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Title: The Summer I Died
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Author: Ryan C. Thomas
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Review of The Summer I Died

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Comments for The Summer I Died

• Posted on 2009-07-23
  The new edition is even better!
  
  THE SUMMER I DIED by Ryan C. Thomas
  Review by Nickolas Cook
  Coscom Entertainment (2nd edition)
  Trade/$14.99
  
  Back when I first reviewed Ryan Thomas' THE SUMMER I DIED, there was an extreme sub-genre, known by enthusiasts as `backwoods' horror, which is an offshoot of the same sub-genre in film: movies like DELIVERANCE, STRAW DOGS, WRONG TURN, and the ultimate in backwoods terror, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. In the horror literature world it comprised of some pretty gruesome titles by the likes of Joe Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, Ed Lee, Richard Laymon and Weston Oches. Now it's a thriving sub-genre, with more movies and more books than I can name here available. So what better time for Coscom Entertainment to release this new, cleaned up edition of Thomas' debut work?
  THE SUMMER I DIED is an unrelenting read.
  Grisly.
  Bloody.
  And, unfortunately, quite plausible.
  Author Ryan C. Thomas tells the story of Roger and his childhood friend, Tooth, and what happens to them in the backwoods of a small New Hampshire town, when they run across a dilapidated cabin and find it's the terror dome of a sadistic (and very imaginative) killer.
  But the author doesn't throw the reader into the horror before some careful consideration for his main characters. Thomas takes the time to paint a pair of likable guys, and give them a sense of humor and life before tossing them to the lions. Roger, the industrious one, and Tooth, the slacker of the duo, are young men that anyone might recognize as the guys next door, unhappy with life in a small town, but hopeful for a change. And that's what makes this novel so damned hard to get through without feeling sick and dirty. Thomas holds nothing back; he describes all the gore, all the pain, and all of the terror blow-by-blow. THE SUMMER I DIED is written in first person, so there should have been no suspense about Roger's survival of the ordeal. But several times I had to remind myself that he lives through it, or else no one would be telling the story, right? It's been a long time since I had to do that for a first person narrative. That's the power of good descriptive writing, and building a dense atmosphere of palpable horror for the reader.
  The obvious caveat is that this style of writing may not be for everyone. Some may see THE SUMMER I DIED as violence for violence's sake, a literary equivalent to a Friday the 13th film.
  But what makes it work so well is the characters' sense of humanity. Even at his worst, the killer, named Skinnyman in Roger's narrative memory, gains our sympathy even as he utterly devastates the human body, and does such outrageous things to a woman's severed head that I can't even bring myself to print it here. His methods are extreme...maybe too extreme for some readers, so be warned now. Even the dog, Butch, has a sense of humanity, and becomes like another character for the story.
  In this second edition, the rough first few pages have been smoothed out for a better pace and phrasing. The flashbacks don't feel quite as intrusive as in the 1st edition. The spotty dialogue that peppered the original print has also been cleaned up a bit and moves more seamlessly through the narrative.
  Since his debut release, Thomas has been busy editing a fantastically original anthology for Permuted Press, called MONSTROUS [...] and doing what writers do best: write what he knows and feels, and just plain making it better with every new sitting.
  And what I said before, still stands true with this 2nd edition of THE SUMMER I DIED: He still has a good grasp of theme and characterization; his dialogues scintillate off the page. And I still charge that Thomas may very well be the next big name in extreme horror. For those fans of extreme horror, and `backwoods' horror, or both,[...]
  
  
  --Nickolas Cook
  
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• Posted on 2009-03-04
  It can always get worse
  
  I can't remember the last time I read a book cover to cover in one sitting before, especially starting at 9:00 at night, but this book had me drawn in from the start.
  It starts of nice enough, lulling you into a false sense of security by dealing with the sort of thing that we can all relate to: going back home after a long absence and catching up with an old friend.
  
  Then, with one simple line describing the sound of someone screaming in the woods, the glass shatters and you're sucked through the rest of the book at a mind numbing pace.
  
  This book was very well written, very disturbing, and if you think you've got the stomach for it, I can't recommend it enough.
  
  
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• Posted on 2009-02-19
  Incredibly Vivid
  
  I was so impressed with this book I had to write a review to recommend this to everyone who enjoys a GOOD hardcore horror novel. There are no unnecessary and boring chapters, no repetitive point-making, little (if any) plot holes or unanswered questions, and the editing is thoroughly well done.
  
  'The Summer I Died' is NOT your standard psycho torturing captives story with a weak plot and lots of gore thrown in to shock readers. It is an extremely well written, unpretentious, vividly detailed and compelling page-turner. Though it is a violently unnerving story, it grabs hold of you from the prologue and doesn't relent even after the final page. You aren't just reading, you are experiencing as the story unfolds.
  
  The character development could not have been better. They are well rounded and have palpable personality without requiring chapters of background, while the progression of emotions and reactions to their circumstance is thought-out and believable. You feel as if you might personally know Roger and Tooth, and go through the same emotional roller coaster as they do, from beginning to end.
  
  I would highly recommend this book to any fans of John Skipp, Jack Ketchum, Bryan Smith, Richard Laymon, Edward Lee, and J.F. Gonzalez. Ryan C. Thomas may not have as many novels, but he is definitely up to their caliber.
  
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• Posted on 2009-02-06
  What a great book!!
  
  Loved this book, it was gruesome as the story unfolded, it reminded me a lot of the style of Jack Ketchum who I am a big fan. i really felt i got to know The character Roger and how he felt through all the torture. The only part that freaked me out was the last line! CREEPY!!! If you don't mind some blood and guts you'll enjoy this book!!!
  
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• Posted on 2009-01-28
  Just what the world needs, another story about a guy torturing people in a cabin in the woods
  
  I'm a horror fan, definitely not one to shy away from sick gore, so the overwhelmingly positive reviews here had me intrigued. Ultimately though, I was disappointed.
  
  With an uninteresting villain and a premise that doesn't really hold together if you think about it too much, the only draw here is the gore. That just isn't enough for me. The beginning, before the mayhem begins, is funny and entertaining. The ending is kind of moving in a sick way. The middle section is torture, for the characters as well as the reader.
  
  
  
  
  
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