Joyride

No matter what, Jack is a great writer, but this wasn't my favorite. Good, but not great. Still recommend.

So, I just finished Jack Ketchum's Joy Ride, and I want to write this while my emotions are still fresh.This story was, in my opinion, only worth three stars, meaning it was just "okay." All the workings of a typical Ketchum novel are here, but for some reason this story didn't do it for me. There was really no one to root for, no one to care about. What pulled me out of the story, and away from the characters, many times, was the complete lack of direction this seemed to have. It followed too many characters' perspectives, and only close enough so that you're almost allowed to know them, but not really.Now, whether my distaste for this novel is due to Ketchum's storytelling, or the long list of spelling, grammar, and punctuational errors I found due to editorial oversight, I can't be sure. Whoever edited this novel, should be fired. The story could definitely benefit from another round or two of editing.Another gripe of mine is the ending. I know, from following Jack Ketchum on Facebook, that Mr. Ketchum's very anti-gun. This, however, seems to hurt his novels where firearms are concerned, especially when being read by a gun enthusiast. There is absolutely no consideration for bullet trajectory or accuracy here, and it's very frustrating. As terrified of firearms as Mr. Ketchum is, it'd do him some good to educate himself with them.A few things that should be considered, is that while a snub-nose .38 is extremely lethal, it's not very accurate at longer distances. Yet Wayne was hitting moving targets like he was Lee Harvey Oswald. And, if being fired through the rear window of a car, most likely the bullet would not follow the intended path of trajectory after ricocheting off the glass. Are these events impossible? Probably not. But they do feel highly unlikely, playing out more like a cheesy 80's action film or a 70's western film than a novel attempting realism. And simply stating your main character is an excellent shot, isn't enough to justify him playing Clint Eastwood with a snub-nose .38. Give him a 1911 Colt .45, and well informed readers will know the seriousness of his skill.

Ketchum's books are never easy to recommend, per se. What Ketchum does, he does very well, but what he does is often brutal, nihilistic, and ultimately so without hope or optimism that his books are hard to take, and Joyride is no exception. Inspired by a couple of real cases, Joyride is the story of a young woman who, with the help of her lover, decides to murder her husband for the abuse he constantly doles out. What they don't know is that they are observed doing this by a young man who thinks he's found kindred spirits for the murderous thoughts inside of him, and he kidnaps them and takes them on a car ride filled with murder and violence. (The secondary piece in Joyride, a short novella called "Weed Species," is perhaps even more brutal and horrific, and revolves around a couple who preys on the weak and the devastation they leave in their path, both physically and emotionally.) As I said, there's something inherently powerful about Ketchum's work, which looks long and hard and evil and attempts to find an understanding of what drives it, and his unflinching looks at these events have a raw and brutal power that's hard to deny. But it's also so grim and hopeless that the cumulative effect can be hard to take, and in the end, there are legitimate questions about whether the books are confronting evil or reveling in it (and I don't deny those questions). All I can say is that Ketchum's books are horrific in a way that few books manage, and I keep coming back despite (or maybe because of) the unease they provoke in me.

This is the story of a serial killer but not one who operates in the usual way. Wayne is on a killing spree, finding victims of opportunity as he drives on his "joyride." He is not alone, however; he has taken two prisioners who he wants to be witnesses to his evil. They are a woman and her lover who he has seen murder her violent ex-husband. The novel moves rapidly from one senseless killing to another with a degree of suspense. It holds the reader's attention. The characters are straight forward and easy to understand, which adds to the horror fun.The second story in the book is a sort of novella. In the beginning pages, the story is definded by horrific brutality. It depicts wickedness in a most graphic, twisted, perverted form. Its descriptive narrative is shocking and perverse. Can anyone really be like these characters? The story becomes less gruesome as it progresses. As horror is the name of the game, I'll let you be the judge. Reviewed by the author of The Children's Story, A Novel Not for Children (about good and evil).

This book takes its readers on a ride with a psychopath who, up until now, has buried his urges deep. He's been too much of a coward to act on them. That, however, is all about to change.It all begins when Wayne, a simple bartender, try's to chokes his girlfriend to death while on a hike. She, of course, is none too happy about his actions and runs off leaving him sitting alone. It’s at this time he sees a couple committing a brutal murder, and it’s this act that awakens Wayne's inner-psycho. He begins a murder spree but not on his own—oh no. He wants witnesses to his senseless reign of terror and whom better to observe than the couple that he just watched murder a manThis manuscript brings its reader sex, horror, and mayhem the three things that Ketchum has always been so talented at bringing to life. Joyride is a compelling, but tragic, drama with some nasty little twist making it markedly enticing.

I'm very surprised at some of the lousy reviews that this novel has had. But that's people for you, I guess.Well, I'm going to give it a five star rating and it was well worthy of that.Jack Ketchum has a brilliant style that basically bridges a gab between the dark thriller and pure horror. And for me, that's a nice approach. I liked his highly plausible characters and the story actually has dragged together bits and bobs of actual spree killing cases. And when you read this novel you could imagine this happening. It doesn't have a silly, comic-strip feel to it like some horror writers have. Instead, what you have is a real scary journey of chaos and carnage and its a real page turner as the plot unfolds.A couple are abducted by a psychopath who makes them watch his murderous crimes and vendetta against innocent society. The story is brutal, gory, and you can take it either as a thriller or as a horror novel. But then, that is up to you.I loved his novels: 'The Lost and 'Red', and both made a great impact on me both as a reader and also, as a writer myself of such fiction. And Jack really has written some fine fiction indeed. I could write a more in-depth review of this novel but I really don't want to spoil it for anyone. That wouldn't be fair. But all I can conclude on is that I loved it and it is a must for fans of Jack.Full marks - loved it!

I just found it too basic, with little tension as I cared nothing for the characters. Having read a couple of other books by the same author I suspect that I simply don't appreciate his blunt, spare, action driven style. (That can occasionally work for me but I was bored by this book, which had neither interesting characters nor edge-of -your-seat thrills.)

Si te molan las historias de asesinos en serie de verdad, este es tu libro

Entretenido y bien escrito. Recomendable.