I picked this up because I'd heard it was great, funny, etc. Honestly, I thought it was okay, but certainly not the best book I've ever read. Starts off a bit slow, and picks up about halfway through. I'm interested in reading some of his later work, as I've heard him compared to authors I really love, but this barely did it for me. I don't know what actual city/town the ficticious Pine Cove is based on, but it was very reminiscent of the Central Coast of California (Pacific Grove, Monterey, Carmel, bits of Big Sur), and since I used to live in that area, it did make me a little homesick! He did do a good job with the setting, at least! Overall: Just okay. ( )

I thought this was just okay. I found it somewhat meandering and really slow to get to the point. Much like in The Stupidest Angel, the best part of the book is when the final action begins. I’m not feeling real great about these early books of Moore’s, and I’m glad he improved as he went along. ( )

A very nasty demon invades Pine Cove. Its owner attempts to send it back to Hell with the help of some of the townspeople. Not a great story, but some funny, "human" segments that are well written. ( )

If you were to mix together a demon from hell, the king of the Djinn, a hippie drug dealer, a hopelessly romantic drunk and his wife/ex-wife (one in the same), the owner of a bait, tackle and fine wine shop, the leader of a coven cult, a 70+ year old man who doesn’t appear to have aged more than 26 years, an old man and the wife, and a lot of bats, then you have one heck of a wild tale written by Christopher Moore. This one is not as laugh out loud funny as some of his other tales, but like his other stories is equally enjoyable. Moore creates memorable characters, as strange as they may be, this might explain why they are memorable. Definitely recommended reading for any Moore fan and equally enjoyable to the novice passerby of the growing Moore Cult. ( )

This was Moore’s first novel (and also the first set in his monster-ravaged fictional town of Pine Cove, California), and his lack of practice does show. While the trademark Moore dark humor and offbeat characters are present, they are not as developed as the reader might wish for. Also, the plot is a bit too pat, the back story a trifle over-explained – a deficit corrected in Moore’s later writings. Still, it is an amusing romp and quick, fun read for fans of Moore and demons alike. ( )