Midsummer [Paperback]

Midsummer is my first Matthew Costello book. I've heard it pales compared to his similar book Wurm (which I also picked up), so I decided to read this one first.

The first thing I've noticed is that the man can write. He comes of as a little too self-consciously Stephen King-y in this book, but there is definitely talent here. As a fan of mass market horror originals, I've read my fair share of bad and so-so writing, so finding an author who can not only tell a story but do it with verve and panache is a treat.

As for the story itself, it's sort of a mix between The Thing and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The last survivor of an ill-fated Navy expedition to Antarctica heads to his old family cabin in Stonybrook, New York to recuperate. Unfortunately, he's brought something back with him...

The story is very well paced, favoring tension over gore (though both are on display here). The book somewhat follows the old Salem's Lot formula of introducing a large cross-section of small town characters who are slowly whittled away.

Not everything is perfect here. Without giving spoilers away, I thought that the introduction of Josh's 'talent' wasn't quite integrated as smoothly as it could have been. It came off as a little deus-ex-machina-ish. Danny in The Shining was handled much better and I guess sort of set the standard for this sort of thing.

Also, I noticed that the scenes in Antarctica were much more interesting than the Stonybrook scenes (though that may have just been my personal preference and don't go thinking that the Stonybrook stuff was no good). Near the end of the book, I realized that the opening in Antarctica was never really satisfactorily explained. I can't go into detail here without spoiling parts of the plot though.

The last thing is that even though I really grooved on Mr. Costello's writing, he did have the annoying habit of ending a sentence.

In the middle. It would then continue in the next paragraph. It did work to build tension, but it was a little over-used in this book.

I guess reading over my own review here, the spirit of Stephen King looms large over this book. In style it definitely owes a lot to Mr. King, but please don't go thinking that Mr. Costello is just aping him.

All my criticisms are pretty minor really. Overall Midsummer was a terrific horror story, much better written than I figured. I will definitely be seeking out Mr. Costello's other books.

By the way, the cover is terrible and has nothing to do with the actual story. Even the blurb on the back is misleading and does this book a real disservice. Don't go in thinking this is some sort of haunted carnival, Something Wicked This Way Comes sort of story or you may be disappointed.

If you like H.P. Lovecraft 'things from beyond' horror, small towns being possessed by evil or creepy goings on in the Antarctic, this book will be for you.

I think this was my first Costello book and after I read it I started keeping my eye on the C's at my local bookstore, doing a hard target search for more of his work. I've now read all of his horror novels and he's become a favorite author of mine. MIDSUMMER is a great introduction to his work and a great, creepy read...A young boy arrives at his grandmother's farm for a summer of fun and sun. Unfortunately for him and the nearby town, something else has come to visit. Something that escaped from a remote research post in the Antarctics and is spreading a kind of parasitic organism that takes human hosts and is driven to spread it's evil mutation. The climax comes during the town's summer carnival where all hell breaks loose... An exceptional read for horror fans and an author to seek out. Costello delivers in a fast paced, crisp manner and has a real talent for building nail-biting suspense. Great stuff for horror fans.

If you love great horror, H.P. Lovecraft-style, this book is a must-read. Ancient horror found in the depths of Antarctica, waiting to be allowed freedom, sets out to take over humanity. Awesome action, great characters, you can read it in one day. Costello is a master at this and Midsummer shows it.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 5 reviews  4.2 out of 5 stars