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Gideon A Novel Alex Gordon Books

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Gideon A Novel Alex Gordon Books

Having been a huge fan of Alex Gordon's alter-ego's sci-fi books, I was really looking forward to this one. To my dismay, I find the dark, witchy stuff to be stifling and off-putting, with the nuts and bolts of the supernatural aspects being murky and hard to swallow (and follow.) The heroine is well put together, but the residents of the town of Gideon all seem jumbled into a long and indistinct timeline where they seem indistinguishable from each other. Too unpleasant for me, this book, I'm sad to say.


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Gideon A Novel Alex Gordon Books Reviews

Source HarperCollin in exchange for an honest review.

In the past a mistake was made. An evil was created. An evil that is now stalking Lauren. Secrets, for good or ill, have been kept for generations. Secrets Lauren must now unravel before she too becomes just another victim of an ancient wrong.

♦ The Story. Lauren is a smart, sophisticated young lady just trying to make her way in this world. But when her father dies she discovers that along with his estate, he has left her with a lot of unanswered questions. Questions that can only be answered if she goes back to where he was born.

Gideon, Illinois is where the answers lie. The place where it all began. A place with a violent past and an uncertain future.

But there are people who don't want those answers to be discovered, and one evil being that does...

♦ My Thoughts. Once again I have stepped outside of my comfort zone. And I wasn't disappointed.

Gideon is steeped in history. It is a place where few modern amenities function and it is doubtful that its residents would use them if they did. While there are a few conveniences like pickup trucks and snowmobiles, this is an isolated town. A town living in the past. A town I frequently forgot existed in the here and now.

But that is what I want in a book -- escape from the present. Gideon delivered that escape with an relentless barrage of chills and thrills, mystery and mayhem.

♦ What I Liked. I loved the pace of this novel. It was like watching a rose unfold in slow motion. Granted it was a black rose... But the description still applies. Layer upon layer of history, lore, worldbuilding, mystery and intrigue, all immerge at a pace that keeps the book in your hand and the real world at bay.

The characters too have layers and those layers also unfold slowly but steadily. Fifty shades of gray takes on a whole new meaning in this story. Everything is gray. The border between right, wrong and indifferent are never clear. The line between life and death is murky. Even the evil entity has understandable motives.

Or does it?

Just when you think you know, another layer is revealed and you question everything all over again. I loved every minute of the experience.

♦ What I didn't like. I'm racking my brain on this one and I'm coming up blank. I can't even come up with anything other people might not like.

I did try.

♦ Conclusion. I don't read a lot of horror and I pretty much never enjoy Urban Fantasy or Paranormal. However, this book was an exception. The story is saturated with history, lore, witchcraft and a city that time forgot. I had no problem with full immersion. Had the story frequently crossed back over to more "modern" environs it would have lost me.

Instead I got lost in it.
Lauren Reardon’s father, John, has died, and in sorting through the things he left, discovers a book called the Book of Endor, and in it, a picture of her father as a young boy, but the name on the picture is Matthew Mullins. Puzzling, indeed, but after she spots a mysterious figure outside of her house, and tragedy strikes after asking a friend for help, all signs point to the little town of Gideon, Illinois, where it seems that the secret to her father’s other life may lie. But, darkness is certainly at work. In the late 1800s, a powerful man by the name of Nicholas Blaine was burned at the stake for crimes he didn’t commit, but his spirit lives on, and it’s determined to once again join the land of the living, even if some residents of Gideon are committed to keep that from happening, and he’ll do anything, and hurt anyone, to do it.

There’s always a plunge you take when you read something from a new author, and it can be daunting, especially when you have a book pile the size of Everest staring you in the face. I’m so very glad I took this plunge. Gordon begins the book in 1836, with the burning of Nicholas Blaine, and the ensuing problems that Gideon continues to have (problems that may be directly related to his death), and after thoroughly setting up the hierarchy of this creepy little town, propels us forward into the present, with the death of Lauren’s father. She’s devastated at his loss, and he never gave any indication that he was raised among witches, or that he actually was one. So, Lauren heads into Gideon to find out the truth and upon arriving finds a town already in the midst of turmoil. Lauren is a smart, strong protagonist, but she’s not perfect. What she is, is very determined to find out the truth about her father’s legacy, and hopefully help save Gideon from an evil that threatens to destroy the barrier between the living and the dead.

Speaking of the dead… These are not your mama’s witches, and Gordon isn’t afraid to delve into horror territory. Some scenes are downright scary (let’s just say Blaine can command the dead and leave it at that) , and she’ll draw you into her otherworldly town before you know it with lovely writing that only underscores the more terrifying scenes. I also enjoyed the fact that Lauren discovers her own powers in a very organic way. Being a good witch doesn’t necessarily mean strict training, after all. These witches rely quite a lot on intuition and instinct, and I really like that. I just really liked this book, actually. Gideon is unusual, absorbing, very atmospheric, and beautifully written. What a fantastic debut!
Book was interesting - different than one I would normally read. Hard to keep track of all the different characters. Sometimes author left me wondering about the relationship between two characters - like what did I miss here. Ending was very predictable. Disappointed overall.
Well written but unremittingly depressing.
I had to read the first 3 chapters 4 times to remember what was going on. Not sure what the genre is - seems like a mix of many. The story made little sense. We read this for a book club, and most people found it more confusing than interesting. Spoiler alert a woman turned into a river.
The writing is great and fast-paced. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. I read quite a bit and have actually started putting books down I don't feel wasting my time on--this isn't one of them! A real page turner.
Terrific book. Well paced, well developed, great narration. I tweeted to her that as a first book I enjoyed it more than Heart Shaped Box - which is when I learned that its her first book in this *genre*! Oh well. Still quite a compliment - as I really liked HSB. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the "sequel". Hope Alex decides to stay with this genre - though I will be reading her other work as well. Most highly recommended.
Having been a huge fan of Alex Gordon's alter-ego's sci-fi books, I was really looking forward to this one. To my dismay, I find the dark, witchy stuff to be stifling and off-putting, with the nuts and bolts of the supernatural aspects being murky and hard to swallow (and follow.) The heroine is well put together, but the residents of the town of Gideon all seem jumbled into a long and indistinct timeline where they seem indistinguishable from each other. Too unpleasant for me, this book, I'm sad to say.