Fiction Addict

Genre: Suspense, Supernatural, Paranormal

Publisher: Bethany House

Publication Date: June 2010

Jake Chism’s Review:

Maia Peters hunts ghosts. Or at least she used to. The daughter of world famous paranormal investigators, Maia grew up traveling from haunt to haunt on their hit TV show.  Now she is in college and longing to leave that life behind, and the unwanted celebrity status that comes with it.

Heiress Jordin Cole wants to see a ghost and is willing to do anything and spend any amount to make it happen. After tracking Maia down, Jordin convinces her to lead the investigation and take them to the most haunted places in the U.S. As they travel to historic locales and dance with the dead, Maia begins to sense that something is very wrong with Jordin.  It’s not until Jordin disappears a year later that Maia begins to put the pieces together and uncovers a frightening reality. The nightmare is coming and Maia doesn’t know how to stop it.

Robin Parrish stands up and screams for attention with his clever and absorbing fifth novel. From page one we are treated to a new level of Parrish’s talent through the first person narrative of Maia. This style draws the reader in with ease, and gives the haunting scenes throughout more depth and emotion. While it would be a stretch to classify this is a horror novel, there are plenty of scenes that will leave you breathless and anxious for more.

As the story unfolds Parrish alternates chapters between Maia and Joridn’s paranormal investigations and Maia’s search for Jordin a year later. This type of back and forth writing might come across as confusing or distracting in lesser hands, but Parrish more than pulls it off in LOST-like fashion.  As I began to see where the story was going I was both surprised and intrigued. There have been lots of twists on the paranormal genre, but I’m not sure we’ve seen one quite like this. Luckily, Parrish knows how to weave a good story and if you pay close attention throughout, you shouldn’t be surprised at the new direction we’re led to in the end.

Nightmare is the kind of novel that will have people talking, both inside and outside the Christian market. Are ghosts real? Is there a difference between demons and ghosts? What happens when we die? Parrish tackles these hot button themes with class and an open mind, asking readers to examine their own beliefs and questions. In the end I was humbled by the poignant question Maia arrives at. What question is it? You’ll have to read the book and find out! Never fear, you’ll enjoy every moment of Robin Parrish’s latest and by the end you will be longing for more.

James Andrew Wilson’s Review:

Maia Peters has seen it all and them some. Her parents are renowned ghost hunters—paranormal investigators! She’s been with them on their popular TV show, exploring the most haunted places in the world. She is recognized virtually everywhere she goes. And getting a little tired of it. So when fellow college student Jordin Cole comes looking for a ghost buster buddy, Maia tells her to get lost. But Jordin insists, and the promise of substantial payment lures Maia back into the dark—back to the haunted life she’s been running from.

Robin Parrish has told of heroes and super powers, he’s told of space and the end of the world, now the speculative fiction writer gives us Nightmare, a spooky romp through the murky world of the paranormal. Turn out the lights, hide under the covers with your flashlight—it’s time for a good old-fashioned ghost story.

In terms of scale, Parrish has pulled back this time. This is an intimate story, much more character driven than his previous novels, and it benefits from it. Parrish does an admirable job with his use of the first person narrative, and Maia Peters is a fun character to read, even if she’s a bit snotty at times.

As for the spooks and specters, the paranormal encounters are some of the highlights of the book. In their quest for true sightings of the unexplainable, Jordin and Maia visit a number of real world locations, each of which are thoroughly researched and wonderfully detailed. Parrish knows just when to have the shadows jump out from the corners, and there’s plenty of creepy scenes here to satisfy scare junkies.

Parrish continues to hone his craft as a writer, and while Nightmare features some of his strongest writing, I’m still scratching my head at his apparent insistence on the tiresome use of adverbs and italics. He seems to be trying to hard to convey what is already clear in the dialogue. An easy fix, and I hope to see him do away with these clunky writing elements in the future.

Of all the novels Robin Parrish has written, this is the one that I think will appeal to the widest audience. There is something here for everyone to enjoy. If someone has apprehension about a “Christian paranormal” book, they should at least give Nightmare a chance. Parrish is asking the questions that we’ve all wondered at one time or another: Are ghosts real? Are they demons? What was that noise?

Nightmare is the perfect novel to keep you turning pages late into the night. It’s an escapist treat, a fine piece of work, a spine-tingler that’s sure to delight.

Don’t miss our podcast review of Nightmare and our interview with Robin Parrish.

Review copies provided by Bethany House.