When I see a new novel written by a guy who's mostly known for doing books based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, X-Men, Hellboy, JLA, etc., I usually don't get too excited. Especially if I have sampled his work before and found it severely lacking (in this case, the Buffy novel "Immortal"). But Stephen King vouched for this one, so I figured I'd give it a try. I find King's book recommendations to usually be spot-on, though we seriously differ in musical taste and political opinions. So I gave this one a try...and I'm glad I did. Golden takes what initially seems like typical ghost story fare, and then unexpectedly shifts gears into new territory. The premise of the novel is excellent, but Golden fumbles it just a little, enough so that I wish someone like King--or Koontz, even--had written it and thereby maximized its potential. Golden's writing is good, but very workman-like: He knows how to keep his readers turning pages, but isn't quite able to go any deeper than that. It's a quick, easy read--lighter than cotton candy--but not something that is likely to remain memorable to you years on down the road. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend it to people who read just a few books a year, only to those voracious readers who wouldn't feel their time wasted to read the literary equivalent of a B-movie, albeit a darn good one. There's an awful lot here to like; it's just that Golden leaves a few too many questions unanswered at the end, and I don't really buy into the circumstances of the story. It felt too contrived, and therefore I was never able to fully engross myself in what was happening. The main character doesn't seem very competent at how he deals with the events of the story, and I almost felt that it was pure luck (in addition to the baddies being a lot weaker than I was expecting) that got him through to the end. Golden does a great job of mixing tender scenes in with the morbid ones, but overall the book feels a little too long. Still, its merits outweigh its detriments, and I'll likely be reading Golden again in the near future.
This is my first Christopher Golden book - I'm still conflicted on how many more I will read. The story starts off with a bang - Michael meets up with the little lost girl, struggles with an unseen enemy and wakes up with a fuzzy memory of it all. So far, so good.Goldman interweaves the sweet love story of Michael and Jillian with vivid supernatural phenomenon that makes the story not only creepy but also haunting. If the second half had been delivered with the same intensity, the book would have been pretty awesome. After the silver ghostly figures begin to appear, the story seems to go a bit astray. The whole idea of Molock and the virgins was interesting but I didn't feel Golden blended it into the story enough for smooth reading.Descriptions were well done, Goldman definitely has a knack for building suspense and his characters are pretty believable. However, I have to say the story bogged down a little in the middle and I found the end a trifle unclimatic. That isn't to say there isn't worthwhile aspects of the book - I did enjoy reading it for the most part - but felt it could have been so much better than it was. He could have left the whole Molock thing out - it might have been a better story - but I understand him thinking he needed to explain the silver people and the ghosts.I did very much enjoy the beginning - I loved the first chapters when they are at the ball and Michael reveals his deep love for his wife as he watches her in the crowd. The house was very creepy as were the ghost children. I can't say the book isn't worth the read because it was decent. I'm giving it a B-
What do You think about Wildwood Road (2005)?
Michael and Jillian Dansky have a good life. Their careers are on the rise, they have good friends and family. Most importantly, they have a deep and passionate love for each other. They get each other. All of that's about to change...Driving home from a Halloween party, Michael narrowly misses hitting a little girl. With Jillian sleeping off cocktails in the back seat, Michael drives the little girl home. So why is he seeing her everywhere now? On the side of the road, in his dreams, in the corner of his bedroom at 3am...Everything's changing. Michael becomes obsessed with his lost girl. Jillian has lost everything good inside her. She's not just cranky, she's vile. The venom she puts forth could cost her a marriage, a job, her political aspirations. So why doesn't she care?This is a deeply suspensful thriller. Golden describes the downfall of the Danskys with perfect clarity. He spins a mystical web of lost girls and women. The resolution fell a little short for me, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book. My rating: 4/5
—Susan Kelley
I have not really read many mistory or horror books but so far i like this book. I have never hurd of this auther before but i really like how he explains chapters in such detail like when there is a suspencful part you really feel like your a part of it. I cant wait to finish this book!I just got half way throug my book and im really into it. It is very suspencful right now and thats really keeping me into it. Michel is the main charictor and he has him self in a heap of trouble with his MIND and to understand what i just said... but to somwhat know what im talking about is he thinks he is husilating from getting druged or are the gosts real???
—Rodney Emery
Christopher Golden writes an insanely wide variety of stories, but where he excels the most is in the horror genre. His brand of horror is particularly, well, horrific. It doesn't stem from the stories' supernatural elements so much as it does from the effects of the supernatural on the characters' everyday lives.That's not to say that the supernatural elements aren't insanely creepy. During the beginning of Wildwood Road, Michael Dansky walks through an abandoned house, heavily intoxicated by something, and is assaulted by ghostly smells, sounds, and images. The way Golden describes this journey sent chills down my spine, as cliche as it sounds. I was seriously wigged out.The rest of the novel is about the effects of the house on Michael's life as it obsesses him and turns his wife into someone he doesn't recognize. One of the things I love about Golden's horror novels is that they're incredibly creative; I never know where they're going, and I'm always pleasantly surprised by where they end up. I'm never able to read them and then compare them to another book I've read, because they're far too unique for that. Wildwood Road made me eager for him to take some time off from his innumerable collaborations and get to work on his next stand-alone novel.
—Brooke
