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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
noir and adjacent is rarely in my scope of interest, but i enjoyed this. ominous with delightfully beautiful and weird prose. chloe's pov feels especially painful and yearning. cosmic horror always feels better coming from queer people, i don't make the rules.
honestly, i was very surprised with the level of writing and story weaving. I really enjoyed the disjointed story, following along Signalman as he discovers the meaning behind the horrors he has seen. It really does live up to the lovecraftian horror tag, especially since i read this right after finishing Lovecraft. The story both honors Lovecraft's stories and makes a whole new world, its inspired and very much its own weird horror tale.
I wish i could give it a 4.5 but i digress.
I wish i could give it a 4.5 but i digress.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Well, this was creepy. I've rarely seen so much packed into a novella. The book is all about atmosphere, not plot, and the time travel aspect of the book means that we can see what has happened before the book actually ends. However, that doesn't detract at all from the reveals or the horror that is evoked. This is a beautifully written book. The author can get into the head of a cynical G-man and a lost junkie with equal acuity and incredibly distinct voices. She makes it look easy, but I know this takes amazing talent.
So, what's going on? Aforementioned G-man meets with an agent from a rival/allied agency to share information. What the information is and what it means for humanity is gradually revealed. The hot dry air of the desert, the desolation of an isolated trailer in the scorching middle of nowhere, I felt almost like I was there. The investigation centers around a cult-like leader and the lost souls that he finds and uses.
This book is also Lovecraftian, and I'm pretty sure I missed some references. But- there are ghouls, time-traveling body snatchers, skittering cockroach creatures from outer space, and an infection that leads to the squickiest of body horror. We've got nothing less than an alien invasion along an outbreak leading to apocalypse. And meanwhile, our burned-out agent is just trying to do his job while dealing with experiences that would send most people gibbering away in horror. The emptiness of his life and soul, the desperate loneliness of a junkie caught up in a cult, these human feelings of despair are just as much a part of the horror as any extra-dimensional monster. For some people, the apocalypse is already here.
Well, this was creepy. I've rarely seen so much packed into a novella. The book is all about atmosphere, not plot, and the time travel aspect of the book means that we can see what has happened before the book actually ends. However, that doesn't detract at all from the reveals or the horror that is evoked. This is a beautifully written book. The author can get into the head of a cynical G-man and a lost junkie with equal acuity and incredibly distinct voices. She makes it look easy, but I know this takes amazing talent.
So, what's going on? Aforementioned G-man meets with an agent from a rival/allied agency to share information. What the information is and what it means for humanity is gradually revealed. The hot dry air of the desert, the desolation of an isolated trailer in the scorching middle of nowhere, I felt almost like I was there. The investigation centers around a cult-like leader and the lost souls that he finds and uses.
This book is also Lovecraftian, and I'm pretty sure I missed some references. But- there are ghouls, time-traveling body snatchers, skittering cockroach creatures from outer space, and an infection that leads to the squickiest of body horror. We've got nothing less than an alien invasion along an outbreak leading to apocalypse. And meanwhile, our burned-out agent is just trying to do his job while dealing with experiences that would send most people gibbering away in horror. The emptiness of his life and soul, the desperate loneliness of a junkie caught up in a cult, these human feelings of despair are just as much a part of the horror as any extra-dimensional monster. For some people, the apocalypse is already here.