Review: Eaters of the Dead

5 stars. I read this and loved it in college, but it was so, so, so great to revisit it after leaning into my Viking interests over the last few years. The things I didn't recognize then I can place and frame contextually/historically now, which added a whole layer of stunning genius I couldn't pick up on before. Michael Crichton isn't a perfect author, and some of his older stuff especially leans a tad problematic, but this one is really, really, so, so good. 

It's about Ibn Fadlan, an Arab ambassador who winds up accompanying a group of Northmen (Vikings) on an epic quest to rid their land of a terrifying evil. The narrative is told in the form of a sort of anthropological manuscript; Ibn Fadlan's observations about the Vikings and their culture, based on his truly immersive experiences. He is critical, curious, and very sharp, and breathes new life into a tale that's so well known and widely studied.

I have to say that it was super refreshing, after dealing with a bit of a reading slump recently, to read such a well-plotted, well-paced, well-written story. It's based on, of course, the OG story, so we've had thousands of years to edit and carve out the best, juiciest narrative. Still - this is a brilliant version. Great for regular readers of horror, fantasy, even historical fiction; great for fans of Vikings, epics, and monsters. 

Eaters of the Dead on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Devil's Creek

2 stars. I am on a bit of a cult kick currently and this has been on my list for ages - unfortunately, it just didn't hit me right. (It's September and I have been picking them so wrong this year - I need out of this slump ASAP.)

Story kicks off in 1983, when a group of ex-cult members raid the churchyard of their former group to kill the leader, Jacob Masters, and rescue their grandkids. They are successful - most of the cult members die by suicide, Jacob is put down, and the temple is burned. Six of the surviving kids grow up and live lives as best as they can. And that's where the story begins. 

For me, this book is really just 1) too long, 2) repetitive, 3) predictable, and 4) lacking an actual narrative structure, opting instead to serve up an episodic series of similar events that don't actually provide any character depth, emotional insight or fresh/interesting layers to the story. I was practically skimming by the last chapter, falling asleep every few paragraphs and desperate to get to the end. 

It also draws on plenty of recognizable influences but doesn't necessarily freshen them - yes, we all owe so much to SK, there's a reason why he's considered the best of the best - but this felt like it was maybe trying a little too hard to channel that particular brand of horror? And one more thing, though I hesitate to say it: I thought the sexual components of the story were really cartoonish. Check TWs for sure, but I was rolling my eyes by the end. I don't know if I'd call it gratuitous, exactly, and please don't mistake me for being sensitive at all about these things, but I think the author was aiming for something here, and missed. 

This does not mean that Devil's Creek is a bad book, or that it isn't scary, or that it won't appeal to you - or many horror fans. It checks a lot of boxes: small town corrupted, the return of an ancient evil, multiple POVs, body horror, earthy horror, gruesome imagery, high stakes, black goo, people doing extreme things in the name of God, a final showdown between good vs evil. It's full of the tropes we know and love, and some parts were definitely entertaining.

I have no regrets. Just wasn't for me.

Devil’s Creek on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Once Yellow House

4 stars. This is a completely unique, completely compelling take on a cult / true crime tell-all, start to finish. It's weird - very weird - but I couldn't put it down, and the entirety of the story lands with a really weighty, satisfying thunk. The viewfinder here is super, super narrow, but I personally didn't feel anything was missing; it's all very intentional and I got the strong sense that what's included - what we end up reading - is what was meant to be shared. No more, no less.

Written in epistolary format, The Once Yellow House contains a collection of documents pertaining to a fictional massacre that took place in November of 2020 at the site of the Retinue cult occupation. Our primary storyteller is Hope, the wife of the Retinue's deceased leader, Thomas. We get to read her diary entries documenting the formation and destruction of the cult, as well as audio transcripts of her interview with a surviving ex-member. 

There's a lot of horror packed in. Body horror, cosmic horror, domestic horror, religious cult horror, fungal horror... the list goes on. I absolutely loved the way art, art analysis and art history is woven into the story, and the straightforward presentation of fantasy/supernatural elements. This book really goes hardcore in a way that I haven't encountered in awhile... Gemma Amor is REALLY, REALLY, unbelievably talented.

I docked a star because maybe it got a little cute with itself every now and then. But I'm deadly serious: do not sleep on this. It's incredible and cutthroat and refreshing and fierce. I'll be thinking about it for days and weeks and years to come.

The Once Yellow House on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Paleontologist

4 stars. This totally snuck up on me - I'm just about to hit my third trimester, and it's the busiest time of year at work - so I read the first portion of this book half-asleep. But by the end I was genuinely loving it. It checks a lot of boxes: a compelling mystery, a museum setting, archeological digs, DINOSAUR GHOSTS?! plus throw in sort of a... prehistoric treasure hunt, some exhibition design, evil pottery?! I'm all in. Though not as complex or thrilling as a Pendergast novel, I think fans of Preston and Child's series will enjoy this very much.

Dr. Simon Nealy has just taken a job at Pennsylvania's Hawthorne Museum of Natural History, despite a horrific personal connection to the space: it's where his younger, half-sister was abducted decades ago. As he acquaints himself with his new place of work - smack dab in the middle of the covid pandemic - Simon begins to unravel the museum's dark past, revealing ties to his sister's case, dark cover-ups, a shadowy conspiracy... and threats to his own life. 

There's so much more here - themes of trauma, privilege, addiction, grief, guilt, fear, and the connection between past and present - and Dumas weaves all of this into the central narrative deftly. Sure, it's a little cheesy at some points (okay, really cheesy), maybe the author tried to pack a little too much in, but it never feels preachy. The villain is a bit cartoonish... the whole climax/victory felt a bit like the end of a Scooby Doo episode - in fact, the whole book could've been an episode of X-Files - but that's not a criticism. In this case, it's passionate praise.

I hope this is the start of a series! I loved Simon, and he makes a really endearing paleontologist slash doctor slash detective slash hero. I liked the thread that touched on him seeking reassurance from his previous partner, an unfortunate symptom of his trauma. He's kind of weird and goofy and charming and I would love to see him tackle a monster-per-book. The minor characters, too - well-done. Nobody felt forced, out-of-place, totally in service of the plot, or try-hard. It was just really great worldbuilding. 

I also really appreciated the horror. The audacity of that premise! To present some of the more eerie plot elements without even a sniff of self-consciousness or insecurity, avoiding the urge to over-explain or intellectualize... I enjoyed letting it all unfold and wash over me. It was delightful. I appreciated it. 

One thing I'll add: I myself have spent 10 years in nonprofit development, lol. How should I react to Fran's character? Do I take offense? Do I look in the mirror? Do I laugh? Do I rejoice in her triumphs? A little bit of all of the above? Listen, it's an incredibly challenging job/sector - but we all make our choices, and someone has to do it. In the end Fran's arc was one of my favorite things about the book.

I dunno - a lot of reviewers should (and do) acknowledge when a book isn't bad, it's just being read at the wrong place, wrong time for them. This might be one of those cases of right place, right time... but I think I'll stand by it. I had a lot of fun.

The Paleontologist on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Ritual

3 stars. This is my third Adam Nevill book, and I really adore his premises and ideas. He's creative, original, and dedicated - you can tell he spends a lot of time really considering the head spaces of his characters and wallowing around in them accordingly. I absolutely love the movie adaptation of The Ritual - it's tight, well-designed, and scary - but there's a lot to enjoy and draw from the book as well.

We're dropped into the middle of the forest with four old friends on a hiking trip in the middle of Scandinavia, two of whom are struggling from exertion and injuries. The wilderness expert in the group, Hutch, decides to lead them on a shortcut through an old forest and Luke, our troubled, feeling-left-behind protagonist, reluctantly agrees. It all goes wrong though, really, really wrong - and continues to get worse from there.

One-part wilderness survival story, one-part monster/creature feature, one-part battle against humans wielding ancient magic for nefarious purposes, with maybe a sprinkle of body horror for good measure, this book does indeed feel like several in one, which is characteristic of Nevill. I know some readers take issue with that but I don't know, I can slide from one situation to the next pretty easily. One thing for sure: it's feel-bad horror. It's horror you read with one eye, because you don't want to look but you can't look away. 

Gruesome and descriptive, Nevill is an author that really occupies all of your senses. To read this is almost an exercise in endurance - your stamina will be tested right alongside the characters'. At the same time (and I noticed this in his other books as well), he spends a lot of time focusing on the mindset of suffering. The great intermingling of panic, fear, pain - there are pages dedicated to the mental scrambling that takes place when your body is broken and arguing with your will to survive. 

It's a must-read for horror fans. It broke me out of a bit of a slump... if, like me, you enjoy a bit of Norwegian black metal lore woven in with your forest horror (doesn't everyone??) you'll be satisfied. No shortcuts, please.

The Ritual on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Small Town Horror

3 stars. I hate to say only 3 stars - because I really loved Bone White and am a Ronald Malfi fan in general. People say he writes like Stephen King and yeah, he sort of does! But this one just didn’t click as well for me. It’s good horror - classic, even. It utilizes tropes in fresh ways and has a real banger of an ending. Something about it, though… I’m getting ahead of myself.

Small Town Horror is aptly named. Andrew Larimer is our primary narrator, called back to his childhood hometown to help a friend whose wife has gone missing. It’s immediately clear that some dreadful secret, some shared traumatic experience, haunts Andrew, his friend and a few other old acquaintances - literally, it haunts them. As the terrifying encounters add up, the dark past comes to light, and Andrew must face (so cheesy): the ultimate reckoning.

Many, many others have pointed out the whole “group of childhood friends reunite to fight evil” thing - sometimes it’s really fun to read a story that pays adequate tribute to It, other times it’s way more fun to just read It. I think where this differs is how unlikeable the characters are - they are not heroes, and it’s kind of hard to root for them, so reading sort of feels like watching dirty water circle a drain.

But there are some really fun moments along the way. Malfi lovessssss incorporating a lot of horror elements. I wonder if he was influenced by The Fisherman… there are some interesting water-based scares. I predicted the major twist early on, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad twist, only that my brain works that way.

So, yeah. I liked it! And again, great, great ending. Tig’s arc was particularly nasty and wonderful. I’m really excited to read more by this author. I could see fans of Jennifer McMahon enjoying this.

Small Town Horror on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Horror Movie

5 stars. I've had a few days to chew on this, and I'm not sure if five stars is the right move, but I really can't ignore a few facts: 1) it's the first book to really compel me in a while. I could not put it down. 2) When I finished it, all I wanted to do was turn back to the beginning and start all over again. And also to purchase a copy immediately. 3) It's a lot of things I really love, admire, and look for in horror: found footage-esq, incredibly meta, a borderline psycological study of the genre (and its fans), and reminiscent of one of my favorite authors, SGJ. 

This is my fifth Tremblay. I feel like he's a uniquely controversial author: a lot of readers out there find him to be hit-or-miss, and also, a lot of his books are both adored and hated. People really disagree about his work. In reading the reactions to this book in particular, it seems like many readers took issue with the ambiguity? But also, hated everything else he wrote and for some reason decided to read this anyway? And in some cases, literally didn't even understand the narrative? (Guys: he didn't get his pinky cut off twice. He's an unreliable narrator. He leaned into the lore. It's twisted.)

So, since we all apparently love to talk about it, here's how my scorecard looks: loved A Head Full of Ghosts. Was really shocked and impressed by the audacity of The Cabin at the End of the World. Enjoyed the really zippy, straightforward horror of Survivor Song. Found the writing - the figurative writing - to be incredibly immature in Disappearance at Devil's Rock. I know now to expect ambiguity, maybe an experimental format, some genuinely creepy moments, and a great premise. IMO, Tremblay delivered successfully here on all of those levels.

There's a lot to be said about art, and the making of it. It's probably worth noting the type of art we're talking about here: deep, dark, disturbing horror designed with, and designed to inspire, obsession. The story is about this, and also tries to be this. As someone who has always been far more interested in the analysis of creation than creation itself, yeah, this is right up my alley. So please go in knowing it's not just a "cursed film" trope story - it's got a bit more philosophy woven into the fabric.

Let's get into specifics: Horror Movie is about the making of a low-budget horror film in the 90s, the minds that went into it, its pseudo-release into the world, and the cult following it attracted. It contains the written recollections of the only surviving crew member, The Thin Kid, along with excerpts from the "original" script. We as readers are escorted through the origins of The Thin Kid's participation, the production, the aftermath, and finally the inevitable reboot. 

Rather than trying to defend this book with like, arguments (you can never actually win anything on the internet), I think it might be better to just make a couple of points about what this book is not: as mentioned, it's not a traditional cursed film book. It is not written in a traditional format. It does not give clear answers upfront, throughout, or at the end [some people took issue with Tremblay dropping hints?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Guys, what?!?!?!? Authors drop hints all the time without full context - roll with it, live with it?!?!?!]. It is not even that scary, at the end of the day. 

If it's not for you, great. But I really enjoyed it. If you want to pick it apart with me, even better. But if you want to hate for the sake of hating... smh. Don't be the guy at the convention who demanded to see his finger. Don't be that guy.

Horror Movie on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Rolling in the Deep

3 stars. How fun is this?! Reads just like the beginning of a classic monster movie. Perfect for summer and perfect as a palette cleanser in-between long fantasy books and heavy literary horror. I have yet to read Drowning Deep but it's on my shortlist and I look forward to appreciating it even more with this context. 

Imagine Networks commissions a documentary on mermaids (real or myth), and sends a well-equipped, expensive expedition to the Mariana Trench to capture some footage and/or scientific evidence. There's a production crew, a ship crew, a group of scientists of various specialties, interns, and some actual mermaids - outfitted with tails and everything - to ensure the network draws in the viewers they need no matter what. You know the rest.

It's an excellent premise. I enjoyed the clear research and commitment to detail. It's very front-heavy, with a very long intro to the characters that somehow makes it seem draggy/like the action is very delayed AND like the climax/action/ending is rushed. It's true that for the first 50% you're just waiting, and for the final 50% you're like... wait what? Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.

I always admire and respect Seanan McGuire's intent to represent. She does a nice job in certain stories, in others it's a little heavy handed. Here it's the latter. Granted, some folks truly need to be hit over the head with some of this stuff - sometimes I do too!!!! But the way she incorporates her lessons/messages - unsubtly - feels ungraceful, and even distracting sometimes.

It's just my opinion. This is a silly review for a somewhat silly story. It's fun - it really is. While I wouldn't call it scary, there are some delightfully creepy moments. Read it on a hot summer day at the beach. Read it on a boat! I dare you to read it and stare into the ocean without wondering what might be staring back.

Rolling in the Deep on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil

3 stars. Very, very interesting piece of literary horror here. It's extremely meta - writing for writers, I think - and references current events, politics, cultural touchpoints, etc. But even at its most proselytizing / sanctimonious, I kind of dug it. Horror is not a new lens through which to examine very real-life things like racism, immigration, sexism, injustice, politics, etc., but this felt really fresh all the same. Would be great on a college syllabus.

Craft is a collection of short stories woven together by a writer who slept with the Devil one Halloween night decades ago. These stories feature a wide range of premises, concepts and formats - from magical realism to body horror to hauntings to surrealism - and they are all incredibly captivating in their own ways. I wouldn't exactly call it subtle or particularly groundbreaking, but it is fascinating, eye-opening and unique.

And what a week I picked to read something like this. My American bones ache these days and I am grateful for brilliant stories to help me process. They are surprisingly warm for taking place in such a cold, dark world. I recommend.

Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Arm of the Sphinx (Books of Babel #2)

4 stars. Okay, so I'm chipping away at this series despite continuing to deal with pregnancy-related concentration issues and also - as discovered during my many, many (many) failed reading challenges to finish series I've started - I GET BORED, OKAY?! But here we are, halfway through the Books of Babel, and I do have really good things to say. This series really is everything people say it is. Creative, swashbuckling, full of heart - almost sickly sweet! - exciting, fantasy at its finest. 

Thomas Senlin, in book one, ascended the Tower of Babel in search of his wife Marya, from whom he was separated almost immediately upon arrival. He survived the beer-soaked and thief-laden grime of the Basement, the dark treachery and trickery of the Parlor, the seduction and humidity of the Baths, etc. etc. etc. He also made some friends along the way. And those friends are now his pirate crew on a banged-up airship, trying to survive long enough to help their captain rescue his long lost wife. The quest continues.

The crew members take on bigger roles in this book. Their perspectives are very welcome, and well-written. It's less trope-y than you'd expect: of course every character brings his or her own strengths and weaknesses and quirks, but they are refreshing and consequential and play into the narrative really nicely. I'm eager to see each of them handle the inevitable twists to come.

I mentioned that I chipped away at this: for the personal reasons I shared, it did feel like a bit of a laborious effort. When I step back, though, I think there's a pretty safe argument in favor of some editing. It's very long, this book, and I do think there could've been some... shaving. Carving. Narrowing. Focusing. Etc. I also had a very hard time picturing/grasping both the action sequence set pieces, and the more complicated depictions of anything technological. This author has a vivid imagination, and probably pictures each scene with great, incredible detail, but it wasn't translated successfully for me. 

This did not really take away from my reading enjoyment, or my ability to follow the story. I have absolutely zero regrets and I'm so excited to see where things go. 

Arm of the Sphinx on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads