion lost on the journey they finally meet up with his gun-toting brother, who leads the pair of them to the family campsite. Things from there on just got scarier and scarier.
I will not tell anymore as I do not want to spoil anyone else's enjoyment. Be prepared to be baffled and confused, scared and worried, this will have you imagining all sorts!!!
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The Mercer family are on a camping trip to a lake and got embroiled in a fight with another family, for what reason I am not entirely sure, it reads as if the one family were taken over by some evil force, the husband tried to murder the wife, the father (Mr Mercer) jumps in to save her and the whole lot of them end up fighting. I wondered at that point were the other family dead, didn't seem clear, but it sure made you think they were. The only person not involved in the fight was the younger Mercer boy who was locked in the campervan, watching as much as he could out of the windows).
Years later the younger Mercer boy is now an adult and summoned to the lake by his family, he is told that his father is dying and they are to have one last holiday together. After a horrendous trip, getting himself and his companion lost on the journey they finally meet up with his gun-toting brother, who leads the pair of them to the family campsite. Things from there on just got scarier and scarier.
I will not tell anymore as I do not want to spoil anyone else's enjoyment. Be prepared to be baffled and confused, scared and worried, this will have you imagining all sorts!!!
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
March 31, 2017
I really had to force my way through this one. It started out great, then fast forward 30 years and it was a lot of blah blah build up, then you think the answers are coming and it's about to get scary....nope. It has its good points, some suspenseful moments, you start getting answers and then boom more blah blah and questions...then it ends. I'm glad I'm done reading it.
February 7, 2023
Something happens when Ray is young on vacation with his family at a lake. Now the family has come back to the lake to make things right.
Well written but the ending was just… bizarre. I honestly don’t get it. Did the lake really take them all when Ray was young? Was the whole book just a possible life shown to Ray by the lake? What happened and what was it? Don’t get it.
Well written but the ending was just… bizarre. I honestly don’t get it. Did the lake really take them all when Ray was young? Was the whole book just a possible life shown to Ray by the lake? What happened and what was it? Don’t get it.
July 21, 2016
It's been thirty years since the Mercer family's last camping trip. Until then it was an annual tradition, but something happened that year. Something that brought an end to those camping trips for good.
Or not.
Apparently Raymond's father is ill and it's his final wish that his family come together once again in honor of the old tradition. Raymond, the youngest Mercer child, barely remembers that awful last trip but he knows returning to Blundstone is the last thing he wants to do. This request, however, seems to be one he can't refuse.
I don't think Christopher Ransom has ever written what I'd consider a predictable book. Some of them may begin in what seems like familiar territory, but by the end of every one I've read the story has been turned upside down and inside out and gone well beyond the boundaries of my own apparently limited imagination.
Beneath the Lake was no exception in that regard. A family hiding a secret so dark it's plagued their memories for three decades AND broken a standing family tradition... What could be so terrible about a family camping trip? In a public place, no less.
Of course our main character doesn't even remember. As it turns out, the eight year old Raymond who was present during that final trip missed out on much of the action. So even though he's leery about returning to Blundstone, which has been closed to the public for some time apparently, he has very little inkling about what might be in store for his family this time around.
He expects drama. He expects arguments. It's the first time the family has been together in quite some time, after all. And considering the bombshell about his dad, the trip is definitely not off to a great start. And so he goes armed with a companion, one he's crushed on for some time but doesn't really know very well at all.
Sounds like a terrible first date to me!
I'm just the kind of reader who would bring Beneath the Lake on a camping trip (if I were inclined to camp, which I'm not) for extra atmosphere. And it would be the absolute perfect fireside read, too - guaranteed to make you jump at every noise and shadow and likely to keep you up at night shivering in your tent.
Of course you can just as easily read this one at home, cozy and safe, and it'll still creep you out to no end. Ransom builds an atmosphere that starts somewhere in the vicinity of normal with a hint of dread and quickly edges into eeriness and all out horror. It's an excellent build, exactly what I crave in a scary read, and a tale that might make you reconsider your own next camping trip!
Or not.
Apparently Raymond's father is ill and it's his final wish that his family come together once again in honor of the old tradition. Raymond, the youngest Mercer child, barely remembers that awful last trip but he knows returning to Blundstone is the last thing he wants to do. This request, however, seems to be one he can't refuse.
I don't think Christopher Ransom has ever written what I'd consider a predictable book. Some of them may begin in what seems like familiar territory, but by the end of every one I've read the story has been turned upside down and inside out and gone well beyond the boundaries of my own apparently limited imagination.
Beneath the Lake was no exception in that regard. A family hiding a secret so dark it's plagued their memories for three decades AND broken a standing family tradition... What could be so terrible about a family camping trip? In a public place, no less.
Of course our main character doesn't even remember. As it turns out, the eight year old Raymond who was present during that final trip missed out on much of the action. So even though he's leery about returning to Blundstone, which has been closed to the public for some time apparently, he has very little inkling about what might be in store for his family this time around.
He expects drama. He expects arguments. It's the first time the family has been together in quite some time, after all. And considering the bombshell about his dad, the trip is definitely not off to a great start. And so he goes armed with a companion, one he's crushed on for some time but doesn't really know very well at all.
Sounds like a terrible first date to me!
I'm just the kind of reader who would bring Beneath the Lake on a camping trip (if I were inclined to camp, which I'm not) for extra atmosphere. And it would be the absolute perfect fireside read, too - guaranteed to make you jump at every noise and shadow and likely to keep you up at night shivering in your tent.
Of course you can just as easily read this one at home, cozy and safe, and it'll still creep you out to no end. Ransom builds an atmosphere that starts somewhere in the vicinity of normal with a hint of dread and quickly edges into eeriness and all out horror. It's an excellent build, exactly what I crave in a scary read, and a tale that might make you reconsider your own next camping trip!
April 7, 2016
Something bad happened at Lake Blundstone the last time Ray was there. He was eight years old, now approaching forty he is returning with the news that his estranged father is dying. He taking with him, Megan, a server at his resturant, a lie about their ‘relationship’ and a gun.
With everyones lives not going great, Warren Mercer calls his family on this holiday to reconnect and also to make amends for the awful event that happened thirty years earlier.
Beneath the Lake took a different direction than I thought it was going. What I thought was going to be a ghostly tale, changed into something else and then back again.
To be honest, I don’t know if I ‘liked’ this book, but saying that, it did have me reading like an addict. I really couldn’t put it down. I had to know how this read ended, but just when I thought I knew what was going on something else would happen and I was back to thinking ‘what is going on’.
I loved The Birthing House by the same author, but this tale is just not in the same league. It seems too messy, but maybe that is just my understanding, I really felt like I was mentally challenged by it.
Having said that, this is a scary read and I feel that everyone who does read this read novel will feel different about it based on what they think is happening. My understanding is that it’s a supernatural horror, but other than that I just don’t know.
This one had me stumped a little
With everyones lives not going great, Warren Mercer calls his family on this holiday to reconnect and also to make amends for the awful event that happened thirty years earlier.
Beneath the Lake took a different direction than I thought it was going. What I thought was going to be a ghostly tale, changed into something else and then back again.
To be honest, I don’t know if I ‘liked’ this book, but saying that, it did have me reading like an addict. I really couldn’t put it down. I had to know how this read ended, but just when I thought I knew what was going on something else would happen and I was back to thinking ‘what is going on’.
I loved The Birthing House by the same author, but this tale is just not in the same league. It seems too messy, but maybe that is just my understanding, I really felt like I was mentally challenged by it.
Having said that, this is a scary read and I feel that everyone who does read this read novel will feel different about it based on what they think is happening. My understanding is that it’s a supernatural horror, but other than that I just don’t know.
This one had me stumped a little
September 20, 2016
If I'd come to it expecting a supernatural horror story, I'd have probably enjoyed it more, but I was wrong-footed by the blurb and expected something more believable. The ending (or rather the several almost-endings) kept leaving me thinking it was all going to be a dream or a figment of the 8-year-old Ray's imagination, and to be honest, I'm still not entirely sure what the final scenes were supposed to be - heaven? some realm that only exists in this weird Nebraskan dimension ?! Whatever it was meant to be, it left me feeling confused and on the whole unsatisfied. If you like the weirder Stephen King stories, you'll probably enjoy it though, and it could be a good one for a book group, to see what everyone else makes of it !
full review on my blog : http://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspot...
full review on my blog : http://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspot...
June 29, 2017
'Beneath the Lake' by Christopher Ransom started off with an intriguing premise: something terrible happened on a family's lakeside camping trip 30 years ago. The 8-year-old son was kept in the caravan so only vaguely remembers what he saw. Fast forward to the present and the by-now dysfunctional family decide to reunite at the lake so the father can expose the secret of what really happened. It's all downhill after this, with backtracking to the past, back to the present, dreams, imaginings, and then into sci-fi. The characters wander around like people in a Jim Jarmusch movie, nothing ever gets resolved and it's just plain weird. Instead of 'Be prepared to be terrified', I think the blurb should have read: Prepared to be confused'.
November 19, 2017
As much as I don't want to say it, I found reading this book a bit of a chore. I didn't want to keep coming back like I normally do with books and yet I'm not sure why.
The writing style is good, the story line could be good and the characters have massive potential.
Unfortunately as a whole it just doesn't seem to work, and I can't totally put my finger on why. There are parts of the book that show real promise, but it never seems to get going. I've finished the book feeling dissatisfied and confused.
The writing style is good, the story line could be good and the characters have massive potential.
Unfortunately as a whole it just doesn't seem to work, and I can't totally put my finger on why. There are parts of the book that show real promise, but it never seems to get going. I've finished the book feeling dissatisfied and confused.
May 24, 2016
overall I gave this book a 3 star mainly because I kept on getting lost in it. Most of time I didn't understand what was going on. At some points I thought " This could save the book " but after getting through those parts I was quite let down. The story line was okay but it all became a blur and I thought there was alot of things going unexplained. The character development was great and the way the author described the lake was amazing.
July 27, 2016
I feel bad only giving a three (perhaps 2.5) star but I struggled a lot to finish this book unfortunately. A lot of it may be that it isn't; hand on heart, my type of book or genre to begin with but the story too was a bit of a let down to me. It started eerily enough then somewhere along it lost it's way. I'm not saying I hated it but I do think I left my comfort zone choosing this one. I do know people that enjoy this type of book and for them I would recommend giving it a go.
September 17, 2017
I bought this book with great expectations after falling in love with Ransoms writing in The Birthing House. However, this book was very drawn out, and while the writing remained stylistic to the author, I was not gripped. The relationships between the characters seemed more interesting than the twisted plot that Ransom was trying to create. There were some moments in the novel that I thought were a bit far fetched. A good ending but a bit dry.
August 16, 2016
Always find this authors books start so promisingly and then fizzle out without a proper ending , and not really knowing what was going on. Same with this one unfortunately ....too long, not enough explanation and a vague ending that I didn't really understand.
July 16, 2022
The book equivalent of a normal family sitcom mixed with eldritch horror. Sounded intriguing for the first fifty percent of the book. We get introduced to our deadbeat protagonist and his dysfunctional and suffering family after a storm on the lake changed their lives forever.
However as the two star review and the tags will tell you, this book is painfully average. Like a middle school teacher watching the star of her class becoming a rebel, you can tell the book had potential but the direction it went in dashed all prospects of something cohesive and satisfying.
Don't get me wrong I loved the weird shit in the lake aspects of the book but the execution of the book was far from graceful. The characters are thinly constructed and their sob stories seemingly vomited into paragraphs. The book tries to use plot twists but they feel more like attempts to shock the reader rather than expound on the plot.
Overall the book has some very interesting and beautiful themes and messages but is bogged down by poor execution and world building.
However as the two star review and the tags will tell you, this book is painfully average. Like a middle school teacher watching the star of her class becoming a rebel, you can tell the book had potential but the direction it went in dashed all prospects of something cohesive and satisfying.
Don't get me wrong I loved the weird shit in the lake aspects of the book but the execution of the book was far from graceful. The characters are thinly constructed and their sob stories seemingly vomited into paragraphs. The book tries to use plot twists but they feel more like attempts to shock the reader rather than expound on the plot.
Overall the book has some very interesting and beautiful themes and messages but is bogged down by poor execution and world building.
January 28, 2020
Oh my god this book was trippy. When I picked up this book, I thought I'll be reading a psychological thriller, but boy was I wrong. I'm still not sure what rating I'd give this book yet but I'm hella sure it deserves more ratings. The blurb of this book probably gave people the impression that this is a slasher/murder/psychopath thriller; it's not those.
It's quite a bit of a stretch, in page count and in concept. However, I also think that it does take that long to build up the world and the characters in the book.
There were times where I went "wtf is happening" and "where is this going". I felt chills on a lot of parts and disturbed on some parts.
STOP READING RIGHT HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK.
The ending was not clear for me and I guess I'd be thinking of that in a while. Was that another world from the flat water of Nebraska like was that what Ray would've done if he were in that world/dimension??? Was that Ray's depiction of heaven? Was that the lake trying to say that it really did consume them all?
It's quite a bit of a stretch, in page count and in concept. However, I also think that it does take that long to build up the world and the characters in the book.
There were times where I went "wtf is happening" and "where is this going". I felt chills on a lot of parts and disturbed on some parts.
STOP READING RIGHT HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK.
The ending was not clear for me and I guess I'd be thinking of that in a while. Was that another world from the flat water of Nebraska like was that what Ray would've done if he were in that world/dimension??? Was that Ray's depiction of heaven? Was that the lake trying to say that it really did consume them all?
April 15, 2021
The story starts Ok and characters well described. After that it becomes an "I'm being chased" story with a dash of horror/supernatural but is far from scary. For me the story then has no reality and flashes from one time frame to another which is confusing. The ending is even more confusing, disappointing and was beyond my level of intelligence to understand. Once I found the supernatural part, I almost gave up but persevered. However, I wish I hadn't or just skipped to the end. I will not even recycle this book; it's going straight in the bin as I don't want others to waste their time on it.
October 16, 2021
I read another review of this book before reading it. I have to agree that the characters are well developed and that you quickly become engaged with them.
I also agree that the pacing of this book suffers, it moves to and fro without acknowledgement and that may be the reason it feels unfulfilling.
I think the author started this book with one idea, and then cobbled other ideas together as he went along. Certain things really make no sense looking back at them, the antagonists don't really fit with the story overall. I can say that parts of the book are very well written and beautifully described, but the ending just isn't successful.
I also agree that the pacing of this book suffers, it moves to and fro without acknowledgement and that may be the reason it feels unfulfilling.
I think the author started this book with one idea, and then cobbled other ideas together as he went along. Certain things really make no sense looking back at them, the antagonists don't really fit with the story overall. I can say that parts of the book are very well written and beautifully described, but the ending just isn't successful.
January 20, 2020
I really wanted to love this book, as I've thoroughly enjoyed 2 others by this author, but, unfortunately, I really struggled to get to the end.
It starts with a bang, and has a group of brilliant characters, but the timelines within the book jump around far too much, and just when you think that you have the answers and the book has reached a crescendo, it goes off another tangent, completely rewriting previous timelines!
Sorry, Mr Ransom, I won't be recommending this one
It starts with a bang, and has a group of brilliant characters, but the timelines within the book jump around far too much, and just when you think that you have the answers and the book has reached a crescendo, it goes off another tangent, completely rewriting previous timelines!
Sorry, Mr Ransom, I won't be recommending this one
April 1, 2019
Not my usual read but I picked it up on the book exchange table at my exercise center because the cover intrigued me.
Started out strong but then veered off the track.
Started out strong but then veered off the track.
April 16, 2020
I picked this up thinking it was a murder mystery, but it's actually a horror story. I do enjoy some horror novels, but found this somewhat slow, repetitive, and ultimately very confusing. I plodded on to the end hoping for some clarification but was left none the wiser. It would make a very good film !
March 29, 2021
Quite a strange read, a haunted lake?? Not quite though because it seems that the lake has more a supernatural power to those on it & who visit it. Lost the place with this book & couldn’t quite piece together the history of the mercer family but it is definitely a bit of an earie read
September 9, 2023
I really enjoyed this book apart from the ending. I was gripped, couldn't stop reading it. But the ending, not sure how I wanted it to end, but for me it just fell a bit flat. So a strong 3.5 stars, I rounded up.
February 3, 2024
What a bizarre book. Very slow, but started out ok, then towards the end got so random and weird I have no idea what I've actually read. Made no sense whatsoever. I won't be reading anymore by this author, they've all been bizarre.
February 20, 2017
It started out good, but ended up all over the place. Very confusing.
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