Reviews – Episode Thirteen & Carrie

Posted January 25, 2023 by Carole in Reviews / 7 Comments

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Reviews – Episode Thirteen & CarrieEpisode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie
Published by Redhook on January 24, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Horror
Pages: 464
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
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four-stars

From the macabre mind of a Bram Stoker Award-nominated author, this heart-pounding novel of horror and psychological suspense takes a ghost hunting reality TV crew into a world they could never have imagined.

Fade to Black is the newest hit ghost hunting reality TV show. Led by husband and wife team Matt and Claire Kirklin, it delivers weekly hauntings investigated by a dedicated team of ghost hunting experts.

Episode Thirteen takes them to every ghost hunter's holy grail: the Paranormal Research Foundation. This brooding, derelict mansion holds secrets and clues about bizarre experiments that took place there in the 1970s. It's also famously haunted, and the team hopes their scientific techniques and high tech gear will prove it. But as the house begins to reveal itself to them, proof of an afterlife might not be everything Matt dreamed of. A story told in broken pieces, in tapes, journals, and correspondence, this is the story of Episode Thirteen—and how everything went terribly, horribly wrong.

I really enjoyed this book! I love a good spooky story so the idea of a book written about a TV show out hunting ghosts sounded just like my thing. Once I started reading, I was not happy when it was time to set the book down and go to work because I could have easily read for hours. The book is told through journal entries, transcripts, and other documents which worked very well and gave the reader an idea of what each member of the team was thinking or feeling at any given moment. The story definitely kept me guessing and the surprises just never stopped. I am so glad that I decided to pick up this book!

Matt, Claire, Jessica, Kevin, and Jake are all a part of the Fade to Black team that is filming its 13th episode at Foundation House. Each member of the team plays an important role in the show and they are hoping for something big to happen to help secure a second season. As I worked my way through this book, I was on the edge of my seat wondering what might happen next. I loved how imaginative the story was and I thought that the creepy vibes were off the charts.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. I tend to be a fan of books written in the epistolary style of writing and this book was no exception. I hope to check out other books written by this talented author.

I received a review copy of this book from Redhook Books.

Reviews – Episode Thirteen & CarrieCarrie by Stephen King
Narrator: Sissy Spacek
Published by Random House Audio on August 7, 2012
Genres: Fiction / Horror
Length: 7 hours 24 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
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five-stars

Stephen King's legendary debut, the bestselling smash hit that put him on the map as one of America's favorite writers

"Gory and horrifying. . . . You can't put it down." —Chicago Tribune

Unpopular at school and subjected to her mother's religious fanaticism at home, Carrie White does not have it easy. But while she may be picked on by her classmates, she has a gift she's kept secret since she was a little girl: she can move things with her mind. Doors lock. Candles fall. Her ability has been both a power and a problem. And when she finds herself the recipient of a sudden act of kindness, Carrie feels like she's finally been given a chance to be normal. She hopes that the nightmare of her classmates' vicious taunts is over . . . but an unexpected and cruel prank turns her gift into a weapon of horror so destructive that the town may never recover.

I really enjoyed this one! I am a bit surprised by just how much I liked it and am kicking myself for waiting so long to read this book. I think that I have seen pieces of the movie but have never sat down to watch the whole thing so I wasn’t overly familiar with the story.  I have only read a handful of King’s work and I thought it would be interesting to go back and read his debut novel. I have to say that his talent was evident from the beginning.

I felt bad for Carrie right from the start. Her home life was absolutely horrible and the way that she was treated at school only made things worse. Carrie lives with her extremely religious mother and is forced to follow a harsh set of rules. After an incident in the high school locker room, Carrie is ready to push back against her mother. Things reach a climax at the high school prom when Carrie is crowned queen. She has recently rediscovered her telekinetic power and she has had enough. By the time the night is over, it will be a night the town will never forget.

I thought that Sissy Spacek did a fantastic job with the narration. This isn’t the first time that Ms. Spacek has brought this character to life and I thought that she was the ideal choice to voice this audiobook. I thought that she was able to add just the right amount of emotion and excitement to her reading. I do believe that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this story.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. This is one of King’s shorter works but it packs a big punch. I ended up listening to this book in a single day simply because I didn’t want to put it down. I cannot wait to read more of this author’s work.

7 responses to “Reviews – Episode Thirteen & Carrie

  1. YAY! What great reviews you have here Carole! I can see that the Stephen King especially was such a great impression for you! Glad you loved it. The covers for these are awesome.

  2. I need to reread Carrie! I read it so long ago, but still remember key moments from it. And Episode Thirteen is one I’m really looking forward to reading. Great reviews. 😀

  3. I’ve seen two versions of the Carrie movie but never read the book. King’s books are hit and miss for me and this is one I have shied away from. Maybe I should give it a try after all! I really want to read Episode Thirteen. The ghost hunting premise really appeals to me. Thank you for your great reviews, Carole!

  4. Episode Thirteen looks so interesting! I love that the main characters are ghost hunters. I wasn’t very interested in reading Carrie until I saw Sissy Spacek was the narrator! That might get me past my hesitations. I’m so glad you enjoyed both of these so much!