As I’ve lain in the hospital these past few months, I’ve had next to no energy to do anything except read. As a result, I’ve started rereading the old horror novels that I grew up on. Yes, a few are classics: Frankenstein, Dracula, most of Stephen King’s catalogue, but I’ve specifically searched out titles that shaped me as a young reader, and consequently, as a writer. Now that I’m finally free from the sterile walls of my hospital room, I can sit at my computer and officially review every single book that I read while cooped up.

Buckle up, folks. I read quite a bit while sick.

We’re going to start my nostalgia reading list with the first book in a series based on a 2005 horror TV show from the CW. Supernatural. Yep. Those Winchester boys continue to permeate my brain. (Don’t ask me about the last few seasons of the show. Ugh. What a wreck.)

It’s worth noting that Supernatural: Nevermore by Keith R.A. DeCandido takes place during season two of the show, between episodes “Crossroad Blues” (episode eight) and “Croatoan” (episode nine).

Dear reader, I don’t know if you had a long and involved fanfic phase growing up, but I most certainly did (still do if I have the time to invest). In the trenches of fanfic dot net (and later AO3), I developed a strong understanding of the characters in Supernatural. That means I’m picky and borderline snobbish when it comes to the description and utilization of the Winchester’s and their hanger-ons. It doesn’t help that, as an autistic kid, Supernatural became a special interest of mine for decades.

To the point that I have a handbound copy of a Supernatural/X-Men crossover fanfiction that I printed at school and bound at sixteen years old.

Hopefully, that helps put my passion into perspective. I’m doing my best to be fair and not hold Keith’s first foray into the universe against him. I’ll expand on this point later on.

If you’ve never seen the show, let me give you a brief rundown. It’s, ultimately, a story about two brothers that live out of their car and travel across the United States hunting demons, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and any other ghoulish beast that goes bump in the night (including actual ghouls!). The book starts just like 99% of Supernatural episodes do: with five minutes of a stranger or two walking headfirst into danger and then being horribly mauled to death.

The first scene opens with two college students, one named John Soeder and the other named Kevin Bayer, walking down 188th Street in the Bronx. They chat about classes, an upcoming party, but their evening comes to a sudden and bloody end when an Orangutan, hopped up on meth, comes out of the shadows and beats them both to death. What an exciting start, right?

It should have been. Unfortunately, the author spends most of the opening scene crafting an ode to New York and its various boroughs instead of creating any suspense at all.

The blurb on the back of the book tells us we’re going to read about an Edgar Allen Poe-themed haunting, and the author follows through. A series of murders based on Poe’s poems and stories draws Sam and Dean Winchester into the Bronx, where they meet the lead singer of an ’80s heavy metal band who is haunted by a lovestruck banshee. These two plots intertwine to create a story that’s mostly fast-paced and easy to read, but one that, to me, just wasn’t exciting.

We meet a full cast of characters- a handful of them with their own motives to commit the horrific murders, and a few others who turn out to be fellow monster hunters. The foreshadowing is clear, and there’s follow-through with every plot thread. It’s a solidly built book. For me, it just lacks oomph. Let me explain.

In my opinion, the author created a self-insert character in the opening scene (and that’s not a bad thing). I’ve read and written enough fanfiction to understand the allure of adding yourself ‘secretly’ into the story. That can be a fun easter egg for readers to discover. Heck, season four of the show added a quasi-self-insert for the writers, and that character became one of the most beloved characters in the show. In this case, though, I think it was a bit of a fumble.

In the first couple of pages, Keith’s self-insert character talks about his love for the city as well as a few writing tips and tricks. He notes how ‘good writers’ make sure not to repeat themselves since that bores the readers (and I tend to agree). It’s unfortunate that he then went on to repeat himself more than a dozen times throughout the short book. It felt like Keith focused on the wrong details. Rather than nailing Sam and Dean’s characters and crafting an interesting plot, he made sure the details of New York and those related points were accurate. 

Keith DeCandido is not a bad writer. Far from it. I wouldn’t call him great or a genius, but when I was reading, I didn’t struggle with the flow or pace. It was a smooth read, and that was what I needed at the time. So, I appreciate it for that.

As an author and ghost writer, I understand the unique challenge of capturing a character’s voice that you had no input in creating. Sadly, I don’t think DeCandido managed to successfully grasp the vibe of the Winchesters in this first novel. I remember being disappointed when I read it in 2007, as well. As I was reading, I kept wondering how much time Keith had to watch the series and get invested in the characters before he had to jump into writing. It’s clear he at least watched the first two seasons, but I can’t help asking myself how deep into character analysis did he got?

I believe this is where my dissatisfaction with the novel lies. The Sam and Dean in this novel don’t feel like the Sam and Dean from the show. The issue is, I know that’s because I have two decades with these characters, whereas this author had two years. It’s hard not to hold those expectations up against this book.

I ended up giving his next book in the Supernatural series a shot. See one of my next reviews for that. For now, let’s talk ratings.

The Scares

As scary as the TV show can be (and it can be seriously horrifying), this book didn’t quite hit that spooky level I was hoping for. There were a handful of points in the book where I sat up and said to myself, “Oh, now it’s getting good!” only for it to almost immediately fall off. Two stars for the parts that had the hair on the back of my neck rising. ⭐⭐ 

The Writing

Unfortunately, the writing wasn’t solid enough for me to get really invested in the story. That’s primarily caused by the repeated use of phrases back-to-back and the focus on the geography rather than the main characters. ⭐

Overall Rating

My main disconnect is the characterization of Sam and Dean. It’s not a bad book if this is your first foray into the world of Supernatural, but for established fans? Unless your curiosity is overwhelming, this wouldn’t be in my top recommendations. ⭐⭐⭐