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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Wow, I’ve only just discovered The Cursed Among us, and while I know it hasn’t been out TOO long, not reading it the day it came out seems like that’s too much time to have waited.
A coming of age story in the late 90’s Durgin manages to channel genre classics, while also forging his own path. The characters felt real, and the dialogue felt as if they were actually kids, which I find is a problem many coming of age horror books stumble with. Not here.
I like that even though I knew what the main problem was, I never really knew the backstory behind it until it was fully revealed. I like not guessing the story ahead of time. The book is haunting, terrifying, sad, and in places, violent and gory.
One of my favorite reads of the year. I’m eagerly awaiting more John Durgin.
A coming of age story in the late 90’s Durgin manages to channel genre classics, while also forging his own path. The characters felt real, and the dialogue felt as if they were actually kids, which I find is a problem many coming of age horror books stumble with. Not here.
I like that even though I knew what the main problem was, I never really knew the backstory behind it until it was fully revealed. I like not guessing the story ahead of time. The book is haunting, terrifying, sad, and in places, violent and gory.
One of my favorite reads of the year. I’m eagerly awaiting more John Durgin.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book is fantastic
Takes place in a small town where a series of murders happened 20 years ago. Even though the killer was captured, kids have still been told to stay out of the woods.
A group of high school film students go into the woods to shoot some scenes. In the process, they inadvertently release something evil and violent.
I don’t want to give too much away. The 4 kids were all likable and I found myself on the edge of my seat rooting for them. John Durgin did an amazing job setting the scene and it played out like a movie in my mind. It was action packed, violent and gory…all things I’d expect in a slasher novel. Plus, lots of 90’s references which made it even better. It was a fun read!
A group of high school film students go into the woods to shoot some scenes. In the process, they inadvertently release something evil and violent.
I don’t want to give too much away. The 4 kids were all likable and I found myself on the edge of my seat rooting for them. John Durgin did an amazing job setting the scene and it played out like a movie in my mind. It was action packed, violent and gory…all things I’d expect in a slasher novel. Plus, lots of 90’s references which made it even better. It was a fun read!
mysterious
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Child abuse
The Cursed Among Us reads like a classic slasher story with a nice sprinkling of late 90s nostalgia and a great sense of humor.
I'm giving this book a 5 stars rating for Ryan's story line. His story resonated with me on a level that might not be really warranted by the book itself but it is what it is. There are things that could be criticized here, but they're mostly points of detail in my opinion, and they didn't stop me enjoying the book tremendously.
A point that might seem strange to some but is worthy of mention for me is that Durgin managed to have fat characters in a way that didn't come across as unnecessarily fatphobic something that I find very few authors manage successfully.
One last thing, John, I need you to get back to the writing desk and write Henry's story, that bleak grimness is begging to be written!
I'm giving this book a 5 stars rating for Ryan's story line. His story resonated with me on a level that might not be really warranted by the book itself but it is what it is. There are things that could be criticized here, but they're mostly points of detail in my opinion, and they didn't stop me enjoying the book tremendously.
A point that might seem strange to some but is worthy of mention for me is that Durgin managed to have fat characters in a way that didn't come across as unnecessarily fatphobic something that I find very few authors manage successfully.
One last thing, John, I need you to get back to the writing desk and write Henry's story, that bleak grimness is begging to be written!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Vomit, Death of parent
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This novel was a great read – it hooks you in quick and manages to keep a pace that is relentlessly tantalizing. In The Cursed Among Us – a group of teenage boys who are filming in the local woods stumble across an old town secret and an evil that has been frustrated for too long. Irritating this old wound unleashes a past that haunts the town in a glut of violence. The novel is intense – the gore as sudden and unexpected as a sucker punch. I really loved the 90’s nostalgia feel – though it did make me feel embarrassingly old at times.
Overall the novel is a great debut horror that seizes the sleepiness of the innocent small town and disrupts it irreparably – combining the supernatural with atrocities that are all too human in origin.
Overall the novel is a great debut horror that seizes the sleepiness of the innocent small town and disrupts it irreparably – combining the supernatural with atrocities that are all too human in origin.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm so mad at myself. I've had The Cursed Among Us almost since it came out. I'm mad that it took me this long to finally pick it up. Two of my favorite horror tropes are coming of age and evil in a small town; this book combines the two masterfully. The thing that really struck me is how authentically it's written. So often in writing teenagers, the authors fail to have them speak and react like actual teenagers. None of that here. These characters felt real and I cared about them deeply. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. It deserves every bit of the hype - highly recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse