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The Resurrectionist
Dale has the miraculous ability to heal and raise the recent dead. But he's also insane. When he uses his power to brutally kill the woman next door, night after night, no one will believe her impossible story, so it's up to her to find a way to end the living nightmare.
324 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
August 4, 2018
Welcome to another edition of: good concept, poor execution. And when I say poor--I mean kill-it-with-fire-BAD. Really, The Resurrectionist by Wrath James White should be used in writing classes as a cautionary tale. Authors, beware: this is how NOT to write a book.
I came to The Resurrectionist by way of its film counterpart, Come Back to Me. I’m a big horror fan and while the movie isn’t groundbreaking, it’s entertaining. The book….not so much. Bibliophile blasphemy, I know. As previously stated, The Resurrectionist boasts a fascinating concept: Dale McCarthy can bring back the dead. But this man ain’t no Clark Kent. Or as the book jacket more dramatically announces: not every miracle comes from God and not every healer is a saint. DUN. DUN. DUN. Instead of using his gift for good, Dale employs it as a surefire lady catcher. Translation: Dale rapes, murders, then RESURRECTS his latest flava. Luckily for Dale, once resurrected, his victims have no memory of their attack. Until Dale meets Sarah Lincoln. Ever since her new neighbor moved in, Sarah’s been experiencing chronic nightmares in which she’s raped, then brutally murdered. Weirdly still, she’s discovered blood stains on her mattress and bleach spots on her carpet. But how do you report a murder when the victim is still alive?
My main issue with The Resurrectionist is that it reads like pure wish-fulfillment. Fanfic for the dark and creepy. I applaud women who are sexually confident. Get it gurl. But that’s not how Sarah Lincoln comes across. She’s more of a blow-up doll. That talks.
“I’m sorry if I made you feel like I wasn’t satisfied. You always make me cum. I don’t need anybody else but you.”
Now if this sentence were an isolated occurrence, I would shrug it off. But no. This porny declaration deftly encapsulates Sarah’s character. She’s not a woman embracing her desires. She’s sex on a stick. The literary embodiment of a (bad) porn star. Sarah’s character isn’t liberated, she’s demeaned. She’s given no real personality or identity apart from being Dale and Josh’s (husband) fantasy object.
Beyond Sarah’s hollow representation, the writing is just….BAD. Fundamental writing rules are repeatedly broken. Sentence structure nonsensical. Show don’t tell slaughtered:
Trying to solve this puzzle would make them both feel like they were doing something. It would make them feel less powerless, more in control of the situation like Sarah felt after they had purchased the gun.
The Resurrectionist is all cheesy dialogue and exposition. Yes, I’m sure Sarah felt more confident after purchasing a weapon. How about you SHOW that, though? By spoon-feeding us information, there exists the implication that we aren’t smart enough to make these deductions ourselves. It’s condescending. Worse yet, it removes the reader from the experience. And reading is all about experience.
Really, it's just disappointing that a unique hook was squandered by subpar writing and insulting characterization. If this story were the brainchild of Stephen King, great things may have happened. Alas, that was not the case. SIGH.
Summary: If you come within 10 feet of this book, RUN (don't walk) in the opposite direction.
I came to The Resurrectionist by way of its film counterpart, Come Back to Me. I’m a big horror fan and while the movie isn’t groundbreaking, it’s entertaining. The book….not so much. Bibliophile blasphemy, I know. As previously stated, The Resurrectionist boasts a fascinating concept: Dale McCarthy can bring back the dead. But this man ain’t no Clark Kent. Or as the book jacket more dramatically announces: not every miracle comes from God and not every healer is a saint. DUN. DUN. DUN. Instead of using his gift for good, Dale employs it as a surefire lady catcher. Translation: Dale rapes, murders, then RESURRECTS his latest flava. Luckily for Dale, once resurrected, his victims have no memory of their attack. Until Dale meets Sarah Lincoln. Ever since her new neighbor moved in, Sarah’s been experiencing chronic nightmares in which she’s raped, then brutally murdered. Weirdly still, she’s discovered blood stains on her mattress and bleach spots on her carpet. But how do you report a murder when the victim is still alive?
My main issue with The Resurrectionist is that it reads like pure wish-fulfillment. Fanfic for the dark and creepy. I applaud women who are sexually confident. Get it gurl. But that’s not how Sarah Lincoln comes across. She’s more of a blow-up doll. That talks.
“I’m sorry if I made you feel like I wasn’t satisfied. You always make me cum. I don’t need anybody else but you.”
Now if this sentence were an isolated occurrence, I would shrug it off. But no. This porny declaration deftly encapsulates Sarah’s character. She’s not a woman embracing her desires. She’s sex on a stick. The literary embodiment of a (bad) porn star. Sarah’s character isn’t liberated, she’s demeaned. She’s given no real personality or identity apart from being Dale and Josh’s (husband) fantasy object.
Beyond Sarah’s hollow representation, the writing is just….BAD. Fundamental writing rules are repeatedly broken. Sentence structure nonsensical. Show don’t tell slaughtered:
Trying to solve this puzzle would make them both feel like they were doing something. It would make them feel less powerless, more in control of the situation like Sarah felt after they had purchased the gun.
The Resurrectionist is all cheesy dialogue and exposition. Yes, I’m sure Sarah felt more confident after purchasing a weapon. How about you SHOW that, though? By spoon-feeding us information, there exists the implication that we aren’t smart enough to make these deductions ourselves. It’s condescending. Worse yet, it removes the reader from the experience. And reading is all about experience.
Really, it's just disappointing that a unique hook was squandered by subpar writing and insulting characterization. If this story were the brainchild of Stephen King, great things may have happened. Alas, that was not the case. SIGH.
Summary: If you come within 10 feet of this book, RUN (don't walk) in the opposite direction.
January 7, 2022
Dale McCarthy has a unique and miraculous ability. He can bring the dead back to life, though the resurrected have no memory of their deaths. Having this wonderful gift, you would think he would use it for good. Nah, Dale, is insane. Like his mental train went off the rails, a cliff, and crashed into a sea of great white sharks.
Sadly for Sarah Lincoln and her husband Josh, he has moved in across the street. Dale becomes obsessed with Sarah. Night after night, he creeps into their home to brutally assault and kill her. Then cleans up the bloody scene and brings them back to life. Sarah isn't supposed to remember, but she does. Now the prey becomes the hunter.
This is really a 3.5 rating. Would be a 4, but Mr. White took away the ending I wanted. She deserved better, James 😭
Sadly for Sarah Lincoln and her husband Josh, he has moved in across the street. Dale becomes obsessed with Sarah. Night after night, he creeps into their home to brutally assault and kill her. Then cleans up the bloody scene and brings them back to life. Sarah isn't supposed to remember, but she does. Now the prey becomes the hunter.
This is really a 3.5 rating. Would be a 4, but Mr. White took away the ending I wanted. She deserved better, James 😭
November 26, 2009
My best novel so far!
December 17, 2009
Wrath James White starts us off into the world of The Resurrectionist by vividly exploring a scene where a young boy listens intently from outside his parents’ bedroom door as they fight. The boy continues to listen as his dad beats up his mom and he even listens as his dad kills his mom. Then he decides to call the cops. Once the cops arrive, even more chaos takes place as the boy is escorted out to a cop car and the cops go in to see what has taken place. He watches them one by one stagger out of the house getting sick and finally he runs back into the house to find his father dead, shot by the cops, and his mom skinned alive by his father's hand. He climbs over to his mom and starts giving her mouth-to-mouth. Slowly she starts to breathe again and then her skin starts to rejuvenate. The cops come back in then and can't believe their eyes. The woman sitting with him can't possibly be the woman that was just lying there skinned alive, can it? But he claims it's his mommy. What special powers is it this boy holds and what else could he possibly use those powers for in the future?
The Resurrectionist delves deep into the life of one very demented and warped individual. The main character, Dale, has so many "issues" that as a reader it's hard to decide whether to sympathize with him or hate him for what he is doing to the victims in the book. I was honestly torn throughout on my opinion of him, yet leaned more to the negative side because it was just hard to fathom any person could do the things he was doing to other beings. White has written a novel so graphically depicted and so intense that you actually feel like you're "living" the nightmare that is taking place within the pages. I would recommend those with a queasy stomach to pass this book by and move on to a more "user-friendly" horror book as White does describe extremely graphic scenes of mutilation, torture, and rape, which might offend some readers. To those that can handle it, however, this is a must read! I was unable to put the book down once I opened it up and I think any lovers of extreme horror will feel the same. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Contains: Gore, Rape, Sex, Mutilation, Torture, Adult Language, Adult Situations
Review also posted at MonsterLibrarian.com
The Resurrectionist delves deep into the life of one very demented and warped individual. The main character, Dale, has so many "issues" that as a reader it's hard to decide whether to sympathize with him or hate him for what he is doing to the victims in the book. I was honestly torn throughout on my opinion of him, yet leaned more to the negative side because it was just hard to fathom any person could do the things he was doing to other beings. White has written a novel so graphically depicted and so intense that you actually feel like you're "living" the nightmare that is taking place within the pages. I would recommend those with a queasy stomach to pass this book by and move on to a more "user-friendly" horror book as White does describe extremely graphic scenes of mutilation, torture, and rape, which might offend some readers. To those that can handle it, however, this is a must read! I was unable to put the book down once I opened it up and I think any lovers of extreme horror will feel the same. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Contains: Gore, Rape, Sex, Mutilation, Torture, Adult Language, Adult Situations
Review also posted at MonsterLibrarian.com
February 9, 2024
“Motherfucker!”
She pulled the trigger, once, twice, three times, four times, until Torres finally wrenched it back out of her hands. All four shots had gone directly into Dale’s skull, scattering his brains across the floor.
She pulled the trigger, once, twice, three times, four times, until Torres finally wrenched it back out of her hands. All four shots had gone directly into Dale’s skull, scattering his brains across the floor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
I originally rated this 2.5, but after being exposed to so much (terrible) extreme horror since, I have to say: As far as appalling horror set pieces of the extreme variety, nobody has even come close to the sheer, gonzo-style balls-to-the-walls violence that rightfully earned Mr. White the title of “The Modern Master of Hardcore Horror.”
Could’ve still edited down those Vegas scenes though lol.
I originally rated this 2.5, but after being exposed to so much (terrible) extreme horror since, I have to say: As far as appalling horror set pieces of the extreme variety, nobody has even come close to the sheer, gonzo-style balls-to-the-walls violence that rightfully earned Mr. White the title of “The Modern Master of Hardcore Horror.”
Could’ve still edited down those Vegas scenes though lol.
October 15, 2023
White builds this tale on a solid, creepy premise and I loved the denouement/epilogue found in this edition of the book, but a few things kept me from rating this higher. The Resurrectionist starts with little Dale, a young boy, hearing his drug addict parents fight once again at night, but it seems worse than usual. Dale sneaks up to their bedroom and sees his father raping and stabbing his mom to death horribly. He calls the cops and when they get there, they shot dead his father when they find him with his mutilated mom. While the cops are out barfing and what not, Dale goes into the room and breaths into his mom's lungs and amazingly, she reforms and comes back to life. The cops are incredulous when they return to the scene and find Dale's mom alive on the blood drenched bed-- who is this woman, and where did the body go?
Obviously, Dale has a strange and powerful gift, but he is one evil little bastard. He likes killing things only to bring them back, for if he brings them back, it is not murder, is it? Dale is also one ugly, scrawny little bastard, but he finds out that those who he kills cannot remember their death when this 'come back'. Seems like a license to fulfil his sexual fantasies-- he can break into a woman's house, torture, rape and murder, and then just bring them back no wiser. He has this down to an art, cleaning up the murder scenes before 'revival'. When he moves to a new neighborhood in Vegas and spots his new neighbor Sarah, he immediately falls in lust.
Sarah, however, is one of the rare ones, who has 'dreams' of being raped and tortured by Dale, but what to do? There is no proof and she always wakes up hale and sound. Finally, after a week or so, she and her husband call the cops. No evidence of any wrong doing! Yet, she takes a rape test and they do find semen!
Again, super premise, and if you can roll with Dale being able to bring back his murder victims, a really creepy premise. Yet, there were a few things that put me off a bit, and what follows is a bit spoilery. First, why does Dale murder his victims so horribly, creating massive messes to clean up? He must spend hours cleaning up the blood and such. Second, there are some problems here with the clean ups. Now Dale will wash the sheets and such and put new sets on the bed, but a few times, Sarah woke up on clean sheets only later to have blood soak them from the mattress. WTF? If a mattress is soaked in blood, new sheets are not really going to cover much. Third, Sarah is not a very likable protagonist and White gives us some silly plot twists with her. Sarah and her husband are just getting by, so they cannot afford a security system on the house, etc., but when she wins 2500$ on the slot machines, she blows it on dinners and a designer handbag. What kind of priorities is that?
Overall, a solid effort that could have been so much better. 3 stars!
Obviously, Dale has a strange and powerful gift, but he is one evil little bastard. He likes killing things only to bring them back, for if he brings them back, it is not murder, is it? Dale is also one ugly, scrawny little bastard, but he finds out that those who he kills cannot remember their death when this 'come back'. Seems like a license to fulfil his sexual fantasies-- he can break into a woman's house, torture, rape and murder, and then just bring them back no wiser. He has this down to an art, cleaning up the murder scenes before 'revival'. When he moves to a new neighborhood in Vegas and spots his new neighbor Sarah, he immediately falls in lust.
Sarah, however, is one of the rare ones, who has 'dreams' of being raped and tortured by Dale, but what to do? There is no proof and she always wakes up hale and sound. Finally, after a week or so, she and her husband call the cops. No evidence of any wrong doing! Yet, she takes a rape test and they do find semen!
Again, super premise, and if you can roll with Dale being able to bring back his murder victims, a really creepy premise. Yet, there were a few things that put me off a bit, and what follows is a bit spoilery. First, why does Dale murder his victims so horribly, creating massive messes to clean up? He must spend hours cleaning up the blood and such. Second, there are some problems here with the clean ups. Now Dale will wash the sheets and such and put new sets on the bed, but a few times, Sarah woke up on clean sheets only later to have blood soak them from the mattress. WTF? If a mattress is soaked in blood, new sheets are not really going to cover much. Third, Sarah is not a very likable protagonist and White gives us some silly plot twists with her. Sarah and her husband are just getting by, so they cannot afford a security system on the house, etc., but when she wins 2500$ on the slot machines, she blows it on dinners and a designer handbag. What kind of priorities is that?
Overall, a solid effort that could have been so much better. 3 stars!
December 30, 2020
Wow!! What an awesomely sick and twisted story. Brutal! And terrifying! Im looking forward to seeing the movie.
May 28, 2022
How d’you go one better than writing a great piece of pure escapism about a sadistic, serial, sex-crazed, psycho killer? Answer - come up with a story that goes completely over the edge and introduce said madman that has the supernatural powers to bring his victims back to life, time after time, after time. And just why would such an evil, wicked guy want to use his ‘Lazaristic’ powers of life to aid his unfortunate marks? Well mamma always did tell him that murder was a mortal sin, punishable with eternal damnation.
Time to meet Sarah, Josh and Dale - this is their story…
A good, familiar idea which has been twisted and taken to the next level, and a storyline that is just laced with lots of fantastic extreme horror action. All good, including the end, although the final twist and closing scenario did seem ‘strained’, highly unlikely and rather disturbing even for a book in the genre of extreme horror.
Enjoyed this original gruesome adventure from start to finish and would highly recommend.
Rating: 4.4 supernatural dark stars of the absolute impossible.
Time to meet Sarah, Josh and Dale - this is their story…
A good, familiar idea which has been twisted and taken to the next level, and a storyline that is just laced with lots of fantastic extreme horror action. All good, including the end, although the final twist and closing scenario did seem ‘strained’, highly unlikely and rather disturbing even for a book in the genre of extreme horror.
Enjoyed this original gruesome adventure from start to finish and would highly recommend.
Rating: 4.4 supernatural dark stars of the absolute impossible.
July 6, 2014
4.5 stars rounded up...
Imagine waking up from a vivid dream in which you've witnessed your spouse's throat getting slit moments before being raped and killed by your creepy neighbor. And imagine seeing the evidence of bloodshed all over your sheets. What would you think? Just a nightmare, right? After all, how can you be dead one minute and alive the next?
For one loving couple, Sarah and Josh, the "nightmares" begin happening shortly after the arrival of their very creepy new neighbor, Dale. Sarah experiences flashbacks of being raped and mutilated and is convinced that it's somehow happening and that Dale is the culprit. She convinces her husband that something is awry and together they find a way to prove that something extremely bizarre is happening. It's hard to write much about this book without giving too much away. Suffice it to say, that as the title suggests, Dale has a unique gift which he uses in a most monstrous way.
I greatly enjoyed this book. It started off intense and continued to deliver one horrific scene after the next. There was one part in particular that was extremely vile and disgusting and managed to make me wince because it was described with such amazing detail.
Any fan of extreme and hardcore horror will appreciate this engrossing story.
I withheld half a star because of a minor inconsistency and a couple parts of the story where the main characters' actions seem incongruous with their level of concern and rightful fears.
Imagine waking up from a vivid dream in which you've witnessed your spouse's throat getting slit moments before being raped and killed by your creepy neighbor. And imagine seeing the evidence of bloodshed all over your sheets. What would you think? Just a nightmare, right? After all, how can you be dead one minute and alive the next?
For one loving couple, Sarah and Josh, the "nightmares" begin happening shortly after the arrival of their very creepy new neighbor, Dale. Sarah experiences flashbacks of being raped and mutilated and is convinced that it's somehow happening and that Dale is the culprit. She convinces her husband that something is awry and together they find a way to prove that something extremely bizarre is happening. It's hard to write much about this book without giving too much away. Suffice it to say, that as the title suggests, Dale has a unique gift which he uses in a most monstrous way.
I greatly enjoyed this book. It started off intense and continued to deliver one horrific scene after the next. There was one part in particular that was extremely vile and disgusting and managed to make me wince because it was described with such amazing detail.
Any fan of extreme and hardcore horror will appreciate this engrossing story.
I withheld half a star because of a minor inconsistency and a couple parts of the story where the main characters' actions seem incongruous with their level of concern and rightful fears.
August 1, 2021
Sarah and her husband become victims of a man who uses his ability to resurrect the dead in order to get his kicks raping and killing people.
Some things that let this book down for me a bit was that the protagonists were not particularly likeable or sympathetic, sometimes they made decisions that were too stupid to be believable, and we spent too much time hearing about Sarah’s need to exercise so she doesn’t become a ‘cow’ and equating her sexual desirability as self-worth. Also, there were parts of the book spent on the protagonists’ day to day lives which felt a bit boring at times but thankfully the story always picked back up with another crazy and gory scene. The crazy and gory scenes are where this book excels and there are plenty of them, all more messed up than the last. This is a very dark and original story concept that is well worth checking out if you’re looking for some extreme horror.
Some things that let this book down for me a bit was that the protagonists were not particularly likeable or sympathetic, sometimes they made decisions that were too stupid to be believable, and we spent too much time hearing about Sarah’s need to exercise so she doesn’t become a ‘cow’ and equating her sexual desirability as self-worth. Also, there were parts of the book spent on the protagonists’ day to day lives which felt a bit boring at times but thankfully the story always picked back up with another crazy and gory scene. The crazy and gory scenes are where this book excels and there are plenty of them, all more messed up than the last. This is a very dark and original story concept that is well worth checking out if you’re looking for some extreme horror.
January 2, 2010
This book has a cool premise, but the execution is a little wobbly. A man was born with the gift to resurrect people from the dead, but instead of doing good with the gift he is an evil, sadistic serial rapist and killer.
His victims are surprised in their homes, raped and murdered, and then brought back to life after the killer cleans them and their homes up so they won't suspect anything the next day. But, come on, aside from the bad dreams the victims have who wouldn't know they had been violated, both men and women? Preposterous.
And instead of strangling the victims so there's no blood-saturated mattresses, sheets, and carpet, this loon hammers their skulls, slits their throats, and shreds their bodies. Like the homeowners aren't going to feel the squishy bloody mattress? Notice there are different sheets on the bed? Walk on the wet, newly-cleaned carpet? Preposterous.
And Sarah and Josh, a married couple who lives across the street from the killer and becomes his latest victims, are two of the dumbest people I've ever met in a story. Hello, you have him on tape doing these deeds yet you blow $2000 on the Vegas strip instead of installing a home security system? Weeks after being raped, murdered, and resurrected, you're too stupid to make sure your sliding glass door has a security bar on it? Come on!
And I really didn't care for Sarah. She's so full of herself I could barely tolerate finishing the story. Not a sympathetic character at all.
His victims are surprised in their homes, raped and murdered, and then brought back to life after the killer cleans them and their homes up so they won't suspect anything the next day. But, come on, aside from the bad dreams the victims have who wouldn't know they had been violated, both men and women? Preposterous.
And instead of strangling the victims so there's no blood-saturated mattresses, sheets, and carpet, this loon hammers their skulls, slits their throats, and shreds their bodies. Like the homeowners aren't going to feel the squishy bloody mattress? Notice there are different sheets on the bed? Walk on the wet, newly-cleaned carpet? Preposterous.
And Sarah and Josh, a married couple who lives across the street from the killer and becomes his latest victims, are two of the dumbest people I've ever met in a story. Hello, you have him on tape doing these deeds yet you blow $2000 on the Vegas strip instead of installing a home security system? Weeks after being raped, murdered, and resurrected, you're too stupid to make sure your sliding glass door has a security bar on it? Come on!
And I really didn't care for Sarah. She's so full of herself I could barely tolerate finishing the story. Not a sympathetic character at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2012
YES YES YES!!!!!
I loved this book.
After I read it, the first thing I did was google the author. I figured only an old white man could write such weird shit but I was surprised it was a tough lookin' black dude. Interesting.
Dale has the ability to bring people back from the dead. And he takes advantage of this "power" by killing & resurrecting whoever he wants.
Maybe I'm screwed up but I would have preferred reading about him fucking more old detectives' nasal cavities then I would have reading about him killing a kitten and bringing her back over and over =(
Anyways. This was gory as hell, which a lot of books cover, but I didn't find this book cheesy at all (unlike most extreme horror books). Very fast-paced.. a quick read. Got my heart going a couple times and sometimes made me feel like a perv for reading it. Which means 5 stars.
I loved this book.
After I read it, the first thing I did was google the author. I figured only an old white man could write such weird shit but I was surprised it was a tough lookin' black dude. Interesting.
Dale has the ability to bring people back from the dead. And he takes advantage of this "power" by killing & resurrecting whoever he wants.
Maybe I'm screwed up but I would have preferred reading about him fucking more old detectives' nasal cavities then I would have reading about him killing a kitten and bringing her back over and over =(
Anyways. This was gory as hell, which a lot of books cover, but I didn't find this book cheesy at all (unlike most extreme horror books). Very fast-paced.. a quick read. Got my heart going a couple times and sometimes made me feel like a perv for reading it. Which means 5 stars.
July 31, 2020
Well... that was fucked.
3.5🌟
3.5🌟
January 26, 2021
Loved the story line! Brilliant!
August 19, 2022
2.5/5
Overrated. Didn’t hate it though. Most of the time we’re just waiting for characters to find out what we already know, and I was just bored a lot of the time. I like how White writes paranoia… and some of the kills were pretty gnarly, but overall the book never came alive (pun intended), and the finale felt so rushed.
Overrated. Didn’t hate it though. Most of the time we’re just waiting for characters to find out what we already know, and I was just bored a lot of the time. I like how White writes paranoia… and some of the kills were pretty gnarly, but overall the book never came alive (pun intended), and the finale felt so rushed.
June 24, 2023
Full reviews at https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/chr...
Oh look, it’s a character I absolutely loathe… Fucking Dale.
Dale has a gift. He thinks it’s from God but anyone else knows it’s from Satan. When Dale becomes obsessed with his neighbor, things get rape-y. Real rape-y. Can Sarah and Josh prove that Dale is not the wimp he pretends to be or will they end up falling apart?
I don’t know how Wrath does it. He makes me hate a character so much that I beg the literary Gods to kill them off. THE RESURRECTIONIST is fucking intense and stress causing. There are so many twists and turns you have to hold on for dear life not to get thrown off.
Did I love this book? Yes. Did I cuss Wrath? Yes, and I’ll do it again, ha.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND. 4.5/5.
Oh look, it’s a character I absolutely loathe… Fucking Dale.
Dale has a gift. He thinks it’s from God but anyone else knows it’s from Satan. When Dale becomes obsessed with his neighbor, things get rape-y. Real rape-y. Can Sarah and Josh prove that Dale is not the wimp he pretends to be or will they end up falling apart?
I don’t know how Wrath does it. He makes me hate a character so much that I beg the literary Gods to kill them off. THE RESURRECTIONIST is fucking intense and stress causing. There are so many twists and turns you have to hold on for dear life not to get thrown off.
Did I love this book? Yes. Did I cuss Wrath? Yes, and I’ll do it again, ha.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND. 4.5/5.
March 25, 2011
Contains spoilers.
I was expecting this to be a hardcore read but was disappointed. It's fairly tame with some gore, mainly towards the end. It has a lot of gooey "i love you babe" dialogue and cuddling. The "victims" of Dale's violence for me were dislikeable and i couldn't empathise with them. The character Josh is a thug who bullies smaller people off the street in once scene for getting in his way and viciously punches 2 people in the face because they cut him up driving. The author can't make his mind up about this character either. At the start of the book he grabs a gun and is about to execute Dale because of his wife's dream: " I'm going to put a couple of hollow points in Dale's head" he says. She stops his impetuousness. Later the author writes "Josh wasn't the type to just shoot the guy down in cold blood and spend the rest of his life in jail". The female character Sarah is written as the authors perfect woman and totally unbelievable, a beautiful nymphomaniac into kinky sex who lives for her husband.
The protagonist Josh is such a dumb idiot that he's not a particular interesting villain. We are supposed to believe he has been doing this for years and has never been caught but he can't even wear a condom when raping his victims. And he kills them in the messiest manner possible resulting in blood everywhere.
In the end he is even so stupid as to take Sarah back to her house when it is swarming with cops.
The premise is interesting but the author expects the reader to assume it without any explanation. We never find out why Dale is able to resurrect and why Sarah is able to recall his attacks afterwards whereas everyone else forgets.
I actually quite liked the ending, though it ends hurriedly.
The author has none of the insight of a Clive Barker or King, it's pretty simple writing style.
I guess if you like Dean Koontz with a bit more gore you may get a kick out of this. For me it didn't deliver.
I was expecting this to be a hardcore read but was disappointed. It's fairly tame with some gore, mainly towards the end. It has a lot of gooey "i love you babe" dialogue and cuddling. The "victims" of Dale's violence for me were dislikeable and i couldn't empathise with them. The character Josh is a thug who bullies smaller people off the street in once scene for getting in his way and viciously punches 2 people in the face because they cut him up driving. The author can't make his mind up about this character either. At the start of the book he grabs a gun and is about to execute Dale because of his wife's dream: " I'm going to put a couple of hollow points in Dale's head" he says. She stops his impetuousness. Later the author writes "Josh wasn't the type to just shoot the guy down in cold blood and spend the rest of his life in jail". The female character Sarah is written as the authors perfect woman and totally unbelievable, a beautiful nymphomaniac into kinky sex who lives for her husband.
The protagonist Josh is such a dumb idiot that he's not a particular interesting villain. We are supposed to believe he has been doing this for years and has never been caught but he can't even wear a condom when raping his victims. And he kills them in the messiest manner possible resulting in blood everywhere.
In the end he is even so stupid as to take Sarah back to her house when it is swarming with cops.
The premise is interesting but the author expects the reader to assume it without any explanation. We never find out why Dale is able to resurrect and why Sarah is able to recall his attacks afterwards whereas everyone else forgets.
I actually quite liked the ending, though it ends hurriedly.
The author has none of the insight of a Clive Barker or King, it's pretty simple writing style.
I guess if you like Dean Koontz with a bit more gore you may get a kick out of this. For me it didn't deliver.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2022
What a book! I’ve been told by so many people that I needed to read this one since I love extreme horror/splatterpunk, and I can definitely say that it did not disappoint! The only reason I’m docking a star is because of the supernatural aspect of “resurrecting”… I’m just not the biggest fan of supernatural when it comes to extreme horror- I always prefer my extreme horror novels to be completely realistic. Other than that, though, this book was fantastic. The shock factor was definitely there with tons of trigger warnings, lots of blood and gore, and a bunch of creepy situations. This book was extremely disturbing, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time- just the way I like it. Well done, Wrath James White, well done!
February 9, 2015
Pretty messed up book. Gruesome vile and horrific. Kind of poor middle spoiled it from being a 5 star.
August 7, 2023
This was my first book by Mr. White. The blurb on the cover by Jack Ketchum is the most honest one I think I have ever read. No hype or empty endorsements. This book made me more than just cringe. I can also say that I would not want to be alone in a dark alley with this man.
When a man moves in across the street from a young couple, they go out to welcome him. They get the vibe that he's more than just creepy. It seems that he can bring people back to life that he kills. He really likes the wife that greeted him. He keeps liking her until her life and others around her start to fall apart.
There was so much sex and violence in here it's mind boggling. Some pretty sadist stuff too. Not for the faint of heart. The ending, which I guessed wrongly about, was a real stinger.
When a man moves in across the street from a young couple, they go out to welcome him. They get the vibe that he's more than just creepy. It seems that he can bring people back to life that he kills. He really likes the wife that greeted him. He keeps liking her until her life and others around her start to fall apart.
There was so much sex and violence in here it's mind boggling. Some pretty sadist stuff too. Not for the faint of heart. The ending, which I guessed wrongly about, was a real stinger.
March 17, 2022
Edited to add because I just thought of this:
The introduction did disturb me because it went from 0-100 very quickly. It was very unexpected and detailed and messed up, but the rest of the book seemed like a replay of the same thing if that makes sense.
This was ridiculous 😂 The violence was very vivid and graphic, I got a very detailed picture of all the f’d up things happening, but it was all just too ridiculous and over the top to disturb or upset me in the slightest. The writing otherwise was fine, if a bit corny, but yeah, I will probably check out more of the authors stuff.
The introduction did disturb me because it went from 0-100 very quickly. It was very unexpected and detailed and messed up, but the rest of the book seemed like a replay of the same thing if that makes sense.
This was ridiculous 😂 The violence was very vivid and graphic, I got a very detailed picture of all the f’d up things happening, but it was all just too ridiculous and over the top to disturb or upset me in the slightest. The writing otherwise was fine, if a bit corny, but yeah, I will probably check out more of the authors stuff.
October 6, 2021
Loved from start to finish. Exceeded my expectations. The writing was smooth and all the characters felt real to me. I had a great time throughout the book and wished it was longer. Even though it’s very supernatural, it wasn’t over the top and cheesy. It’s hardcore, raw, and extremely graphic but it was executed very well. Will recommend to other hardcore horror fans.
November 3, 2021
What did I just read
January 10, 2014
In order to represent this book accurately, I would like to share with you a few paragraphs from the novel that I feel represent the entirety of this book perfectly.
****
Blood poured from Harry's face in a steady down-pour. The ragged hole where Harry's nose had been was now a bleeding crater in the center of the detective's face.
"You ready to talk now, Detective Harry? Or do I have to pull out my c**k and f**k that hole in your face? With all that blood and mucus, I bet it feels just like pu**y. Come on, Detective. Don't make me keep hurting you. Just tell me what I want to know. Tell me where Sarah is."
The detective shook his head. Dale began to unzip his pants and unbuckle his belt.
"I guess you're going to get skull-f**ked then. Please, don't think I'm enjoying this. Well, actually, I'm loving every f**king minute of it."
The detective began thrashing his head back and forth and trying to break free from his bonds. The chair rocked forward and backward and then fell over. Dale straddled the chair and looked down at Harry. The detective was still shaking his head back and forth. Dale knelt on the detective's chest with his stubby, stiffening c**k above the old cop's face.
"Don't worry. I cum quick."
Dale grabbed Harry's face in both hands and held it still. The old detective's screams vibrated up through his nostrils sending tremors up through Dale's organ. True to his word, Dale ejaculated after a few quick strokes. The detective vegan gagging and choking as Dale's seed obstructed his breathing. With the tape still covering his mouth the detective could not spit out Dale's semen, neither could he breathe through his mouth. First he tried to sneeze out but without nostrils he only succeeded in making cum bubbles. - Wrath James White
****
Cum bubbles.
Excuse my while I go roll around on the floor and laugh my a** off.
You can't really spoil much about this book. Everything follows a set path and you can see the plot "twists" coming from a mile away. Essentially, the story is about a man named Dale who kills people, rapes their corpses and then brings them back to life again (them having no memory of what happened) only for Dale to kill and rape them again.
The book is never-ending violence without reason and features some of the most one-dimensional characters that I have ever seen. Nothing that happens in the book is explained or makes any sense, and the decisions of the character's are baffling at best. Why Dale acts like a monster is never explained to my satisfaction. He was apparently born a serial killer. I'm sorry, but I do not think Dale's "transformation" into a killer is realistic at all. One does not become a brutal murderer and torturer by simply seeing your Mother raped and killed. He dismisses what he does because he can bring them back, so its not murder after all. See the logic? He brings them back apparently because "murder is a sin." So brutally torturing and raping people isn't?
I have to warn you now. This book is very violent and graphic. I've seen the worst horror has to offer, so I'm virtually numb to gore. However, don't expect the gore to be light.
Dale falls in love with Sarah, our main heroine. Our two main characters are Sarah and her husband Josh. Everyone in this book literally imitates every high school cliche ever. Sarah is a mix between the annoying Tomboy and Cheerleader/Diva characters, which has become ever-increasing in popularity in cinema today. Josh is the dumb Jock, who's only saving grace is the love he has for Sarah. Dale is like Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory if Sheldon was batsh*t insane. All of the detectives that appear in various instances in the book don't have a personality at all, except for one - a black woman (who's name I don't even remember but it might be Tria or something) who is essentially the Mammy black stereotype.
In combination with the horrible nonsensical ending, this book makes for a fairly un-inspiring read. The ending which happens in only the last two pages I didn't see coming at all, at least. However, the ending nor the book make any sense. Nothing the characters do make any sense at all, and EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER is so comically stupid and dumb that it's hilarious. Everyone is making the worst decisions possible and there is little to no character development. One blaring example is Sarah and Josh's failure to completely fail to tell the detective staying with them that Dale is hiding in their house somewhere, which obviously leads to disaster. Dale has to be dumbest out of the bunch, if not Josh. Sarah at least has her moments of intelligence, though that still doesn't make me have sympathy for her.
Why am I giving this two stars then? Because the book is well-written. The writing itself doesn't come off Juvenile at all, even if plot and the characters are. I can tell that Wrath James White put effort in writing this book and obviously cared about it. The writing itself was good enough for me to finish the entire book. I don't hate the book. This book was actually a fun read, even though I had to shut my brain off in order to enjoy it. The folks who read this, at least get the respect of not being taken for granted.
However, this book doesn't deserve more then two stars in my opinion. There are a lot better horror stories then this. Only read it if you're bored and don't have anything else on your plate at the moment.
****
Blood poured from Harry's face in a steady down-pour. The ragged hole where Harry's nose had been was now a bleeding crater in the center of the detective's face.
"You ready to talk now, Detective Harry? Or do I have to pull out my c**k and f**k that hole in your face? With all that blood and mucus, I bet it feels just like pu**y. Come on, Detective. Don't make me keep hurting you. Just tell me what I want to know. Tell me where Sarah is."
The detective shook his head. Dale began to unzip his pants and unbuckle his belt.
"I guess you're going to get skull-f**ked then. Please, don't think I'm enjoying this. Well, actually, I'm loving every f**king minute of it."
The detective began thrashing his head back and forth and trying to break free from his bonds. The chair rocked forward and backward and then fell over. Dale straddled the chair and looked down at Harry. The detective was still shaking his head back and forth. Dale knelt on the detective's chest with his stubby, stiffening c**k above the old cop's face.
"Don't worry. I cum quick."
Dale grabbed Harry's face in both hands and held it still. The old detective's screams vibrated up through his nostrils sending tremors up through Dale's organ. True to his word, Dale ejaculated after a few quick strokes. The detective vegan gagging and choking as Dale's seed obstructed his breathing. With the tape still covering his mouth the detective could not spit out Dale's semen, neither could he breathe through his mouth. First he tried to sneeze out but without nostrils he only succeeded in making cum bubbles. - Wrath James White
****
Cum bubbles.
Excuse my while I go roll around on the floor and laugh my a** off.
You can't really spoil much about this book. Everything follows a set path and you can see the plot "twists" coming from a mile away. Essentially, the story is about a man named Dale who kills people, rapes their corpses and then brings them back to life again (them having no memory of what happened) only for Dale to kill and rape them again.
The book is never-ending violence without reason and features some of the most one-dimensional characters that I have ever seen. Nothing that happens in the book is explained or makes any sense, and the decisions of the character's are baffling at best. Why Dale acts like a monster is never explained to my satisfaction. He was apparently born a serial killer. I'm sorry, but I do not think Dale's "transformation" into a killer is realistic at all. One does not become a brutal murderer and torturer by simply seeing your Mother raped and killed. He dismisses what he does because he can bring them back, so its not murder after all. See the logic? He brings them back apparently because "murder is a sin." So brutally torturing and raping people isn't?
I have to warn you now. This book is very violent and graphic. I've seen the worst horror has to offer, so I'm virtually numb to gore. However, don't expect the gore to be light.
Dale falls in love with Sarah, our main heroine. Our two main characters are Sarah and her husband Josh. Everyone in this book literally imitates every high school cliche ever. Sarah is a mix between the annoying Tomboy and Cheerleader/Diva characters, which has become ever-increasing in popularity in cinema today. Josh is the dumb Jock, who's only saving grace is the love he has for Sarah. Dale is like Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory if Sheldon was batsh*t insane. All of the detectives that appear in various instances in the book don't have a personality at all, except for one - a black woman (who's name I don't even remember but it might be Tria or something) who is essentially the Mammy black stereotype.
In combination with the horrible nonsensical ending, this book makes for a fairly un-inspiring read. The ending which happens in only the last two pages I didn't see coming at all, at least. However, the ending nor the book make any sense. Nothing the characters do make any sense at all, and EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER is so comically stupid and dumb that it's hilarious. Everyone is making the worst decisions possible and there is little to no character development. One blaring example is Sarah and Josh's failure to completely fail to tell the detective staying with them that Dale is hiding in their house somewhere, which obviously leads to disaster. Dale has to be dumbest out of the bunch, if not Josh. Sarah at least has her moments of intelligence, though that still doesn't make me have sympathy for her.
Why am I giving this two stars then? Because the book is well-written. The writing itself doesn't come off Juvenile at all, even if plot and the characters are. I can tell that Wrath James White put effort in writing this book and obviously cared about it. The writing itself was good enough for me to finish the entire book. I don't hate the book. This book was actually a fun read, even though I had to shut my brain off in order to enjoy it. The folks who read this, at least get the respect of not being taken for granted.
However, this book doesn't deserve more then two stars in my opinion. There are a lot better horror stories then this. Only read it if you're bored and don't have anything else on your plate at the moment.
July 24, 2020
2.5 stars.
I’m struggling with this one.
In order to explain why, I have to use some minor spoilers. And those minor spoilers contain a trigger warning for sexual assault.
Ready? Here we go.
Dale has a unique ability. He can resurrect the recently deceased. As long as rigor mortis hasn’t set in, he can breathe into a dead person’s lungs & bring them back to life. Their heart & lungs will start, their wounds will heal, & the person will remember none of the event that killed them.
Here’s the rub: Instead of using his power for good, Dale uses it for ill. Very, very ill. He selects a woman & rapes & murders her over & over again for a period of weeks, knowing he can clean up the crime scene, bring her back to life, & she’ll be none the wiser. When he gets bored, he moves on to a new victim.
Enter Sarah. She’s Dale’s new obsession, & he begins his normal routine, raping & murderering her night after night. But this time there’s a catch: Sarah remembers.
Memories of Dale’s assaults come to her in her dreams, & at this point the book becomes a thriller as she tries to convince her husband Josh & the Las Vegas police that her neighbor is not just raping her (& occasionally Josh), but he’s killing & resurrecting both of them every night without leaving any evidence behind.
So, look: it’s a compelling plot. And it’s profoundly, genuinely unsettling. But for some inexplicable reason, Wrath James White renders Dale’s attacks in the most gratuitously violent imagery I think I’ve ever read. The rapes, the murders: all described so vividly White seems to be intentionally crossing the line from description into provocation.
There is, to put it simply, no need for it. It serves no narrative purpose. We’d be repulsed by Dale no matter what. So that means the imagery serves some other purpose I’d rather not contemplate.
Aside from that, the rest of the book is poorly sequenced (including an interminable sequence about a Vegas shopping trip) & written in strikingly graceless prose featuring laughably phony dialogue.
But I was never bored. It somehow works despite itself. Just tread carefully.
I’m struggling with this one.
In order to explain why, I have to use some minor spoilers. And those minor spoilers contain a trigger warning for sexual assault.
Ready? Here we go.
Dale has a unique ability. He can resurrect the recently deceased. As long as rigor mortis hasn’t set in, he can breathe into a dead person’s lungs & bring them back to life. Their heart & lungs will start, their wounds will heal, & the person will remember none of the event that killed them.
Here’s the rub: Instead of using his power for good, Dale uses it for ill. Very, very ill. He selects a woman & rapes & murders her over & over again for a period of weeks, knowing he can clean up the crime scene, bring her back to life, & she’ll be none the wiser. When he gets bored, he moves on to a new victim.
Enter Sarah. She’s Dale’s new obsession, & he begins his normal routine, raping & murderering her night after night. But this time there’s a catch: Sarah remembers.
Memories of Dale’s assaults come to her in her dreams, & at this point the book becomes a thriller as she tries to convince her husband Josh & the Las Vegas police that her neighbor is not just raping her (& occasionally Josh), but he’s killing & resurrecting both of them every night without leaving any evidence behind.
So, look: it’s a compelling plot. And it’s profoundly, genuinely unsettling. But for some inexplicable reason, Wrath James White renders Dale’s attacks in the most gratuitously violent imagery I think I’ve ever read. The rapes, the murders: all described so vividly White seems to be intentionally crossing the line from description into provocation.
There is, to put it simply, no need for it. It serves no narrative purpose. We’d be repulsed by Dale no matter what. So that means the imagery serves some other purpose I’d rather not contemplate.
Aside from that, the rest of the book is poorly sequenced (including an interminable sequence about a Vegas shopping trip) & written in strikingly graceless prose featuring laughably phony dialogue.
But I was never bored. It somehow works despite itself. Just tread carefully.
April 30, 2012
First off, I have to say the first thing that caught my interest was the highly original story premise, and the book delivered in that department. This book is genuinely creepy, and after finishing it all I could think was "wow" with a mix a shock and horror. There is imagery this book created in my head that I don't think I will ever be able to forget, and some of it I would like to, because it is that gross. Without giving any details away, the ending is absolutely frightening by its implications. The storyline is also captivating and totally cringe worthy. This is seriously one the most original, demented, and haunting horror novels I have read in a very long time (and I have read 100's). Very few books impact me in such a way that I have to go talk to others about them, but this book did. Now, onto the part of why I gave it four stars- this book is brutally graphic. Rape/torture/ and murder are VERY graphically depicted- to the point that my husband read just a part of this book and was like "no thank you" because it was so repulsive to him. But if you are cool with Jack Ketchum and Richard Layton style depictions of violence (and beyond…) then I TOTALLY recommend this book! It also was a bit easy of a read; I finished this book in an evening. Nonetheless it’s a good all-around brutal horror tale of what happens when an amazing blessing/miracle is bestowed on a completely demented sociopath.
February 14, 2010
It is my opinion that what makes Wrath James White's The Resurrectionist so good, as with all great books, are the characters. Josh and Sarah are like real people, and I cared about them and didn't want to witness the terrible things that happen to them after Dale, a serial killer with a unique gift to resurrect the dead, moves in across the street.
Dale, who uses his power to fulfill his darkest desires, thinks that Sarah is perhaps one of the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, so he seeks to sneak into her house late at night to continuously rape, kill, and then resurrect her--not always in that order. Sarah shouldn't be able to remember what he's doing to her, and she doesn't, not completely, but there is a faint memory of Dale executing his sick passion onto her. Now, she has to convince Josh, her husband, that something is terribly wrong with their new neighbour.
The Resurrectionist is of the sickest, most twisted books I've ever read. Not for the weak of stomach or faint of heart. Dale is one of the sickest Character's I ever had the pleasure to read about, and he was fun to follow for that reason alone. I would recommend The Resurrectionist to any fan of extreme horror. And if you also like your characters to breathe off the page, you will not be disappointed.
Dale, who uses his power to fulfill his darkest desires, thinks that Sarah is perhaps one of the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, so he seeks to sneak into her house late at night to continuously rape, kill, and then resurrect her--not always in that order. Sarah shouldn't be able to remember what he's doing to her, and she doesn't, not completely, but there is a faint memory of Dale executing his sick passion onto her. Now, she has to convince Josh, her husband, that something is terribly wrong with their new neighbour.
The Resurrectionist is of the sickest, most twisted books I've ever read. Not for the weak of stomach or faint of heart. Dale is one of the sickest Character's I ever had the pleasure to read about, and he was fun to follow for that reason alone. I would recommend The Resurrectionist to any fan of extreme horror. And if you also like your characters to breathe off the page, you will not be disappointed.
June 27, 2012
I will remember and talk about this book for years to come. It is the only horror I've ever read that had me on the verge of nausea, and that's quite a feat.
The storyline was great, and once I got started, it was hard to put down. Living in Las Vegas myself, I could really see and relate to many of the places, but the story was written well enough that even if you didn't live in Vegas, you felt like you did.
It was a about a young couple who get a new, creepy neighbor. One of the main characters begins having nightmares about this scrawny, awkward-looking guy, only they're not nightmares, they're actual horrifying, gruesome acts of torture he's performing on them night after night. He's able to bring them back to life, "resurrect" them, when he's finished killing them. It's such a cool concept, and the author pulls it off quite nicely, although I wasn't too sure about the ending.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book overall, and recommend it to all horror fans. There are only a few parts that will make you squirm, and the beginning is one. If you can make it through that scene, you're golden.
The storyline was great, and once I got started, it was hard to put down. Living in Las Vegas myself, I could really see and relate to many of the places, but the story was written well enough that even if you didn't live in Vegas, you felt like you did.
It was a about a young couple who get a new, creepy neighbor. One of the main characters begins having nightmares about this scrawny, awkward-looking guy, only they're not nightmares, they're actual horrifying, gruesome acts of torture he's performing on them night after night. He's able to bring them back to life, "resurrect" them, when he's finished killing them. It's such a cool concept, and the author pulls it off quite nicely, although I wasn't too sure about the ending.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book overall, and recommend it to all horror fans. There are only a few parts that will make you squirm, and the beginning is one. If you can make it through that scene, you're golden.
February 16, 2013
This was one demented, gory, disgusting book. Which can be a good thing, it is in the same vein as Edward Lee's work. Rape, perversion, incredible amounts of graphic violence, that sort of thing...definitely takes a strong stomach to get through. Despite the main characters who are so ridiculous and cliche...huge neanderthal like man and his kind of annoying money hungry nympho of a wife...the book was a pretty compelling read in a way that's a horrible car crash can be compelling. Killer ending, quite literraly. So fun might not be the right way to describe this book, but it was entertaining it its way and a quick read.
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