Long before the film there was the written word. Long before we settled down in
front of video or now DVD players for our fright-fests, we would read tales of 
terror by candlelight.
For most, this has been lost, however there are still those that prefer the pages
to celluloid or even both and why not?
This section then is for you. To help you to search through the rubbish and find
stories worth your time to read. If you're an avid reader of horror novels then
why not join 'Castle Dracula' as an official 'staff member' reviewing them.
To do so, just click on the 'Join My Staff' link in the menu to the left for 
details of this and other vacancies.

- The Funhouse -
- Dean Koontz -

Once there was a girl who ran away and joined a traveling carnival. She married a 
man she grew to hate - and gave birth to a child she could never love. A child so 
monstrous that she killed it with her own hands. Twenty-five years later, 'Elln 
Harper' has a new life, a new husband, and two normal children - 'Joey' loves 
monster movies and 'Amy' is about to graduate from high school. But their mother 
drowns her secret guilt in alcohol and prayer. The time has come for 'Amy' and 
'Joey' to pay for her sins. 'Amy' is Pregnant. The carnival is coming back to town.
The carnival is always a unique, exciting setting for any horror novel. Amidst all 
the freaks, gloomy funhouses, maniacally grinning clowns, and … well, candy, there’s 
a man with a mission. To seek out and destroy his ex-wife’s children, the ex-wife 
who had taken away his own mutated son. Besides this juicy tidbit, there’s also a 
misled creature that delights in killing innocent men and raping/shredding apart 
women in each town it visits. 
"The Funhouse" was alive and bouncing with true characters, tight tense moments 
and pure drama. There were also some truly terrifying moments thrown into the mix.
There is an aura surrounding the novel of the desperation to survive and accept. 
One of the main subplots of the novel, if not THE main subplot, is that guilt can 
be our worst enemy. 'Conrad' was changed because he couldn’t let go of his childhood 
traumas and 'Ellen' was turned into a bitter, fanatical woman all because she couldn’t 
turn her back on sins of the past. Who always suffers in these cases are the innocent. 
The story is primarily told through the eyes of two youths - a teenager in high school, 
'Amy' and her younger brother, 'Joey.' 
'Amy' has her own problems to deal with - she fears her mother is right saying that 
she is evil. 
'Joey' is afraid of his parents but blessed with the innocent naivity and curiosity 
that comes with being a child.
The characters are the real assets of "The Funhouse." They make this story work, they
make it what it is - unique, memorable, and exciting. It all plays out like a fun ride 
until the bodies begin to pop up, innocents begin to die and people are changed into 
monsters of their own by their past mistakes. This novel stays true to life and because 
of that it works. "The Funhouse" starts out with a bang and keeps on kicking, the 
beginning fumes getting you high off its strength. Sometimes Koontz falls prey to being 
a little over eager in detail and writing, but here he trimmed his story well, enough 
to keep the plot moving evenly and never boring the reader.
To close this carnival down, I have to say it truly shines. The ending is a slight let 
down after having such an impressive build up, but this can be overlooked when it’s all 
clumped together. When the last door of the carnival is locked, every last mark has gone 
home and is now safely snug in their beds, "The Funhouse" gets the rating of an event 
akin to sitting on an intense roller coaster that delivers all it originally promised.

Reviewed By Erin Williams.

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