Well-established as a writer of horror short stories, Nate Kenyon gives a lukewarm performance as a first-time novelist with his newly released BLOODSTONE. The novel begins with a young man taking a road trip to collect his dead father’s personal effects from prison. The details of this drive are laden with thick, over-the-top similes which make it seem as if the author is trying too hard: “… the ’69 Chevy gobbled up asphalt and spit it out … dual side pipes growling like a wounded bear … the clutch was looser than a whore.” (Okay, I actually like that last one.) It also seems as if the author has lost his thesaurus, using the word “slippery” as an adjective four times within the span of 16 pages.
Kenyon eventually introduces us to the book’s two main characters. They are generic, stale and plain vanilla. Even their names aren’t very imaginative. Billy Smith is an alcoholic ex-con who kidnaps “Angel,” an addict and prostitute. The two head off to the equally generic town of White Falls in search of an unknown force that mysteriously beckons them. Despite their less-than-perfect pasts, the two are well-spoken and seemingly well-educated. There is nothing in their manner of speaking to differentiate them from the doctor, librarian or other townsfolk they will eventually encounter. Had the two used some slang, improper English or a swear word or two, they may have been more believable.
Billy and Angel integrate themselves into White Falls, knowing that this unknown force that sometimes takes the form of dreams and voices in their heads is cooking up something big. They know the shit’s gonna hit the fan and they struggle to find out exactly what is going to happen and if there’s anything they can do about it. They know that time is running short when they learn that the town’s Spring Festival (even this annual event has a generic name) is just around the corner and will attract a lot of tourists.
About two-thirds into the book, Kenyon finally hits his stride. He tones things down a bit and adopts a less-is-more approach. There was enough detail to vividly let me know what was going on, but not so much that I couldn’t imagine it for myself. The straightforward storytelling was effective and lent itself well to the creepy goings-on in White Falls.
It was hard to miss the influences of Stephen King in this novel. The characters’ inner dialogues are sprinkled throughout the book in italicized type, a device King has used ad nauseam. The unknown force or power that drives the two main characters is also a well-used King theme. Absent any horrific guts and gore, there are some portions of the story that nonetheless gave me the willies. This is, after all, the litmus test of any horror story. I’ll read Kenyon’s next novel, but will hope it’s a bit more polished. –Ken Davis
Buy it at Amazon.
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