Richard Laymon Same Vein
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Publisher: Leisure Books |
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SINEATER by Elizabeth Massie
Sineater is a coming of age novel reminiscent of Robert McCammon's Boy's Life where a young boy must come to terms with the world around him while that world seems to be falling to pieces.
The sineater is a man shunned by all, a man whose face should never be seen. He performs the valuable service of absorbing all the sins of each person who dies, by eating ritual food laid out on their corpses.
The story of the Sineater was exceptionally told in an old Night Gallery episode in the 70s. In fact, anyone who remembers that episode still can't get the shivers off their spine!
And so it is with Massie's Sineater.
The hero of Sineater is Joel, who, because his father is the Sineater, is alienated from the local community. No one will talk to him, no one will be his friend, and even adults are afraid of his touch.
A series of violent omens convinces the fanatic locals that God is punishing them and that Judgment Day is nigh. Suddenly, there are strange disappearances, odd religious practices, and a lot of small town strangeness.
Joel realises he must search out the truth and try to find the real perpetrator of the crimes. Is it his father who is causing these evil events? Or something much more evil, and much more terrifying?
Those readers who love smooth and atmospheric whodunits heavy with fear and despair will love Sineater. Massie's descriptive settings and characterisation is perfect, allowing the reader to really get to know, and feel for, the characters involved.
There are some great scenes and moments of real horror, all beautifully written,
and Massie makes some fascinating comments about weird, cult like religious practices
as well as a young boy's need to break the shackles of tradition and fear.
Sineater shows what a delicate balance exists between tradition and change, and how dangerous it can be when that balance is lost. A large novel, which is slow in some parts, but certainly memorable.
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