| Title | : | Chelsea Avenue |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 151770068X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781517700683 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 276 |
| Publication | : | First published September 3, 2014 |
Chelsea Avenue Reviews
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Review copy
Chelsea Avenue is a real location in Long Branch, New Jersey. The Murphy's Law Club was a real place. On July 8th, 1987, the famous Haunted House on the pier in Long Branch did, indeed, burn down. The rest of this well-imagined story comes from the demented mind of Armand Rosamilia.
I really wanted to like this new book from Armand. First, I set out wanting to love every book I read. Second, this is Armand's first book with Ragnarok Publications, a small press that's doing big things in the horror and fantasy genres and I wanted it to be a success for author and press. And lastly, Armand is one of the good guys. What he managed to do, this year, with the project Authors Supporting Our Troops was truly an inspiration. Check it out on Facebook at...
https://www.facebook.com/events/64717...
I'm glad to say, Chelsea Avenue, did more than live up to my expectations. For the most part, the story is told over a 15 year period, beginning with the events which took place on July 8th, 1987 and then on each subsequent July, 8th, until the climatic events of July 8th, 2003.
We get to witness what happens each year on the anniversary of the fire that destroyed Murphy's Law in 1987, as more and more of those who survived the original fire are mysteriously drawn back to the lot where the club once stood, only meet their doom.
Manny Santiago's parents owned the club and we get to see Manny go from being a teen, lucky to survive the fire, to his life as a cop, then detective, get married, get shot, divorced and live to be one of the final survivors of the original event.
Rosamilia does a very nice job with the telling of each year's story, he pulls no punches, and provides some nice twists along the way.
At first, I was a bit put off with only getting the events of each July 8th, but I got used to the idea quickly and it became one of the most enjoyable aspects of the book.
Chelsea Avenue, is available now for pre-order at Amazon.com and will be released on September 8th, 2014 from Ragnarok Publications.
Highly recommended. -
I am the Co-Publisher and also did the layouts for the interior of this book (cover by the awesome Shawn T. King) while also reading it. I loved it. A page-turner with a dark 'current' that carries you along to an inevitably tragic (yet somewhat) hopeful conclusion. Otherworldly forces clash and poor Manny is stuck in the middle. I hope Armand writes more books for us at Ragnarok.
You like supernatural horror? You cannot go wrong here. Excellent stuff.
That is all. -
There's a lot in this story. Elemental forces, good vs evil, suspense, horror and writing that creates vivid images inside your head. Some of these images aren't pleasant as they involve characters facing their deaths and acting in ways that aren't normal for them. I liked the fact there was just enough information for me to imagine events, without being told all the details.
I liked how the book was written. Each chapter is a new year, the anniversary of a fire that occurs earlier in the story. Main character Manny is the link through all the chapters. We see him grow and make mistakes, but it's him who begins to piece together what has been happening in his home town. Something supernatural is at work and it's killing people.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys supernatural thrillers or horrors. -
Review: CHELSEA AVENUE
CHELSEA AVENUE is a riveting supernatural thriller, full of likable characters and implacable supernatural immortals. The good guys have failings, and the author makes that clear. The bad guys have some positives. In the end, they're human, confronted by immortals, kind of like grasshopper vs. gorilla. In a truly Lovecraftian cosmos, humanity is either prey, or lost to the indifference of immortals, and both are capably demonstrated here. I highly recommend this novel. -
Armand Rosamilia’s Chelsea Avenue is a refreshingly unique novel that I devoured in a few readings. Set in the Jersey shore, an ancient elemental entity is trying to destroy humanity. His coming out party takes place at the Haunted House Pier and Murphy’s Law club. This entity was thwarted only to continue to try to rise back from the ashes and destroy the human race. Each year on the anniversary of the date, he takes control of people that survived the fires that burned the pier and Murphy’s Law and kills them a few at a time, gaining power until he can once more rise again. Manny Santiago, whose parents owned the club, is struggling through the aftermath, but his life slowly disintegrates. He is the last man standing to save humanity and redeem all that he lost.
The way the novel is written is different and pretty cool. Each entry takes place one year after the date of the fire, as the survivors get killed off in varying and gruesome manners. Manny Santiago is kind of like an everyman. He doesn’t possess any real heroic qualities, and at times, even becomes unlikeable in the story. He has a real underdog feel to him, and in the end, it’s hard not to get behind him. The novel has a real Cthulhian feel to it, although unlike many other novels I’ve read, doesn��t seem like a H.P. Lovecraft rip off. The caliber of writing is top notch. As a fellow writer, I can respect and admire the attention that Rosamilia applies to his craft. This was an all together enjoyable novel that qualifies as a must-read.
Carl Alves – author of Conjesero -
Originally published at
Risingshadow.
Armand Rosamilia's Chelsea Avenue is a good and well written horror novel that can be recommended to readers who are interested in modern horror fiction. I was positively surprised by this novel, because it was an entertaining, delightfully dark and easily likeable novel.
Chelsea Avenue is a simple yet complex novel that offers entertaining chills and thrills to horror readers, because it tells of an entity that haunts a seaside community and gradually gains more power. The author combines horror elements and everyday life happenings in a surprisingly good and addictive way in this novel.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
- A deadly and dangerous entity, Wiy of the Water, begins to prepare for his Ascension, but Og of the Flame, Soh of the Wind and Dir of the Earth have been looking for him and they try to bind him. At the same time Wiy begins a ritual of his own that binds him to the area...
- Manny Santiago is a young man whose parents own the club called Murphy's Law. Suddenly the club burns down and Manny loses everything he held dear...
- People, who survived the fire, are each year drawn to the place of the fire. There they meet their doom...
- Manny's life is connected to the happenings that take place in the small community...
That's all I'll write about the story, because it wouldn't be fair to reveal more about it.
In my opinion the author has constructed this novel well, because he wrote fluently about people who survived the fire and what happened to them afterwards. Readers get to see how something bad happens to the survivors each year on the anniversary of the fire. The author has come up with intriguing storylines for the survivors, because they're all different from each other and have lived different lives.
Manny is a well created and three-dimensional character. I enjoyed reading about his life, because the author revealed what happened to him over the years. At the beginning of the story he was a young man, but then he grew up, became a cop and got married etc.
What I like most about this novel is that it contains a bit different kind of an evil entity and the characters are realistic. Armand Rosamilia seems to have an ability to write believably about the characters and their lives, which is great, because I've always liked reading about realistic characters (I think it's important that modern horror authors pay attention to the characters and character development).
The author doesn't shy away from difficult material, but writes boldly about sex and violence. He uses both in a good way and manages to shock his readers with a few brilliantly disturbing scenes. For example, what the evil entity does to the woman in the first chapter has been handled well, because the entity's actions and thoughts are disturbing.
After reading this novel I can say that Armand Rosamilia seems to be a good and promising horror writer, because he's capable of writing about different characters and he also manages to create an intriguing supernatural story that hooks the reader with the first few chapters and makes the reader want to know what happens at the end of story. I look forward to reading more of his stories.
Although Chelse Avenue is a modern horror novel, it reminded me a bit of Stephen King's early novels. I'm sure that readers who have enjoyed reading King's early novels will like this novel, because there's something similar in this novel as there is in King's novels.
If you enjoy reading horror novels that have supernatural elements and evil entities in them, Chelse Avenue will most likely pleasy you very much. It's a well written, atmospheric and entertaining modern horror novel that has realistic characters in it, so you should consider taking a look at it.
My final words are:
Armand Rosamilia's Chelsea Avenue is good and entertaining horror fiction! -
An anniversary of death continues to haunt a small New Jersey town. The fire of a night club that was engulfed in flames. The survivors facing death but what drags them back to Chelsea Avenue. A summoning monster using souls to power his strength.
Wind, Water, Earth and Fire come together in this powerful novel of survival and death. Armand Rosamilia shows his colors as a member of the Horror Writers Associates. Chelsea Avenue I could not put down. Rosamilia writes death scenes like hes lived them. *See bottom quote* a must read. Thank Raganok Press!
"I'll finally get the record, finally be the only name on that wall and that plaque," he said through clenched teeth. His breathing was steady, and his eyes were forced on the prize he was speeding toward, the gorgeous white lines of the end zone and victory.
Rick Toland hit the tree face- first, running so fast that his nose and jaw shattered instantly, and the sharp branch jammed so quickly into his left eye socket that all he felt was a roar of the crowd. " -
This was my first book from Armand Rosamund and it will not be my last. Chelsea Avenue is a good old fashioned "evil out to destroy the world". What was unusual is it unfolded over years. It was a very patient evil. The characters were believable. The suddenness of their departure from rational to homicidal behavior made the story more chilling. I enjoyed it. Isn't that why we read, because it is fun? Chelsea Avenue was scary fun, like a haunted house on the amusement pier at the shore.
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Spoilers throughout review, sorry
Thrilling read. I really liked how the main character helped to defeat the evil within. Even though he wasn't himself anymore. I'm so looking forward to the second book -
Really great book. I love Armand’s writing style and appreciate his Jersey background. It always reads into his stories. I could almost hear this book being read to me. Loved the 80’s feel to the book. I mean that in a good way. Did not know there was a book 2, so obviously I need to buy it.
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interestingly supernatural
A quick read that had an interesting storyline. There were parts that I wish were developed more, but I still enjoyed the book. -
Chelsea Avenue By Armand Rosamilia
Chelsea Ave By Armand Rosamilia
A new take on the old story with supernatural entities fighting to rule the earth.It is a modern day horror story taken out of the history of Long Beach,New Jersey.The Murphy's Law night club was a real place as well as The Haunted House on the pier, both were famous attractions for the New Jersey beachgoers. My mom was a New Jersey native and as kids we loved to hear the stories of the cost line attractions and stories of her youth.So it was a delight hearing tell of the burning of the Haunted House on the pier that met it fate July 8th 1987 with a new twist of the behind the scenes goings-on.
We meet Manny Santiago and his parents that owned and operated Murphy's Law nightclub, they worked together as a family.
We meet the ancient entities Wiy of the water (Who wants to take over the earth and become a god)His brothers Og of the flame,Soh of the wind and Dir of the earth.(who try to arrest Wiy's effort to keep balance.)
The night of the fire and the complete destruction of both Murphy's Law and the Haunted house, Wiy's brothers were trying to bind his powers. What they didn't know is that Wiy was binding himself to the area of this, his latest failed attempt to Ascension.
Manny was the reason there were so many survivors that night. Although he had lost all those who he held dear to his heart,each year he and the other survivors of that night were drawn back to the place of the horrific fire where so many lost their lives on the anniversary of the fire. They couldn't help themselves.Bad things happened to those drawn back to that place.
We follow Manny from his teens to manhood where he succeeded at being a local cop, then a detective and is now married. But life has not been kind to Manny, read the book to find out more of the mysterious events that stemmed from the night of the fire.
Mr.Armand Rosamilia is a truly talented writer, with a slightly twisted mind.He always seems to manage to write in 3D with surround sound a truly gifted writer. This story will have you on the edge of your seat.The more modern spin makes this story more relatable I think. A true delight that transports you right in the middle of this story. -
Chelsea Ave By Armand Rosamilia
A new take on the old story with supernatural entities fighting to rule the earth.It is a modern day horror story taken out of the history of Long Beach,New Jersey.The Murphy's Law night club was a real place as well as The Haunted House on the pier, both were famous attractions for the New Jersey beachgoers. My mom was a New Jersey native and as kids we loved to hear the stories of the cost line attractions and stories of her youth.So it was a delight hearing tell of the burning of the Haunted House on the pier that met it fate July 8th 1987 with a new twist of the behind the scenes goings-on.
We meet Manny Santiago and his parents that owned and operated Murphy's Law nightclub, they worked together as a family.
We meet the ancient entities Wiy of the water (Who wants to take over the earth and become a god)His brothers Og of the flame,Soh of the wind and Dir of the earth.(who try to arrest Wiy's effort to keep balance.)
The night of the fire and the complete destruction of both Murphy's Law and the Haunted house, Wiy's brothers were trying to bind his powers. What they didn't know is that Wiy was binding himself to the area of this, his latest failed attempt to Ascension.
Manny was the reason there were so many survivors that night. Although he had lost all those who he held dear to his heart,each year he and the other survivors of that night were drawn back to the place of the horrific fire where so many lost their lives on the anniversary of the fire. They couldn't help themselves.Bad things happened to those drawn back to that place.
We follow Manny from his teens to manhood where he succeeded at being a local cop, then a detective and is now married. But life has not been kind to Manny, read the book to find out more of the mysterious events that stemmed from the night of the fire.
Mr.Armand Rosamilia is a truly talented writer, with a slightly twisted mind.He always seems to manage to write in 3D with surround sound a truly gifted writer. This story will have you on the edge of your seat.The more modern spin makes this story more relatable I think. A true delight that transports you right in the middle of this story. -
After reading CHELSEA AVENUE by Armand Rosamilia, one thing is clear: Rosamilia (most known for his zombie fiction) needs to write more straight horror. CHELSEA AVENUE is just that, straight horror. This feels like horror from the golden age of the late 80's and early 90's. Somewhere between Stephen King and Brian Keene lies the dark styling of one Armand Rosamilia.
The premise of CHELSEA AVENUE hooks you in from the start. The story takes place in the real town of Long Branch, New Jersey. There is a boardwalk fire (which was also a real event) that burns down a local rock club (this is where the lines of reality and fiction become blurred). On the surface its a terrible tragedy but we soon find out there is a war of elemental gods at play. The god of fire is thwarted in his attempt to rule the Earth and he sets out to come back once again to rule the Earth. Each year, on the anniversary, the god draws one of the survivors of the fire to the vacant lot where the club once stood and murders them, feeding his trapped form.
The story is a real page turner. The ending is thrilling and unsettling. All the stops to get there are all natural horror juice poured out in the easy reading style of Armand Rosamilia's storytelling voice. There was a minor hole in the plot that took too long for this reader to get answered, but once it did I was relived.
In short, if you like horror form the 80s, 90s or early 2000s then CHELSEA AVENUE is garunteed to be your fix. Fans of Rosamilia's other work will enjoy this new direction. This works great as a stand alone book but could easily be spun into a second story should the muse arise. Grab CHELSEA AVENUE and take a trip to the dark part of the Jersey Shore. -
This was an interesting book and a creative plot and a great, dynamic main character. I really enjoyed how this character interacts with others and how their admiration and desire for him to get his life together came through without the author having to explicitly tell me. The way that they treated him did all the talking, and it was enjoyable to see him grow throughout the story.
I like that this story does not have a heavy romance plot. Everything that happens is centered around the main plot, and that main story line is not detracted from.
One thing about it, without going into too much detail and spoiling it, was that with most new characters that were introduced, the same things happened to them. At first, it was exciting. Then it was still good because the readers know what will happen, but there's a sense of "this is the way things are; this will be triumphed over in the end." Then, it got a little tedious and too repetitive. But in between that, the growth and development of the main character continued to drive the story forward, so I did not lose any interest.
Overall, it was a good book, and I would consider reading others by this author. -
Chelsea avenue
Check out Armand's supporting our troops where he sends books to the troops.
I love the way this book flowed and was told only on 8th July each year from the fire to the end.
Set in the real location of Long Branch New Jersey.
*Authors Note: Chelsea Avenue is a real street in Long Branch, NJ and not too far from where I grew up. Murphy's Law Club was an actual place as well, but it closed down sometime in the early 1990s. On July 8th 1987, the famous Haunted House on the pier in Long Branch did, indeed, burn down. As for the rest…
Manny's parents own a bar called Murphy's law which burnt down in 1987. Manny was there but survived along with 86 others (I think).
Wiy of the Water, is planning for his Ascension to be a god and destroy mankind but his brothers Og of the Flame, Soh of the Wind and Dir of the earth decide to thwart his plan and bind him to the lot of the burnt down Murphy's law club and the strip bar next door.
Over the next 15 years all the survivors return and die in various ways till only 2 are left to take on wiy. -
Chelsea Avenue is one of those books you pick up and start to read and before you know it, you are turning the last page! NOT because this is a short book with two hundred and twenty one pages, BUT because it is so good, filled with horror and a lot of action that you can’t put it down! Armand Rosamilia has taken a real life story from New Jersey of the Haunted House in Long Branch, and turned into a brilliantly written story! One that could only come from a very imaginative mind such as his that will have you on the edge of your seat as you are reading. It is a war of one truly evil God versus man who will stop at nothing to return to this world and destroy it. Only a few, with the help of one surprising character are left to try and stop him. Will they succeed and save the Earth from being destroyed by water? You will have to read this amazing story for yourself to find out the answer and by the way…you won’t be disappointed in reading this book to find out. This is truly one…freakin’…awesomely written book!
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Review:
A good horror story is one that transfixes the reader even as he or she is horrified beyond measure. Such is the case with Chelsea Avenue. Manny lost his entire family to something explainable and now that force has come back to claim the lives of those who belong to the lot at Chelsea Avenue. Horrific and mesmerizing, you watch them fall, one by one. The phrase Wait for what will come is more than apt here. This book takes place over years, like a slowly creeping evil swamped in seawater...very deliberate and very chilling.
This book does contain some trigger elements for those who have had experience with date rape, domestic violence and/or sexual trauma that can be disturbing to some.
3/5 -
Thoroughly enjoyed this one. I can honestly say I've never read anything like it: the structure (each chapter is a year apart, it works, trust me), the pacing, the relateable everyday dialogue.
I can say there's a lot of death without spoiling anything. But you'll never know if someone is going to die because Armand treats every character with purpose and a fleshed out background. I like that -- you get to know everyone, even if some of them are for only a short time.
The struggle of the protagonist felt genuine. Watching his life change over the years, the pain and hardship that he brings upon himself... If you don't feel something when reading this then you're not human -- could be Wiy reincarnate, but definitely not human. -
This was a really good read mystery horror type of read for me each year spread out for a 15 yr plan in this book makes you wonder who and what will happen in till the final part of the storm so to say it kept me up reading i kept saying i will go to sleep ofter this chapter no wait after this one no this one and now its 2 am thats how captivating the story was The only thing that was annoying or bugged me is how he explained the look of the new character they were always so perfect and beautiful and for me just got annoying reading how perfect they looked :)
But it was still a really great story -
Chelsea Avenue is like watching a teenage horror flick. You know the characters are going to be picked off, and it's intriguing to see exactly how. It was like Harper's Island, only the horror takes places over years instead of a few days.
That was my favorite part in Rosamilia's book! The main character knows that terrible things are going to happen on a certain day each year, and the pressure definitely gets to him. It was nice to see the fallout.
Chelsea Avenue was a quick, enjoyable read with some gore and fantastical elements. It felt like a happy, guilty pleasure and a fun way to while away a few nights. -
I enjoyed the writing a lot. Skipping forward a year each chapter and switching to the perspectives of so many new characters makes this standout and it is done really well. I wish a bit more time had been spent building up to the solution at the end, but it was an engaging read and I'd like to read more from this author.
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Really enjoyable read.
An intriguing story, we follow Manny one of few survivors from a fire at his parents night club as over years the body count rises at the former site of the club with a series of seemingly unlinked and random deaths. The plot twists and turns throughout the story and accelerates to a Nail biting finish. -
I really liked this. The quick progression, the voice, really good characterization, laugh-out-loud moments, all of it. Only thing I didn't like and hated seeing was Manny's nosedive. Thought the ending, for all the build-up, felt rushed.
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Excellent story. It's like a whole bunch of short stories stitched together with a menacing overarching story. It did drag a little in the middle, but it had a very strong ending.
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Great book! Awesome book! Why aren't you reading this?!
Read my full take here:
Chelsea Avenue
