Vegetation

By Mark Laflamme

When a man offends the kingdom of plants, the whole world really is out to get him. A chilling tale of floral justice by Maine author Mark LaFlamme. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1601453523
• ISBN13: 9781601453525
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Booklocker.com
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

No more salads for me....

After watching most of my plants die from my black thumb over the years, I am not sure I'll ever be able to own another live plant again after reading Vegetation. What a SUPERB read. I was lured into this from the very beginning and couldn't wait to see what would happen to Luce next. It was like a roller coaster for Luce that we all got to ride along with him. Brilliant writing, must like LaFlamme's first book, Pink Room. Keep them coming, I can hardly wait for the next book to come out.

Bizarre and downright hilarious! -- The Dark Phantom Review

Cosmic justice has many faces, and this time it has the face of plants... For egotistical, arrogant Bertram Luce, life couldn't get any better. He's a famous author. He's rich. He lives in a gorgeous mansion and drives luxurious, expensive cars. Oh yes, and he's also gotten away with murdering his kind, plant-loving wife. That is, until the world of vegetation decides to avenge her death and make him pay; and pay he will, in the most bizarre, unusual way possible... In the beginning, Luce believes the strange incidents to be coincidences, but it's not too much later when he realizes the 'accidents' he's been suffering have a lot more to do with premeditated acts than with mere chance. But is he going insane? For how can a tree branch or an orchid mean him any harm? Is there such a thing as a unified, vegetative consciousness? Or is this simply his own guilty conscience playing tricks on his psyche? Vegetation is an unusual, enjoyable read, one filled with bizarre and sometimes downright hilarious scenes. The writing is crisp and vivid and the pace flows well. In spite of the attacks of plantlife on the protagonist being a bit repetitive at times, the author keeps a strong sense of suspense and, to be fair, it takes ingenuity to create so many segments where Luce is attacked by the various plants and flowers. Since the protagonist is such an unsympathetic character, the reader will perversely enjoy all that befalls him until the very satisfying, surprising ending. LaFlamme continues to prove his talent and skill as a horror writer. His first novel, The Pink Room, which I also had the chance of reviewing, makes for compelling reading as well. ---Mayra Calvani, The Dark Phantom Review

Justice is served ... in the form of a tossed salad, unlike any VEGETATION you've ever eaten before!

I hate to say, I TOLD YOU SO, but Mark LaFlamme belongs right up there with the masters of horror: KING, KOONTZ, SAUL, JACKSON, and all the rest! I said that after reading his first novel, THE PINK ROOM, and I stand by those words. The opening paragraph of his third novel pulled me in as easily as a fisherman hooking a batch of seaweed! Does this grab you in the same way?: > <br /> <br />Ooooooooh ... creepy! If that isn't great horror writing, I challenge you to show me better. <br /> <br />VEGETATION is a story of revenge, a psychological fantasy horror as much as a character study of an arrogant, pompous, self-centered man, Bertram Luce. Luce has antagonized the entire plant kingdom by a heinous crime against an environmentalist who loved and nurtured plants. <br /> <br />And just how can plants get revenge on a human? What can they do to him? How many forms and varieties of vegetation does it take to get the best of him? In answering these questions, author LaFlamme captures the essence of each plant, taking his readers on the adventure of their lifetime. <br /> <br />VEGETATION is an unusual book because there is no protagonist, just an arrogant, unlikable antagonist who's getting his "just desserts," so to speak ... or should I say "just salad?" I suppose, technically, the plants themselves could be considered the "protagonists" of this book ... or even Gladys Fogerty, manager of a plant nursery, who's the first to notice trouble in her plant kingdom. <br /> <br />It's obvious that LaFlamme did extensive research when writing this novel. Not only did I enjoy a nail-biter of a story that kept me turning pages till dawn, but I also learned more than I ever wanted to know about flora; it's amazing how many products use plants in their production. <br /> <br />Kudos to Mark LaFlamme for writing such a high-concept, unusual book and making it come alive in believable fashion. This would, indeed, make a fine horror feature film--but only the best animators would be able to create the devious vegetation that springs full-blown from this author's awesome imagination. <br /> <br />I loved his debut novel, THE PINK ROOM, but I do notice that his writing in VEGETATION has become a little more clear and crisp. <br /> <br />The only drawback for me is that I doubt if I'll be able to eat my "veggies" for a few days ... or weeks ... or months. I wonder if the author is having that same problem? <br /> <br />Reviewed by: Betty Dravis, 2007

The best book this year!

I enjoyed every page of this book and hated to see it end! Mark LaFlamme has come out as one of the best writters of the year! This book will truly take your breath away and the reader will find that justice is a dish best served with greens. I highly recommend Vegetation to those who enjoy seeing the law breaker get just what they deserve. I can see this book being made into a movie and I can't wait for the next Mark LaFlamme book to appear!

This one is a winner!

I loved this book. In his first book, The Pink Room, LaFlamme proved he could give us a good scare. In Vegetation the scare is more of a creepy "what if" scenario but just as entertaining.It grabs you on the first page and keeps its vine-like hold on you to the end. Vegetation will appeal to many people--those who like a thriller read, those who love the world of plants and those with a strong sense of justice who like to see the bad guy get what's coming to him. I also thought LaFlamme's writing was even better this time out--crisper, tighter, and sharper. I really feel that Mark LaFlamme is a writer whose work we will all be reading a lot more of as time goes by. He gets the job done and entertains well. I've bought and read quite a few books this year--a couple of them by big name authors which disappointed badly but my money was well spent on Vegetation.