It takes a special talent to write a novella, which packs a huge punch into a smaller amount of space. It takes a master of the craft, to be honest, and Avon definitely fills that role well. Avon has quickly become one of my favorite authors and each book just gets better and better. Revived is probably my favorite so far, as her lyrical writing flows across the page and grabs hold of the reader from the very first page. Whether it's romance, time travel or psychological horror, she is a master of the written word and a magnificent storyteller. With 'Revived,' the shocking twist at the end caught me so off guard that I nearly fell off the treadmill--I did NOT see that coming! It's also refreshing to read a novel with impeccable editing, which seems to have gone by the wayside in recent years. Bravo to Avon for hitting another one out of the ballpark! (Side note: I love the reference to Spirograph--used to love playing with that as a kid!)

Some of my favorite lines from the book:

"Outside, a tree limb knocked against the window seeking permission to enter."

"The liquid burned his throat where the curse words were lingering..."

"Each slide of an imaginary life was like microfiche, speeding past his eyes, changing rapidly."

Okay, okay! I So this book, yes, I saw the cover and immediately felt drawn to check it out. It's a fabulous cover, dark and intriguing, sensual.

But, after reading Amazon's peek at the beginning, I was hooked.

And this novel did not disappoint.

Steven and Cassie Gold are the couple you see in chic films. Sophisticated, interesting, talented. Both exceptional in the looks department.

Almost enough to make me think, "Oh, no, not one of these classy, glitzy, pretty couple books!"

Almost.

The novel was so happy and lovable and....until it WASN'T.

I truly didn't (should have by the blurb, the title, the cover) see the sudden fall into a mesmerizing, tense, mysterious world of the psychological, paranormal intrigue that "Revived" is.

I never joke about not being able to put a book down. So when I say I could not put this book down is to say it hooked me from the first words to the very last.

The author's style was classy, sensual, dark. Perfect elements for this type of novel. The couple, their friends, their world was believable and vividly colorful.

No plot reveal, I don't do that.

I will, however, recommend! Lush read!

The story was gripping, and the details were fantastic. The dialog was authentic. I kind of wish there were more to the story!

This THRILLER grabbed me in the first few paragraphs. Steven and Cassie's love was a like a melody making my heart catch in my throat at times. I could not pause, whizzed through it, each chapter dancing into the other. Little hints began to form an emerging shadow. I began questioning if this was the prelude to evil or just memories.

Barbara Avon is an incredibly gifted writer, weaving a tale you think is headed in one direction and leading you unsuspectingly into another. She delves the depths with total abandon, playing your emotions as she unravels the psyche of her characters and shares their secrets in a way that will leave you trembling in shock.

My goosebumps had goosebumps while I was reading this story and my jaw dropped when the pieces finally fell in place at the end. If you have not read REVIVED, you should buy a copy, now!

The Golden Boy isn’t so golden after all. An untimely 60 second death, and subsequent revival, brings to light a sinister past that Steven Gold thought he had left behind.

Sometimes sorry just isn’t good enough.

I read this in one sitting and I was hooked from start to finish. Avon’s writing has its own special flavor. Her prose reads like poetry, or maybe more like a romance novelist who lost her mind and realized horror was more up her alley. Her words have a unique passion to them and I feel like I can see exactly what she saw in her head when she was writing it.

As Avon says in the beginning of her book, there are many different genres of horror. But I think any horror fan (like myself) would enjoy this story. I look forward to browsing through the rest of Avon’s extensive catalogue to see what else I can find.

Even at the beginning of Barbara Avon's "Revived", readers may feel an uneasy sense that something isn't quite right in the relationship between Steven Gold and his wife, Cassie. It's logical to assume that the trouble lies in Cassie's memories of the past and subsequent anxiety...but is that the real issue? Steven comes across as a loving husband, but his perfection as a human being seems to intimidate even his own wife rather than help her. Then Steven is struck by a car and literally dies for a full minute. He is miraculously brought back to life by paramedics, which seems par for the course of this shining man. Unfortunately, he doesn't return to life quite the same person he was. Layer by layer, Steven is unraveled and revealed by his own past actions. This is a frightening, twisty tale about keeping secrets shoved in the closet and the consequences that arise when someone (or something) finally opens that closed door. Highly recommended for lovers of paranormal fiction.

I really enjoyed this quick and intense psychological horror novella. Barbara Avon pulls you in with imagery that ranges from beautiful to haunting to disturbing. Every emotion is on display in this story. There are scenes that will definitely stick with the reader. I also really love the book cover. I feel it captures the atmosphere of the story perfectly. Overall, I thought this was a great read, and I look forward to reading more of Barbara's work.

There’s a lingering scent of terror throughout the whole of Revived. It’s not necessarily a tale of punishment and redemption – in fact it could be argued that the main character never achieves redemption. Revived is a look back on a life that our main character thought was, at the very least justifiable, if not actually okay only to closely examine just how nasty it really was.

Like many good authors, Avon has latched onto a tale as old as time itself – the notion that there must be atonement – and used it to springboard into a modern, terrifying ale. Revived doesn’t pull punches. It gets in your face and shrieks at you like a coked-up banshee. It’s one hell of a ride and I loved every page of it. Even if you kick the morality subtext to the curb, there’s still a river of unexplored misery snaking through here and the kick in the gut that comes with exploring that misery.

An enjoyable read, although one whose twists and turns I saw coming throughout (not a slight against the book or the author, I've just read a lot of books and watched a lot of movies so it's rather difficult for me to be truly surprised by this genre of story). That said, it was interesting to witness a man's many sins return for him, and how each one played a part in the seemingly perfect life that he has. Everyone has some skeletons in their closest after all- question is, how deep are they hidden, and what would happen if they decided to make themselves known?

Short, spooky, and worth a read. Check it out.

Wow. I'm not quite sure what to say about this other than "wow" but I'm going to try.

I'm already familiar with Barbara Avon's work having flown through Owl Eyes Motel quite rapidly. While that was understated with a creeping sense of dread, this is a whole other affair.

It's tale of mistakes and atonement. It is immediately visceral and doesn't let up for one moment, every word brings something else, peering (proverbially at least) from behind your hand through to the shocking conclusion.

This was a very fascinating read. The secrets that we live with, the secrets that we reveal and the secrets that finally strangle us to our demise.