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== Book Review ==
== Book Review ==
''The following review can be found in the External Links below:''
''The following review was originally published by Tera on her Blog, A Succubi's Tale on [http://www.succubus.net/blog/2016/04/10/a-review-of-the-new-neighbor-by-ray-garton/ April 10, 2016]''


*5 out of 5 stars
*Early 90s classic available again
*Reviewed On: January 27, 2005
*By Craig Clarke


A warning to the prudish (and an invitation to the prurient): much graphic sex lies in wait between the covers of Ray Garton's early 90s masterwork, The New Neighbor. Originally published in 1991 as a limited 500-copy $150 edition (with extreme artwork by J.K. Potter) by Charnel House, the book was not available to the average collector until Cemetery Dance picked it up for a more affordable 2003 limited 1000-copy reissue. Thanks to them, I was finally able to read this horror classic and recommend it highly to you.
Evil comes in the most pleasant of forms it seems. Her name is Lorelle, she’s evil, and has no problem in bringing that out in all of those around her. Sometimes when things go bad, they go very bad for everyone.


The Pritchards are a step-family who have been able to make it work. George, Karen, Robby, and Jen get along pretty well -- that is, until their sexy new neighbor moves in and begins to change things. You see, Lorelle Dupree is extremely seductive, and she is extremely open-minded about who she seduces. In fact, she is seducing most of the entire neighborhood with her body that won't quit. Her ways are so persuasive that no one seems to notice that she sprouts wings and travels around the neighborhood enshrouded in a mist. If one is to follow Garton's description of the responses of the seduced, that must be some very good sex, indeed.
As a whole, for me, this was an extremely difficult work to read. I couldn’t find a way to care about any of the characters, for one. There so little hope, light, or promise to be seen as the story unfolds and as Lorelle tightens her grip on those around her, there’s just nothing in the story that made me want to care about what happened.


So good, in fact, that soon everyone begins showing symptoms resembling a flu and become sluggish, exhausted, and pale, wanting to do little more than have sex with Lorelle and then sleep. Conveniently, these are combined since Lorelle's particular brand of loving causes them to pass out immediately afterwards for hours at a time. Eventually, a previous survivor (barely) comes across the neighborhood and tries to inform them, particularly Robby, about what is going on. That captivating statue in her living room has more significance than they think.
Coupled with this, there’s a good deal of horror, pain, suffering, and all of the darkest aspects of humanity that come out as a result of Lorelle’s actions. The ending of the work is telegraphed almost from the beginning. In every aspect of possible help, or hope, that is shattered in moments after it appears. In this work, the heart of darkness is very present and persistent. In being so, at least for me, I found the read to be very difficult and I had to restrain myself from skimming the chapters.


The New Neighbor has the bravura of an Edward Lee and the sensitivity of a Douglas Clegg. It may not be for all tastes with its graphic depictions of sex and violence, but underneath the surface is commentary on social mores and, later, the mob mentality. Author Garton is also making statements about modern relationships and what can happen when people settle for what they can get, instead of simply asking for what they want. All this in a horror novel? This sounds almost like literature, but in a form that is easily accessible to those who might not be so amenable to "message" novels, like myself.  
There are a lot of uncomfortably violent scenes, from beginning to end, which are described in quite a lot of detail. In the same way, as Lorelle ensnares those around her, twists them, and more, that’s told in a way that is as dark as it can possibly be.
 
Lorelle herself, is a being of evil, a very old one. Throughout the story her true form appears, making it clear she is some kind of demonic being, and to call her a succubus does, in some ways, make sense. However, in spite of her using sexuality to claim others, there’s more Hollywood style fright/slasher to her personality.
 
For those that like a lot of horror mixed with their erotica, this might be a work to consider. As well, there’s quite a lot of social commentary mixed into the words and actions of the characters which is something to consider as well. But here’s the thing, without some kind of hope, or positive meaning, there’s nothing else but the darkness within the characters and the evil that is Lorelle.
 
I found that, as a whole, to make this work much less than what many of the reviews have made it out to be.
 
One pitchfork out of five.
 
Not my taste, nothing that I enjoyed overall. I expected more, considering, but it didn’t turn out that way for me.





Revision as of 13:38, 10 April 2016

The New Neighbor
The New Neighbor Book Cover, written by Ray Garton
The New Neighbor Book Cover,
written by Ray Garton
Author(s) Ray Garton
Publisher Open Road Media (eBook)
Cemetery Dance Publications (Hardcover)
e-reads.com (Paparback)
Publication date March 7, 2011
Media type eBook
Hardcover
Paperback
Length 276 Pages
ISBN 78-1587670442 (Hardcover)
978-0759297630 (Paparback)
ASIN B00J90CKP0 (eBook)

For other uses of the word Succubus, see Succubus (disambiguation).


The New Neighbor Paperback and eBook Cover by Ray Garton

The New Neighbor is a novel written by Ray Garton. In this work the character Lorelle Dupree is a Succubus.


Overview

  • Title: The New Neighbor
  • Author: Ray Garton
  • Published By: Open Road Media (eBook), Cemetery Dance Publications (Hardcover), e-reads.com (Paparback)
  • Length: 276 Pages
  • Format: eBook, Hardcover and Paperback
  • ASIN: B00J90CKP0 (eBook)
  • ISBN-10: 1587670445 (Hardcover)
  • ISBN-13: 978-1587670442 (Hardcover)
  • ISBN-10: 0759297630 (Paparback)
  • ISBN-13: 978-0759297630 (Paparback)
  • Publishing Date: March 7, 2011


Plot Summary

The Pritchard family is quite content in their home on Deerfield Avenue...until Lorelle Dupree moves in across the street. The new neighbor is astonishingly beautiful...friendly...and seductive. Each member of the Pritchard family surrenders to her advances and Lorelle's influence changes them in shocking ways. Soon everyone on Deerfield is changing. And then the killings start. The new neighbor is not interested in borrowing a cup of sugar or using your weed-whacker. She's more interested in your soul.


Book Review

The following review was originally published by Tera on her Blog, A Succubi's Tale on April 10, 2016


Evil comes in the most pleasant of forms it seems. Her name is Lorelle, she’s evil, and has no problem in bringing that out in all of those around her. Sometimes when things go bad, they go very bad for everyone.

As a whole, for me, this was an extremely difficult work to read. I couldn’t find a way to care about any of the characters, for one. There so little hope, light, or promise to be seen as the story unfolds and as Lorelle tightens her grip on those around her, there’s just nothing in the story that made me want to care about what happened.

Coupled with this, there’s a good deal of horror, pain, suffering, and all of the darkest aspects of humanity that come out as a result of Lorelle’s actions. The ending of the work is telegraphed almost from the beginning. In every aspect of possible help, or hope, that is shattered in moments after it appears. In this work, the heart of darkness is very present and persistent. In being so, at least for me, I found the read to be very difficult and I had to restrain myself from skimming the chapters.

There are a lot of uncomfortably violent scenes, from beginning to end, which are described in quite a lot of detail. In the same way, as Lorelle ensnares those around her, twists them, and more, that’s told in a way that is as dark as it can possibly be.

Lorelle herself, is a being of evil, a very old one. Throughout the story her true form appears, making it clear she is some kind of demonic being, and to call her a succubus does, in some ways, make sense. However, in spite of her using sexuality to claim others, there’s more Hollywood style fright/slasher to her personality.

For those that like a lot of horror mixed with their erotica, this might be a work to consider. As well, there’s quite a lot of social commentary mixed into the words and actions of the characters which is something to consider as well. But here’s the thing, without some kind of hope, or positive meaning, there’s nothing else but the darkness within the characters and the evil that is Lorelle.

I found that, as a whole, to make this work much less than what many of the reviews have made it out to be.

One pitchfork out of five.

Not my taste, nothing that I enjoyed overall. I expected more, considering, but it didn’t turn out that way for me.


External Links