Tag Archives: David Kummer

book reviews, novel

The Band by David Kummer. A Review .

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OVERVIEW

An exciting tale of violence and mystery.

WHAT AMAZON SAYS

Because of Johnny, I went with the band. Because of Kate, I stayed. They played anywhere, all through Appalachia. They were the best show for miles around. But even I didn’t expect Oakville to be the end.Oakville, WV. It was supposed to be a quiet place: to catch our breaths, to fall in love. It was a chance to know each other completely. As long as Johnny didn’t find out.It would also be the last show they ever played.In a foggy Appalachian town, one of us wouldn’t make it home. And everyone else would never be the same.

STORY

This is a tale told in the first person. The protagonist is a young man, Aiden, who is the sound engineer with a band that is trying to break into the big time.

The Band have left their homes in Tennessee to travel around getting gigs wherever they can.They all have problems and reasons for wanting to spend the summer away from their families.

Tensions abound between the band members, but when they reach the small town of Oakville, things come to a head.

They play an impromptu gig outside the Courthouse one hot afternoon, which leads to a Saturday night gig in one of two bars in the town.

They find a week’s lodging in a run-down basement flat belonging to a mysterious old lady.

Then some gruesome murders take place. Rumour has it the old lady had killed three husbands and buried them in her garden.

Who has been killing the teenagers? Was it the old lady? Sam, a young man who appears to be following the band around? One of a biker gang, with whom the Band had an argument?

Nothing more shall be said by me as I don’t want to write a spoiler.

CHARACTERS

Aiden is the sound man for the Band. He has joined them because of problems at home. Like others in the Band, he’s running away from a dysfunctional family.

He has a thing for the only female in the band, but is lacking in confidence, so says nothing.

Johnny is the leader of the band. He is a very mixed up kid. With his family background making him crave attention, he is easily pushed into jealous outbursts if someone appears to be getting more than what he considers their correct amount.

He’s a bit of a loner, and often goes off on his own.

Kate, otherwise known as Echo, when in the Band, is a young woman who is an amazing singer. It’s she who ensures the Saturday night gig in Oakville. Whenever she sings, the place comes alive with her energy.

She enjoys nature and walking and often persuaded Aiden to go with her on her rambles. Sometimes she seems to reciprocate Aiden’s feelings, and at others she appears to think of him as just a friend.

River is a very good looking young man. The girls all fall over themselves for his attention, and he enjoys this aspect of being in the Band.

He is the most talented guitarist of them all, and also has a superb voice. He has his share of solos.

Finally, Bobby. He is known as Pistol in the Band, and is the drummer. He always wears a cowboy hat, and Aiden thinks he sounds ‘country’ when singing. He has ambitions to play guitar, but Johnny tells him he’s not good enough, so he sticks to the drums.

He seems to be about the most ‘normal’ of the Band.

The characters are all well-drawn and fully rounded, having both positive and negative traits. I’m not going to go into the others or this will never finish.

WRITING

David Kummer does an excellent job of building up the tension in this book. There are several places where I couldn’t have put it down if asked.

He uses the setting well to add to the tension. Hot sultry weather, sudden rain, rickety bridges etc.

There are a few typos, and some grammatical errors, but not enough to make me stop reading.

I did, however, get a bit irritated when he used ‘lay’ every time when it should be ‘lie.’ But as this is a very common error, I don’t suppose it would annoy most people.

I give it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4*

My ranking of books.

In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

book reviews, novel

Review of The Silent Forest by David Kummer

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OVERVIEW 

I am a fan of this young writer, and this book is as good as the others I’ve read. It is Book 2 in a horror series, and is as scary as Book 1.

BLURB

In New Haven, everything is changing. And there’s no going back now.

It’s been weeks since Allison went missing, and everyone has given up except for Kaia. New Haven mourns their dead as she keeps looking. And now, she’s starting to find answers.

As the unsolved cases pile up, a new discovery in the forest offers hope. But it also threatens to unbury all of New Haven’s darkest secrets.

For the Woods family, it will take everything they have. For Kaia, it’s the last chance.

There are some shadows you can’t keep underground.

STORY

In book 1, Kaia’s best friend, Alison, has disappeared into an abandoned house on the outskirts of the town. This house has been long-feared, and mysterious lights are often seen there.

After  searching for Alison, the townsfolk and the sheriff presume her to be dead.

In this book, we learn that Kaia does not believe her friend is dead, and determines to find Alison.

With a mystery boy, who appears not to know things any normal  boy would know (even about baseball) and the letters from an unknown source, we are plunged into a world of monstrous happenings.

Is Alison alive? Did her new husband kill her, as he claims? What is lurking in the old house, and will it venture forth to wreak havoc on the town?

I don’t want to give away too much, so I’ll stop there.

CHARACTERS 

There are many characters in this book, all of whom relate their bits of the story. This isn’t confusing, as David Kummer devotes a clearly named chapter to each.

Kaia is filled with anxiety for her friend. She has put off going to university for a year after the traumatic events of the previous few weeks. She is clearly suffering from PTSD. 

We see Malaki, Alison’s husband, gradually descend into madness after he and Alison visited the house, and their experiences there.

Naomi Woods is Kaia’s mother. She is a strong woman who will give everything to protect her children. This is a strength and a weakness.

Rhys is a mysterious boy. He was found in book 1 walking along the road at night and was taken in by the Woods family. They can find out nothing about him. He also has little, if any, knowledge of 21st century USA. We see him learning about the modern world.

There are many other characters, all complex with their own agendas, but to analyse them all would make this review far too long. You need to read the books yourselves to find out.

WRITING 

David Kummer does an excellent job of building tension. The oppressive heat of the summer seems to weigh on the characters, creating the feeling of waiting for something to happen, be it simply rain, or something deadly from the house. This feeling permeates the whole book.

There are a few grammatical errors, but not enough to spoil my pleasure in reading. But I do wish authors would learn how to use ‘lay’ and ‘lie’!

I gave this book 4* and thoroughly recommend it and Book 1.

My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

Do you enjoy the horror genre? It’s not something I usually go for, but I an really enjoying this series, Can ‘t wait until book 3 comes out.

book reviews, novel

A Review of The Misery House by David Kummer

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Overview.

I wish I hadn’t read this book yet. It is the first part of a trilogy and I can’t wait for the other books to come out. I am captivated by the story, and chilled at the same time.

Story.

I am finding it difficult to summarise the story without spoilers.

There is an abandoned house on a hill just outside the town of New Haven. There is something frightening about it, and no one goes there.

The Woods family farms just outside the town, and their son, Nate, is on the baseball team. When a new family arrives, the son also joins the team, but there is something the other boys find odd. 

Then a shop burns down with the owner and his son inside. The sheriff immediately suspects the newcomers, even though they were all at the baseball game. 

On a bicycle ride near the house, Naomi Woods and her son, Nate, see mysterious lights and are chased by a strange animal.

When Kaia Woods’ best friend disappears, things come to a head. 

I’m saying no more.

Characters.

Mr Kummer has given us a variety of characters, each one different.

Cliff Woods, the father of Kaia and Nate, wants to farm his land in peace and do the best he can for his family. He does not always make the correct decisions, though.

Naomi is a sensible woman. She tries to do the right thing, and she stands up for the new family. But she is afraid of the house because of something that happened to her when she was foolhardy enough to go into it.

The sheriff is a prejudiced man who is suspicious of anything new.

Kaia cares for her friend who has married a strange young man, but she is impulsive.

Nate is a typical young boy who would rather play on his x-box when not playing or practising baseball.

On the whole, the characters are believable with flaws we can all relate to.

Writing

Mr Kummer builds the tension excellently. I felt quite afraid in the parts where the house was involved.

The story is written from multiple points of view. Each point of view has its own chapter. When we are with a member of the Woods family the writing is in the first person, which is the majority of the book, there are chapters which don’t involve them, and they are in third person.

I did not find this a problem as it’s made quite clear in the chapter headings.

One negative in the writing is the overuse of the word ‘just’. It appears several times on most pages and it did become a distracy, especially since in most cases it wasn’t needed.

This was not enough to reduce the rating, and I give it 5*.

My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

Would you like a free short story?

If you would like to receive an exclusive, free short story by me, called The Haunted Table, simply click the link. This will take you to the page where you can download it.

Maria and Tom have bought an antique table for the old cottage they bought. On hearing strange noises in the night that sound like crying, they worry their house is haunted, but the sounds seem to come from the table.

They set about trying to find what is causing the disturbances. The answer is stranger than either of them had thought.

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review of everything, somewhere by David Kummer

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Overview.

I was delighted to receive a review copy of the latest book by this talented young author. David Kummar has written mainly in the Horror genre up until now, but this book is very different. It is a coming of age story, but that does not tell us very much about it.
There are three teens in the book. Best friends.


Hudson is a troubled character. He is the only child of a couple struggling to make ends meet. His father has a job in one of the local factories, at the same time farming their small-holding. Hudson wants to leave the small town of Little Rush. At least that’s what he says. He also has thoughts of suicide, although he is unsure if he wants to do it or not.

Mason is his friend and the son of one of the rich property owners in the town. His ambition is to remain in the town and to take over his father’s business. A typical rich teen, the relationship between him and Hudson is somewhat difficult at times.

Willow is Mason’s girlfriend. She is beautiful, but from a broken home. Her parents live separately in the poorer parts of the town. She also wants to leave Little Rush as soon as she can.

The three get up to the usual kind of things teens will do, drinking and smoking and generally being a nuisance.

Their life changes when a popular film star decides to retire to the town. Everyone is excited, but is he all he seems?

Blurb

Little Rush is a sleepy town on the Ohio River. Bruce Michaels is a renowned Hollywood actor. The two should never cross paths, yet one summer everything changes. The actor, haunted by demons, chasing a ghost. The town, unaware. Until the two collide.

Hudson, Willow, and Mason are high school seniors with very different upbringings, but all on the verge of adulthood. As the sun sets on their final summer, questions abound. Will they ever leave the town? Is there a future here? As their plans waver, time is running out.

The struggle of mental illness.

As he loses his friends and sinks deeper into depression, Hudson forms an unlikely bond with the actor, Bruce Michaels. But the old man is a ticking time bomb. As Hudson relies on him more, the danger to them both grows.

When dark secrets are revealed, Hudson must confront the truth about his idol and himself. Bruce Michaels isn’t who he seems. Hudson is nearly lost. And in the end, they may be more similar than different.

The search for meaning.

Different paths, converging in a web of alcohol, fights, and romance. Worlds collide one summer in Anywhere, USA. The question is who will make it through.

EVERYTHING, SOMEWHERE is an ambitious, sprawling look at the stories, people, and places forming the nuanced landscape of rural America.

Characters

David Kummer has researched his topic well and shown us the despair of people suffering from mental illness.

The characters are all believable and real, with very human frailties. For such a young writer, he has empathised with them extremely well.

Michaels is tormented, as is Hudson, for different reasons. What is the secret Michaels conceals? The budding relationship between the old man and the young one is very real. Michaels can see himself in Hudson, and their conversations seem to be a help to the young man, but what will happen when Michael’s secret finally comes out?

Mason is a typical rich kid on the surface, but he has hidden depth. How can he keep the woman he loves from leaving the town? Will he have to give up his own wishes and go with her?

Willow is a confused young woman who desperately wants to leave the town, but not the one she loves. How can she reconcile her dilemma?
The other characters, I hesitate to say ‘lesser’ as they all play an important role are also fully formed. There is an unlikely friendship between Mason’s father and Hudson’s father. Two very different characters.

Writing

On the whole, the writing is good. One thing that I did find slightly jarring with is Kummer’s use of the word ‘just’. He does use it a lot, but that’s not a major problem. Many people wont notice it as it’s the way so many speak.

I had a clear picture of the town in my head from the way Kummer has described the town and its surroundings.

Conclusion

An excellent read. I found myself anxious to get back to it whenever I had to stop reading for whatever reason. The story is one that lingers in your head long after you’ve finished reading it. Well worth the money spent on a purchase.
I give it 5*.

The book came out on April 25th.

If you liked this review, please consider leaving a comment in the comments box.

Guest Post, interview, novel

An Interview with Author David Kummer,

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Last week I published my review of David Kummer’s book, Until We Burn. This week, I have the pleasure of introducing you to David.

David is a promising young author, who has already published quite a number of books. He is one to watch for the future.His books are generally in the fantasy or horror genres.

Welcome to Dragons Rule OK, David.

David Profile Pic

 

1. What is the first book you remember either reading or having read to you?

One of the first books I remember my dad reading to me is C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series. He would read two or three chapters a night, and we zoomed through all the books. I really enjoyed those, and still do, as well as the memories it brings.

2. Who is your favourite author?

My favorite author is Mark Edwards

3. What is your favourite book?

Probably “The Magpies” by Mark Edwards. It was surprising and I read it in two days.

5. Apart from writing, what is the thing you enjoy doing the most?

I play basketball quite a lot, and work. See below.

6. If you weren’t a writer, what job would you do?

I want to be an English teacher once I get out of college, probably for middle school or high school.

7. If you have a “proper” job, what is it?

I do landscaping. And most of the time the heat index is well over 100 degrees, so that’s fun.
8. Why do you write?

Honestly, I just enjoy it and it’s something that’s now a part of my everyday life. I’m so immersed in it, I don’t think I could separate without losing a part of myself.

9. How old were you when you published your first book?

I was 15 years old, but 14 when I wrote it.

10. Do you write to music? If so, what music inspires you?

Occasionally, I will listen to soundtracks while writing. But when I’m not writing, I’m constantly listening to music. I prefer Alt-Rock, and my favorite bands are the Killers, Death Cab for Cutie, and lately Arcade Fire. Also, Twenty One Pilots, who I saw in concert back when they were still a tiny band with no fans.

11. A question I can’t answer, myself. Where do you get your ideas from?

Most often, I get them from a setting I see. I’ve had one short story come from a dream. Usually, I’ll be in a situation and think “What if this terrible thing happened?” so then it does in my story.

12. Do you have any pets?

My family has two dogs, but at one time we had four. Also, two cats.
13. Are you a dog or a cat person?

Dog

14. When you go out to eat, what type of food do you prefer?

I like Chinese, or buffalo wings.

15. Do you prefer the city or the country?

I prefer small towns, like Hanover, Indiana where I live. Somewhere in between the country and the city.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to get to know you better, David.
You can contact David on the following links.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014606114521

My blog- http://davidkummer.com/

 

Newsletter- http://eepurl.com/bPgy4n

 

Goodreads Account- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14106755.David_Duane_Kummer

 

Until We Burn: A Psychological Thriller by [Kummer, David Duane]

 

Blurb:

Cyrus Street never forgot about his home. It was always in the back of his mind, with the memories, the nightmares. Alluring, always pulling him back. There were so many questions unanswered. Something he left behind.

When he finally returns, he’s drawn back into a world even worse than he remembers. Werifesteria, with its dark secrets and murky past, never changed. It remains a cesspool, a danger. There’s something about the town unnerving, yet enticing. It isn’t normal. It isn’t sane.

As soon as Cyrus steps back into it, the murders begin. He’s the only one can catch this madman, if he can only control his mind.

Everybody remembers the fire. Everybody remembers him. But there’s a darkness he’s buried inside his own head. And unless he can remember, the entire town will burn.

 

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Until-We-Burn-Psychological-Thriller-ebook/dp/B07CXL1RSC

 

 

book reviews, novel

Review of Until We Burn by David Kummer

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Until We Burn: A Psychological Thriller by [Kummer, David Duane]

 

Cyrus Street returns to the town where he grew up. He returns to try to solve a mystery that had ruined his life.

15 years previously, the church in the town had burned down, killing, amongst many others, Cyrus’s young son. The fire had been arson, and he wants to find out who did it.

Helped by a young man from the town, he sets about trying to find clues as to the perpetrator of the crime. This becomes more important as murders begin to take place in the town, seemingly of people who were witnesses. Cyrus’s probing has worried someone.

David Kummer is a very talented young author. I found I couldn’t put the book down once I’d started it. He manages to grip the author and carry them along with him. It is a dark story, described as ‘psychological horror’, and I would go along with that description.

David Kummer has an insight into character unusual for one so young. His characters are real, and have both flaws and virtues. We find ourselves sympathising readily with them.

The ending is surprising. I thought I’d guessed the perpetrator, but I was wrong.

If I have a fault to find, it’s that at the end, we know who, but not why. There are also a couple of places in the book I was unsure about what had happened, but this did not spoil my overall enjoyment.

This is a young man to watch.

 

I gave it 4 stars on Amazon

 

fantasy, Guest Post, novel, Uncategorized

A Visit from David Kummar

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David Profile Pic

David Kummar is the author of a number of books, including the War of Enden series, which I have read and thoroughly enjoyed.

Welcome to my blog, David. I believe you have a new book out, called My Abigail. Please tell us something about it.

 

my abigail cover

“She would always be my Abigail.”
It was always about Abigail, for me. The book is called My Abigail, the major plot twist has to do
with Abigail, and the character I was reduced to tears over was Abigail. Trust me, I cried
countless times writing this book.
So, why is the main character named Caleb? Let me explain this book.
Caleb is a teenager, who lives in a small rivertown. He isn’t the cool type of teenager. He’s
lonely, angry, moody, unhappy, and doesn’t really have any friends. Not one. So when he meets
Abigail, who is as kind as she is beautiful, the two mesh pretty well. After all, what choice did
Caleb have, unless he wanted his high schools years to -as the kids say- suck?
Around the same time, he meets Xavier, a nerd who he’s heard all about but never met. They
become friends as well. Then there’s Ayva, the little girl his mom babysits. She’s creepy… really
creepy… but nice enough. They get along, and for Caleb it’s like having the responsibility of
being a big brother.
Things turn dark, as things tend to do. Abigail has her secrets. Xavier isn’t who he says. Ayva
continues to act stranger and stranger. And Damian, the shadowy figure on the street who
haunts Caleb’s nights, threatens to reveal everything.
Never before has the saying “ignorance is bliss” been more true. Because when Caleb finds out
exactly what’s going on with Abigail, he wishes he never had. He wishes he had never met the
perfect girl turned monster.
What’s that secret? I can’t tell you that. I can assure you, however, that it’s something you’ve
not seen before and you won’t expect coming. Don’t take my word for it. The reviews on
Amazon say the same thing.
I could talk about lots of things in regard to this book, and I might in the future. I could talk about
the music I listened to, or the time it took me to write it, or the usual day and how typing fit into
my schedule. But I can talk about those later. What I want to let you know is what my purpose
was for this book, and how it became the most important book of mine.
First of all, I wanted to win an award and become a millionaire. Nah, I’m just kidding. That wasn’t
even on the plan, and probably never will be.
For me, this book wasn’t really about making money (haven’t done that) or shocking people out
of their socks (hopefully did that). It was about writing something worth reading, and something
unique.
This book is scary, sure. It’s definitely emotional, what most would call sad. But overall, my hope
is that it’s original. Because just like the title character, this book has its secrets. It has its dark
moments. It had its happy ones. And in the end, it has Abigail.

Thank you David. It certainly sounds a fascinating book.

If you have enjoyed this introduction to David’s book, please leave a comment below.