Review by Charlotte Zang -- Demon Freaks
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Charlotte Zang
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- Latest Review: Demon Freaks by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
Review by Charlotte Zang -- Demon Freaks
[Following is a volunteer review of "Demon Freaks" by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Four high school students are thrown into a wacky romp of the occult and conspiracies in J.R.R.R. Hardison’s (Fish Wielder, 2016) hilarious horror adventure, Demon Freaks.
Ron and Bing Slaughter, twins, are half of a punk band formed with fellow high school students: Meat, their drummer, and Kaitlyn, their keyboardist. Having recently found themselves in a bit of trouble at school, the quiet twin, Bing, is ready to knuckle down and study for the next day’s SAT’s in hopes of passing his exams and avoiding expulsion, or worse yet, ending up working for his parent’s at their family owned McDonald’s. The entire band escapes to a small cabin owned by Meat’s parents to study for the SAT’s. Ron, on the other hand, isn’t too excited at the notion spending an entire night studying, so he immediately derails the crew to work on some jams while they wait for their keyboardist to arrive. The night very suddenly become a twisted, fast-paced whirlwind of chaos; possessed daggers, a golfer’s association run by psychotic warlocks and a counter-warlock unit run from an underground, high security compound under an abandoned barn.
Demon Freaks gets a 4 out of 4 stars. It reads fast, but with just the right touch of elegance that nothing appears forgotten or lacking description. Not only does the writing flow with relative ease, but it’s also packed with non-stop action. Even when two of our four heroes end up buckled down on hard slabs in a rather posh dungeon, the book remains engaging. While some readers might find the rush and lack of character development a bit of a hiccup, the overall pace adds to the outlandish tornado that Ron, Bing, Meat and Kaitlyn find themselves running from. This sort of storytelling helps Demon Freaks go from simply being a surface piece, to inviting the reader into the feeling of being caught in the malicious undercurrent or dark societies and uncontrollable events.
All four of the main characters are quirky and relatable. Their personalities evolve with the book, a showing of who each character rather than telling the reader. Ron, Bing, Meat and Kaitlyn are a rag-tag, close-knit group of teenagers who stand just a little outside the pack. Each one is uniquely smart, with wonderful wit and a clear kindred love at having found each other. Interaction between the twins is lovable, believable and not too “Twin Powers Activate”, as to make them seem like they can read each other’s minds or know when the other is hurt. In fact, Bing and Ron are very different, a charming twist on twin relationships. But one thing is for sure, when the going gets tough, neither one would rather have anyone else by their side.
While it takes a little bit of time into the story to really see Meat or Kaitlyn develop, when they do, each one adds their own personality into the story, thereby driving the twists of the plot in another direction that brings the whole story together. Kaitlyn is a very quirky girl who likes to take very, very long showers in the dark and seems to have a strange sense of knowing things, and even though we get to know her the least, her presence is vital. Imagine a more outgoing Lydia Deetz.
At moments, the writing branches out into a uniquely British narrative tone; think Stephen Fry from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This very aspect adds a dash of hilarious wit, taking this book from just another horror comedy to something altogether more intelligent. Demon Freaks is similar to works by Robert Rankin, Christopher Moore, with hints of Douglas Adams. This book is not only great for teens, but also for adults, especially any horror enthusiasts in the mood for a light break from the darkness.
******
Demon Freaks
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4 out of 4 stars
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Four high school students are thrown into a wacky romp of the occult and conspiracies in J.R.R.R. Hardison’s (Fish Wielder, 2016) hilarious horror adventure, Demon Freaks.
Ron and Bing Slaughter, twins, are half of a punk band formed with fellow high school students: Meat, their drummer, and Kaitlyn, their keyboardist. Having recently found themselves in a bit of trouble at school, the quiet twin, Bing, is ready to knuckle down and study for the next day’s SAT’s in hopes of passing his exams and avoiding expulsion, or worse yet, ending up working for his parent’s at their family owned McDonald’s. The entire band escapes to a small cabin owned by Meat’s parents to study for the SAT’s. Ron, on the other hand, isn’t too excited at the notion spending an entire night studying, so he immediately derails the crew to work on some jams while they wait for their keyboardist to arrive. The night very suddenly become a twisted, fast-paced whirlwind of chaos; possessed daggers, a golfer’s association run by psychotic warlocks and a counter-warlock unit run from an underground, high security compound under an abandoned barn.
Demon Freaks gets a 4 out of 4 stars. It reads fast, but with just the right touch of elegance that nothing appears forgotten or lacking description. Not only does the writing flow with relative ease, but it’s also packed with non-stop action. Even when two of our four heroes end up buckled down on hard slabs in a rather posh dungeon, the book remains engaging. While some readers might find the rush and lack of character development a bit of a hiccup, the overall pace adds to the outlandish tornado that Ron, Bing, Meat and Kaitlyn find themselves running from. This sort of storytelling helps Demon Freaks go from simply being a surface piece, to inviting the reader into the feeling of being caught in the malicious undercurrent or dark societies and uncontrollable events.
All four of the main characters are quirky and relatable. Their personalities evolve with the book, a showing of who each character rather than telling the reader. Ron, Bing, Meat and Kaitlyn are a rag-tag, close-knit group of teenagers who stand just a little outside the pack. Each one is uniquely smart, with wonderful wit and a clear kindred love at having found each other. Interaction between the twins is lovable, believable and not too “Twin Powers Activate”, as to make them seem like they can read each other’s minds or know when the other is hurt. In fact, Bing and Ron are very different, a charming twist on twin relationships. But one thing is for sure, when the going gets tough, neither one would rather have anyone else by their side.
While it takes a little bit of time into the story to really see Meat or Kaitlyn develop, when they do, each one adds their own personality into the story, thereby driving the twists of the plot in another direction that brings the whole story together. Kaitlyn is a very quirky girl who likes to take very, very long showers in the dark and seems to have a strange sense of knowing things, and even though we get to know her the least, her presence is vital. Imagine a more outgoing Lydia Deetz.
At moments, the writing branches out into a uniquely British narrative tone; think Stephen Fry from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This very aspect adds a dash of hilarious wit, taking this book from just another horror comedy to something altogether more intelligent. Demon Freaks is similar to works by Robert Rankin, Christopher Moore, with hints of Douglas Adams. This book is not only great for teens, but also for adults, especially any horror enthusiasts in the mood for a light break from the darkness.
******
Demon Freaks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Like Charlotte Zang's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Demon Freaks by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
