Book Review: December Park – Author Ronald Malfi

Ronald Malfi’s December Park is one of those books you can’t put down. It is filled with more chilling moments than anything that has come as of late. The book is well written and the characters of Angie and his friends are full of life. Ronald’s work delivers one of those blows to the horror industry. Though, December Park is a thriller, it is considered to be one of the best I have read. There is not a writer who is able to capture the innocence of Angie and his friendship with Scott, Peter, Adrian and Michael as they go on one adventure to find a human monster that strikes fear into their small town.

Just like any other coming of age story, there are challenges that come from every direction. Bullies, fear of what the future may hold and of course fearing a menace known as the Piper. The way the story unfolds is enough to make the reader want to sit down and find out what happens next. The book does not rely on gore, nor does it need to. The story itself is enough to make anyone want to dread walking alone in dark places. The homages to Stephen King’s work is evident for the reader and will always make them appreciate the story even more. Ronald’s attempts at scaring his readers is strong and has left an impression on me as a reader. The way he crafts his tales and adds life to each book is what makes December Park a memorable read.

Ronald has a talent for coming up with brilliant ideas for his dark fiction.

I may need to add that I do not want to know where he gets his ideas and dare travel deep in the mind of one of the best horror writers in this era. His attempts at delving into the personal lives of Angie and his friends and father, makes the book all the more enjoyable and terrifying at the same time. The situations Angie finds himself entangled in are what makes this one thriller you will not want to miss. Angie’s character is someone we can all relate to. The way Ronald wrote him, has a way of making the readers kind of connect to him.

There are certain moments in the book where there is a calmness only to have that shattered by another incident involving the Piper. The way Ronald went about to make this particular character from your average killer to this vile being the reader would be too scared to read about, is really engaging. The way he is built and how certain scenes play out in the book makes the Piper stand out more. It is another unique way that Ronald moves in for the kill when he writes his stuff. He has this ability to go right for the jugular vein in his dark fiction that affects readers in more ways than anyone can imagine.

December Park is by far Ronald’s best work he has written so far. I believe he pushed the envelope a little further after Cradle Lake and managed to top it another notch. December Park is by far my favorite coming of age thriller to date. If you are looking to connect with characters that you care for and love, then December Park is the book for you. I only wish for one thing and that is to have December Park to be made into a movie. The book reads like a movie, the way he wrote it into three  parts, it can be a miniseries for one of the cable channels. Ronald’s latest novel is one of those titles you cannot miss. It is that scary. Thank you Ronald.