Pressure

by Jeff Strand

Book Overview

"Marvelously creepy reading...the horror in this tale of twisted friendship is relentless." -Publishers Weekly

Alex stared at the red pocketknife shown to him by his daughter. A pocketknife owned by somebody he hadn't seen in years...

CHILDREN

They met first in boarding school at age twelve. Alex Fletcher, shy and scared. Darren Rust, always furiously scribbling away in a private journal. It was not an immediate friendship,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B093CKNDSB
• ISBN13: 9798735336495
• Release Date: April 2021
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 326 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

True Darkness in the Human Heart

There are countless ways for authors to instill terror, but none so effective as exposing the cruelty hiding in the human heart. Jeff Strand does this - flawlessly - in his first mass market release. In a visceral narrative voice spiced with beguiling wit, Strand shows readers that humans are capable of far worse things than any supernatural monster. When only twelve, Alex Fletcher discovers an awful thing: his parents don't want him around. After his petty theft from a local drug store, (sparked by a dare), he's summarily shipped off to boarding school at Branford Academy. Luckily for him, he makes fast friends with two of his three roommates, Peter and Jeremy. His third roommate isn't all that bad, but Darren is distant, quiet...always writing in a journal, mostly keeping to himself. However, as he slowly warms up, Alex senses something odd about the withdrawn boy. It unsettles him, but intrigues him, also. All too soon, they discover Darren's true nature. A manipulative schemer with no remorse or conscience, Darren systematically dismantles their lives. Peter gets expelled, Jeremy is accused of attacking Darren, and suddenly Alex is cut off from help. He waits the school year out for Darren's next move. It never comes. Darren, however, hasn't gone away for good. He's waiting to finish the job. He'll keep coming back, again and again, until both his and Alex's lives bleed together into streams of violence and sinister manipulation. The novel's tone is pitch-perfect. Strand masterfully captures the teenage voice, then transitions smoothly as the characters grow to adulthood. Also, he presents the reader with far worse horrors: dismissive parents who don't care, rigid schoolmasters bent on conformity at all costs, and unbelieving friends. Perhaps most importantly, there is light at the end of this dark tunnel...it's just a really long, bloody, dark tunnel.

Relentlessly Intense!

If you've not previously read anything by Jeff Strand there couldn't possibly be a better place for you to start than with his new release, Pressure. Though Strand is the author of over a dozen books, including the outstanding Andrew Mayhem series, with the publication of Pressure Strand has taken his already incredible talent to another level entirely. What would you do if your best friend turned out to be a sociopathic killer? One who was obsessed with you and everything about your life? That's the situation Alex faces when his friend Darren becomes increasingly manipulative and violent over the course of their relationship. Starting when they meet at boarding school, Pressure follows the twisted relationship between Alex and Darren as it builds from kids being cruel, to young men pushing boundaries, to adults who end up in the fight of their lives, figuratively and literally, against each other. Pressure is very aptly titled because the pressure in this book builds relentlessly... almost to the point of uncomfortableness at times it is so skillfully written. Strand pushes Alex to the brink over and over, seeing just how much he and the reader can take, before finally pushing him over the edge for a climactic showdown that will leave you both stunned and impressed at its unflinching, uncompromising resolution.

An Intense Novel

Jeff is sort-of a cross between Jack Ketchum and Ted Dekker, yet with his own unique style - amidst the intensity of this novel, he is still able to inject just enough humor to keep your heart from bursting from the anticipation of what is going to happen next. This book was outstanding! myspace.com/horror_reviews

Amazing book!

This book pulls you in and doesn't let go. I didn't mind the typical flight delays on my recent trip because it let me read this book! It really shows you the cruelty inside people, and their love/hate relationship with those they think of as friends/enemies. Great read!

Strand's Best

Like the best of Jack Ketchum, Ed Lee, or Richard Laymon, PRESSURE has some scenes that will make you wince and squirm. But it also makes you think, makes you feel, and most of all, makes you keep reading. Nerve-wracking, well-written, and deceptively touching, this is an exhilarating, jaw-dropping thrillride that you'll remember for a long, long time. Yeah, I liked it a lot. Here are some other appropriate modifiers: scary, funny, creepy, and fast-paced. What's it about? Two childhood friends, and their relationship on into adulthood. The main problem is that one of them is a stone cold psychopath, and bent on destroying the other, body and soul. Think Fatal Attraction meets Stand By Me. Strand's earlier Andrew Mayhem novels were a clever mix of gruesome and amusing. This has its light touches, but overall it is a much darker work than Strand has ever attempted. In fact, it's darker than most books I've ever read. Pick up a copy. You won't be disappointed.