I just finished reading the Piercing by John Coyne. I must say that going into this book, I had a completely different idea on what the book would be but once I started reading it, I got into it. The picture on the cover and the description on the back cover are a little misleading. This is a true example of not judging a book by its cover.

The main character, Father Kinsella was a very complex character but the author makes the reader be able to relate to him. You can feel the struggle that he goes through between his faith and Deborah. You can understand Deborah's view of their relationship. Then Betty Sue Wadkins comes into the picture. What is happening to Betty Sue is so astonishing that Father Kinsella feels the need to try to help her.

If you like books about the Catholic faith, stigmata, or the struggle between man and his faith, this is a great book. ( )

i suppose the ridiculous, dated cover art should have tipped me off, but the book was cheap, and covers don't necessarily dictate a book's level of awesomeness; besides, weren't most horror covers campy in 1979?

i mainly blame the enticing blurb on the back cover, which promised darker, more complex, and more disturbing characters and situations than it produced. the novel ended up being just another hot-possessed-teenage-girl and-handsome-young-and-fallible-Catholic-priest tale. it's derivative, mostly predictable, and has too many boring, unbelievable sex scenes. the characters are charicatures, as well.

i finally stopped about halfway through, deciding i'd already wasted too much of my lifetime on this book. if you like wannabe softcore porn and possession crap, pick it up.at least it's a quick read. ( )