Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Wither
Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
J. G. Passarella
Class/Genre: Mystery Horror Psychological Suspense Magic
Pocket, Feb 1999, $23.00, 373 pp.
Three centuries ago in Massachusetts, the Salem witch hunt still lingers though several years have passed. In Windale, three females, including a pregnant woman, are hung for trafficking with the devil. Wither, Rebecca, and Sarah are minor footnotes of history to the 1999 residents except as a useful tool, albeit tourists' attraction, to save their dying community.
However, teenage Wendy, a practicing Wiccan, casts a spell that leads to an evil presence overwhelming the town. People disappear or are murdered. A pregnant woman becomes insanely frightened by the fetus growing within her body. An eight-year old girl turns into a completely different person. An avarice monster turns to Wendy as her central focus to obtain hisher nightmarish dream of control. Slowly, Wendy begins to understand what she has unleashed and knows that she must confront and somehow defeat the evil that is older than eternity.
J.G. Passarella's debut novel is an exciting horror tale that successfuly adds immense levels of psychological suspense into its mix. Wendy is a great protagonist and the transformation of the personas of the townsfolk seems genuine since none of them leave their basic character. The evil also comes across as a genuine being. This is one tale that never WITHERs as fans of the genre will relish this fabulous story.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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