The Overleden: Hell on Earth
Jasmine is a bright, popular teenage girl doing her best to navigate all the struggles of adolescence. Her father’s unexpected passing has made her rebellious and resentful toward anyone outside of her immediate circle. Disobedience has driven a wedge between her and her mother, and it ultimately leads to Jasmine’s departure to her grandmother’s house, where mysterious events start to unfold. Her boyfriend Jake, the school's top athlete and the person she trusts the most, is in denial until terrifying occurrences place fear into his heart of steel.
Unaware of the peculiar circumstances, Jasmine’s best friend Katelyn escapes a violent relationship and travels to visit Jasmine. On arrival, she becomes deeply involved in the mayhem. Jake and Jasmine’s other childhood friends are also pulled into the spine-chilling drama. Soon, cracks of connivance and betrayal are exposed in the group when the situation becomes rife with danger.
All the escalating ghastly events Jasmine and her friends must face are related to the secret of the soul-stripping Overleden—a secret that has been kept obscure for thousands of years. Find out the mystery behind the secret, discover why it was clandestine, and behold the darkness of its unprecedented power.
Some things are just not meant to be.
This novel is a complex lattice with sub-stories traversed between them, creating a magnificent performance worth becoming a movie. Or two, I must say, because here we have material for weeks.
Let's start from the beginning. I like how the author introduces the several characters (Jasmine, her mother, her boyfriend, friends...) but without stopping to develop impossible descriptions which would make the book tedious and even more massive. No, Simmons knows what he is doing and keeps you awake, not abandoning a shuddering style of story-telling that doesn't allow you to put the book down. You just don't find the moment. It's that "just one more page" kind of book. I read it in two goes.
Once Jasmine gets into the grandmother's house, then the fun begins. But not how you are expecting, the author hides from the blurb all the intensity and volume of the catastrophes these poor protagonists go through.
An average haunted house book? Hell no. The house is the least of the problems in a hurricane of unfortunate curses and demonic appearances which are not willing to put their guns down.
I LOVED the old school horror elements Simmons veils in the plot. While you are reading it, you have flavours in your mouth from the past, the references would be numerous, and that is one of the reasons why this book is so rich and diverse.
The convulsive component is what ties everything up together. You NEVER expect what is next, when you think the story-line MUST be finishing, you realise you're only halfway through the book and the game —it's just started.
He makes you feel. That's why you're going to love this book. As the characters played their roles, I literally said out loud things like "man, don't do that"; "girl, you're gonna die"; "alright, I was wrong."; "no way?!".
The author makes you conversate to yourself and he turns into a mere spectator of the world he's created around you. And I'm certain he smirks.
A book "magnifique". Far more horror than you are expecting. Simmons pushes all your fibres, just in case one part of you wasn't still scared.
I honestly recommend this book. I wasn't aware when I read the blurb and received this book, of such a masterpiece I was holding.
I can see the hard work, the long nights and the endless effort this book must have meant for the author.
Congratulations, sincere and deep congratulations.
Link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J1N149Z
