A gawky and impatient young teenager yearning for acceptance from his stepfather and romantic affection from a female classmate undergoes a bodily transformation that enables him to realize his dreams in James A Moore's Under The Overtree. Mark soon learns that his metamorphosis comes with a devilish price in this creepy novel recalling vintage Stephen King."

Publisher's Weekly, February 28, 2000

 

The woods around Lake Overtree, near the small town of Summitville, CO. hold dark and ancient secrets, and the Folk of the woods have chosen teenager Mark Howell as their emissary of vengeance and fulfillment. Moore’s dark version of a young man’s coming of age resonates with psychological tension and supernatural overtones that form a vivid contrast to the minutiae of everyday small-town life. The author’s ability to depict scenes of graphic violence as well as moments of quiet horror make this title a strong candidate for most horror and dark fantasy collections.

Library Journal, March 2000

"With the publication of Under the Overtree, Jim Moore takes his readers into the a very realm where wishes become nightmares, and going home again isn't easy at all. With epic scope, this new novel firmly establishes Moore as a major force in the world of dark fantasy."

Matthew Costello, author of THE SEVENTH GUEST and WURM and GARDEN

 

"An ambitious novel with echoes of Bradbury and King and McCammon, UNDER THE OVERTREE treats us to fully- fleshed characters, an engrossing storyline crammed with surprises, and a sensational finale. James A. Moore has arrived."

F. Paul Wilson, Author of the ADVERSARY CYCLE and CONSPIRACIES

 

"UNDER THE OVERTREE is as wonderfully twisted and dark as the deep roots of an ancient tree, steeped in secrets and dripping with evil. James Moore knows how to grab to reader's nerves and squeeze until the sweat pours down and their eyes bug out. This is "horror" fiction--or "dark fantasy"--at its dazzling best. Wonderfully human and touching and frightening, UNDER THE OVERTREE is everything a good novel should be."

Rick Hautala -- author of BEDBUGS and TWILIGHT TIME

 

"UNDER THE OVERTREE is a spine tingler. I devoured the book and then slept with the lights on. James A Moore is a true master of Horror Fiction"

Owl Goingback, author of DARKER THAN NIGHT

 

"There's something nasty in Summitville. Moore's first major horror novel combines characters you can care about, a wicked sense of humor, and some good old fashioned scares."

Craig Shaw Gardner

 

"Jim Moore's UNDER THE OVERTREE is a wonderfully creepy, well-written book with engaging characters and a forward rushing narrative drive that keeps you plowing through the pages. The best book of the dark fantastic that I've read in ages."

Joe R. Lansdale, author of Mucho Mojo and Rumble-Tumble

 

"This novel by James A. Moore is the first of his that I have seen and it says on the back that he has written four others. I'm going to have to look for them, as I'm sure you will as soon as you have finished this one."

"This is the story of Mark Howell and the events that take place after he moves to Summitville, Colorado and goes through the problems associated with being the "new kid". After a beating in the woods where he is scarred by a rock, strange things begin to happen to him. He begins to loose weight and get into shape. The prettiest girl in school becomes his girlfriend. And someone is getting even with those who picked on him. There are strange goings on in the woods near Lake Overtree. People are dying and the sheriff and coroner are baffled."

"This novel of dark fantasy fits into a niche with Dan Simmons's Summer of Night and Robert McCammon's Boys Life and tells the story of a group of friends who become involved with the unusual that will change their lives forever."

"This should be a sure winner for James A. Moore and a best seller for Meisha Merlin. Be on the lookout for this one at your local store."

-Barry Hunter Baryon 12

 

A shining horror tale Once upon a time, ignorant people not realizing what they called forth cast a spell. Now what they called forth wait for the Chosen One to arrive so they can begin causing mischief. No one residing in xenophobic Summitsville, Colorado knows what lives along side them as these Others are very good at hiding their existence from their human enemies. Mark Howell knows he is too shy and obese to be anything but an outsider. Already disturbed by his family's constant moves, the fifteen year-old despairs that he will ever find a place where he fits. He becomes a victim of the school bullies who severely beat him and leave him bleeding on a special stone in the nearby woods.

From that moment on, Mark becomes marked as the Chosen One and they subtly begin to change him physically and mentally. Mark starts making friends and even finds a girl who care about him as much as he does her. His enemies start disappearing or dying in horrific inhuman ways. Though Mark is not the perpetrator, he is the cause because no one messes with anyone under the protection of Them. The Hunter knows he must stop Them, hopefully without sacrificing an innocent lamb named Mark.

Fans of THE SHINING and PHANTOMS will welcome James A. Moore into the ranks of horror master. UNDER THE OVERTREE is fresh, complex, and totally enthralling. Summitsville is an intriguing town that should serve as the backdrop for future novels. Though the characters are fascinating, what makes Mr. Moore's novel so entertaining is the author's ability to make the supernatural seem so scientifically natural. Fans of urban fantasy and horror need to put this on there must read list.

Harriet Klausner

Under the Overtree tells the story of Mark Howell, an awkward, overweight teenager, who, as "the new kid in town", is a natural target for the bullies who plague his high school. Although Mark briefly manages to avoid the thugs, he is eventually cornered in a nearby wood and takes a savage beating. During the assault, he strikes his head on a stone; his blood spills over the stone, awakening "the Folk," a clan of supernatural beings who come to embrace Mark as "the One." They become his guardian angels, protecting him from harm, literally remaking him, increasing his physical and mental prowess and turning him into one of the most popular kids in school. But the Folk's intentions are not entirely charitable. In fact, they are molding Mark to suit their own dark purposes. Mark's ultimate fate is uncertain: unless his "becoming" is halted, he may spend eternity as a pawn of his benefactors.

First novels are truly a mixed bag; reviewers can be awed and excited by unexpected brilliance or, just as often, bewildered by utter ineptitude. Fortunately, most efforts fall somewhere between these two extremes: unpolished, but competent and promising. Under the Overtree fits within this latter category--written over ten years ago, it's Moore's first novel, and it shows.

The writing is often jumpy and awkward, reflecting the author's relative inexperience. Moore also tends to over explain, telling more than he shows. The book feels bloated due to this tendency--for instance, Moore relates the back-story of the novel in his prologue, then tells essentially the same story three more times over the remainder of the novel. Despite these problems, however, the book has a raw energy that keeps you turning pages. Part of this is due to Moore's great affinity for his characters--Mark Howell and the rest of the cast are vividly rendered. A great example of this is the colorful demon fighter John Crowley, who, despite his late entrance, manages to steal almost every scene he's in.

In brief, I recommend Under the Overtree for its story, if not the quality of its writing. A competent if flawed first effort, it's a gripping exploration of the old saw, "Be careful what you wish for, because you just may get it