Editorial Review
Twenty-two years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. In the years after, their father, John, taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America...and he taught them how to kill it.
Sam and Dean have hit New York City to check out a local rocker's haunted house. But before they can figure out why a lovesick banshee in an '80s heavy-metal T-shirt is wailing in the bedroom, a far more macabre crime catches their attention. Not far from the house, two university students were beaten to death by a strange assailant. A murder that's bizarre even by New York City standards, it's the latest in a line of killings that the brothers soon suspect are based on the creepy stories of legendary writer Edgar Allan Poe.
Their investigation leads them to the center of one of Poe's horror classics, face-to-face with their most terrifying foe yet. And if Sam and Dean don't rewrite the ending of this chilling tale, a grisly serial killer will end their lives forevermore.
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Customer Reviews
great read for teenage son 
2008-09-09
bought for son, he absolutely loved it...he is big fan of the supernatural tv series
Read Witch's Canyon instead 
2008-09-05
Wow, where to start? While DeCandido isn't a bad writer exactly, he isn't great and this novel is not good. The characterizations are broad and shallow without any of the subtleties or relationship elements that make the brotherhood work on the screen. They come across as ignorant (Dean can't use his own cell phone, has never heard of Edgar Allen Poe and doesn't know what a forward is in soccer; Sam has never watched a movie in his life, or a TV apparently), petty, mean, bickering, stupid, unprofessional and incompetent. Every character is written on a 7th grade level and humor is inserted in places where it shouldn't be, which sucks any pathos or tragedy out of all of it, especially from the rather stupid ghost. The ghost doesn't meld with the rest of the plot and the incidentals between the supernatural don't meld with the supernatural story. The author uses italics constantly to emphasize pronunciation and the effect is as if a bunch of high school valley girls have possessed every one in the book, our heroes included. It's pitched too young for most of us and yet there's too much talk of sex and too much gore for kids. The boys blaspheme constantly (which they don't do in the show.) He's created nicknames for the characters that they've never said (and never would) and he has them use phrases they'd never say (imagine either Winchester saying "Exqueeze me". Please.) He over-explains things all fans know, within dialogue, which is a lazy and bumpy way to introduce exposition yet he leaves out any detail on things many might not know (Aleister Crowley, for instance.) He doesn't seem to understand what makes the show work on a dialogue level so instead of studying the show, he has simplified it all into a massive overuse of "hot", "dude" and "freakin'". They sound like idiot children and act like it too.
The facts on Poe are introduced accurately but boringly, the plot meanders, is unengaging. The boys' relationship is antagonistic and childish and nothing more. Dean is a complete idiot who spends half the book flirting with one of the unrealistic (all the rest are stupid instead of fantasy) women, and she isn't even a crucial plot element. It's wasted time and effort.
He also places his story between episodes Crossroads Blues and Croatoan, which he tells us, which is nice, but then he includes a spoiler that happens after Croatoan. It's annoying.
Go read Witch's Canyon by Jeff Mariotte instead. It's what you really want.
Mariotte knows the nuances that make the show work. He can handle English flawlessly while creating a story and script you can see the actors do. His side characters are real people, the plot is interesting and well-crafted. Any new things he makes up for the book fit in with the show mythology without clashing (unlike the other guy. Since when does Dean have hearing problems?). Witch's Canyon reads like a long episode. For what's basically sanctioned fan fiction: Nevermore: C. Witch's Canyon: A+.
Supernatural: Witch's Canyon (Supernatural)
Exactly What It Should Be...FUN and ENTERTAINING! : ) 
2008-08-21
If you're a fan of the show, this is PERFECT FOR YOU, as it was for me.
Great Fun, and Exactly what I would expect it to be. It was like reading an episode instead of watching it, (and no commercials!).
Set in the Bronx and written by Bronx boy Keith DeCandido, Keith brings forth a knowledge and emotion of the city that adds a richness to the story.
An aspect to the book form of the show, that you CAN'T get from the television episodes, is the availability to get more insite into Sam & Dean, as well as the new characters in the story, adding to the all around perspective.
I read very slowly, and finished this book in 3 days, (which is a record for me), and that's only reading during my commute and at lunch times at the office. For those who read at normal or faster speed you could easily finish it in less than a day.
PS: At the back of the book, Keith added a list of songs he listened to while writing, and reccommends it as a listening background, so the book actually has a soundtrack, including that ever faithful Supernatrul fave Back In Black, (but you gotta have all the songs, or just make your own list!). I found this a really fun and enjoyable addition to the book...(by-the-time the music is over for you fast readers you'll probably be done with the book!).
Enjoy!
If a Fan, Don't Read 2008-07-30
I love the supernatural tv series, though at times it can be a bit dark with the violence scenes. This is the second book from the supernatural book series, and surprisingly it's even worst than the first one. At least in Witch Canyon the author didn't start making rather wild assumptions about the characters. I think anybody who watched the tv show knows Sam's too much of a trauma character to start saying good things about their father unless it's to make Dean feel better. The main female oc added in this book was too mary sue. The main guy oc Pym annoyed me especially. If you like the show do yourself a favor, don't read any of the books. I also really hated the Roxy case and Manferd. Also the author used outside information involved in the tvshow that the characters themselves don't know about. The author has Dean talk or think about the Reaper from when he was in the hospital, but after Dean wakes up he doesn't remember anything from when he was sleeping. The author should have watched the tv show.
UGH! 
2008-07-12
When I first purchased this, I was so excited to have a tie-in novel for Supernatural--but as others have said, it quickly wore off. I found myself literally skipping many pages out of plain boredom. Besides the fact that we spent way too much time on meaningless points, I didn't find the characters all that well contrived. I mean, Dean not being able to drive the Bronx? Are you kidding me? And Sam came off as a prig at times.
Also, like others have said, given the place and time at which this was supposed to have occurred, it lacked a seriousness and depth one would expect from the boys at this time. But, hey, we spent most of the time teasing and flirting instead.
Nope, Dean's not nearly as dumb as this and Sam's not quite so disdainful of his brother. I sure hope the next tie-in this writer writes is better or I will most certainly avoid spending my hard-earned money on a poorly written, one-dimensional, not the least bit creepy Ode to My Home Town.
Scoff at fan fiction if you like, people, but several fan fic writers write the boys truer and with better, more interesting plots than this guy AND they're FREE.
If you're looking for the complex characters of Sam and Dean Winchester, you won't find it here...nor will you find an exciting case file, either.
Sucks! 2008-06-30
Twenty-two years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. In the years after, their father, John, taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America...and he taught them how to kill it.
Sam and Dean have hit New York City to check out a local rocker's haunted house. But before they can figure out why a lovesick banshee in an '80s heavy-metal T-shirt is wailing in the bedroom, a far more macabre crime catches their attention. Not far from the house, two university students were beaten to death by a strange assailant. A murder that's bizarre even by New York City standards, it's the latest in a line of killings that the brothers soon suspect are based on the creepy stories of legendary writer Edgar Allan Poe.
Their investigation leads them to the center of one of Poe's horror classics, face-to-face with their most terrifying foe yet. And if Sam and Dean don't rewrite the ending of this chilling tale, a grisly serial killer will end their lives forevermore.
good for a quick read 2008-06-27
It was a good ghost hunt, and an interesting side quest, but the author didn't capture the intensity of the show. Overall, an okay read.
I Salted and Burned It! 2008-06-12
Ok, I am glad that Supernatural books are being written. It is the best show currently on air. Yet, this book is a wreck!!! Oy vey, was it painful reading! Hopefully, the books author, who has done wonders in the Star Trek literature universe, will learn from his mistake, and take another crack at Supernatural somewhere down the Road.
Writing is no easy task. Sometimes it is hit or miss. And this, was a miss
It should not have been published.
Supernatural"Nevermore" 2008-05-27
If you love the TV series....This is great fun! a story not filmed for TV. Now Season 3 has finished, and there is a long wait for season 4.... what better way to feed your addiction !! Basic paperback, cheap price.
Audio book version would sound like a GPS 2008-05-21
I had low expectations when I ordered this book. I don't read many TV tie-ins, but wanted a fix during the writer's strike this year.
Unfortunately, even with my low expectations, I was disappointed. It's difficult to understand how an intriguing bit of intellectual capital like Supernatural could be turned into a *boring* story, but the author was not daunted by that challenge.
As other reviewers have noted, the dialog between the Winchester brothers was pretty close to the show itself - the only reason I felt the book deserved more than 1 star.
The book focused entirely too much on the geography of Brooklyn and the surrounding areas - I've read Fodor's guides that have fewer descriptions of the streets in an area. My wife (who also read the book - misery loves company) and I now joke when watching the show, "What street do you think they're on now? Do you think they had a problem finding a parking space?" I am not being facetious when I say that the author takes time to point out on a few occasions that Sam & Dean have a hard time finding a place to park....
I read the second Supernatural novel (Witch's Canyon) and was relieved to find that it was dramatically better. I see that the Mr. DeCandido will also be writing the 3rd Supernatural novel. When will I read that book? Quoth the reviewer, "Nevermore."
