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joshuamarsella's review
5.0
A mother checks herself out of a mental hospital to be reunited with her son. Unfortunately for her, her son was murdered prior to her self-induced hospitalization. What was once a tragic incident turns even more tragic when the mother becomes obsessed with seeing her dead son again at all costs.
I believe horror is at its best when it combines real life tragedy with supernatural elements that are left fairly ambiguous. Cull manages to tug at the reader’s heartstrings while leaving them with a heavy sense of dread. The combination of horror and grief we share with Lucy is so well written that we can’t help but completely understand the motivations behind her irrational behavior. As a parent, I can totally sympathize with her desperate attempts to see her son just one more time.
The horror is never overshadowed by the heavy emotional impact the story carries with it and I found this book very enjoyable. The imagery at times sent a chill down my spine and the sadness that is felt throughout the story made me want to go give my own sons a big hug. I highly recommend Remains!
I believe horror is at its best when it combines real life tragedy with supernatural elements that are left fairly ambiguous. Cull manages to tug at the reader’s heartstrings while leaving them with a heavy sense of dread. The combination of horror and grief we share with Lucy is so well written that we can’t help but completely understand the motivations behind her irrational behavior. As a parent, I can totally sympathize with her desperate attempts to see her son just one more time.
The horror is never overshadowed by the heavy emotional impact the story carries with it and I found this book very enjoyable. The imagery at times sent a chill down my spine and the sadness that is felt throughout the story made me want to go give my own sons a big hug. I highly recommend Remains!
exorcismemily's review against another edition
5.0
"You reached into the darkness with all your heart, and what have you pulled from it?"
Remains is Andrew Cull's first novel, and it's a great read. This story is creepy and unsettling, and it will stick with you after you are done. The foreword sets you up for a dark and spooky story, and I was excited to see what was going to happen.
It does take a little bit to get going, but it's so worth it once it does. Usually I struggle with slow burn books, but Remains worked for me. It took me a minute to get fully invested, but I was interested in the story the entire time.
I'm not going to say a lot about the story details because you deserve to experience this one on your own. I do want to say that this isn't really a fun read, and it deals with some heavy topics. It got more violent and grim than I expected, so if the synopsis sounds like something that would seriously bother you, I might stay away from this one.
There were some seriously creepy parts, and this is a great grief horror story (and, just because it makes y'all mad, it's a better story than Hereditary). Bones and Remains are both good and unsettling books, and I can't wait to see what Andrew Cull does next!
Remains is Andrew Cull's first novel, and it's a great read. This story is creepy and unsettling, and it will stick with you after you are done. The foreword sets you up for a dark and spooky story, and I was excited to see what was going to happen.
It does take a little bit to get going, but it's so worth it once it does. Usually I struggle with slow burn books, but Remains worked for me. It took me a minute to get fully invested, but I was interested in the story the entire time.
I'm not going to say a lot about the story details because you deserve to experience this one on your own. I do want to say that this isn't really a fun read, and it deals with some heavy topics. It got more violent and grim than I expected, so if the synopsis sounds like something that would seriously bother you, I might stay away from this one.
There were some seriously creepy parts, and this is a great grief horror story (and, just because it makes y'all mad, it's a better story than Hereditary). Bones and Remains are both good and unsettling books, and I can't wait to see what Andrew Cull does next!
teamredmon's review against another edition
5.0
My tentative 2019 Book of the Year.
Remains by Andrew Cull is a heartwrenching, terrifying, and bloody good. The story of Lucy Campbell, who is in the deepest throughs of grief after her son Alex was brutally murdered. Part 1 examines how Lucy is dealing or not dealing with her grief. We meet Lucy as she is signing herself out of inpatient psychiatric care against her doctor's wishes. It has been nine months since Alex's murder, Lucy's and her husband have separated, and she has nothing left. She feels pulled to the house where Alex was murdered, 1828 Montgomery Road. The house is abandoned, the family that lived there having fled after the murder. The police closed all the curtains, trying to hide the bloodstains and destruction from the public but now the curtains are open in one upstairs room. Lucy believes she sees a figure in the window. Could it be Alex?
In part 2 when we begin to find out the specifics of what happened to Alex, and Lucy starts to fall further to madness, is when the real terror begins. I'll say no more about it but Cull's writing is legitimately terrifying. This story is not really a haunted house story. This is a story about horrible loss and unthinkable grief told through the lens of a haunted house. The emotional terror of this book hit me so much harder than the paranormal scares, even though those were quite scary. I cannot believe that Remains is Cull's debut novel because he writes like an elder statesman of horror, someday I imagine he will be.
Remains by Andrew Cull is a heartwrenching, terrifying, and bloody good. The story of Lucy Campbell, who is in the deepest throughs of grief after her son Alex was brutally murdered. Part 1 examines how Lucy is dealing or not dealing with her grief. We meet Lucy as she is signing herself out of inpatient psychiatric care against her doctor's wishes. It has been nine months since Alex's murder, Lucy's and her husband have separated, and she has nothing left. She feels pulled to the house where Alex was murdered, 1828 Montgomery Road. The house is abandoned, the family that lived there having fled after the murder. The police closed all the curtains, trying to hide the bloodstains and destruction from the public but now the curtains are open in one upstairs room. Lucy believes she sees a figure in the window. Could it be Alex?
In part 2 when we begin to find out the specifics of what happened to Alex, and Lucy starts to fall further to madness, is when the real terror begins. I'll say no more about it but Cull's writing is legitimately terrifying. This story is not really a haunted house story. This is a story about horrible loss and unthinkable grief told through the lens of a haunted house. The emotional terror of this book hit me so much harder than the paranormal scares, even though those were quite scary. I cannot believe that Remains is Cull's debut novel because he writes like an elder statesman of horror, someday I imagine he will be.
sjgomzi's review against another edition
5.0
This was my first time reading Andy Cull, and it certainly won’t be my last. This Is a haunted house story that delivers. This book is terrifying. I actually felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up while reading this book alone, in my bed, in a dark quiet house. Every time my floor creaked, or my furnace fired up, my nerves became frayed. This was a brutal, emotionally draining read. I have never seen grief portrayed so well on the written page. A real page turner that provides great scares while also putting you through an emotional ringer, making you feel thankful for everything good in your life. Fantastic book!
lauriereadslohf's review against another edition
5.0
“She stepped over the threshold and the house swallowed her whole.”
Remains is a heavy book. It is bleak and emotional and it will haunt you. It’s unrelenting in its pain and is an excellent exploration of the hellpit of grief. If you’ve read Hunter Shea’s CREATURE and/or Kealan Patrick Burke’s BLANKY, which both explore anguish and grief manifesting in unimaginable ways, you’ll have an idea of the type of mood I’m talking about.
From the moment I began Remains I was hooked. I’m a sucker for creepy atmosphere and the author sets that up in the first paragraph. It was also loosely based, in part, on recorded true events making it all the more unnerving. It starts out at a creeping pace as the reader is introduced to Lucy who is checking herself out of an institution against her doctor’s wishes. We are quickly entrenched in her grief soaked world but we don’t know her story yet. Small bits of Lucy’s reality are revealed and probably because I’m so nosy, I felt a compulsion to keep reading just one more page to discover more – even when I knew that more was going to be bad for my emotional state.
I read this book in two days which is a rare thing for me unless I’m listening on audio. I guess I’m a sucker for a deeply moving and disturbing story and this delivered on both counts. I’m reluctant to say too much about the actual plot because, as mentioned, the entire story is delivered in slow reveals and I don’t want to spoil any of them. Just know that once the truth is revealed it is HORRIBLE, I mean, it is one of the absolute worst things a person can experience, and the terrible thing that plays back in a few scenes will likely be hard to wash from your brain.
This book is about a house that may or may not be haunted and a woman who is most definitely haunted and if you read it I’m betting you’ll be haunted too. I know it’s going to linger with me for quite a while. This is the kind of horror novel that will break your heart and leave you bleeding from the emotional trauma long after the last page is turned. Prepare thyself!
Remains is a heavy book. It is bleak and emotional and it will haunt you. It’s unrelenting in its pain and is an excellent exploration of the hellpit of grief. If you’ve read Hunter Shea’s CREATURE and/or Kealan Patrick Burke’s BLANKY, which both explore anguish and grief manifesting in unimaginable ways, you’ll have an idea of the type of mood I’m talking about.
From the moment I began Remains I was hooked. I’m a sucker for creepy atmosphere and the author sets that up in the first paragraph. It was also loosely based, in part, on recorded true events making it all the more unnerving. It starts out at a creeping pace as the reader is introduced to Lucy who is checking herself out of an institution against her doctor’s wishes. We are quickly entrenched in her grief soaked world but we don’t know her story yet. Small bits of Lucy’s reality are revealed and probably because I’m so nosy, I felt a compulsion to keep reading just one more page to discover more – even when I knew that more was going to be bad for my emotional state.
I read this book in two days which is a rare thing for me unless I’m listening on audio. I guess I’m a sucker for a deeply moving and disturbing story and this delivered on both counts. I’m reluctant to say too much about the actual plot because, as mentioned, the entire story is delivered in slow reveals and I don’t want to spoil any of them. Just know that once the truth is revealed it is HORRIBLE, I mean, it is one of the absolute worst things a person can experience, and the terrible thing that plays back in a few scenes will likely be hard to wash from your brain.
This book is about a house that may or may not be haunted and a woman who is most definitely haunted and if you read it I’m betting you’ll be haunted too. I know it’s going to linger with me for quite a while. This is the kind of horror novel that will break your heart and leave you bleeding from the emotional trauma long after the last page is turned. Prepare thyself!
brennanlafaro's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve started this review several times now and I’m trying to find an elegant way to say this book will leave you feeling like you’ve been kicked in the stomach. Why sugar coat it? Why dress it up and make it pretty? Remains is raw and unedited human emotion somehow packed into 200 pages.
Our story centers around Lucy, a woman who lost her young son to a kidnapping/murder. Since then Lucy has spent time voluntarily in a psychiatric hospital and is now residing in the house where her son was murdered in hopes of reconnecting with his spirit. Everything else in life has lost any meaning.
We are presented with events and experiences that make us question what's real and how much we can trust the senses of the person we're following. It's hard to tease too much more without spoiling, but Cull does provide answers, although that doesn't mean there isn't room for what-the-hell-happened interpretations on the reader's part.
The format is a big part of why this book is successful. It is very cinematic in it's presentation, and short chapters serve to carry you along for the ride. The format takes on a life of its' own in the last 30 or so pages, rocketing the reader to the harrowing conclusion.
Remains reminded me of the Will Smith movie, Seven Pounds. Not because of any similarities in plot, but because when the credits rolled, I recognized that I had just had an experience and it was extremely well done, but I also recognized that I would never watch that movie again. Once was good. An argument could be made on both parts that the creator had crafted something so complete that it didn't need to be revisited, but imparted itself under the skin of the viewer/reader.
I saw this book lauded as one of the best haunted house stories of 2019, and it is, but it's more. I would give it a go if you don't mind Horror that is unflinching, gruesome at times, and doesn't really give a shit if you can't take it anymore. If it's been a while since you've read something that made you feel, try Remains by Andrew Cull.
Our story centers around Lucy, a woman who lost her young son to a kidnapping/murder. Since then Lucy has spent time voluntarily in a psychiatric hospital and is now residing in the house where her son was murdered in hopes of reconnecting with his spirit. Everything else in life has lost any meaning.
We are presented with events and experiences that make us question what's real and how much we can trust the senses of the person we're following. It's hard to tease too much more without spoiling, but Cull does provide answers, although that doesn't mean there isn't room for what-the-hell-happened interpretations on the reader's part.
The format is a big part of why this book is successful. It is very cinematic in it's presentation, and short chapters serve to carry you along for the ride. The format takes on a life of its' own in the last 30 or so pages, rocketing the reader to the harrowing conclusion.
Remains reminded me of the Will Smith movie, Seven Pounds. Not because of any similarities in plot, but because when the credits rolled, I recognized that I had just had an experience and it was extremely well done, but I also recognized that I would never watch that movie again. Once was good. An argument could be made on both parts that the creator had crafted something so complete that it didn't need to be revisited, but imparted itself under the skin of the viewer/reader.
I saw this book lauded as one of the best haunted house stories of 2019, and it is, but it's more. I would give it a go if you don't mind Horror that is unflinching, gruesome at times, and doesn't really give a shit if you can't take it anymore. If it's been a while since you've read something that made you feel, try Remains by Andrew Cull.
michelareads's review
5.0
"Grief is a black house."
Lucy Campbell has a terrible breakdown after the brutal murder of her young son and she decides to lock herself in a psychiatric hospital, hoping to find some peace of mind and the power to move on with her life. But the abandoned house where his son tragically lost his life is calling her, giving her a morbid hope that she could find answers there.
But what she finds there is not what she was looking for...
After falling in love with Andrew Cull's beautiful writing and dark atmospheres in his previous work called Bones (a collection of horror stories which you all should read), I was really excited about reading his first novel Remains and... wow. I absolutely loved it. Let me shortly explain why (no spoilers!).
As the author himself described it, Remains is a proper "slow burn" because there is a long and deep presentation of the main character, Lucy, her obsessive thoughts and the heavy grief that is now part of her. The first half, which lacks in action, is however necessary to build anticipation and get up ready to be horrified from what's about to happen. I was glued to this book, especially its second half, which is packed with unexpected events, shocking twists that made my jaw drop a few times and a general feeling of... fear. The supernatural element is obviously part of it, but mostly the horror comes from the human feelings, the dark grief, the obsession, the pain of a childless mother and what she's willing to do to find her peace.
In some ways, it reminded me of the gripping painful heartache that I experienced while reading Pet Sematary by Stephen King (which is one of my favorite books ever).
Remains is brilliant. A book that I would reread immediately.
It's beautifully written, unputdownable (short chapters!) and an amazing debut novel. I highly recommend it to all horror lovers and to those who are addicted to spine-shilling stories as I am! 5 stars!
Lucy Campbell has a terrible breakdown after the brutal murder of her young son and she decides to lock herself in a psychiatric hospital, hoping to find some peace of mind and the power to move on with her life. But the abandoned house where his son tragically lost his life is calling her, giving her a morbid hope that she could find answers there.
But what she finds there is not what she was looking for...
After falling in love with Andrew Cull's beautiful writing and dark atmospheres in his previous work called Bones (a collection of horror stories which you all should read), I was really excited about reading his first novel Remains and... wow. I absolutely loved it. Let me shortly explain why (no spoilers!).
As the author himself described it, Remains is a proper "slow burn" because there is a long and deep presentation of the main character, Lucy, her obsessive thoughts and the heavy grief that is now part of her. The first half, which lacks in action, is however necessary to build anticipation and get up ready to be horrified from what's about to happen. I was glued to this book, especially its second half, which is packed with unexpected events, shocking twists that made my jaw drop a few times and a general feeling of... fear. The supernatural element is obviously part of it, but mostly the horror comes from the human feelings, the dark grief, the obsession, the pain of a childless mother and what she's willing to do to find her peace.
In some ways, it reminded me of the gripping painful heartache that I experienced while reading Pet Sematary by Stephen King (which is one of my favorite books ever).
Remains is brilliant. A book that I would reread immediately.
It's beautifully written, unputdownable (short chapters!) and an amazing debut novel. I highly recommend it to all horror lovers and to those who are addicted to spine-shilling stories as I am! 5 stars!