- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Bodley Head Children's Books (6 Nov 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0370329163
- ISBN-13: 978-0370329161
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 5,808,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Blood Water
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Product Description
Product Description
They’re all dead now. I am the last one. Dr Morrow can’t identify the ‘thing’ he found living in the lake but he knows it’s dangerous . . . then it goes missing . . . Caught in the flood that is devastating the town, brothers Sean and James stumble across Morrow and the carnage left at his lab. The missing specimen is some kind of deadly parasite that moves from person to person, destroying its hosts in disgusting, gory ways. The death toll will rise along with the waters unless the brothers can track down the homicidal specimen and find a way to destroy it.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
About the Author
Dean Carter began writing short stories at the age of fourteen. After graduating from Thames Valley University with a degree in English and Media Studies, he worked in sales and as a bookseller before getting a job in the Post room at Transworld Publishers and Random House Children's Books. His writing talent was spotted by his editor after she read his company-wide emails. His first novel, The Hand of the Devil was published in 2006 to great critical acclaim. He lives in Hounslow, Middlesex and still works in the post room.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
Novels with short chapters that end with little twists are always high on my `Search for next read' radar. This novel steps up the format up by hitting the reader with so many levels of horror throughout the story that you become grateful for the normality and level-headedness of the main characters; even though this normality makes the horror all the more disturbing.
It's clever, too, in that it starts with a disturbing psychological nightmare stemming from a physical accident (concerning dehydration, of all things), while the environmental horror of a picturesque town undergoing a violent flood is just kicking off. From here, the unnatural horror of a nasty little water-based parasite (with alien-like intelligence), forcing its way into victims' mouths before taking over their brains and bodies explodes into action.
The main characters find themselves caught in the midst of all this and are forced to try and sort it out while avoiding both the rising waters and getting a mouthful of the slippery brain-sucker. It all happens in `real-time' and the pace is staggering from the start, just as the many gruesome scenes are disturbing. (When the creature leaves its victims, it leaves a mess!)
As the different aspects of the horror intertwine to the point of hopelessness for our heroes, the psychological aspect comes back into play in a very clever and very effective way, most forcefully when the central character suddenly sees himself standing on a muddy bank, realising with terror that he is experiencing the memory of a man he watched drowning.
Writing horror for teens takes a special talent and this author has it in spades. It's clever, brutal, dark and will squirm its way into your brain, take over your body and force you to keep turning the pages until the final deeply satisfying gasp. Recommended.
It's clever, too, in that it starts with a disturbing psychological nightmare stemming from a physical accident (concerning dehydration, of all things), while the environmental horror of a picturesque town undergoing a violent flood is just kicking off. From here, the unnatural horror of a nasty little water-based parasite (with alien-like intelligence), forcing its way into victims' mouths before taking over their brains and bodies explodes into action.
The main characters find themselves caught in the midst of all this and are forced to try and sort it out while avoiding both the rising waters and getting a mouthful of the slippery brain-sucker. It all happens in `real-time' and the pace is staggering from the start, just as the many gruesome scenes are disturbing. (When the creature leaves its victims, it leaves a mess!)
As the different aspects of the horror intertwine to the point of hopelessness for our heroes, the psychological aspect comes back into play in a very clever and very effective way, most forcefully when the central character suddenly sees himself standing on a muddy bank, realising with terror that he is experiencing the memory of a man he watched drowning.
Writing horror for teens takes a special talent and this author has it in spades. It's clever, brutal, dark and will squirm its way into your brain, take over your body and force you to keep turning the pages until the final deeply satisfying gasp. Recommended.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I haven't seen many teen horror books around recently, so I was pretty excited about reading this one. It's fast-paced and exciting, and would make a great low-budget horror film.
The main characters, Sean and James, are easy to relate to, and are both intelligent and practical. Unlike some YA characters, they act their age, and make stupid, rash decisions just like any teenager would.
My favourite part of Blood Water is the inclusion of the parasite. Like every other lifeform, it's just trying to survive, and infecting other living things is the only way it can do that. It's an intelligent creature, which I wasn't expecting; I thought it'd just be a run-of-the-mill parasite, like something last seen in Slither. I'm glad it had more of a personality, as this humanised it, and made me sympathise with its situation.
This book has some brilliant gory scenes, and doesn't shy away from describing melting insides and missing entrails. It's probably not the ideal read if you're squeamish, but if you like your book with a bit of blood and guts, then Blood Water has just that. Dean Vincent Carter has managed to successfully resurrect the teen horror genre, and I hope he writes more in the future. I'll definitely be looking out for more books from him!
3.5/5
The main characters, Sean and James, are easy to relate to, and are both intelligent and practical. Unlike some YA characters, they act their age, and make stupid, rash decisions just like any teenager would.
My favourite part of Blood Water is the inclusion of the parasite. Like every other lifeform, it's just trying to survive, and infecting other living things is the only way it can do that. It's an intelligent creature, which I wasn't expecting; I thought it'd just be a run-of-the-mill parasite, like something last seen in Slither. I'm glad it had more of a personality, as this humanised it, and made me sympathise with its situation.
This book has some brilliant gory scenes, and doesn't shy away from describing melting insides and missing entrails. It's probably not the ideal read if you're squeamish, but if you like your book with a bit of blood and guts, then Blood Water has just that. Dean Vincent Carter has managed to successfully resurrect the teen horror genre, and I hope he writes more in the future. I'll definitely be looking out for more books from him!
3.5/5
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
Chilling Thriller for Young Readers
17 Jun 2009
Format:Paperback
When a deadly lab specimen is released, death lies in its wake. In the distraction of a destructive storm, Dr. Morrow's unidentified creature seeks for something, killing without remorse. When Sean stumbles across a dying man and a strange substance in the water, he goes to his brother for help. Sean and James must protect themselves as well as those around them from an unknown killer, spreading a strange virus. And then, find a way to destroy it.
Blood Water is a horror novel for teens. Both the tension and body count are high. The story is extremely intense and creepy. Practically impossible to put down, I found myself getting wrapped up in the characters and able to visualize every encounter. This isn't for the squeamish. But young science fiction and horror fans that love good heart-pounding suspense will hopefully enjoy this thriller as much as I did!
Blood Water is a horror novel for teens. Both the tension and body count are high. The story is extremely intense and creepy. Practically impossible to put down, I found myself getting wrapped up in the characters and able to visualize every encounter. This isn't for the squeamish. But young science fiction and horror fans that love good heart-pounding suspense will hopefully enjoy this thriller as much as I did!
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