Book Review: Night Terror – Author John Passarella

NIGHT TERROR

SYNOPSIS:

Strange things are happening in the small town of Clayton Falls. A man is attacked by a giant Gila monster, a group of local teenagers are terrorized by a headless horseman, raptors are running rampant in the streets attacking the citizens, and Nazi zombies are prowling the streets. Are these things just hallucinations or is there something far more sinister at work here? Sam and Dean (who have experience dealing with these types of things) soon head to Clayton Falls to investigate and learn the terrifying truth behind the incidents. Who (or what) is responsible for all of the horrible events taking place in the normally quiet little town, and will Sam and Dean be able to stop them for good?

REVIEW:

Supernatural” is one of those shows that I really regret not watching. I always thought that it looked like it would be right up my alley but I just never took the time to watch it. When I was given the chance to read and review one of the novels based on the show I jumped at the opportunity and I am glad that I did. Night Terror (written by John Passarella), was a pretty damn good read and I had a great time checking it out.

One of the things that I really liked about the book was the fact that the premise was pretty original and it kept me guessing. Clayton Falls is under attack by a lot of weird and out there things such as giant lizards and tarantulas, a ghostly car that runs over people and then just disappears, an army of zombies, and a tree that enjoys killing people. None of these things really have anything in common other than the fact that they are all deadly and that each time one of them appears it is accompanied by a mysterious white fog. Where are these creatures coming from and what does the white fog have to do with them? The explanation is pretty original and I for one didn’t see it coming. I thought that I had everything figured out at one point but I soon realized that I was wrong, so it was fun seeing how everything all played out and I wasn’t let down by the revelation toward the end.

I really liked the characters too. Since I have never watched a single episode of “Supernatural” I don’t know how well Passarella does in terms of accurately depicting Sam and Dean’s personalities. I thought that they both had strong, unique personalities (Sam is the more intelligent and serious of the two while Dean is a little more laid back and tends to act without thinking at times in the novel) and I can only assume that the characters are the same way on the television show. One sure way to kill a novel (or comic book) based on a TV show is to have the characters not act the same way, but from what I could tell Passarella kept this in mind and Sam and Dean in this book are just the same as Sam and Dean from the television show. I think of the two that I prefer Dean more just because he is just a more likable character in my opinion (I love the nightmare that he has about the world’s alcohol supply running out!), though I am sure that this is a topic that it hotly debated among “Supernatural” fans.

One of the other reasons that I dug the book was due to the fact that there was always something going on and there was pretty much no lag time at all. In addition to zombie and raptor attacks taking place we are also treated to other action-packed bits such as a Sam and Dean battling a killer mime, people trying to escape from a sinkhole that spreads across a parking lot, and a man trying in vain to escape from a giant tarantula who wants to have him for dinner. There is a lot of action taking place in the book and not once did I feel bored while I was reading it. I thought that Night Terror was awesome. It had a little something for everyone and I think that both fans and non-fans of “Supernatural” will really enjoy this book. It has a great story, great characters, and just the right amount of mystery that will keep the reader guessing until everything is finally revealed. Check it out if you run across a copy of it as you are sure to be entertained. Now it you’ll excuse me, I think that I am going to order season one of the show on DVD now.

Book Review: Night Terror – Author John Passarella