Douglas Clegg: Neverland

Neverland was first released twenty years ago. Clegg put out a new anniversary edition a few months ago, and I think this novel is one of his best. I read the older edition.

As a boy, Beau Jackson has spent time on Gull Island off of Georgia's coast with his parents, sisters, grandmother Weenie, cousin Sumter and aunt and uncle in the summers. This summer, though, will be different. Sumter Monroe has found new games to play at the old shack he calls Neverland, and the results will be bloody. Are the legends of dead and buried slaves true? And who is Lucy that Sumter calls his god? How will the families pay for the games of Neverland?

Characters:  5/5 [I really loved the earnest character of Beau and the complex character of Sumter. Nonie and Missy, Beau's sisters, are also well drawn. In fact, all the characters are round with their own desires and motives. They felt real to me, like people I have known in the South.]

Plot: 5/5 [Clegg keeps the tension building until the climax. I read this one in large chunks.]

Atmosphere/spooky elements: 4/5 [This one didn't make me look in closets or anything, but the crate and what might be in it as well as the dark visions the children have are hair raising. Clegg has a deft touch with childhood and its fantasies.]

Literary elements: 4/5 [This novel is layered and smart. I love the usage of the word Neverland to mean so many things. The novel makes interesting arguments about childhood and what it means as well as the role of family in one's upbringing. So, yes, this one is what you might call smart horror.]

Rating: 4+ stars   ****+

*If you like Southern Gothic Novels, this novel is a must read. If you like horror, you'll love this it, too. Finally, for fans of coming of age novels, this one fits the bill. I like its large appeal, and I love the narrator's voice.

Douglas Clegg: Isis, A Tale of the Supernatural

I am going to depart a bit from the novels I have been reviewing so far. I want to review a truly Gothic novel in the tradition of those written in the 18th and 19th centuries. I am referring to Douglas Clegg's novel, Isis, published in 2009. I have the hardback copy of it, and folks, it is gorgeous. The front cover contains Gothic images and artwork in black and white: skulls, bones, windows, gates, faces, and the lead characters in the center. The back cover is the same. The inside of the novel also contains illustrations. All of these are done by Glenn Chadbourne.

This novel is short and sweet, but it packs plenty of shivers and thrills. I was truly unsettled after reading this short tale about Iris Catherine Villiers and her brothers, Harvey and Spence. The Cornwall setting of the ancestral home-- Belerion Hall--  places it firmly in the gothic tradition. An accident happens one day, and life is never the same for Iris or her family. I don't want to give away too much, because the novel is fabulous. The story is quite spooky, and I found myself looking over my shoulder many times in the next few weeks.

Plot: 4/5 [The plot moves at a steady pace, and unfolds well.]

Characterization: 5/5 [Iris and the brothers are perfection as is the stern Grandfather (I thought of George C. Scott) and Old Marsh, the creepy gardener.]

Atmosphere/Spooky things: 5/5 [Yes, yes, yes. The ghost, the tombs, and the setting in general in this novel are real and frightening as are the premonitions and warnings of Old Marsh.]

Literary: 4/5 [Yes, the novel reads like an old Gothic novel. It is not to be missed.]

Romance: Not really, but there is the hint of twisted love.

Stars: 4+  ****.5

** I highly recommend this novel. Clegg is a seasoned horror/supernatural writer (and all around nice guy who has a great website and Facebook page), and his skill shines here. And at just 113 pages, you could read it in one sitting on a stormy day: I don't recommend reading it at night unless you want to stay up!