Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! After accidentally borrowing a book from the library I had read before, I was in a literature limbo. So, I decided to consult mine and Johnny’s own library for a new book. We have been really enjoying watching Welcome To Derry and I had Stephen King on the mind. From Johnny’s collection of his works, I chose The Regulators which was written as Richard Bachman. The kooky cover screamed out at me and I devoured the almost five hundred page book in three sittings. This will be a spoiler free setting, as always. Before we begin, however, a big fat trigger warning will be placed on The Regulators for highly disturbing content, suicide, and violence in all possible forms. Now, let’s get to it:

Poplar Street is the perfect slice of suburbia located near Columbus, Ohio. A place where neighbors barbecue, talk sports over their fences, and kids toss frisbees and footballs all summer long. It is a buzzing community and everyone is constantly out enjoying the weather and freedom of sweet summertime. Except for Audrey and her little nephew, Seth. The neighbors haven’t seen much of them since Audrey’s husband committed suicide and their house sits like a storm cloud on picturesque Poplar Street.

If the house looks uninviting from the outside, just imagine the state indoors. Audrey and her late husband took Seth in after his entire family was killed in a freak drive by shooting. Seth has autism and inside his secret world in his mind and body is the host to something terrible. A vampire named Tak. Tak called to Seth on a family road trip and the little boy answered back. Tak desires strength, to procreate, and shares a passion for everything Seth loves: Chocolate milk and Chef Boyardee and his favorite forms of entertainment. Old westerns like Bonanza and The Regulators as well as a cartoon called MotoKop 2200.

An evil unlike anything the world has ever known is living in her home. A home that is littered with trash, ant infestations, and rotting food. When Tak goes away, Seth is still the same sweet little boy that Audrey loves with all her heart. When Tak returns, he has the power to make people hurt themselves. To slap themselves silly, fall down the stairs, and even end their own life. Tak is growing stronger by the day no matter how hard Audrey and Seth try to block their minds to hinder him. The vampire feeds on pain and negativity and he needs more than what this poor aunt and nephew can provide. So, he takes matters to the streets.

In Tak’s world, anything goes. All he has to do is call on what is already in Seth’s imagination: Outlaws in a shootout and cartoon MotoKops saving the world from destruction. In this skewed reality, the residents of Poplar Street are dead center in a mishmash of Seth’s favorite things. Cowboys and cops wreak havoc on the once quiet neighborhood. Destroying homes, causing fires, and killing everyone that stands in their way. As Tak feeds on the dead, his power increases and he transforms the entire world around them. They are no longer on Poplar Street but a world where Tak reigns supreme. Will the survivors live another hour let alone another minute? Will Seth forever be doomed to be Tak’s host? Read The Regulators to find out!

WOW. What a whacky story right?! Totally and completely insane. And you know what? I loved it! The Regulators was so unlike anything I have ever read before or seen in a movie or show and I couldn’t stop turning the page to save my own life. In a way, Richard Bachman created a dream scenario – a child whose favorite shows have come to life. It’s a fantastical idea but the cause and cost are so horrific that the dream is a full fledged nightmare.

My heart absolutely shattered for Seth and Audrey during the entirety of my binge read. This family has already been through so much and now a vampire is added to the mix?! And all they could do was suffer on their own because who would believe a story like this? All the while, life on Poplar Street continued as normal as evil festered a few houses down. It just goes to show that you never know what is going on behind closed doors.

The Regulators was action packed and was a cross between vampire horror, sci-fi, and bang bang shoot em’ up westerns. Right off the jump, this book kicked it into overdrive. So much so, that it took a while to gather my bearings around the other residents of Poplar Street. As this book dealt with so many people, it was hard to get a grip on who was who and form any meaningful connections with them. For me, this didn’t happen until beyond halfway through for some of the key players. At times, it made comprehending everything a bit difficult because all of the insanity was happening to people whose names I barely remembered. However, chaos was exactly what Bachman wanted and The Regulators had it in spades!

Overall, I am going to rate The Regulators with an eight and a half out of ten stars. The story was excellent but I could have done without the countless character overload!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah