CFBA - Isolation

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Isolation
FaithWords (September 12, 2008)
by
Travis Thrasher
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

It was during third grade after a teacher encouraged him in his writing and as he read through The Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis that Travis decided he wanted to be a writer. The dream never left him, and allowed him to fulfill that dream of writing fulltime in 2007.

Travis Thrasher is the author of numerous works of fiction, including his most personal and perhaps his deepest work, Sky Blue, that was published in summer of 2007. This year he has to novels published, Out of the Devil’s Mouth, and a supernatural thriller, Isolation.

Travis is married to Sharon and they are the proud parents of Kylie, born in November, 2006, and Hailey, a Shih-Tzu that looks like an Ewok. They live in suburban Chicago.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Trapped

Exhausted

Terrified

. . . Alone

When a missionary family moves into a secluded mansion in the mountains of North Carolina, they think they are escaping their nightmares. But when a snowstorm hits and they are trapped inside their new home, their worst fears become reality. As they fight to stay alive, they will be tested in ways they never imagined. Can their love for one another and their faith in God save them from the dangers lurking here?

A masterfully written story that will grip you from its mysterious beginning to its chilling end.

From Publishers Weekly:

"In this dark chiller, Thrasher (Sky Blue; The Promise Remains) demonstrates a considerable talent for the horror genre. Like Stephen King, Thrasher pits flawed but likable characters against evil forces that at first seem escapable but gradually take on a terrifying ubiquity.

The Miller family has recently returned to suburban Chicago after a harrowing experience on the mission field. Hoping to get away from the busyness of suburban living, they travel to the mountains of North Carolina for an extended stay in an enormous, remote lodge where husband and father Jim plans to write a book while trying to reconnect with his family.

When a snowstorm isolates them further and spiritual attacks make them feel they are losing their minds, both Jim and his wife, Stephanie, begin to wonder if God can rescue them and their two young children. Aside from sharing too many plot points with The Shining, this novel hits very few false notes and should appeal to fans of Christian fiction, the horror genre and all who enjoy well-crafted and suspenseful stories."

If you would like to read the first chapter of Isolation, go HERE

MY REVIEW:
Honestly I had no idea at all what to expect when I considered a Christian novel that is in the horror genre.  In a nutshell, this is the scariest book I've read in a LONG time!  The only way I was able to read it was in small bits at a time, until I got towards the end and I couldn't put it down.

At the heart of this story is a young family that is staying in an isolated home during winter trying to re-energize after being on the mission field.  While it's true that this book shares plot points with The Shining, the big difference is how this Christian family handles the questions and problems that arise.  There is an 8 year old son, who is wise beyond his years, and a younger daughter that is barely mentioned.  The mother tries valiantly to give the appearance of a normal life in the gigantic house, but she knows in her heart that something is dreadfully wrong.  Her brother arrives to stay with them for a while and she breathes a deep sigh of relief.

It's difficult to write so many things about this book for fear of giving away the end!  I will say that it was a satisfying good vs. evil book and for edge of your seat excitement this book is definitely one to turn to.  Just don't read it after dark or right before bed!   :)