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A review by bookwormbunny
The Knowing by David Graham
4.0
The Knowing: A Thrilling horror fantasy by David Graham is a story about a variety of different characters - a young teenage girl who is a witch, a police officer from America and his partner/boyfriend and an MI5 agent from England. In this story we are first introduced to some young girls who are witches (in England) and they are working on producing a hex to put on Dai Williams who has recently been knighted by the Queen for helping to save her life from what many believe was a stroke. The hex back fires on the girls and instead ends up sending them to the hospital. The Queen is keen to what they were up to and attempting to do and so she has a talk with the girl's mother. Dai (David) is living in England with his pregnant girlfriend/fiancée. He goes up to visit with the Queen per her request and ends up having a few drinks and then ends up disappearing for 24 hours leaving many to wonder what really happened to him. The two American police officers - Steve and Dale are visiting England for their vacation and one of them is quickly afflicted by a severe pain in his nether regions that soon begins to show him things that are going to happen. He under goes many examinations to see what is causing this but can find no solid reason. There is a threat to many of the people and it's up to them to figure it out and save everyone.
When I first read the synopsis for this story I was really excited and hopeful concerning it because I am a huge fan of horror and I figured with the fantasy/magic element that it would really take things up a notch and make it something truly impressive. Well, I hate to say it but for me this book was more of a comedy than anything. When I read about the teenagers being made to be locked away in institutions because of the radiation from cellphones making them go crazy and commit homicides and other brutal attacks or just go crazy my immediate thought was this is going to be super cool to read about. But while the author takes the time to point this out and make it a focal point of your mind they really don't touch too much on it and it has no real role for me in the story. The story takes place on both sides of the pond and it's very enjoyable to read but when someone says horror....this is story isn't what I would even classify it as.
What I honestly don't like is how the story jumps from one character to the next and at random like it does. There isn't any way to really predict or know who is going to be the one the story focuses on next. One minute you are following Steve and Dale and then you've jumped to Dai with his psychic abilities and then you're back with the girls or the girl's mother. Some of the characters are more interesting than the rest. The author at times isn't totally clear about what is going on with each character. For example...I didn't know for a good while that Dai's (David) fiancée couldn't talk. I figured that out later on in the story. Also, some of the dialogue and words used were a bit confusing and I felt the author could have taken the time to at least have told us once what some of the abbreviations were and stood for.
While this is not a story that I would classify as horror or even scary it is an enjoyable read. It is engaging from the very beginning and keeps you wanting to know what happens next with the characters you really come to gravitate towards. For me this is more of a mystery with comedy expertly written in the right places to give you a giggle at the right moments concerning the situations and circumstances that some of the characters deal with. It's interesting and fun for sure.
All in all I'd rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's very well written and edited so that there are no editorial errors to speak of. I just would not classify this book as horror in the sense of what the average person calls horror or scary. If anything...if I had to call it horror I'd say it's a light horror and something that is a passing scare at best for those who spook easily. But the characters are engaging and interesting, even the minor characters. So if you're looking for a unique read that has some twists and a few surprises but leans more toward comedy/mystery then this is the book to pick up. But if you are looking for something that is steeped in horror and has a true fantasy edge...you may want to pass on this one unless you just want a good read.
When I first read the synopsis for this story I was really excited and hopeful concerning it because I am a huge fan of horror and I figured with the fantasy/magic element that it would really take things up a notch and make it something truly impressive. Well, I hate to say it but for me this book was more of a comedy than anything. When I read about the teenagers being made to be locked away in institutions because of the radiation from cellphones making them go crazy and commit homicides and other brutal attacks or just go crazy my immediate thought was this is going to be super cool to read about. But while the author takes the time to point this out and make it a focal point of your mind they really don't touch too much on it and it has no real role for me in the story. The story takes place on both sides of the pond and it's very enjoyable to read but when someone says horror....this is story isn't what I would even classify it as.
What I honestly don't like is how the story jumps from one character to the next and at random like it does. There isn't any way to really predict or know who is going to be the one the story focuses on next. One minute you are following Steve and Dale and then you've jumped to Dai with his psychic abilities and then you're back with the girls or the girl's mother. Some of the characters are more interesting than the rest. The author at times isn't totally clear about what is going on with each character. For example...I didn't know for a good while that Dai's (David) fiancée couldn't talk. I figured that out later on in the story. Also, some of the dialogue and words used were a bit confusing and I felt the author could have taken the time to at least have told us once what some of the abbreviations were and stood for.
While this is not a story that I would classify as horror or even scary it is an enjoyable read. It is engaging from the very beginning and keeps you wanting to know what happens next with the characters you really come to gravitate towards. For me this is more of a mystery with comedy expertly written in the right places to give you a giggle at the right moments concerning the situations and circumstances that some of the characters deal with. It's interesting and fun for sure.
All in all I'd rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's very well written and edited so that there are no editorial errors to speak of. I just would not classify this book as horror in the sense of what the average person calls horror or scary. If anything...if I had to call it horror I'd say it's a light horror and something that is a passing scare at best for those who spook easily. But the characters are engaging and interesting, even the minor characters. So if you're looking for a unique read that has some twists and a few surprises but leans more toward comedy/mystery then this is the book to pick up. But if you are looking for something that is steeped in horror and has a true fantasy edge...you may want to pass on this one unless you just want a good read.