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    The Vines
    The Vines
    The Vines
    Audiobook6 hours

    The Vines

    Written by Christopher Rice

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    2014 Bram Stoker Awards finalist for Superior Achievement in a Novel

    The dark history of Spring House, a beautifully restored plantation mansion on the outskirts of New Orleans, has long been forgotten. But something sinister lurks beneath the soil of the old estate.

    After heiress and current owner Caitlin Chaisson is witness to her husband’s stunning betrayal at her birthday party, she tries to take her own life in the mansion’s cherished gazebo. Instead, the blood she spills awakens dark forces in the ground below. Chaos ensues and by morning her husband has vanished without a trace and his mistress has gone mad.

    Nova, daughter to Spring House’s groundskeeper, has always suspected that something malevolent haunts the old place, and in the aftermath of the birthday party she enlists Caitlin’s estranged best friend, Blake, to help her get to the bottom of it. The pair soon realizes that the vengeance enacted by this sinister and otherworldly force comes at a terrible price.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateOct 21, 2014
    ISBN9781491587447
    The Vines
    Author

    Christopher Rice

    New York Times bestselling author Christopher Rice is the son of author Anne Rice and the late poet Stan Rice. He lives in Los Angeles.

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    Reviews for The Vines

    3.5/5

    58 ratings10 reviews

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    • 1/5
      No just no. I can’t believe I finished it. Very boring
    • 1/5
      I found the book tedious and superficial. Every monster and event was another deus ex machina without adequate grounding in the narrative. I usually find Rice's work a guilty, melodramatic pleasure, but neither the plot of Vines nor its characters worked for me.
    • 3/5
      Passable horror story involving an old plantation, mysterious man-eating vines, and an old curse. I found Blake to be the most likable character. Mourning the loss of his murdered boyfriend, he winds up an unlikely hero by becoming part of the curse. The open-ended ending was not what I was hoping for.
    • 3/5
      The Vines was a strange novel. It read quickly, (listened quickly?), and it was fun, but the whole time I felt that it was missing something .

      I'm cool with plant-creatures and bugs, but I was not satisfied with the explanation for them, nor was I satisfied with the development of the characters. I especially loved Nova and while I felt she had plenty of page time, I did not feel that I got to know her as well as I would have liked. She discovered a program that a professor was putting together regarding slave narratives and I would have enjoyed learning more about that also.

      A few times it seemed that the story was trying to figure out what it wanted to be. A commentary on slavery? On homosexuality? On the unfaithful? Or all of the above?

      Overall, though, I did enjoy the quality of the writing and the descriptions. Even though I didn't out and out love this novel, I will try more of Mr. Rice's work in the future, because I feel like he has true writing chops and the potential to be amazing.

    • 5/5
      I cannot express enough how much I loved this book! I honestly don't understand why it has such a low rating. I definitely recommend the book. Great writing Christopher Rice!
    • 4/5
      The Vines is the latest Southern Gothic horror tale by author Christopher Rice and it is one very creepy story. It takes place in an old mansion on the outskirts of New Orleans. The mansion may have been restored to its original southern glory but it can’t escape its cruel southern past. In fact, when its owner, Caitlin Chaisson, tries to commit suicide after finding her husband with another woman, she fails but when her blood is absorbed into the ground, it sets off a horrifying chain of events that is rooted literally in that past. This is a tale drenched in the lore, superstitions, and history of the Bayou and dripping with atmosphere and creepiness. Character development receives a bit of short shrift here but that’s okay because it is replaced by nature as antagonist and there is something truly frightening about the idea of nature as blood-thirsty villain. The Vines was great fun to read but I feel I need to add a warning because there is a downside to reading it - you may never look at vine-covered buildings the same way again.
    • 3/5
      Christopher Rice is not his aunt AliceChristopher Rice's aunt Alice Borchardt wrote exciting books, books that grabbed you from the first page and held you in their grip. When she died in 2007, the fantasy community lost a star.I found "The Vines" to be an adequate book, but nothing great. The special spark that lends excitement to fantasy, thrillers, and especially horror, is just not there. The plot and characters are unexceptional, especially Caitlin who is cardboard. The pace is off and I felt no emotional zing. Mr. Rice's earlier books have won prizes so we can hope this is a one-off dud.I received a review copy of "The Vines" by Christopher Rice (47North) through NetGalley.com.
    • 4/5
      The StoryIn the times of plantation and slavery, there were many secrets, especially with the owners. From relationships, affairs, whippings, money problems and more. One plantation holds more secrets than any of the others. It's always been depicted as a lovely place, with images of Spring House showing sun, life, laughter and joy. These pictures represent the surface, where many tourists come to visit one of the largest and most wealthy plantations, which has been newly renovated. However, the true secrets start to surface, after the owner attempts to take her own life - upon discovering her husband has his own little secret. She doesn't expect was happens next, as she sits alone in her garden gazebo, shrouded in darkness, blood dripping to the floor. After uncovering the true dark, brutal secret that lies under Spring House, her husband is soon taken from her - karma to pay for his lies and secret. Will she embrace the darkness or will it come back to haunt her?My Thoughts on the Book:I loved this book. If you are a fan of Stephen King or Joe Hill, you will be hooked on this book! I loved it so much I will need to go and get all of his other books, just to see if they are as gripping as this. I found one of the best aspects of this book to be the time and place in which it takes place. It was great that Rice took the book back to his someplace, as you could tell by the level of depth and character he gave the surroundings in the book. Every details about the streets, roads, houses and people were done superbly to fit the area. I also liked that the thriller aspect was completely intertwined with the dark history of the south. It is a different take on this historical part of the States and I believe that this was done to perfection. The historical aspect gives you a time and real events to be able to latch the story to, making you feel as though it really did happen. You almost find yourself starting to check for the vines under your bed, just in case the darkness has let them spread to your place. The characters in the book were excellent. They had depth and true characteristics to match them to the deep south personas they should have, based on their style and station in life. I liked that a lot of the characters were also so much more than you thought they were. They had a lot of detail and emotion that boiled to the surface, some of which you never would have expected. Finally, the thriller aspect of the story was one of the best I've read in a very long time. It is true when it is said that Rice's writing rivals that of King. I definitely found myself so engrossed in the tale that I couldn't put the book down. Every minor detailed was planned and written like an art piece. They flowed together so well, and created a true thriller masterpiece. Be ready for a good scare. OVERALL: A great book. I would highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of King, Hill and the likes. It is more of an adult story, as the thriller theme may be a bit much and gory for younger audiences, but I believe it is appropriate for 15+.
    • 3/5
      3.5 starsThis is a quick, spooky read that mixes southern gothic with things that go bump in the night. The setting is Spring House, an antebellum mansion outside New Orleans with a pre-Civil War history steeped in violence & blood. It burned to the ground in 1850 but was restored in present day after being purchased by the wealthy Chaisson family.As the story opens, Caitlin Chaisson is celebrating her birthday & receives an unwanted gift...witnessing her husband Troy & one of the party planners having a private celebration in the upstairs bathroom. It's the last straw for this fragile, insecure woman & she attempts suicide in the backyard gazebo.This sets off a chain of events that will threaten the lives of 3 people closest to her. Blake Henderson grew up with Caitlin but they've been estranged since he filled her in on Troy's extracurricular activities. He's still haunted by the murder of his lover 15 years ago & about to learn some hard truths.Willie Thomas has been the family's groundskeeper for most of his life & knows every tree & flower. He also knows there's something strange about the plant growth & hears whispers about what occurred there during the time of slavery.Nova is his daughter & a student at LSU. During research on Spring House, she uncovered odd stories passed down by slaves after the plantation was destroyed.Caitlin's failed suicide awakens a terrible evil lurking underground for over 100 years, waiting for a chance to exact revenge. Blake, Willie & Nova band together in an effort to understand the deadly force & avoid being added to the rising body count. This is a supernatural thriller that supports Faulkner's theory that the past is never past. Louisiana is the perfect setting for a dark, unsettling tale that is a horror story on the surface but also a commentary on weightier issues such as forgiveness & the state of your soul.The author does a good job of creating an atmospheric read. Vivid descriptions of the terror unleashed in the present are mixed with unspeakable conditions endured by slaves in the past. It's easy to conjure the lush vegetation, overhead canopies of branches & vines, the unseen critters scuttling in the dark. All this lends a pervasive sense of menace you're sure you could catch sight of if you just turn the pages fast enough. The only false note for me was the apparent ease with which characters accepted some of the explanations for what was happening. Maybe they were a little more open minded since they grew up there. I think my reaction would have been a series of "WTF?" 's quickly followed by a seat on the next bus out of town. Ultimately, those left standing are changed forever. Not just by what they've seen but because they've been forced to take a hard look inward & accept responsibility for their actions.The ending leaves the door open for a sequel. One of them has been saddled with a "gift" & it might be interesting to see what they do with it. In the meantime, I'll be a little nicer to my house plants.
    • 5/5
      Christopher Rice is fast becoming a master of supernatural thrillers that creep-you-out long after you finish the novel. The Vines is both entertaining and exceptionally different from most supernatural thrillers. The Vines takes place on the historic plantation of Spring House where there is something evil hiding and waiting for its chance to be set free. Its chance arrives in the form of Cailtin, the young and unhappy woman that has inherited the cursed land. When Caitlin finally comes to her senses and accepts that her husband is a no-good cheat she runs-off to kill herself unable to cope with the betrayal and the realization that she has been so foolish. Breaking her glass she tries to slit her wrist just like her wonderful, cop husband taught her once - so that it couldn't be repaired. To her astonishment, instead of dying something comes out of the ground, something hungry and looking for human blood and rage to set it free, the vines. Screams come from the shed where her husband has taken his latest fling and as everyone runs to see what it the matter the vines heal Caitlin's wounds and her cowardice. The hussy reappears bloody and crazed but where is her husband? As Nova, the land keeper's daughter, searches for answers it is a race against time to stop the evil that has been unleashed by Caitlin who has been changed by her experience. She is obsessed with revenge, the revenge and redemption that the vines seek. Nova discovers that the plantation's bloody slave history holds the key and it will take all her courage to end the cycle and free the land. The Vines is yet another terrific novel from Christopher Rice that is so engrossing I read it in two nights!