Ghoul

By: Brian Keene

Narrated by: Chet Williamson

Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's Summary

There is something in the local cemetery that comes out at night. Something that is unearthing corpses and killing people. It’s the summer of 1984 and Timmy and his friends are looking forward to no school, comic books, and adventure. But instead they will be fighting for their lives. 

The ghoul has smelled their blood and it is after them.But that’s not the only monster they will face this summer....

From award-winning horror master Brian Keene comes a novel of monsters, murder, and the loss of innocence.

©2007 Brian Keene (P)2017 David N. WIlson

I love a good monster book!

Great book! If you like monsters, ghouls and vampires where THEY are the main character instead of an accessory then this is the book for you! It's set in the late 80's early 90's and I LOVED LOVED LOVED that! I feel like the three main protagonists are familiar (as well as their families, neighborhood bullies and demon dog they have to get past each day) and I can't figure out which book they remind me of....fun none the less. Timmy, Doug and Barry. Three childhood/neighborhood 12 year old friends. Timmy has loving parents, overweight Doug has dysfunctional mother & awol father and Barry has abusive/drunk graveyard caretaker father. The three boys play in the cemetery and unbeknownst to them a ghoul has secretly been released. It comes out at night and wreaks havoc on all who ventures in its path. People get killed.......but.........the ghoul has a human helper! Great fun and an awesome throwback to true horror. I LOVED it!!!!

There are all kinds of monsters in here...

I dug this one even though it was heavy handed with 80’s pop culture references at times.

There are all kinds of monsters in here...and not just the ones that live underground. The human ones can be just as bad, or even worse.

4 Stars rounded up to 5 because of the way that Keene handled the extreme dysfunction of the relationship between Doug and his mother. It could have been horribly exploited (like a lot of this kind of thing often is), but it was not.

Fans of IT will love this

If you haven't read Brian Keene before, you're missing out. This book, The Rising books, The Earthworm Gods, etc are all amazing.

Coming of age horror novel

I received this book for free in exchange for a unbiased review. This is my first book by Brian Keene that I have listened to. I throughly enjoyed it! He is now part of my favorite authors.
This is a thrilling coming-of-age horror novel with 80's nostalgia element. One of Brian Keene’s strong point is developing beautifully constructed characters with complex relationships. Keene gives us a glimpse into the lives of three boys and their dysfunctional families. Each one of them felt completely real and believable. Little by little we see how Keene provides us with a very uncomfortable and realistic portrayal of life’s trials and tribulations, as he peels off the different layers of their relationships, exposing the true monsters.
Ghoul is an extremely melancholy tale. Keene took me on a journey that was visceral, painful, emotional and I will never forget it. Truly, an amazing introduction to his writing.
The book is narrated by Chet Williamson, one of my favorite new narrators. He gave different nuances to each character so that they sound really different to the ear. He is expressive and transmitted the characters' emotions in a powerful way.
I highly recommend this book!

I was 10 years old in 1984.

A solid 80s horror movie put in audio form sprinkled with tons of pop culture of the time. Not earth shattering or original but a fun read or listen.

Both scary and heartwrenching

This book has a way of messing with your head. Expecting a non-stop gorefest with lots of expendable characters, instead I got a heartfelt coming-of-age story about three friends going through some terrible times in their young life. The side story is the actual monster itself, and it worked. Some of the humans in the story were far more terrifying than the monster. Don't go into this one expecting a shallow horror read. This one is a bit of a heart-breaker.

Yikes.

Performance was just as bad as the story. His kids voices are cringe worthy and the story goes nowhere.

awesome story. definitely worth a listen

100 % recommend. great story, start to finish. if you're a fan of Brian keene this is one of his best works through and through. I love how his stories are inter connected. if you've read ghost walk and dark hallow prior you'll recognize some names and locations. chet Williamson is a great narrator as well.

awful.

started with a boring, awkward sex scene and I stopped listening when the "protagonists" brutally tortured and kicked a dog to death.

A horror tale with a lot of heart. A+ 80s Horror

As always, Chet Williamson hits it out of the park. a great voice actor who eloquently conveys Keene's childhood tale of monsters, friendship, and meaning of family. Brian Keene really has a knack for capturing that 80s childhood tale, with many a reference to Quiet Riot, Prince, and Cheap Trick!

I am 39 years old with two sons aged 9 and 16. If you grew up in the 80s, this story will ring 100% solid. Thanks Keene and Williamson, a great duo.

Chilling!

Ghoul both struck at the heartstrings and made my skin crawl!
Keene gives a story of three young friends who are trying to deal with leaving childhood and on the cusp of being teenagers and what the world around them is really like.
Each one of these lads has their own demons they are living with and to make matters worse something ancient has woken up in the middle of their summer break.
Brian Keene really does pull out an ace of a story here. I felt for these three boys each step of the way. Some elements reminded me of my own childhood of making camps with friends and biking through fields. Thankfully I never had to deal with anything these kids did.
A fantastic book, that is done justice by Chet Williamson’s narration.

Horrific coming of age story!

Simply a fantastic coming-of-age-story filled with gruesome horror and nostalgic 80s trip!

Chet Williamson does an amazing narrator, He does a great job setting the atmosphere and making all the different characters sound unike and real!

brilliant boook

fantastic book first book by this author but will not be my last by this author he really make you care about the people in the story and brings it to life.

Top Level Horror from a Modern Master

Brian Keene is easily one of the best writers currently working in horror fiction.
Ghoul tells the gripping story of three young friends in the '80s running foul of a mysterious creature that lives in the local cemetery.
As usual with Keene, the story is perfectly paced with great characterisation. There are lots of references to the '80s, but it certainly doesn't get bogged down in needless nostalgia.
Chet Williamson's narration is sheer class. He is always a pleasure to listen to and the way he differentiates the characters' voices is very impressive.
Quality American horror fiction at its best.
Highly recommended.