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The Beloved
For other uses of the word Succubus, see Succubus (disambiguation).
The Beloved is a novel written by J. F. Gonzalez.
Book Details
- Title: The Beloved
- Author: J. F. Gonzalez
- Format: Paperback Reissue
- Pages: 369
- Publisher: Leisure
- Language: English
- ASIN: B005NKBRTK
- ISBN-10: 0843956941
- ISBN-13: 9780843956948
- Release Date: November 1, 2006
Book Synopsis
You've seen her before. Perhaps your best friend is dating her, getting himself into debt by taking her out to fancy restaurants and buying her expensive gifts. Yet you see her for what she is... Or maybe he's the guy who has perfectly good excuses for not finding a job, so he lets his live-in girlfriend support them. She works hard to keep a roof over their head and food on the table...and in the meantime, she's running herself ragged emotionally and financially. Of course you know people like this. Everybody knows at least one. They're not who you think they are. They are charismatic, sexually attractive, and they'll completely drain you emotionally, financially, and physically. And then they'll move on to the next person. Don't let that next person be you. They're not human. They're something else...something too terrifying to imagine... Don Grant races against time to stop a beautiful succubus, who, seducing both men and women, drains the life force of anyone she encounters, before she destroys a whole new family.
Book Review
The following reviews can be found at the Amazon.com link in the External Links Below
- 5 of 5 stars
- Top Notch Psychological Horror
- Reviewed On: January 10, 2007
- Reviewed by: By Keith J. Kraemer
In 2006 J.F. Gonzalez shocked and disgusted us with the over-the-top, nausea-inducing Survivor; arguably the most graphic novel most of us will lay eyes on. In his 2007 follow-up, Gonzalez delivers delivers a tale that pulls a few of the punches in the raunch department, but still doesn't fail to deliver a lasting psychological impression.
Meet Ronnie Baker, divorcee, single parent, and former junkie, who has recently floated from woman to woman, looking to regain his lost love life. All of that is about to change.
Now, meet Diana Marshfield. To Ronnie, she's everything he's looked for, and so much more. Almost instantly, he has built a new home, and is relocating Diana and her children to live with him and form a family. His attraction to her goes beyond lust, bordering on addiction.
Ronnie's family takes an instant disliking to Diana, realizing that there is more to her than meets the eye. Ronnie is doing all he can to support her, emotionally and financially, and it's taking it's toll. Soon Ronnie begins to deteriorate, leading everyone to believe he's once again fighting chemical addictions. Meanwhile, Diana is more beautiful and charming than ever.
Before long, those who disapprove begin to die, and Diana's horrifying true nature is revealed.
Perhaps slow to build, and a bit wordy near the beginning, this book certainly redeems itself by the midpoint. Gonzalez has a way of using words to get inside your head, allowing you to feel the trauma of his victims. The characters may be a bit difficult to keep track of at the onset, but many of them will not stick around for the climax, and once it has come, you'll find that the slow build was satisfyingly worthwhile.
- 1 of 5 stars
- Nightmare of the writing kind
- Reviewed On: February 19, 2007
- Reviewed By: Caprina
This book reminded me why there are certain authors I refuse to read because of their lack of respect for the craft and art of writing. Gonzalez has been added to my list.
Can you say "redundant?" The author flips back and forth on different pages covering the same ground as before, leaving one wondering if the author is in the moment or in the past. Distracting, to say the least.
Can you say "cardboard characters?" I must admit Diana was well-developed, but the rest of the characters, even the main ones, were hardly more than a name. There didn't seem to be much, if any, characterization to give one a sense of who they really were and have the reader empathize with them.
Can you say "too many people" crowding the plot? Characters appear and disappear at the turn of a page, leaving you scratching your head as to why they showed up to begin with. Two of the characters even had the same name. Relatives appear out of the woodwork: cousins, in-laws, nephews, nieces, grandparents, children - in short, all the furthest reaches of blood and marital relations.
The action is slow, especially when wading through toward the end. Just like a horror movie on TV, some of the most important characters do really stupid things, jeopardizing not only their lives but the lives of others. Other elements of the plot are unlikely - like the mysterious stranger who shows up to explain everything.
The only reason I gave this book 1 star is that the paper it was written on must be worth at least that much.