The Remaking

The Remaking A Novel

Inspired by a true story, this supernatural thriller for fans of horror and true crime follows a tale as it evolves every twenty years--with terrifying results. Ella Louise has lived in the woods surrounding Pilot's Creek, Virginia, for nearly a decade. Publicly, she and her daughter Jessica are shunned by their upper-crust family and the Pilot's Creek residents. Privately, desperate townspeople visit her apothecary for a cure to what ails them--until Ella Louise is blamed for the death of a prominent customer. Accused of witchcraft, both mother and daughter are burned at the stake in the middle of the night. Ella Louise's burial site is never found, but the little girl has the most famous grave in the South: a steel-reinforced coffin surrounded by a fence of interconnected white crosses. Their story will take the shape of an urban legend as it's told around a campfire by a man forever marked by his boyhood encounters with Jessica. Decades later, a boy at that campfire will cast Amber Pendleton as Jessica in a '70s horror movie inspired by the Witch Girl of Pilot's Creek. Amber's experiences on that set and its meta-remake in the '90s will ripple through pop culture, ruining her life and career after she becomes the target of a witch hunt. Amber's best chance to break the cycle of horror comes when a true-crime investigator tracks her down to interview her for his popular podcast. But will this final act of storytelling redeem her--or will it bring the story full circle, ready to be told once again? And again. And again . . .
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Reviews

Photo of Zoey Mikalatos
Zoey Mikalatos@zoeymik
3 stars
Aug 29, 2022

The book, as a whole, was not as bloody as I expected or wanted it to be. When I pick up a horror novel, I want it to be scary. While parts of the book were nerve-wracking, it didn't keep me up at night at all, and I probably would have been just fine without reading it. "It'll live beyond all of us. This whole town. As long as there's someone around to tell it. And tell it."

Photo of Jordan Robinson
Jordan Robinson@jordalinereads
3 stars
Nov 17, 2021

3.5 🌟 This started so.good! The second half just drags though. It's still interesting, I still liked it but not as much as I wanted to.

Photo of Paige Green
Paige Green@popthebutterfly
1 star
Nov 5, 2021

Disclaimer: I received this arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. Book: The Remaking Author: Clay McLeod Chapman Book Series: Standalone Rating: 1/5 Recommended For...: horror fans Publication Date: September 15, 2020 Genre: Horror Recommended Age: Can’t recommend, DNFed Publisher: Quirk Books Pages: 305 Synopsis: Ella Louise has lived in the woods surrounding Pilot’s Creek, Virginia, for nearly a decade. Publicly, she and her daughter Jessica are shunned by their upper-crust family and the Pilot’s Creek residents. Privately, desperate townspeople visit her apothecary for a cure to what ails them—until Ella Louise is blamed for the death of a prominent customer. Accused of witchcraft, both mother and daughter are burned at the stake in the middle of the night. Ella Louise’s burial site is never found, but the little girl has the most famous grave in the South: a steel-reinforced coffin surrounded by a fence of interconnected white crosses. Their story will take the shape of an urban legend as it’s told around a campfire by a man forever marked by his boyhood encounters with Jessica. Decades later, a boy at that campfire will cast Amber Pendleton as Jessica in a ’70s horror movie inspired by the Witch Girl of Pilot’s Creek. Amber’s experiences on that set and its meta-remake in the ’90s will ripple through pop culture, ruining her life and career after she becomes the target of a witch hunt. Amber’s best chance to break the cycle of horror comes when a true-crime investigator tracks her down to interview her for his popular podcast. But will this final act of storytelling redeem her—or will it bring the story full circle, ready to be told once again? And again. And again… Review: Had to DNF at 204 pages. It's an ok book but I became quickly bored with it after the shift from Amber to adulthood. The scariness toned down significantly and it left me with repeating dialogue and slow pacing. The book has different paving throughout it and not well developed characters. The world is also not adequately developed and it's just not for me. Verdict: Not for me and needs more work.

Photo of Leticia Leal
Leticia Leal@theillumiletty
2 stars
Dec 18, 2023
Photo of Jerilynn Hallett
Jerilynn Hallett @jerilynnhallett
3 stars
Feb 24, 2023
Photo of Ivory
Ivory @ivoryrose98
3 stars
Aug 15, 2022
Photo of Mary Rose Luksha
Mary Rose Luksha@mayroundstone
4 stars
Jul 12, 2022
Photo of Kathy Rodger
Kathy Rodger @bookatnz
3 stars
Apr 20, 2022
Photo of danielle bush
danielle bush@daniereads87
3 stars
Nov 29, 2021
Photo of Tanya Sutton
Tanya Sutton@mrsreads
3 stars
Nov 16, 2021
Photo of Jennifer Gregory
Jennifer Gregory@mightyjenn
3 stars
Nov 5, 2021
Photo of Sarah Agterhuis
Sarah Agterhuis@saphfyre42
4 stars
Oct 7, 2021
Photo of Chantale
Chantale@canadianbookaddict
3 stars
Sep 15, 2021
Photo of Gemma Craig
Gemma Craig@bambam89
4 stars
Sep 3, 2021

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