"
Meisha Merlin, Mar 2002, 20.00, 834 pages
ISBN: 1892065665
Three hundred years ago, avarice led to a woman being burned at the stake as a witch. Before dying she cursed the town of Serenity Falls. Over the years, greed has led to adverse happenings to the residents. However, Serenity Falls seems in the midst of a financial renaissance with the reopening of the quarry.
As usual with the three-century old Curse, sinister things accompany the good happenings but once again prove much worse than the positive tidings. The Curse seems reaching the end game as the locals behave weirdly, but if that is not enough to frighten anyone who sees beyond the typical rapacity, two dangerous outsiders have entered the mix. An evil monster-like creature and Jonathan Crowley have arrived with agendas of their own to include killing their visiting rival, but the Curse has other needs for these dueling strangers with the locals caught in the middle of a triangle of terror.
On the surface SERENITY FALLS sounds like Stephen King's Salem's Lot, but there is much Moore to the novel than just the rewriting a classic. The story line is loaded with, and an intensifying terror that is difficult to classify as the audience wonders between the Curse and the newcomers as to who is the focus of this peril. Surprisingly for such a large ensemble the residents ensure the audience believes the small hamlet exists and bring life to the threat.
Harriet Klausner
"
Harriet Klausner, Resident James A. Moore Scholar
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Overall Review
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dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 10% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- fantasy story on current Earth
Mental/magical powers focus
Yes
magical powers:
- clash between evenly matched magical power(s) (fantasy)
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Horror story?
Yes
Horror plotlets
- the monster chased me!
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- champion of justice
Age:
- 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- An "It".
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Setting
Earth setting:
- current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue?
- significantly more dialog than descript
