Title: Eyes on the Bayou
Author: Daniel J. Moore
Genre: Horror
Review:
It took me a while to write this review...mostly because I have a lot to say about this book. It took me a few days to be able to get my thoughts straight and put them into words. First of all, I want to say that Daniel J Moore is a master horror story teller. This is probably the darkest and most disturbing stories I have ever read. I definitely rank Eyes on the Bayou right up with the works of Edgar Allen Poe content-wise.
I was torn between giving this a 3.5 or 4 stars. I eventually settled on 4 stars for two main reasons: 1) Their is a huge "wow" factor to the book's plot and 2) How well Moore raised goosebumps on my arms while I was reading Eyes on the Bayou. It's hard to get me to feel very strong feelings when reading, but this book sure did. A word to the wise: do NOT read this book right before bedtime like I did...you won't be able to fall asleep. Yep--Eyes on the Bayou is a truly terrifying story through and through.
The main character in the story is...bi-polar?? The story revolves mostly around Dahlia, an ex Black-Ops assassin who suffers from traumatic memories from her time being held prisoner. The only reason why she survived her ordeal being held captive was thanks to Bella, the ruthless, primal side of Dahlia. Dahlia and Bella are basically like two consciences fighting for control over the physical body. Dahlia, the "normal" one, is determined to start a peaceful life, but Bella won't leave her alone. This usually ends up in Bella momentarily taking over control when Dahlia is mentally weak. I would be lying to say I liked Dahlia's character--it's hard to find Dahlia/Bella lovable. But they certainly make an interesting duo to read about.
Another major character in the book is Grave Digger, a young man with a crippled arm and practice voodoo magic of some sorts. He senses an evil spirit within Dahlia (the "evil spirit" is Bella) and isn't too happy when he finds out that Dahlia has become his neighbor. To make things worse, Dahlia (who is a bad person in Grave Digger's mind) has befriended Emeline, the love interest of Grave Digger. I feel kind of bad for Grave Digger, actually, since his actions are usually done out of good intentions. He loves Emeline to death (even though she doesn't love him back) and will do anything--even die--for her. However, he isn't very good at communication and often ends up being the scapegoat. I think Grave Digger is best described as a misunderstood guy.
The plot in the story itself is quite scary (to me). From illegal gator poachers to evil spirits, from a killer who murders in the most gruesome way to a paranoid character who just might be going crazy--this is like a nightmare come true. Like I mentioned before, the plot of Eyes on the Bayou is probably best compared to the works of Poe (ie. Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart.) I literally could not put the book down since I was constantly on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Also, this book is not for the faint heated; the author spares no detail describing the string of murders occurring. All the victims of the killer has their eyes gouged out. I'm not going to tell you who the killer is...but it definitely was a twist to the story. Here's a quick quote from the book:
"[the killer] slid[the] knife back into its sheath ..and picked up the hook from the bottom of the boat. [The killer] looped it around Ray-Ray's neck and [the killer] dragged him up close...and squeezed his windpipe between [the] thumb and forefinger to cut off his air. When he turned blue, [the killer] leaned down and whispered into his ear. 'If I see you again, I will kill you...I will carve out your eyes and I will take your soul with me. Do you understand me?'"
However, what really made me rate this book 4 stars instead of 3.5 is the risk Daniel Moore took in writing the ending of the book. I seriously did not see the ending coming...and I've read plenty of books. It was...totally out there, I could not have predicted it. I didn't love the ending but I didn't hate it either. But, man, that ending really made this story stand out from the rest. Three short words to sum up the conclusion: no happy ending.
The writing in itself was okay--not spectacular, not bad either. It was normal. Eyes on the Bayou is a book that will hang around in your head for a long time once you've read it. Or at least this story still has been on my mind for the past few days.
I recommend this book for horror story lovers, ghost story lovers and those in search of a different type of book to read from the main stream stuff. Do NOT read this if you are scared easily or don't like blood and gore.
Rating:
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