Monday, August 11, 2008

Johnny Gruesome-Gregory Lamberson

Johnny Gruesome
Gregory Lamberson
Medallion, Oct 2008, $7.95
ISBN: 9781934755457

Although they are polar opposites Red Hill high school students John "Johnny Gruesome" Grissom and Eric Carter are best friends; at least the latter thinks they are. Also clinging to Gruesome as if they are groupies to a rock star are his girlfriend Karen Slatter and dealer Gary Belter. Whereas Gruesome is angry at the world and recently at God since his mom died, Carter is making plans to go to college.

In icy Willow Creek, Johnny is found dead inside his Death Mobile car. The townsfolk assume he drove too fast on the wintry night. However, soon after his corpse is recovered, gruesome murders by a particular vicious avenging serial killer haunts the town. With the sounds of a car engine revving and a laugh from hell, those who hurt Johnny Gruesome are being mutilated. Eric, Karen and Gary have reasons to worry that their late leader is coming for them too as they believe he knows what they did.

JOHNNY GRUESOME is a vivid horror thriller that hooks the audience from the moment John’s mom waits for him with open arms at the top of a heavenly light, but the angry teen says no and with determination returns to his autopsy body. He becomes a sort of thinking doing zombie ghost who as his body rots continue his terror quest. It is the details that make Gregory Lamberson’s thriller exciting and fun to read in a gruesome way.

Harriet Klausner

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