COME CLOSER

Sara Gran

SoHo Press, Inc. 2003

PB 168pgs

ISBN# 1-56947-328-5

Come Closer is both the title and central metaphor of

Gran’s second novel told in first-person through the main

character.  It’s what the sexy female demon says to thirty-

something Amanda, who’s an architect.

Amanda liked her life.  She married a great guy, liked her

job, and finally had the chance to design her own home.

There were only a few small particulars she’d change if

she could, but didn’t everyone have some?

The story opens with Amanda’s boss receiving a note on his

desk with nasty colorful statements.  He thought Amanda put

it there since she’d just left his office that morning.

Three people saw her bring it to his desk.  Someone had a

sick sense of humor, Amanda thought, because she’d placed a

proposal there, not that note.  She had placed a note on

the proposal, but it had been a cheerful one. 

Later, Amanda and her husband, Ed, are sitting at the

dinner tale discussing their day.  A tap-tapping sound

begins for the first time, but upon investigation they find

nothing.  The tapping goes on for the rest of the winter

and then the fighting begins.  Amanda figures it must be a

phase.  All couples had them.

Her new found friend, a stray German Shepherd-mix, was the

first to realize Amanda wasn’t entirely herself.

Strange dreams begin and Amanda starts saying and doing

things out of character.  She took up smoking after having

quit for Ed when they moved in with one another two years

ago, stole cheap lipstick darker then her usual shade,

snuck out to bars and enjoyed talking to drunk guys with

tattoos.

Could there be a correlation with the beautiful woman from

an ocean of blood who lately filled her dreams? Na,

couldn’t be.  That was her imaginary friend from childhood

nothing more.  Of course her friend didn’t have pointy

teeth, wore clothes, had smaller eyes and breasts and was

shorter.  In the dreams the woman lovingly held Amanda in

her arms on a crimson beach and told her she loved her.

“I’ll never leave you alone,” she said.

Maybe she needed to see a psychiatrist or better still, a

spiritual advisor – just for kicks of course.

“Someone’s watching you,” Sister Maria finally said.  “She’s right next to you.  Beautiful, but black.  Evil.  Have you tried

to get rid of her?”

The Sister’s statement wasn’t funny and neither was her

recommendation to use a green concoction with a label

reading: “Number #5 DEMON FIGHTING.”

Out of boredom one evening by herself, Amanda opened the

book mistakenly sent to her entitled: Demon Possession Past

and Present – instead of the one she’d ordered titled:

Design Issues Past and Present.  She read the quiz from the

first page and scored a four out of ten.  As time went by

weirder things happen and her marriage starts to crumble

and her score goes up to ten out of ten.  Amanda dismisses

the whole idea because there really are no such things as

demons.  And even if there were, she’s a good person who

did what she should and thought good thoughts – well, most

of the time.

This is Sara Gran’s second novel.  ‘Saturn’s Return to New

York’ was her first.  She is happily married, likes her

job, likes her life…

Gran’s tale grabbed me quick.  From the first chapter to

the last, my attention held.  A smooth, fast read.  The

mood she set is surreal, intense, and about the story first and horror second.  Stirring.

I recommend this book for those who like horror without

blood and guts, wonder about the “what ifs” where demons

are concerned, or like the unusual in a present day

setting. 

Christina Francine Whitcher