Review: Not so horror...
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 20, 2012
A Satan Carol desperately wanted to grab my attention. The description of the book had me hooked at the word horror, but I failed to find any gut twisting horror in the story. Granted, it is about Satan, and there are a few bloody or obscene sections, but I don't think this really fell into the horror category. If I had to classify it anywhere it would be dark satire.Satan, aka Mr. Green, is jaded by God's love for another son, Jesus. And in a search to find happiness for himself, Satan has decided to start a family of his own. The Anti-Christ has been born on another planet named Shineland 7, but the boy is physically unable to move around on his own. Satan enlists the help of several people to obtain a "golden soul" to empower his son through their own free will actions. The emphasis seems to fall heavily on free will, but I think the concept is thrown out the window when you are threatened with horrible things if you don't follow a certain path.The author takes great care to describe the story in detail, but seems to fall flat on dialog. Characters speak out loud to themselves to mill over their own thoughts, and there seems to be some confusing formatting as two characters have a telepathic conversation. It almost feels like you're reading the script for a play.The story is well written and heavily laden with religious undertones, which I find engaging, as I'm always curious to read a new take on any religion, but it just didn't seem to pull me into the horror of the situation.A Satan Carol is dusted with the horror of everyday living as we get to know the characters: An obedient wife, a promiscuous husband, a defiant teen, greedy doctor, and a man who sees visions. Somehow they are all linked to obtaining the "golden soul" and slowly the lines are connected through the book. Overall, it's definitely an acquired taste.