'Allison' – Jeff Strand

Lockdown has divided my reading into the books that I know I ought to read (read yesterday's post and see how well that's going...) and everything else, on my Kindle, that I know I'll enjoy. Jeff Strand's books feature prominently on my Kindle at the moment, his slightly off beat horror and creature features are very easy to get into and very hard to put down until you've finished them.

That is exactly the kind of reading I need right now so if and when I see a new Jeff Strand book, I buy it pretty much straight away. You should too, seriously, they're a lot of fun.

So when I saw 'Allison' then, I made sure to grab myself a copy and get reading as soon as I got a chance. 'Allison' is a short read, weighing in at only two hundred and seventy pages, but that was just what I was after as well; a quick and horrifying read. And that's just what I got with 'Allison'; a Jeff Strand book written in the best traditions of, well... Jeff Strand (you know what I mean...) It's mad, over the top and when Allison really gets going, you're going to do lot more than just wince...

Alison can break your bones with her mind, and she can't control her power...

Now forty five years old, she's spent her life trying to stay away from other people. But a random encounter with a couple on the street leaves her believing that she may have done something horrible. Something unforgivable...

Killer-for-hire Daxton and his girlfriend Maggie know the truth. Instead of easing Allison's anguish, they come up with a cruel plan to take advantage of it. But with Allison's abilities exposed, there may be a grisly body count very soon...

What I love about Jeff Strand's books is that you always start off thinking that you know what is coming and he will always find a way to blind side you with something else entirely. 'Allison' is no different. I thought I was getting a 'Carrie' clone with lots of telekinetic mayhem but, at least to start with, 'Allison' was more like what would have happened if Carrie had made it through high school, got a job and just lived her life. Strand paints a really touching picture of a lady who must live in isolation as she cannot afford to let her emotions get the better of her, that's when bones get broken. It's sad to see but you know something's going to happen and that's the hook that keeps you reading until it does.

And of course life throws our Allison a curveball, more than one in fact, and that's the second hook. It's also the precursor to all the violence that I was originally expecting and the bit that makes 'Allison' feel like a crime novel rather than the horror novel we were expecting. It is a crime novel, in a way, and I'll be honest, I was wondering what the hell was happening at this point. A telekinetic lady who keeps her powers tightly in hand is not the ideal lead for a horror story or a crime novel... Be patient though, the pay off is worth it.

As the plans of various underworld figures fall apart around her, Strand takes us further in to Allison's character, showing us that Allison's choices come out of strength, not fear, and this strength can be turned outward as well as inward. And that's when the horror kicks in. The quite literally bone crunching finale is just amazing in terms of well choreographed violence that doesn't pull any punches at all (it breaks a few bones though... Sorry, I couldn't help it...) Everyone gets their comeuppance and that may be a little too convenient but it suited me just fine.

'Mandibles' is still my favourite Jeff Strand book but 'Allison' is up there now; a touching story that drops you into the horror when you're least expecting it. And that is how all good horror fiction should be.