OFF SEASON (Jack Ketchum) - October 15/11

Off Season admittedly gets off to a less-than-promising start, as Ketchum devotes much of the book's first half to the exploits of characters that never quite become indistinguishable from one another. That, plus his decision to keep switching the book's perspective, ensures that the book is initially readable but far from compelling. But once the cannibals attack, the book just moves like a rocket right through to the grim conclusion. It's just so brutal, too; little kids get their heads blown off, cut off, etc. It's impressively violent. *** out of ****