The Lords of Salem

The Lords of Salem

Rob Zombie with B. K. Evenson

ISBN: 978-1-4555-1917-0

March 2013

3 Stars

*This is an uncorrected galley I received from NetGalley*

Sobriety hasn’t been easy for radio DJ Heidi Hawthorne, but she manages well enough with the help of her friends and coworkers along with her dog, Steve.  When a mysterious band called The Lords sends a gift for her to the station of an even more mysterious record she couldn’t possibly predict what playing it on the air would do to the people of her little town. As evil infects the town and people are brutally murdered the town’s history comes back to thrust her into a gruesome and violent hell.

For about five minutes of my late teens I was a fan of Rob Zombie’s music (more so White Zombie). There’s a lot I like about his movies but a lot I don’t like about them. I thought it would be interesting to read something of his and I must say I liked it more than I was expecting. 

The formatting for this about a quarter ways in was horrible, but that is not the author’s fault so I won’t nag.  For about 10 pages (ebook pages) things were jumbled and even repeated.  There might have even been text missing since once things were back on track I felt like I missed something vital.

My big complaint would be the reader/character relationship. I wasn’t really invested in them at all so I was indifferent to a lot of the events that took place.   The other thing would be the vulgarity. I have heard the cliché “sex sells” many times but like in his movies there is a gross factor that for me screams desperate.  I have never found that necessary in movies or book of the horror genre.  

On the positive side is the pacing.  The speed or lulls match the action perfectly.  For those who enjoy this genre it is a quick read. The plot is not original but this is a unique spin on an old favorite.  The biggest positive for me would be the ending and for obvious reasons I cannot explain why. 

Will I watch this movie…yes eventually. Do I recommend this book…yes but read my complaint paragraph about the vulgarity first.