|
|
Fiction Review by The Gravedigger
|
10.12.07
|
Author: Gary Braunbeck
'Crap', I thought, as I opened the package in the mail and saw that it was the newest Gary Braunbeck novel. Crap not because his writing is bad - in fact, quite the contrary. 'Crap' because I both dreaded and looked forward to reading it - and knew I was going to be put through the ringer yet again.
The novel concerns two rather sad characters, Ronnie and Lucy, though their particular stories don't intersect until halfway through the book. Ronnie is mildly retarded and has the power to see into the future - particularly if someone is going to have a bad life or not. If he touches a child and sees that they are being abused and grow up to be an abuser, he'll stop that kid's life. The trouble for him really begins when he accidently kills Lucy's unborn first child, when what he saw in his vision was what happens to her second child. He killed the wrong one. When he's unable to eventually save her he kills himself - but comes back with the help of Lucy, who has a vendetta against child killers and molesters. She ends up bringing forth 'Mr. Hands' from the Earth, a sort of vengeance creature powered by whatever force gave Ronnie his supernatural abilities. He's this malformed giant monster who kills whomever she deems guilty. However, when she makes a mistake and condemns a six-year-old boy to death she tries to save him - and outrun Mr. Hands.
Although I've only read a few of Braunbeck's previous novels this one is my favorite. It's intense, depressing and life-affirming at the same time and best of all has a giant rampaging monster tearing through its pages.
The book also includes his novella, KISS OF THE MUDMAN, which ties in to the MR HANDS story rather cleverly.
|
Rating: 0.0 out of 10.0 - 0 votes cast total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
