Peel

This is another awesome find that I got for free in e-book for a newsletter sign up. Super glad I did and I'm still on a roll. If you are not checking out free e-book lists, or joining newsletters, you are missing out! And missing out on an easy way to support indies too.

This one centers around two army veterans and their semi-shaky marriage. Samantha, now a teacher, and the house-maker, struggles with her husband's lack of communication and traveling for work. Richard, having a harder time reentering civilian life, has taken a job as a governmental artifact-procurer, which is otherwise classified. When one night in particular, he gets home hours late with no call, and a totally new demeanor, their marriage takes a plummet. And what's with the artifact around his neck?

This novella does some interesting stuff with what it means to be a monster. If someone's a heavy drinker, distant in a marriage, never home, has raised a hand in anger, does a demonic visage really change them into a monster—or does it show what they really are? Or, the reader can absolutely take the story at face value, because that option is also presented on a platter just in case you're not feeling all deep. I really enjoyed that about it. It's not not there, but if you just want a horror novella and nothing more, that's just fine with the author too. And that's super cool.

Somewhat gruesome, gross, and violent. The writing was good too!

Peel