Wow, where do I start? You saw the five stars. Let me add to that the fact that I spent all day today, Thanksgiving day, sitting on the couch reading while my daughter played with her dollhouse on the rug and my wife made preparations for our festivities tomorrow. It was a perfect day to read, and read I did. I tore through the last 275 pages of the 460-page book today. That's probably the most I've ever read in one day. It's also likely the most I've ever been gripped by a book. Ever.Seriously, this is one of the best books I've ever read. I don't, for the record, believe in reincarnation. But I did in the book. Does that make sense? The author was able to suspend my disbelief so that while actively engaged in the story, I believed it. He presented the case in a superior and professional direction, which left little to doubt. My sister read this book when she was a young girl, and has always spoken of it being a good book. My sister has read more books than I can ever dream to get my hands on. So the ones she says are really good, are at least worth adding to my TBR list. I finally got my hands on a copy of this one and read it in a little over two sittings.The first hundred-and-change pages turned pretty easily. I was anxious to get back to it, of course, when I did finally have to put it down. But the last half of the book, wherein the bulk of it takes place in a courtroom, I absolutely could not stop reading. The way the author was able to cover all the bases - to think of everything, as it were - was striking and powerful. He really did convey a sense of knowledge about something none of us really knows anything about. Very effective.The way the characters made heartfelt and believable decisions; the way the stress got the best of them and made them behave like real people; the way they were overcome by grief, exhaustion and fear to the point where they began to act out of character - questioning their beliefs and what they thought was best for their daughter... It was all done so masterfully well that I would present this book as one of the best ever written. Again, I'm a religious - or at least very spiritual man - and do not believe in reincarnation. It goes strictly against my beliefs. But I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a great read. Its premise is terrifying and fascinating; sickening and painful. And its inevitable end is haunting and disturbing while yet completely believable.Yes. Go find a copy of this book and read it. Bravo, Mr. De Felitta. Five stars in all categories.I think I am going to start adding a new section to the end of certain select book reports. It will be called HHIWHEI - Here's How I Would Have Ended It, if I think the end was weak or could have been better. Well this book didn't have a weak ending, but I think as an alternate, this one would have been even more terrifying. Check it out:(view spoiler)[At the end when they hypnotically regress Ivy back to the point before her life where she was Audrey Rose, and the doctor counts back and says, "Ivy, wake up!" she obviously can't wake up because she's not Ivy. Well, the doctor catches onto this, or Audrey tells him, "Ivy isn't here" or "Who is Ivy?" or whatever. So the doctor then tells Audrey, "Okay well you're going to snap out of this hypnosis when I count down to one," and of course it wouldn't work. Because Audrey Rose wasn't hypnotized. Ivy was. And you can't unhypnotize someone who never was to begin with. So instead of dying of something that isn't there - which doesn't physically make a lot of sense, and in fact the author had to explain in the autopsy that there was nothing wrong with her lungs or throat - she stays alive as Audrey Rose. Now Audrey got her wish and she's back alive. Since she doesn't know Janice and Bill Templeton (her body's parents), she finally ends up going to live with her spirit's dad - Elliot Hoover.For me, this would be even more terrifying and possibly more heart-wrenching than losing my child to death. Losing your child in this way where she's still physically alive, but inexplicably another person now, would be horrifying beyond comprehension. Knowing you could never reach her. Could never break through and have her be your daughter again - to remember you as her parent and have memories of her other life... Yeah, eff that. (hide spoiler)]
Bill and Janice have the perfect life – marital bliss, a beautiful nine-year-old daughter, Ivy and financial security. However, their peaceful life is disrupted when a man named Elliot Hoover stalks Ivy and claims that she is the reincarnation of his daughter Audrey Rose who died in a car accident.I would not classify this as horror. It’s more like a mystery with a dash of psychology, suspense and paranormal elements. The story is brought to life by the rich details supplied by the author. All of the characters feel very real and they are portrayed very well. Bill is dominant and prioritizes his family’s well-being above everything else. He immediately views Hoover as a threat and is quick to take action against him, hence subsequently leading to a highly publicized court case. Meanwhile, Janice is passive yet receptive towards Hoover. The gradual estrangement between these two is well-written and their worries and fears are successfully conveyed.As for Hoover, he isn’t exactly the villain though it depends on one’s perspective. He can be viewed as the antagonist as he tracks their movements and initiates contact with them and insists on visiting them. He even sublets an apartment to be close to Ivy / Audrey Rose. Regardless of his belief in reincarnation, his actions show a lack of control and an inability to understand that stalking and invading other people’s property are offences. On the other hand, he can be viewed as a grieving father who longs to help the tortured soul of his dead daughter or a stranger who lends a helping hand during Ivy’s nightmares. Anyhow he was definitely an interesting character.The court proceedings were great additions to the story. I liked the fact that the author didn’t merely imply a court case and instead, provided detailed accounts of what happened including the cross-examinations. However, one weakness of this book was the repetition of Ivy’s nightmares leading to her frantic babblings and out-of-control actions which always caused her to hurt herself. Those scenes were effective the first few times; not so much after that. It would also have been better if the author had fleshed out Ivy’s character so that the reader truly knows her and cares about what happens to her.Overall, ‘Audrey Rose’ is a thought-provoking, melancholic and meticulously written story.
Do You like book Audrey Rose (1984)?
The plot itself is interesting, but not ground-breaking. The question of what happens after we cease to be has been discussed to death (Pun intended). Tinged with a bit of the supernatural, the story is more drama than horror; this, more than anything else seems to be the bane of De Felitta’s existence. Throughout the book, you can blatantly see a struggle of intention. One minute he wants you to see at it as a serious, thought-provoking tale, and the next he’s yelling Boo. This not only distracts, but it also kills whatever atmosphere he tried to establish. Now I remember reading this book as a kid, and I loved it. But after re-reading it for this review, I realized that while the characters were empathetic, they were not wholly formed. All three parents are identifiable and sympathetic only through their grief. There personalities are never truly established. Ivy is the character that steals the story. It is only through her fear, her confusion, that we get attached at all. The pace is slow, but contemplative. It allows you enough room to breathe and soak up the information, but not enough to lose you. De Felitta’s style of writing is at times a little too wordy, and a little too self-conscious. As I said at the beginning of this review, you can see him struggling with which category he wants this book to fit into and it really hurt the book. -As posted on Horror-Web
—Kelly
I enjoyed this AUDREY ROSE a great deal when I first read it as an adolescent. I enjoyed reading it just as much as an adult. However the perspectives were much different. As a child, I enjoyed what was a fascinating tale. I was particularly taken with the creepy autopsy notes at the end. I had never read a tale whose resolution was presented in such an unconventional manner.My perspective as an adult was more emotional. As a middle-aged man, I am the father of a nine year old daughter. My attachment to the emotional turmoil of the parents, and of Hoover having lost a daughter to such tragic circumstances transfixed me more than the unconventional ending.What makes this book interesting is that there are no real villains. The Templetons love their daughter. Bill, acting with the male instinct to protect, is trying to shield his family from this unpleasantness, even when the evidence clearly demonstrates the truth of Hoover’s belief. Janice acts with the maternal instinct of doing anything, no matter how desperate to protect her daughter. Hoover has no desire to wreck the Templetons’ lives. He is a grief stricken father who is certain he has found a way to reconnect with his lost daughter and will risk his life to make that connection.What emerges from the story is the selfishness of all those involved. Although the story revolves around Ivy Templeton, her character is not developed. It is never told from her point of view. DeFelitta uses her and her actions to advance the story. But she is not a central character in the narrative. The story is told from the point of view of the adults, each acting to satisfy their own independent needs.Bill allows his daughter to die because his resolve to have Hoover put away forever motivates him. Hoover would have been found guilty, jailed for life, and been out of Ivy’s life forever had Janice not testified. Since it was Hoover’s presence that triggered Ivy’s nightmares, had she not acted, her family’s life would have returned to normal.Then there are the judge and the defense attorney who were the most selfish. The attorney puts forward his fantastic case to defend his client. But more important to him is the headlines and reputation he will garner. The judge, bitter about having a nondescript judicial career, allows the dramatic theater of the case to proceed, not because he thinks it is sound jurisprudence, but because he will finally be able to make a name for himself.All of this goes on while the life of an 11 year old girl hangs in the balance. Other than Janice, none of the characters in the story pause to think of Ivy and her fate.My only criticism of the writing is DeFelitta’s need to show us what a snob he apparently was. His description of the apartment’s architecture and artwork read like a marketing brochure and was entirely overlong as was his descriptions of the various meals and liquors consumed by the characters. These were but minor distractions however. DeFelitta otherwise told a riveting tale with seldom a lull in the tension.As an author, Frank DeFelitta had an obscure career. He published this book and a 1982 sequel entitled FOR THE LOVE OF AUDREY ROSE, and THE SENTINEL which was also made into a movie. This is a shame. For a first book by an author, Audrey Rose is a stellar effort.DeFelitta was a screenwriter by occupation. The dust jacket says he was the writer on a number of television documentaries. His IMDB entry lists several movie scripts he penned along with numerous television scripts and directorial credits.The book, movie, and author may be lost to the ages now, but if you can lay your hands on a copy, the book is well worth reading.
—Brian Schwartz
Bill and Janice Templeton live a life of luxury with their daughter Ivy in the hustle and bustle of New York City. For Janice, their apartment is a fortress away from the crazies that live outside their door. The day that Janice finds a strange man waiting for Ivy outside the school, she quickly grabs her daughter and hurries home, hoping to put distance between her and the fear that something terrible is about to tear her family apart. But when Mr. Hoover, the stranger, shows up on the Templeton's doorstep with a far-fetched story of reincarnation, Bill and Janice find themselves thrown into a nightmare that seems bent on having only one terrifying outcome. Published in 1975, this book seemed to be one of the top books of horror for the day. However, I believe that the modern-day tag would fall under 'supernatural' due to the beliefs of reincarnation. There really wasn't anything horrifying in the book other than Mr. Hoover's stalking of the Templeton's. 'Drama' was one word that keep coming to my mind, both for the situation between the Templeton's and Mr. Hoover and the courtroom drama, which was one of the highlights of the book. A lengthy read but not a disappointment.
—Kristal
