Cryptids, Sociopaths, Curses, Haints, & Demons
Off the bat, the cover drew my eye. A rare sighting of what I hoped was the 'true' Jersey Devil. A cryptid from American folklore that was often reported as chimera-like, but most regularly with a horse's head. Thankfully, the source himself confirmed it for me. James, with a smirk trailing delight into his eyes, said, "yessir." I was sold.
Now, it's my pleasure to say I was not disappointed. "Devil of The Pines" is an outstanding creature-feature that explores three timelines for the town of Leads, NJ. At the heart of the issue is Patrick Shourds, and he's seen the devil. But no one believes him. He's ostracized, bullied, and eventually runs away from home at eighteen. Unfortunately, the ghosts of his past snuck along with his baggage.
The characters bring loads of heart to this story, balancing out the supernatural thrills that will keep the pages turning. The way Kaine organizes the timelines delivers on that promise, as he navigates cliff-hangers across all three, hinting at answers, but always leading the reader toward far more questions. With horrific implications.
For fans of small-town occult horrors who love a good, troubled-family dynamic, and a dark blanket of supernatural mysteries concealing it all. This one's for you.
Psychological horror is always a slow burn, and this one is no different. After all, madness never happens overnight. It's a gradual descent.
Georgetown sophomore Keely Rexroth has had med-school aspirations drilled into her since as far back as she can remember. That's the only result that could ever appease her mother. The woman has only ever shown her daughter disappointment, loathing, and unrelenting obstinacy toward her future being anything other than that of an esteemed medical professional. Nothing Keely does is ever good enough. So, when she stays the summer, working as a chaplain's aide rather than a Hughes Research Program member, the strain between the two women only intensifies. The brunt of which is wholly on the younger of the Rexroth women.
As Keely sees her dreams fading, from the "bad chair" beside "Airhead Ani," she takes matters into her own hands. She can start her own lab, do her own research. She already has her subjects; she just needs the requisite tools.
"Much Too Vulgar" keys in on the daunting pressures of parental neglect, perfectionism, and isolation that are all too common within higher education spheres. It's filled with dark, cynical wit and characters both pitiable and contemptible. It will leave readers questioning the thoughts behind the eyes of everyone they know.
Along About Midnight offers a nostalgic "Fear Street" esque story with classic high school-aged characters that deliver a nuanced and unique spin on several classic archetypes familiar to the genre. On the other hand, it mixes some heavy psychological themes like depression and mortality with a supernatural plot line that ultimately creates the underlying mystery of the story.
Bonus: the book includes pictures! Sinnott paired his tale with some excellent black-and-white illustrations that will give readers a sincere look into the visuals as they existed inside his head.
I would say this definitely is a story for fans of R.L. Stine looking for a modern adaptation of his style that leans further toward his more young adult and mature works.
A powerful historical fiction piece set in Jim Crow-era Florida that relies on the truth of past events to generate tension and ultimately the strongest sense of horror throughout the novel.
The best parts of Due's writing and the narrative certainly come from the fantastic characters who feel entirely alive and purposeful with their decisions. Whether it be the protagonists trying to navigate the segregationist laws that afflict their daily lives, or the vile perpetrators of these antiquated and racist ways of thinking.
With such vivid characters traversing this fraught landscape, readers will find the stakes increasing the more they learn of the cast's personalities and lifestyles. Inevitably, developing a weighty tension that never seems to fully dissolve, while simultaneously captivating the audience with stakes that are grounded in reality. To the point where they feel far more frightening than those looming worries bred through the underlying supernatural plotline, which feels more like a cherry on top than the foundation of the story.
This one will definitely check boxes for lovers of dark historical dramas and character-driven storytelling.
Demonic possession explains our current political environment as we follow one family's plight against the roiling gaslights that yearn for their subservience.
While that premise sold me the book, I can't say that the story delivered any sort of satisfying twists or turns. The narrative is haphazard and floats between past and present tense while shifting across multiple characters' POVs, including the last 138 pages (3rd act), which are almost written entirely in the second person... It's as if the story did not know where it was going in relation to the plot, and ultimately forced an ending that felt unsatisfactory and rushed.
There is very little actual horror throughout the novel, as the prose seems to focus on gross-out scenes rather than an actual sense of fear or dread. It simply made me feel uncomfortable to read about moms grinding their pelvises into their sons or dads jerking it to newscasters.
In the end, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes doesn't offer a progressive view of the affliction or the challenges facing the characters. Instead, it reads like an East Coast liberal elite's martyrdom manifesto. Very 'woe is me,' sad-hipster-boy themes that are out of touch with the zeitgeist that this story so actively wanted to play off.
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