Adeline
4.25 stars A collection of 9 short stories with elements of horror, gothic and speculative fiction, the author explores trauma, fractured relationships, death, toxic masculinity in various locations across the USA, where each protagonist, mainly working class men, is confronted by horrible and mysterious events.
I really liked this collection and absolutely inhaled all nine stories.
The element that stood out for me was the writing, which was absolutely gorgeous, lush and evocative. The author’s prose perfectly rendered a creepy and tense atmosphere, filled with some weird and gruesome imagery, horrifying moments of physical and psychological brutality. I loved how original the supernatural elements felt and how they were interwoven into the everyday lives of the characters especially for The Crevasse, Wild Acre, The Way Station and Sunbleached. I liked how the author explored how each character dealt in the aftermath of these horrifying experiences. Throughout these stories, we follow damaged and flawed characters, some even bigoted and horrible but still, the story itself felt compelling enough for me to continue reading even when I didn’t like the character.
The pacing for each story was good though some endings were abrupt, leaving us with questions or unsatisfied. The open ending worked for some stories but not for others. Here are my ratings for each individual story: You Go Where It Takes You 4.25 Wild acre 4.5 S.S 3.5 The Crevasse 4.5 The Monsters of Heaven 4 Sunbleached 4.5 North American Lake Monsters 3.75 The Way Station 4.5 The Good Husband 4.25
Overall a great collection of dark fiction with incredible prose and creepy atmosphere, this makes for a perfect read for this spooky season.
4.25 stars A collection of 9 short stories with elements of horror, gothic and speculative fiction, the author explores trauma, fractured relationships, death, toxic masculinity in various locations across the USA, where each protagonist, mainly working class men, is confronted by horrible and mysterious events.
I really liked this collection and absolutely inhaled all nine stories.
The element that stood out for me was the writing, which was absolutely gorgeous, lush and evocative. The author’s prose perfectly rendered a creepy and tense atmosphere, filled with some weird and gruesome imagery, horrifying moments of physical and psychological brutality. I loved how original the supernatural elements felt and how they were interwoven into the everyday lives of the characters especially for The Crevasse, Wild Acre, The Way Station and Sunbleached. I liked how the author explored how each character dealt in the aftermath of these horrifying experiences. Throughout these stories, we follow damaged and flawed characters, some even bigoted and horrible but still, the story itself felt compelling enough for me to continue reading even when I didn’t like the character.
The pacing for each story was good though some endings were abrupt, leaving us with questions or unsatisfied. The open ending worked for some stories but not for others. Here are my ratings for each individual story: You Go Where It Takes You 4.25 Wild acre 4.5 S.S 3.5 The Crevasse 4.5 The Monsters of Heaven 4 Sunbleached 4.5 North American Lake Monsters 3.75 The Way Station 4.5 The Good Husband 4.25
Overall a great collection of dark fiction with incredible prose and creepy atmosphere, this makes for a perfect read for this spooky season.