I didn't care for the first third or so of Black Friday by Michael Hodges. There are a lot of characters, all of them with fully fleshed out back stories that drowned out whatever it was that had just happened at the Bridgefield Mall. Something awful had gotten rid of all of the other shoppers and the mall was suddenly surrounded by impossibly swirling fog, but I was still wading through everyone's histories and wondering if this was just a rip off of The Mist.
About halfway through, the pace picks up and it becomes a really good read that kept me turning pages. As soon as I stopped hearing about their lives before the Black Friday sale, I started to care what would happen to the characters.
The Splendor of Fear by Ambrose Ibsen
A couple plans a romantic camping trip in a remote state park on the anniversary of the last known witch trial in United States history. When they arrive, they learn that they have the entire campground to themselves. Even the park ranger is on his way out.
The book begins with a huge infodump as Penny reads information about the abandoned town of Newsom's Landing and the events that took place there. It's all very Blair Witch. It's also pretty good. The language is poetic and some of the events are creepy.
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