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Title: Nailed by the Heart
Score:
Author: Simon Clark
Rating: Not available
Hits: 86

Review of Nailed by the Heart

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Comments for Nailed by the Heart

• Posted on 2009-11-11
  Didn't Thrill Me
  
  This book would have been more effective had it been shorter. I quickly tired of the Saf Dar, wishing there'd been more action sooner.
  
  I was extremely annoyed that every time a piece of information was about to be revealed, someone interrupted. Chris was about to show his wife the shells his son had given him, but she cut him off. His son was about to take him into the basement, and someone interrupted. It happens all through the book.
  
  Chris is a terribly henpecked husband. His wife raises a finger and he knows to obey. His son is the typical horror novel kid: Smarter and more mature than his age. Why can't kids be kids?
  
  The ending was interesting; this wasn't a horrible book. But it was frustrating getting to the end. Finally, maybe it was just that I got a copy from a bad batch of printed books, but virtually every instance of "Mr." and "Mrs." left off the period. It was very annoying. Overall, I felt this book was a *sacrifice* of my time.
  
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• Posted on 2009-04-13
  Nailed To The Edge of My Seat...
  
  Well, this was a pretty exciting thriller on a North Sea beach. Towards the very end, it was definitely keeping me at the edge of my seat! There were, of course, some things that were left loosely explained, but overall it couldn't be done well any other way. I would read another book by this author for sure!
  Interestingly, some of the descriptions were reminiscent of Davy Jones' crew from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, which makes me wonder if one of the special effects people read this book first, or if those descriptions originated elsewhere....
  All in all, this was a summery beach thriller, and one that I wish that I had read on a beach vacation!
  
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• Posted on 2007-03-21
  My 100-word book review
  
  Nailed by the Heart, Simon Clark's debut novel, is a gripping, visceral story of ancient evil and supernatural powers, which I found occasionally reminiscent of John Carpenter's movie The Fog. I liked the story's location, a half-derelict fort at the very edge of the sea, and encountered plenty of uncomfortable and scary moments as the forces of evil started to close in on the good folks. This is not for the squeamish, as it contains some stomach-churningly gruesome scenes, and the writing does have a few rough edges, as befits a first novel. However, it is definitely worth a look!
  
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• Posted on 2003-07-28
  Sacrifice and red zombie warriors
  
  The Stainforth family moves to a small town on the coast after buying an ancient fort that they plan to turn into a hotel. They soon discover that all is not right with the little town and the fort by the sea (of course, because this is a horror novel, after all), and find that they, and especially the young child David, are in mortal danger when these creepy, red, warrior, zombiesque creatures rise out of the sea and plant themselves outside the walls of the fort. The inhabitants of the town also take refuge within the walls of the fort, and then actual zombies show up, adding to the intensity of the confrontation.
  I enjoyed this one. Clark is very good at evoking a strong sense of atmosphere in his tales and at describing images that are frightening on an almost primal level. He brings to life the coastal fort and the creatures that pop up out of the water and fog to threaten it. I give the book 4 instead of 5 stars because it reads a little choppily in parts, as if it were perhaps edited badly, and because the underlyting theme of sacrifice comes across as a bit forced in places. It is still quite a creepy book.
  
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• Posted on 2003-06-21
  Very Impressive First Novel
  
  I've read Simon Clark before (Darker, Blood Crazy). This book is better than Blood Crazy, but not as well thought out as Darker. That being said, it was an enjoyable read with some good atmosphere and a pace that keeps up its rhythm until the powerful end. Simon could work on developing his characters a little more, but I was completely satisfied with the experience. This author promises to be one to look out for in the world of horor. Stay tuned.
  
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