Pressure

Sometimes it's really fun to let yourself go down the abyss. This is one of those super-fast reads that pretty much never lets up as it drags you through the mud. We open with a trademark suicide watch to set the tone and then sit back to see what turned Alex into the quivering wreck he becomes.

The novel is deceptively simple: he's hounded by a psychopath who thinks Alex is just like him and only needs a little push to blossom.

Of course, one push becomes a constant stream of pressure, and it's thanks to the happy times in-between that this novel succeeds so well. Its simplicity lends itself to some really great scenes throughout. It's deceptive and quite wonderful.

That, and there's the humor. There are some really twisted moments show more scattered throughout.

All in all, it's a super tight thriller that aims for the guts and the heart and the pure, unadulterated rage. In other words, this ain't a tale that's good for little children to read. *insert bloodcurdling scream of murder/suicide* show less

I have never felt so much disdain for a character in a book… that is until I met Darren… while this book was good and interesting, I couldn’t feel much sympathy for the main protagonist and my main motivation for finishing it was to see if Darren’s fate was as awful as I hoped it would be… I hate to tell you I was disappointed but with that being said, it was a good read.

If you've not previously read anything by Jeff Strand there couldn't possibly be a better place for you to start than with his new release, Pressure. Though Strand is the author of over a dozen books, including the outstanding Andrew Mayhem series, with the publication of Pressure Strand has taken his already incredible talent to another level entirely.

What would you do if your best friend turned out to be a sociopathic killer? One who was obsessed with you and everything about your life? That's the situation Alex faces when his friend Darren becomes increasingly manipulative and violent over the course of their relationship. Starting when they meet at boarding school, Pressure follows the twisted relationship between Alex and Darren as show more it builds from kids being cruel, to young men pushing boundaries, to adults who end up in the fight of their lives, figuratively and literally, against each other.

Pressure is very aptly titled because the pressure in this book builds relentlessly... almost to the point of uncomfortableness at times it is so skillfully written. Strand pushes Alex to the brink over and over, seeing just how much he and the reader can take, before finally pushing him over the edge for a climactic showdown that will leave you both stunned and impressed at its unflinching, uncompromising resolution. show less

This book is a departure from Strand's normal horror / comedy novels. And I loved it! As he points out in his afterword, the story is pretty straight forward. Not very complex. But it is well worth his straight line approach.

The story is about a relationship between two guys: Alex, a good natured boy dealing with a hard life, and Darren, an introverted boy with psychotic tendencies. As they both age, mature and grow older, their two lives intersect at key points. From a mutilated dog through kidnapping and beyond, Darren is constantly making Alex's life harder. Applying pressure to become and do things Alex does not want to do.

While there might not be the extra material to flush out the story, there does not need to be. Everything show more focuses on Darren and Alex and what they do. From that point, every works perfectly. The characters are complex and engaging. While dealing with crazy situations, everything that occurs makes total sense. Their actions are what one would expect. It makes the book extremely enjoyable and well worth it. show less

Tense and violent

First book by Jeff Strand I have read. Very plausible situation , as we all know someone who could be like Darren :) The characters are believable and their actions ring true to character. Lots of violence, without it being pointless.

Naw. It started out okay with an evil kid (with the main character heavily hinted at being probably evil), but got ridiculous and unforgivably bad a bit over the half-way mark. It's like the author just started throwing stereotypical "psycho" shit at the wall to see what would stick. No thanks. I'll pass on the second half of the book. I don't care about what happens to any of them.

I found this book truly horrible - as in horribly written. The characters are not believable, there is no motivation, there is no psychological depth. ***SPOILERS*** The protagonist (the good guy) chops a woman's head off with an axe and witnesses people close to him tortured and killed by a serial killer. But he can go on with his life at the end knowing the killer is in prison (hey, he's not going to be released?). The killer is so intelligent that he eludes police for years. In fact, the police are almost completely missing from the narrative (they pop up and go away at the whim of the writer). So what is the bond between the killer and the protagonist all these years? We never know. I'm amazed that this disposable pulp was even show more considered for the Bram Stoker award. show less