Review: The Reformatory

5 stars. Wow. Stunning, incredible - the hype is real! I'm a big fan of Tananarive Due (not only because I love saying her name... she's a welcome voice on all the Shudder documentaries I love, not to mention a great guest judge on Dragula), but this is my first book by her, and holy crap, I haven't had such a harrowing, awesome reading experience in ages. 

It's 1950, and in the fictional town of Gracetown, FL, 12-year-old Robbie Stephens Jr. is sentenced to 6 months at the nearby Reformatory, a "correctional school" for boys that is really just a prison. The sentence for his "crime" - defending his older sister, Gloria, from the advances of a wealthy white neighbor - is complicated by the fact that his father has left town to avoid a false and racially-motivated accusation.

The book alternates between Robbie and Gloria's perspectives as they try to navigate a world that is immediately, socially, politically, and personally, against them. Robbie must avoid the brutal punishment of the school's Warden, though his ability to see "haints" (ghosts haunting the school) quickly draws attention. And Gloria won't give up on her brother, forging ahead down every avenue - sometimes carving her own - to bring him home. 

For a book that takes place over the course of what, 1 week? Maybe 2? A lot happens. My summary barely scratches the surface of the many narrative layers, and doesn't touch on the many major and minor characters who orbit these fierce children's doomed situation. We as readers end up fully immersed in the terribleness of it all, but the long book is worth it. It's a real testament to Due's writing, which depicts the worst-of-the-worst-of-the-worst, that I couldn't wait to return to this setting.

I'm tired of hearing "horror is political" as a hot take, because horror has always been political. It is true that many authors lean on the pedal too hard, and their well-intentioned stories become preachy, sanctimonious, self-aggrandizing lessons for readers who will chafe against that sort of thing. Due lets this story, which is fictionalized but based in truth, speak for itself. I can't even begin to fathom or understand how challenging this must have been to research, and then write.

Beyond the subject matter, Due's writing really works, from both a historical fiction angle and a horror angle. She lovingly, beautifully marries the two. It is long, but well-paced, and includes some of the tensest sequences I've read all year. She writes children well, and monsters - all of her POVs are successful, I think - and recognizes where to incorporate complexity, sensitivity, and hope. The setting itself is also a character, and from a sentence-level the book is full of quotes that will choke you. In a good, powerful way. 

BookTok has made kind of a joke of reacting to books. "This will destroy you..."; selfies of readers crying, etc. The emotional reaction I had to this book is far from funny or cute or worth posting for clout, though it does feel profoundly meaningful. This book will strip away your defenses, crawl under your skin, and motivate you to do better - especially as we head into the scariest election of my life. It is horror at its absolute best. I will recommend it far and wide.

The Reformatory on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Black River Orchard

5 stars. In the small town of Harrow, PA, a new type of apple, grown and sold by local Dan Paxson, becomes intensely popular. Everyone who tastes it - has just one bite - becomes obsessed, not just with the apple, but with the way it makes them feel (better, stronger, powerful). But it also makes people sharper, meaner, more ruthless - especially towards those who refuse to eat the apples themselves. The fight for Harrow (or battle, maybe) escalates when it becomes clear that the apples are addictive, and vindictive, and in control - and the orchard trees have a bigger plan in mind: TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

Weird, playful, and incredibly well-written, this book is a home run for spooky season. It's a small town-encounters-giant evil sort of story, and it goes hard. We have a large cast of characters, double prologues and multiple interludes, flashbacks, a very long build-up and a very long climax, high stakes, absolutely disgusting imagery, and a badass ending. We have a grizzled veteran who teams up with a messy lesbian, and they eventually team up with a smart teenager and a kinky resident... which is all super delightful. We also have apple monsters.

I think it's really cool that a sexually progressive couple is depicted so positively, and so prominently - central to this story. Their preferences and behaviors furthered the story along, triggered narrative movement and fit nicely into the idea that the apples encourage folks to wield their prejudice and hatred. These folks are not kinky for the sake of being kinky: it's not box-check-y, or too preachy. Wendig never shies away from representation and I admire that.

One other thing: the Wendig of it all. I've written about Wacky Wending, and Wise Wendig, before; I went in with eyes wide open. There's something really undoubtedly refreshing about the way he makes it feel like this world - fantastical elements and all. He certainly has his viewpoints (which I share) and the book isn't commentary-free, and it was kind of nice to see some real, familiar, honest anxieties and depictions of our society reflected back. Social media is part of the story and referenced heavily; not only do the young characters use accurate(ish) slang, they behave and converse in ways teens do. Writing young people is hard, and he's okay at it.

Chuck Wendig has gotten close to feeling like Stephen King before, and he's closer still with this one. It takes real talent to put a story like this together. I was totally charmed, totally engrossed, totally invested and totally confused about how he pulled off the ridiculous premise - one that only increased in ridiculousness - in such a compelling way. I'm in the midst of a move and late stage pregnancy, and I couldn't fucking wait to get back to it. I'm bummed it's over. I would love a sequel, or a spin-off. Or maybe an adaptation, if anyone dares. 

Black River Orchard on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: North American Lake Monsters

4 stars. I love the entire spectrum of horror - from light to dark, from fun to bleak, from intense to agonizing to academic, refreshing or comedic. I just went from a pretty lighthearted, trope-y collection to an absolutely devastating one, and found deep satisfaction in each. Of course everybody has their limits - and I almost DNF'd this after hitting mine (my fault - I didn't check TWs) - but I was glad I powered through my personal resentments because this is the type of thought-provoking book that will stay with me for a long time. It's disturbing, reflective, and creative.

Featuring unique takes on werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, and aliens, this collection's 9 stories guarantee a gut punch (or two, or many). While maybe not scary in the traditional sense, there is plenty of intensity to go around. I know it's kind of cliche at this point to say things like "the real horror is the economic anxiety" or "the supernatural elements reflect the dark nature of humanity," but Ballingrud's stories here are the very, very best examples of these ideas. 

North American Lake Monsters is cleverly titled, because it chews on America in some truly fascinating ways. Masculinity, especially, is on display here, as is that particular American odor of racism, otherness, paranoia... our treatment of others. There is so much to unpack and far more intelligent reviewers than I will do it happily - just know going in that this is different, very different from Wounds; very well-written; very dark; and very uncomfortable, in a good way.

North American Lake Monsters on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Rules of the Road

5 stars. OF COURSE, after a long reading slump, I went into this with low expectations, thinking it would be a solid 3 star read at best. OF COURSE it would be this one to snap me out of it, a debut with a long list of mediocre reviews from readers who didn't even finish it AND a kind of gimmicky premise. I just really enjoyed it. I found it to be fun and funny and mean and nasty in all the right ways. 

It's late at night, you're on the road. You've been on the road for awhile, with nothing but headlights to guide you. Maybe you're in the middle of nowhere. Maybe you're getting sleepy, so you turn on the radio. Maybe, instead of Top 40 or Classic Rock, you hear the voice of a DJ, a voice that seems to suck you in. Maybe he drops some specific details, and seems to know a little too much about you. As you listen, he preaches to you a rule: a rule of the road. Hopefully, you listen. Maybe, you don't. 

The book is presented as a collection of stories submitted by folks who have supposedly heard versions of this special, spooky broadcast. Each individual hears a different rule, and acts accordingly - sometimes in compliance, sometimes with defiance. Either way, each of them faces consequences beyond belief. Why are some people punished, others spared, others forced into loss or terrible tragedy? What's the system? Who is the DJ? Where are the answers?

It's addicting, this one. The writing flows and the fast pace really keeps you engaged. The stories are - as many reviewers have pointed out - a little repetitive, but I didn't mind at all, and they were ultimately very distinct - distinct enough to keep me guessing. It's also not just premise, or gimmick. There are some super dark, meaty themes here - really it's partly a book about America, just as it's partly a book about music, and partly a book about love, and partly a book about death. The quest to find the meaning of life is certainly not a new one, nor is a bleak resolution to the quest. But the author here infuses enough heart and soul and warm creativity that you sense some deep, meaningful shit between these pages. I would like to read it again.

Of course I loved the superficial surface-level stuff too. The tropes, the monsters, the cosmic lore, the cheesy moments. The twists! So many fun twists. The clever details. I just really loved it, and would've been happy to sink my teeth into a few more episodes/stories. Adapt this immediately as a podcast or an anthology film! I've used the word "fun" like 50 times but I'd use it again! Loved it.

The Rules of the Road on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Red Rabbit

4 stars. Sigh. So close. I got so, so close to busting out of this reading slump, enjoying a 5-star read, AND fully experiencing a story that - for the first time - reminded me of one of my absolute favorite books of all time, Between Two Fires. It was a bit agonizing, actually, to be 3/4 of the way through only to realize I was quite bothered by a couple of things. Because this is a truly fantastic read. A must-read, I would say, for fans of horror and Westerns. It's unique and crunchy and episodic and I'm eager to unpack why it feels so similar to BTF, and also why it didn't make it up the hill all the way.

It's a bit tricky to summarize, but the story revolves around a group of misfits who join up to collect the bounty on a witch who is apparently terrorizing a county miles and miles away. There's Rose, a recent widow: sure of herself, but searching for her purpose. There's Moses and Ned, two wandering companions, and Tom, an old witch-hunter, and Rabbit, a mysterious child under the group's care. There's Benito, a young heartthrob on the run, and Joe Mullins, the ghost of Rose's husband. And there are many others encountered along the way. 

I want to make very clear: I would gladly read this again. I would gladly revisit this world, and trace the incredible details that make it so special. I highly recommend Red Rabbit for any day of the week, any season of the year. But please first heed my very passionate warning: check trigger warnings, especially those of you who are sensitive to animal welfare. After a lot of back-and-forth agonizing, I ultimately decided to dock a star as I typically would for UDDs - and I have to mention that 85% of the way in a puppy is introduced, right before the big climactic fight.

Sure, there are a few other things to nitpick. There are a lot of characters, and we don't go very deep into any of them (except literally... long story). Maybe there are a few sequences that could've been cut or edited down. And while I absolutely loved the sort of go-with-it laissez-faire worldbuilding, sometimes it's a little too scattered/random, to the point where I was maybe less invested/prone to skim. I would've overlooked all of that. It's a beautiful, meaningful piece of horror. But because this is my review and the stars reflect my personal reaction, 4 stars it is.

Further reading and watching, for your consideration: Between Two Fires (book), The North Woods (book), Constantine (film), Preacher (TV show), Dark Winds (TV show), Deadwood (TV show).

Red Rabbit on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

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