Monday, 24 November 2014 05:36 pm
Book Review: Gravediggers: Terror Cove
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deckardcanineYou had best refer to my review of the first novel in the series (or read the book itself) for starters. The three designated Gravediggers reappear in their alternating narration: athletic Ian, studious Kendra, and cinematically minded PJ. Only a few months have passed, so they're still all 11 or 12, but they have changed a bit: Ian craves adventure but has developed a nasty habit of freezing in the face of danger; Kendra faces emotional confusion in the wake of her parents' divorce; and PJ, no longer timid but also no longer fond of zombie movies or much of anything else, reminds me of my most curmudgeonly years. All three repeatedly feel like the most useless member of the group, which is almost funny all things considered.
In a sense, Christopher Krovatin takes the James Cameron approach to sequelization: The heroes are more of a force to be reckoned with this time around, but the villains are even more so. That may be giving the heroes too much credit, as the main expert they know on occult matters (a Warden) has been cagy with instructions, largely because Gravediggers are supposedly "chosen" rather than trained. We never find out what supernatural entity does the choosing, but matters of "karma" come up, Gravediggers can readily make allies of most animals, and "evil" is regarded as not just an abstract concept but an explanation to counter conventional science.
As you may have inferred from the title, the most immediately obvious difference between Mountain of Bones and Terror Cove is the setting. The three kids win a trip to Puerto Rico in a raffle, which would be a good thing if not for the suspicious circumstances that they can hardly explain to their parents. Not so slow a buildup of suspense this time; the first chapter ends with their justified fear. The real trouble actually begins on their involuntary destination of nearby jungle-filled Isla Hambrienta, where the local Warden does not have everything under control.
In this series, that can only mean zombies. And since these ones had been submerged, they're even grosser and don't have the same weakness as the parched mountain zombies. They also number in the hundreds, and the Gravediggers still didn't bring any weapons (how could they?). To compound matters, the group spends most of the story accidentally split up, and the time they spend together still tries their patience with one another a lot.
Young Krovatin may have gained confidence in his ability to write multiple characters who aren't undead, because we do get more with importance. This is not all good news for the heroes. For one thing, this time they get to see people before and after, if you get my drift. For another, exposure to the occult can have unpleasant effects on unready minds, however brilliant....
To call the book credible is a stretch, despite R.L. Stine's praise. Even accepting the vaguely defined magical premises left me thinking at times, "Would someone really do that?" or "Are these things really that slow/fast?" But just like its predecessor, it succeeds at immersion and thus intensity. That alone merits a tentative recommendation.
I have now started Robot Visions. Since the collection includes many stories from I, Robot, I can hardly guess how many pages I'll actually read herein.
In a sense, Christopher Krovatin takes the James Cameron approach to sequelization: The heroes are more of a force to be reckoned with this time around, but the villains are even more so. That may be giving the heroes too much credit, as the main expert they know on occult matters (a Warden) has been cagy with instructions, largely because Gravediggers are supposedly "chosen" rather than trained. We never find out what supernatural entity does the choosing, but matters of "karma" come up, Gravediggers can readily make allies of most animals, and "evil" is regarded as not just an abstract concept but an explanation to counter conventional science.
As you may have inferred from the title, the most immediately obvious difference between Mountain of Bones and Terror Cove is the setting. The three kids win a trip to Puerto Rico in a raffle, which would be a good thing if not for the suspicious circumstances that they can hardly explain to their parents. Not so slow a buildup of suspense this time; the first chapter ends with their justified fear. The real trouble actually begins on their involuntary destination of nearby jungle-filled Isla Hambrienta, where the local Warden does not have everything under control.
In this series, that can only mean zombies. And since these ones had been submerged, they're even grosser and don't have the same weakness as the parched mountain zombies. They also number in the hundreds, and the Gravediggers still didn't bring any weapons (how could they?). To compound matters, the group spends most of the story accidentally split up, and the time they spend together still tries their patience with one another a lot.
Young Krovatin may have gained confidence in his ability to write multiple characters who aren't undead, because we do get more with importance. This is not all good news for the heroes. For one thing, this time they get to see people before and after, if you get my drift. For another, exposure to the occult can have unpleasant effects on unready minds, however brilliant....
To call the book credible is a stretch, despite R.L. Stine's praise. Even accepting the vaguely defined magical premises left me thinking at times, "Would someone really do that?" or "Are these things really that slow/fast?" But just like its predecessor, it succeeds at immersion and thus intensity. That alone merits a tentative recommendation.
I have now started Robot Visions. Since the collection includes many stories from I, Robot, I can hardly guess how many pages I'll actually read herein.