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The Damned Place
A small town with dark secrets. A house hidden in the woods that holds horrors unimaginable. Four friends on summer break fighting off a group of bullies dead set on ruining their summer of fun. The little town of Winnsboro has buried its secrets beneath years of history and faded memories. But, it’s about to be unearthed releasing ancient creatures as a budding psychopath blooms Will they survive what comes for them and possibly the world or will The Damned Place end it all?
584 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 6, 2019
12 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
About the author
Chris Miller
49 books167 followersChris Miller is a native Texan who has been writing from an early age. He began publishing in 2017 with his first novel, A Murder of Saints, and since then he has published several novels—including the Amazon bestselling Splatter Western, Dust—and has also been inducted into many anthologies. When not writing, Chris enjoys playing guitar, watching movies, and reading. He is first and foremost a family man and is happily married to the love of his life (and best friend) Aliana. They have three beautiful children and live in Winnsboro, TX.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
July 14, 2021
The Damned Place by Chris Miller is both a Coming of Age Novel and a good Horror Novel rolled into one intoxicating read. That the author, Chris Miller, can write a great page–burning novel that will keep any reader glued in place and paying close attention there is NO doubt. Horror stories aren’t something one might notice on any TBR list of mine. But I saw this one to its chilling conclusion. I had hoped I could appreciate a good and well-written work of fiction even though I was unfamiliar with the genre. For me, reading to the end was the key to finding this a good and very worthwhile read.
It’s the coming of age for four middle-school friends who discover what loyalty,vigilance and bravery are during their summer vacation that is both memorable and eye-opening.
All four kids are well-drawn characters as are the three older bullies who relentlessly taunt and more.
Readers find out along with the four friends some of the salient history of the damned place through a journal from the town’s library;Readers also take a journey into the past courtesy of Mr. Miller.
If great characterizations in a-run-for-your-life horror story sound good to you, then this is your novel. As such, I recommend to readers who enjoy being scared a lot, along with some bloody gore to go with it.
It’s the coming of age for four middle-school friends who discover what loyalty,vigilance and bravery are during their summer vacation that is both memorable and eye-opening.
All four kids are well-drawn characters as are the three older bullies who relentlessly taunt and more.
Readers find out along with the four friends some of the salient history of the damned place through a journal from the town’s library;Readers also take a journey into the past courtesy of Mr. Miller.
If great characterizations in a-run-for-your-life horror story sound good to you, then this is your novel. As such, I recommend to readers who enjoy being scared a lot, along with some bloody gore to go with it.
July 25, 2019
Prior to starting in on The Damned Place, I had read an interview in which author Chris Miller discussed his inspiration for this novel being equal parts Stranger Things and Stephen King’s IT. Frankly, it shows, particularly during the first twenty-five percent or so as Miller sets up his story. It takes him a while to escape from the shadows of those inspirations, but once he does, The Damned Place is a pretty effective bit of 90s-set coming-of-age horror.
In the woods of suburban Texas lies an old wooden shack. Ryan’s father went hunting in those woods and came out a raving lunatic ranting about shadows. The father’s friend, though, never made it out at all. When Ryan and his buddies, Jimmy, Freddy, and Honey, are playing in the woods, a trio of bullies torment them and force them to flee deeper into the woods, into the cabin. It’s there that the friends stumble into another world, and their lives are changed forever.
There’s a lot about The Damned Place that feels overly familiar, particularly the plucky band of young kids being the subject of ire for high school bullies, and the powers that Jimmy eventually displays. The alternate world the the kids flee into feels an awful lot like Stranger Things’ Upside Down, and Jimmy’s powers are very Eleven-esque (although since this is set in the 90s, Jimmy’s eventual understanding of his powers and what they are is actually pretty darn funny), and the dynamic between the kids and their bullies is very much a riff on IT’s The Losers Club. On the prose front, it’s a bit bloated and over-written, with too much repetition and unnecessary scenes that should have been cut. There were a number of times where I couldn’t quite quell my inner editor, mentally shortening sentences and trimming away some of the fat here, particularly regarding a wholly unneeded chapter dedicated to introducing a sump pump repairman who saves the life of one of the boys early-on, and is never heard from again. It’s a single chapter, but one that exists simply because (presumably) the author knows stuff about sump pumps and is entirely irrelevant to the story. The whole point of this chapter could have been simply summed up in a tiny bit of dialogue and brought readers to the same point, and a hell of a lot quicker, too. Miller also has a frustrating habit, especially early on, of setting up an action scene only to derail all the built-up tension and grind everything to a sudden halt with lengthy backstory. To complicate matters, much of that backstory ends up being repeated several times thereafter.
Despite these issues, there is actually quite a lot to enjoy here and Miller eventually finds his footing pretty solidly. Where The Damned Place really separates itself from those works that inspired it is in the measure of extremes Miller is willing to take his characters.
The Damned Place isn’t as interested in nostalgia as either IT or Stranger Things, but it is very much interested in being as dark and brutal as all get out. Jake Reese and his buddy Bart aren’t interested in just being bullies — these dudes are freaking psychopaths on the road to becoming hardcore killers. What begins as an alleyway beating of one of the younger boys by Jake and his gang nearly ends in murder, and that’s just the beginning of their descent into depravity. There’s a very deep seediness to this book, particularly as it relates to the bullies, and The Damned Place is filled with incest, gay slurs, animal mutilation, attempted rape, torture, and violence.
There’s also monsters of the non-human kind, in the form of The Glutton, who exists on the other side of reality and lives to eat entire populations. We get his background in an extended section of the book that gives us the full history of the run-down cabin and the family that lived there nearly a century before. It’s a section that I absolutely adored and wanted more of. In fact, it was hands-down one of the strongest segments of the book, next to a powerful climax that absolutely revels in throwing all its characters through the meat grinder in a hellacious battle for survival. It’s mighty gripping, chock full of suspense and gore.
Although Miller initially seems overly reverential to other works that have fired up his imagination, he does do a good job of introducing some new concepts and tonal differences to make The Damned Place an enjoyable, although certainly not always pleasant, read that stands on its own. He also sets up a sequel that promises to take this book’s survivors into some interesting realms, and I’m pretty eager to see where this story is headed. Overall, this is a pretty decent read, but one that could have benefited from some deeper editing and a bit more originality. If you’re looking for a dark and far more adult-oriented riff on Hawkins, Indiana you might want to swing by The Damned Place.
[Note: I received a copy of this title from the author.]
In the woods of suburban Texas lies an old wooden shack. Ryan’s father went hunting in those woods and came out a raving lunatic ranting about shadows. The father’s friend, though, never made it out at all. When Ryan and his buddies, Jimmy, Freddy, and Honey, are playing in the woods, a trio of bullies torment them and force them to flee deeper into the woods, into the cabin. It’s there that the friends stumble into another world, and their lives are changed forever.
There’s a lot about The Damned Place that feels overly familiar, particularly the plucky band of young kids being the subject of ire for high school bullies, and the powers that Jimmy eventually displays. The alternate world the the kids flee into feels an awful lot like Stranger Things’ Upside Down, and Jimmy’s powers are very Eleven-esque (although since this is set in the 90s, Jimmy’s eventual understanding of his powers and what they are is actually pretty darn funny), and the dynamic between the kids and their bullies is very much a riff on IT’s The Losers Club. On the prose front, it’s a bit bloated and over-written, with too much repetition and unnecessary scenes that should have been cut. There were a number of times where I couldn’t quite quell my inner editor, mentally shortening sentences and trimming away some of the fat here, particularly regarding a wholly unneeded chapter dedicated to introducing a sump pump repairman who saves the life of one of the boys early-on, and is never heard from again. It’s a single chapter, but one that exists simply because (presumably) the author knows stuff about sump pumps and is entirely irrelevant to the story. The whole point of this chapter could have been simply summed up in a tiny bit of dialogue and brought readers to the same point, and a hell of a lot quicker, too. Miller also has a frustrating habit, especially early on, of setting up an action scene only to derail all the built-up tension and grind everything to a sudden halt with lengthy backstory. To complicate matters, much of that backstory ends up being repeated several times thereafter.
Despite these issues, there is actually quite a lot to enjoy here and Miller eventually finds his footing pretty solidly. Where The Damned Place really separates itself from those works that inspired it is in the measure of extremes Miller is willing to take his characters.
The Damned Place isn’t as interested in nostalgia as either IT or Stranger Things, but it is very much interested in being as dark and brutal as all get out. Jake Reese and his buddy Bart aren’t interested in just being bullies — these dudes are freaking psychopaths on the road to becoming hardcore killers. What begins as an alleyway beating of one of the younger boys by Jake and his gang nearly ends in murder, and that’s just the beginning of their descent into depravity. There’s a very deep seediness to this book, particularly as it relates to the bullies, and The Damned Place is filled with incest, gay slurs, animal mutilation, attempted rape, torture, and violence.
There’s also monsters of the non-human kind, in the form of The Glutton, who exists on the other side of reality and lives to eat entire populations. We get his background in an extended section of the book that gives us the full history of the run-down cabin and the family that lived there nearly a century before. It’s a section that I absolutely adored and wanted more of. In fact, it was hands-down one of the strongest segments of the book, next to a powerful climax that absolutely revels in throwing all its characters through the meat grinder in a hellacious battle for survival. It’s mighty gripping, chock full of suspense and gore.
Although Miller initially seems overly reverential to other works that have fired up his imagination, he does do a good job of introducing some new concepts and tonal differences to make The Damned Place an enjoyable, although certainly not always pleasant, read that stands on its own. He also sets up a sequel that promises to take this book’s survivors into some interesting realms, and I’m pretty eager to see where this story is headed. Overall, this is a pretty decent read, but one that could have benefited from some deeper editing and a bit more originality. If you’re looking for a dark and far more adult-oriented riff on Hawkins, Indiana you might want to swing by The Damned Place.
[Note: I received a copy of this title from the author.]
July 30, 2022
If Stephen King’s IT and Stranger Things Mashed together and was set in the nineties, this is what you would get!
This was a fantastic book! If I could give it six stars, I would.
The characters were great! The antagonists? Great! The story? Absolute Fire!!! This is one you all have to read!
I’m so happy to know there is a sequel, and I will be reading that soon.
Overall, Five out if Five stars!
This was a fantastic book! If I could give it six stars, I would.
The characters were great! The antagonists? Great! The story? Absolute Fire!!! This is one you all have to read!
I’m so happy to know there is a sequel, and I will be reading that soon.
Overall, Five out if Five stars!
February 11, 2020
☠️ Book Review ☠️ “The damned place by Chris Miller” .
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A group of kids come together for some summer fun. They make a fort in the woods and call it their “club house”. The kids are enjoying their summer until they run into a bully and his evil pack of goons. (This all sounds like the set up for an 80s coming of age horror movie or show but it’s much darker.) The kids run from the bullies into an abandoned creepy house in the woods. As they try to escape, some are transported to another world that’s in the same house but the colors are different. They don’t have much time to think about it because not only are they running from bullies they are also running from the monster in the other world. This coming of age story is sinister and extremely dark. I gave this book a 4/5 🌟 because there were elements of the story that lessened it for me such as 1. the age of the kids probably should have been older with what they were thinking and doing 2. Some parts of the story rambled and slowed its momentum. Overall it was an action packed read. I can’t wait to see how the next book turns out “the damned ones”. What will happen next? .
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A group of kids come together for some summer fun. They make a fort in the woods and call it their “club house”. The kids are enjoying their summer until they run into a bully and his evil pack of goons. (This all sounds like the set up for an 80s coming of age horror movie or show but it’s much darker.) The kids run from the bullies into an abandoned creepy house in the woods. As they try to escape, some are transported to another world that’s in the same house but the colors are different. They don’t have much time to think about it because not only are they running from bullies they are also running from the monster in the other world. This coming of age story is sinister and extremely dark. I gave this book a 4/5 🌟 because there were elements of the story that lessened it for me such as 1. the age of the kids probably should have been older with what they were thinking and doing 2. Some parts of the story rambled and slowed its momentum. Overall it was an action packed read. I can’t wait to see how the next book turns out “the damned ones”. What will happen next? .
July 8, 2019
This is absolutely amazing. From start to finish I couldn’t put it down. Chris Miller can write! Everything I have read by him has been jaw dropping. From the funny horror in Flushed to the extreme horror of Prime Cuts nothing has disappointed. This book is about a coming of age story, with lifelong friends having what they thought would be fun durning the summer. They meet a new girl and soon she has become another friend. Problems arise with the town bullies. They are set out to ruin the friends summer. While playing in the woods they stumble across an abandoned house. One that holds horror unimaginable. Monsters and a portal straight to Hell are within the walls. There isn’t even a path to the door of this house. This is a true page turner. Mr. Miller should be very very proud of himself. It takes a lot to creep me out but he sure accomplished that task. I have heard that there are more in this series.... I sure hope that it is true. This is one you won’t want to miss. Horror at its finest!!!
February 6, 2021
Ive thoroughly enjoyed spending the last few days in THE DAMNED PLACE! At 563 pages long, its a bit of a beast, but it didnt feel 563 pages long, in a good way! I found it eerie, creepy and disturbing. I loved the supernatural elements, and it was also a heart warming tale of friendship. I have already ordered the next book THE DAMNED ONES, and I cannot wait to get started. Awesome 🖤
September 17, 2019
Let me start by saying I am not afraid of spiders and have little concern over snakes, but after reading this I will never look at a spider or snake or even a slug! in the same way.
The terror experienced by the characters (some barely into their teens) was so intense that I could feel it through the pages. Bullying, awful parenting skills, haunted house, brutality, monsters it’s all there. Everything came pouring out the pages at a fierce, vivid pace. I had to keep reading because it was too much just to pass by or put it down - I needed closure!
You should put this on your reading list for Halloween! Or any time you want the crap scared out of you!
The terror experienced by the characters (some barely into their teens) was so intense that I could feel it through the pages. Bullying, awful parenting skills, haunted house, brutality, monsters it’s all there. Everything came pouring out the pages at a fierce, vivid pace. I had to keep reading because it was too much just to pass by or put it down - I needed closure!
You should put this on your reading list for Halloween! Or any time you want the crap scared out of you!
April 25, 2023
Chris Miller is harrier than Robin Williams' ass crack. And twice as smelly.
Read
February 25, 2020I noped out when the lead bully confessed to raping his mother twice.
One reason I read supernatural horror is because I want to avoid some of the nastiness of normal people, and this book felt like it was trying to check every box.
One reason I read supernatural horror is because I want to avoid some of the nastiness of normal people, and this book felt like it was trying to check every box.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2020
Ok so not being a huge fan of audio books in general due to not being able to concentrate on narrator's voices, I usually struggle unless I have a physical copy. Saying that, I decided to give Chris Miller's book The Damned Place a go on Audible and surprisingly I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I utilised my usually boring treks to and from work and time in between work commitments to listen to this and although it took me a while to get through, I am so glad I invested the time. This book was a fantastic mix, a heartwarming coming of age tale, super gory scenes that made me gasp and a dark, sadistic evil to rival any by the best writer's. Oh and I laughed so hard at one particular scene where the experience of a brewing fart was so hilarious that I nearly pee'd my pants! I won't lie, it's a lengthy read. I imagine the physical copy is a big fat chonky thing but man it is so worth the investment! How have I not read one of his books before? This was so much fun, super intense for sure and superbly written. Well done Chris, I loved it!
May 6, 2020
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
Chris Miller���s ‘The Damned Place‘ starts off with an absolute bang and introduces us to the mysterious house in the woods almost immediately.
I love when books fly out of the gate and decide to hold nothing back and throughout this book, Miller continued to push the envelope with horrific descriptions and awful characters.
What I liked: I’m a sucker for coming-of-age stuff set in the woods and this ticked off all of those boxes. We get a group of friends who’ve built a little hide-out in the woods who become the subject of the towns despicable bullies. The kids are relate-able and you root for them almost immediately. The setting is great and we spend a fair amount of time in the woods and near or in the house that has been mostly forgotten by the town.
What I didn’t like: This one’s a bit tougher. I found a bit of the dialogue when the ‘other place’ was described almost laughable at times with the ‘Fick a shoo’ and ‘Feck a shee’ stuff being off-putting. The most jarring thing that really killed the momentum for me was the repeated use of a six-letter slur over and over again. ‘F****t’ was probably used close to, if not more than 200 times in the book and it just lost any power or impact of a negative word towards the group by the bullies by the fifth utterance. I’m not opposed to the word being used, especially in context with the time period this was set in, but I just didn’t see a point with it being used so often.
Why you should buy it: The book is a fun read, and other than that slur, which hasn’t seemed to be a problem for other reviewers, than have at it! The house is creepy as hell and the ‘things’ over ‘there’ were great! Miller just released a sequel, which I’d be keen to see where things have gone from book one.
Chris Miller���s ‘The Damned Place‘ starts off with an absolute bang and introduces us to the mysterious house in the woods almost immediately.
I love when books fly out of the gate and decide to hold nothing back and throughout this book, Miller continued to push the envelope with horrific descriptions and awful characters.
What I liked: I’m a sucker for coming-of-age stuff set in the woods and this ticked off all of those boxes. We get a group of friends who’ve built a little hide-out in the woods who become the subject of the towns despicable bullies. The kids are relate-able and you root for them almost immediately. The setting is great and we spend a fair amount of time in the woods and near or in the house that has been mostly forgotten by the town.
What I didn’t like: This one’s a bit tougher. I found a bit of the dialogue when the ‘other place’ was described almost laughable at times with the ‘Fick a shoo’ and ‘Feck a shee’ stuff being off-putting. The most jarring thing that really killed the momentum for me was the repeated use of a six-letter slur over and over again. ‘F****t’ was probably used close to, if not more than 200 times in the book and it just lost any power or impact of a negative word towards the group by the bullies by the fifth utterance. I’m not opposed to the word being used, especially in context with the time period this was set in, but I just didn’t see a point with it being used so often.
Why you should buy it: The book is a fun read, and other than that slur, which hasn’t seemed to be a problem for other reviewers, than have at it! The house is creepy as hell and the ‘things’ over ‘there’ were great! Miller just released a sequel, which I’d be keen to see where things have gone from book one.
May 14, 2022
The Damned Place could be considered the spiritual successor to Stephen King's IT, transported into the 1990s from the 1960s of King's pivotal masterpiece. Coming of age tales are a familiar substrate upon which horror authors can build a significant sense of dread and high stakes, relatable terror--after all, we were all children once upon a time, complete with imaginations and an unflappable sense of our own invulnerability. Some attempts are more successful than others, and Chris Miller's foray into the subgenre is massively successful.
Deep in the woods is a dilapidated house with a history so unspeakably awful that almost no one in the nearby town of Winnsboro remembers it exists. When a group of friends stumbles across the house, they unwittingly draw the attention of a monstrous, hungry creature hoping to slip through the border between worlds and into ours. It's in this place that they also discover their world is more magical and unreal than they'd have ever expected.
Miller provides readers with an unflinching, uncensored glimpse of a world populated by bullies, tragedy, and alien beings. With gritty, grimy realism, Miller drags us into the story he's crafted, forcing us to bear witness to extreme depravity and cosmic horror in equal measure. Gone is the infamous underage sewer orgy of King's novel, but don't worry because Miller manages to add plenty of discomforting and unsettling elements to his book. But it's not all about the terror, The Damned Place is also about the strength of friendship and the courage found in the face of impossible conditions.
Daniel Caravetta's narration captures the accents and speech patterns of the characters in a way that makes them jump off the page for the audiobook edition of Miller's novel.
Deep in the woods is a dilapidated house with a history so unspeakably awful that almost no one in the nearby town of Winnsboro remembers it exists. When a group of friends stumbles across the house, they unwittingly draw the attention of a monstrous, hungry creature hoping to slip through the border between worlds and into ours. It's in this place that they also discover their world is more magical and unreal than they'd have ever expected.
Miller provides readers with an unflinching, uncensored glimpse of a world populated by bullies, tragedy, and alien beings. With gritty, grimy realism, Miller drags us into the story he's crafted, forcing us to bear witness to extreme depravity and cosmic horror in equal measure. Gone is the infamous underage sewer orgy of King's novel, but don't worry because Miller manages to add plenty of discomforting and unsettling elements to his book. But it's not all about the terror, The Damned Place is also about the strength of friendship and the courage found in the face of impossible conditions.
Daniel Caravetta's narration captures the accents and speech patterns of the characters in a way that makes them jump off the page for the audiobook edition of Miller's novel.
February 26, 2020
4 Stars! “The Damned Place” is my first Chris Miller book and let’s just say that it covers all the bases for a coming of age horror story that lands in the “extreme” horror subgenre.
“The Damned Place” is broken down into eight parts which helped with the flow and pace of the story by using third person perspectives to transition chapters. Chris’ writing is direct and grabbed my attention from the beginning with the imagery, character development and bold transitions through the characters. Each character is introduced thoughtfully and brings a strong perspective when speaking in their voice. The back-story Chris Miller created for the abandoned house was excellently written in a diary style that was not only disturbing but very uncomfortable. The epilogue was unexpected and leaves me hungry for “The Damned Ones.”
One thing that I would have liked to have been done differently would be the ages of the kids. Some of dialogue and mental capacity didn’t match the age presented for any of the kids. There are similarities of Stephen King’s “IT” with the group of kids (majority being boys and one girl) and the bullies as well as a “Stranger Things” vibe with a monster in another place with a kid that has powers. Chris Miller mentioned previously that he had influence from these, but “The Damned Place” carries its own weight.
“The Damned Place” is broken down into eight parts which helped with the flow and pace of the story by using third person perspectives to transition chapters. Chris’ writing is direct and grabbed my attention from the beginning with the imagery, character development and bold transitions through the characters. Each character is introduced thoughtfully and brings a strong perspective when speaking in their voice. The back-story Chris Miller created for the abandoned house was excellently written in a diary style that was not only disturbing but very uncomfortable. The epilogue was unexpected and leaves me hungry for “The Damned Ones.”
One thing that I would have liked to have been done differently would be the ages of the kids. Some of dialogue and mental capacity didn’t match the age presented for any of the kids. There are similarities of Stephen King’s “IT” with the group of kids (majority being boys and one girl) and the bullies as well as a “Stranger Things” vibe with a monster in another place with a kid that has powers. Chris Miller mentioned previously that he had influence from these, but “The Damned Place” carries its own weight.
January 24, 2021
This has been on my to-read list for some time now, and I regret only just now getting around to it. For Stephen King readers, The Damned Place will feel very familiar. It seems heavily inspired by It, but also draws from other King works (the dialogue of the lobstrosities in The Drawing of the Three, for example). Although I don't really mind obvious King Easter eggs or references in other authors' works, they remain a bit of a turn-off for me (as I've previously stated in a couple of reviews of Joe Hill's works).
That said, The Damned Place does manage to find its legs and stand on its own. Writing an effective coming of age story is no easy task, especially after time has distanced one enough from those days to haze memories. Adulthood often provides the thoughtfulness, structure, voice, and vocabulary to present details of that particular period of life in a storified manner, but not necessarily enough clarity memory to make it realistic. Miller appears to have kept in touch with his inner child over the years.
Overall, The Damned Place is a creepy, entertaining read, and not a bad way to spend a few nights.
That said, The Damned Place does manage to find its legs and stand on its own. Writing an effective coming of age story is no easy task, especially after time has distanced one enough from those days to haze memories. Adulthood often provides the thoughtfulness, structure, voice, and vocabulary to present details of that particular period of life in a storified manner, but not necessarily enough clarity memory to make it realistic. Miller appears to have kept in touch with his inner child over the years.
Overall, The Damned Place is a creepy, entertaining read, and not a bad way to spend a few nights.
April 17, 2023
Ever read a book so good you feel both excited that you finished it and sad that it's over? That's how this book made me feel even though I know there's a sequel.
There's a fantastic cast of characters, imaginative creatures and non stop action. A dash of comic relief and a sprinkle of gore.
A great coming of age epic that's 10 times better than It, and I don't say that lightly.
I loved how the first few chapters introduced the main characters on their own.
The section of the book that takes place in 1906, WOW. I felt as if I was going mad right along with Jonathan Brogan.
Miller blew me away with this story.
There's a fantastic cast of characters, imaginative creatures and non stop action. A dash of comic relief and a sprinkle of gore.
A great coming of age epic that's 10 times better than It, and I don't say that lightly.
I loved how the first few chapters introduced the main characters on their own.
The section of the book that takes place in 1906, WOW. I felt as if I was going mad right along with Jonathan Brogan.
Miller blew me away with this story.
March 18, 2020
I could not put it down! I love how you get to know each character, & then you get the back story on the house too. It's amazingly written like a story within a story! From start to finish I was completely hooked, I could not wait to get to the next page! I cannot wait to start The Damned Ones!
May 16, 2020
I have read a few of Chris Miller's books before and they never fail to engage and scare me! His writing style pulls you in and wraps you up in the horror of the moment - you feel like you are there! The characters, as always, are well developed and engaging. If you like horror, you'll love this and probably anything else written by Mr. Miller. Go out and get your copy today, I can't recommend it enough!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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January 15, 2020Did not finish. Wasn't terrible, just a bit too plodding and "Stephen King-y" for my taste...I listened to 5 hours of the audiobook and the story was just starting to get established. Not my preference for storytelling, but I can't see why someone else with a bit more patience wouldn't enjoy this.
August 23, 2022
An EPIC coming of age story. Loved all the characters and even the bad kids. It’s a pretty long book but it reads fast paced and I couldn’t wait to pick it back up. The part I enjoyed the most was the very detailed backstory thrown in at the middle of the book. It tied everything together so well and had you itching to see how the kids would handle everything they learned. Had an awesome time reading it and can’t wait to start on the sequel.
*the copy I read had a lot of spelling errors and a few missing words but that didn’t take away anything for me because it was still an awesome story. Just a little nit picky thing I picked up on during the book that I thought was sloppy editing.*
*the copy I read had a lot of spelling errors and a few missing words but that didn’t take away anything for me because it was still an awesome story. Just a little nit picky thing I picked up on during the book that I thought was sloppy editing.*
December 23, 2019
This novel surprised me. It is extremely well written. It is long, but the book needs to be in order to give the full background and history of the main setting of the book. The story is about a group of kids that become best friends who encounter a strange house in the middle of the woods they play in. Some unexplained events happen at the house and the kids do their own research into the property and its past. They learn of an unspeakable evil that manipulates weak individuals to help it come into our world. The kids realize they are the only ones that can stop this evil from crossing over, but it may cost them more than they bargained for.
I loved the fact that these kids were so willing to try and save their world from impending doom on top of dealing with some pretty brutal bullies! They rely on each other. They have a fierce loyalty that is unwavering through their darkest moments. The story had me cracking up with some of the antics of these kids. Other times I got tearful when they went through pain. This book will be a roller coaster of emotions as the momentum picks up all the way through the end. I could not stop listening to this audio book because I was hooked and had to find out what happened next. This book is definitely one of my top picks for this year! It is just that good!
I loved the fact that these kids were so willing to try and save their world from impending doom on top of dealing with some pretty brutal bullies! They rely on each other. They have a fierce loyalty that is unwavering through their darkest moments. The story had me cracking up with some of the antics of these kids. Other times I got tearful when they went through pain. This book will be a roller coaster of emotions as the momentum picks up all the way through the end. I could not stop listening to this audio book because I was hooked and had to find out what happened next. This book is definitely one of my top picks for this year! It is just that good!
August 12, 2021
This is a wonderful coming of age story….
One that would most certainly require years of therapy and probably a nice comfy padded room after the first session.
Because terrorizing snot faced bullies aren’t hard enough to deal with let’s make one psychotic, another straight on the path to being a serial killer, and another who is just too damn miserable to care what his friends/moneybags are up to. No let’s throw in a weird almost lovecraftian? Twist where there is a world consuming monster that’s just barely contained…..
Well worth the read.
One that would most certainly require years of therapy and probably a nice comfy padded room after the first session.
Because terrorizing snot faced bullies aren’t hard enough to deal with let’s make one psychotic, another straight on the path to being a serial killer, and another who is just too damn miserable to care what his friends/moneybags are up to. No let’s throw in a weird almost lovecraftian? Twist where there is a world consuming monster that’s just barely contained…..
Well worth the read.
December 31, 2024
Deliciously horrifying, this book by Chris Miller is definitely one for fans of Stephen King's From a Buick 8, The Regulators, and Desperation...and really anyone who is a fan of King's monsters. The story takes place in a time when bullying was tolerated if not accepted, both in the home and outside of it, and in an area where the veil between this world and one more terrifying is thin. It is a tale of fear, but also of heroism. So good, I can't wait to read the sequel, The Damned Ones.
January 27, 2021
This is the second of Miller's books that I have read, the first being A Murder of Saints. I can definitely see the growth of the author between the two novels. Saints was a great read, not downplaying it one bit. The Damned Place, however, is on an entirely new level. Miller's ability for imagery and characterization shine even brighter in this coming of age tale that would sit nicely with novels like It and Dreamcatcher, and lays out the spectrum of his storytelling capabilities.
At the same time, while reminiscent of the works of his influence Stephen King, Miller's voice is loud and clear. Jimmy, Honey, Ryan, and Freddie (the classic losers club type kids) are harassed by the psychotic bully Jake and his cronies Bart and Chris after standing up to them. A hit on Jake's pride.
But the bullies are not the only threat as an otherworldly evil, separated from our world by the thinnest of barriers, threatens our world using the special gift stirring within Jimmy. So now, they unfortunate friends must fight against not only the mentally unstable bullies, but also an alternate dimension boogeyman. Hold on and strap in boys and girls. The Damned Place is one hell of a ride.
At the same time, while reminiscent of the works of his influence Stephen King, Miller's voice is loud and clear. Jimmy, Honey, Ryan, and Freddie (the classic losers club type kids) are harassed by the psychotic bully Jake and his cronies Bart and Chris after standing up to them. A hit on Jake's pride.
But the bullies are not the only threat as an otherworldly evil, separated from our world by the thinnest of barriers, threatens our world using the special gift stirring within Jimmy. So now, they unfortunate friends must fight against not only the mentally unstable bullies, but also an alternate dimension boogeyman. Hold on and strap in boys and girls. The Damned Place is one hell of a ride.
March 8, 2020
I listened to this on Audible. In a brilliant homage (but by no means a pastiche) to (in my opinion) the epitome of coming of age horror: IT by Stephen King, Chris Miller has written a fabulous piece of horror about kids losing, winning, fighting and ultimately saving the world.
Set mostly in July of 1990, the year I graduated and my brother was the same age as the children in this story, it tells the tale of a decrepit old house in the woods outside a small East Texas town and what lives inside (or next to?) it.
There are the usual cast of coming of age characters here, the four heroic kids (3 boys and a girl) most with a tragic factor in his or her life. A bully turned homicidal maniac and his band of boobs, and the creature (oops) in the forest.
While I loved this book as a whole, my favorite part was the journal of the son of the builder of the “Damned Place” and what happened to his family. It’s fabulous. I understand Mr. Miller has written a sequel, The Damned Ones. It is to be read on audible by the same narrator. I cannot wait for it. Scare me again, Mr. Miller.
Set mostly in July of 1990, the year I graduated and my brother was the same age as the children in this story, it tells the tale of a decrepit old house in the woods outside a small East Texas town and what lives inside (or next to?) it.
There are the usual cast of coming of age characters here, the four heroic kids (3 boys and a girl) most with a tragic factor in his or her life. A bully turned homicidal maniac and his band of boobs, and the creature (oops) in the forest.
While I loved this book as a whole, my favorite part was the journal of the son of the builder of the “Damned Place” and what happened to his family. It’s fabulous. I understand Mr. Miller has written a sequel, The Damned Ones. It is to be read on audible by the same narrator. I cannot wait for it. Scare me again, Mr. Miller.
May 13, 2020
A small town with dark secrets. A house hidden in the woods that holds horrors unimaginable. Four friends on summer break fighting off a group of bullies dead set on ruining their summer of fun. The little town of Winnsboro has buried its secrets beneath years of history and faded memories. But, it’s about to be unearthed releasing ancient creatures as a budding psychopath blooms Will they survive what comes for them and possibly the world or will The Damned Place end it all?
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 16, 2020
I listened to the audiobook and it was amazing! The story is very captivating, bloody, gory, and all around a good time. The friendships are believable, the bad guys are very much bad guys and the damned place is very deserving of it's name. I loved every minute of the book. The narrator Daniel Caravetta was fantastic. 10/10
I cannot wait for book 2!
P.s That epilogue is something else!!!!
I cannot wait for book 2!
P.s That epilogue is something else!!!!
May 7, 2020
This is a wonderful horror story that is a brilliant way to introduce me to this author. I found this to be a page-turner and each page was a joy to read! There is nothing to not like about this book if this is your go to genre.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 15, 2020
The beginning of the story peaked my interest. It started out with a scary feel, but then the part in the middle, I think was too long. While a backstory is good, it should be more succinct and get the point across faster. Other than that one thing I think the book is very interesting. I received this book for free and I am voluntarily leaving my review.
May 27, 2020
I loved this book. This is the first book I’ve read by Chris Miller and I was not disappointed with The Damned Place. The story is well written and creepy. My interest was grabbed from the very start and I could not put down. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author and would recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 27, 2020
If your looking for a very fast read, look no further. It's a fantastic coming of age story. We should all have friends like these kids, people willing to lay it on the line for friends and family. I eagerly await part 2. Chris is a story teller of the first order. Do yourself a favor, read it, you will, I repeat, you will be glad you did. 7.5 Stars out of 5.. Your gonna need a bigger boat.
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