This book deserves three-and-a-half stars, but I gave it four because, well, it was a pretty good read. I got my copy from the Halloween Story Bundle, and this was the first one I read from it.The tale takes place in a modern day sleepy little city where the worst crimes that happen are usually speeding and drunk driving. An ancient evil awakens and starts ripping people apart, drinking blood and eating their innards. (It's not that bad, the descriptions of those scenes leave it more up to the imagination than anything else, aside from a couple plot points).I actually managed to go through the book in a day or two. It was a pretty good read. The plot was fast-paced enough that it went by quickly but was easy to keep up with. At no point was I ever lost. The writing is concise and has some nice descriptions. The main characters were believable, and I only despised one of them (aside from the main villain Moloch,, Katelynn was honestly infuriating and a scaredy-cat, who, even if it meant saving her friends, practically had to be held at gunpoint). It was a good read, if not as scary as I was hoping.
In Riverwatch, Jake Caruso and his construction crew, while performing construction on the old Blake mansion, come across a hidden tunnel. This piques Jake's interests, and he feels compelled to explore the tunnel, even beyond what is required as part of the job. They come across a stone chamber that had been covered for centuries. If you've read enough horror novels or watched enough horror movies, you know what comes next. In a tried and true trope, they unleash an ancient creature who begins to wreak havoc on the town of Harrington Falls.There isn't anything overly original about Riverwatch. It's a plot line that has been done before, but nonetheless Joseph Nassise did an expert job on the execution. The writing is at a high level, done by a writer who exhibits nothing but professionalism and shows a high skill level. There is sufficient tension and suspense throughout, along with good horror elements that keep the story going without any lulls in the plot. The novel is well crafted and well worth reading.Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
What do You think about Riverwatch (2010)?
I stopped reading this book. I didn't like it from the first few pages, but I persevered, hoping that it would get better. It didn't. I'm not sure what page number I got to. It might have been around 60. Definitely after 40. I'm not really into this genre right now which may have been part of the problem. The other issue was the writing style. It was the type of narration that reminded me of stuff kids do in middle school. "He ate a sandwich. He felt sad. He went to sleep." Obviously, that was not a quote from the book, but it could have been. The sentences and ideas seemed very simple. There was barely any imagery. I didn't feel anything for any of the characters. Oh well. I'm sure I didn't pay much for it anyway. I got it at either Goodwill or a used book store.
—Sara
So, I found Mr. Nassise because of a horror pod-cast I listen to. He was reading his newer novel, Heretic.I liked the free reading of Heretic and when a co-worker had this book, I asked his opinion & he gave it to me when he was finished.It has an excellent style, and good pace. The story is nice with the beginning being excellent.There are a couple of inconsistencies in the plot/facts in the book which have caused me to make the rating down, which is a shame because it speaks not only to th
—VanHalen
It definitely kept me reading, and I had no problem accepting the premise of a predatory winged creature running amok in present-day America, but my suspension of disbelief almost broke down when the "resident skeptic" started blathering about how we have "no explanation" of how structures like the Pyramids and the statues of Easter Island were built. Yes we do. He also named someone I never heard of as the discoverer of ancient Troy. (It was Heinrich Schliemann.)On the whole, though, it was a pretty good story and worth the read.
—Leslie
