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lilyn_g's review
4.0
Casualties felt strongly like how Poltergeist might have worked with a riskier rating and an Army base setting. The main difference being, though, that the majority of things that happened were to the characters themselves. There are no sliding chairs or maggot-steak. Instead its whispered coercion, seeds of distrust, and phantoms that haunt you in the night. It moves quickly (the book suffers a bit for the pace) and has some fairly gruesome imagery. Reading it, you find a family ripped apart before you've even got a sense of them as a whole.
However, Dev Jarret's book is not just about the paranormal horror of the haunted neighborhood. It's also about the real horror of PTSD and how it can affect the afflicted and their family. The main character, Chris Williams, has PTSD and makes a few great observations during the course of the story. The two that struck me the most where:
I love reading horror and the safe little scared 'charge' that a great writer can give you. PTSD ,though, can send your terror and adrenaline levels through the roof in a way that no horror 'master' will ever be able to manage. It's also difficult to talk about, to give in and seek help for, and yes, it makes life hell. It really does. That connection, tenuous though it was, was one of the things about the story that hooked me.
Overall, Casualties is a good haunted house/neighborhood story that either needs to be a bit longer, or a bit shorter. The diving into the deep end never allowed a proper feel of tension to truly develop. It's a hazard of that particular way of beginning a story - very hit or miss. However, the various descriptions, research, etc, made it feel like a short story that dragged on a bit at times. The story was engaging, however, and the main character's internal struggles were realistic. You can't help but root for the family to make it through this particular patch of crazy.
Casualties is definitely worth checking out. This is especially true if you, like me, find comfort in reading books about people with PTSD. It gives an added touch of realistic horror even as it reminds you that you aren't alone.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author free in exchange for an honest review.
However, Dev Jarret's book is not just about the paranormal horror of the haunted neighborhood. It's also about the real horror of PTSD and how it can affect the afflicted and their family. The main character, Chris Williams, has PTSD and makes a few great observations during the course of the story. The two that struck me the most where:
"Don't be ashamed to ask for help, Hollingwood had said, but here was the truth of the matter, sitting at the reception desk. Her wide eyes and appraising smile as she talked with Chris did more to perpetuate the stigma of seeking emotional help than generations of machismo."
&
"The land of PTSD was a sad, exhausting place to live, seeing the potential for danger everywhere, and sometimes dialing it back was too difficult to manage."
I love reading horror and the safe little scared 'charge' that a great writer can give you. PTSD ,though, can send your terror and adrenaline levels through the roof in a way that no horror 'master' will ever be able to manage. It's also difficult to talk about, to give in and seek help for, and yes, it makes life hell. It really does. That connection, tenuous though it was, was one of the things about the story that hooked me.
Overall, Casualties is a good haunted house/neighborhood story that either needs to be a bit longer, or a bit shorter. The diving into the deep end never allowed a proper feel of tension to truly develop. It's a hazard of that particular way of beginning a story - very hit or miss. However, the various descriptions, research, etc, made it feel like a short story that dragged on a bit at times. The story was engaging, however, and the main character's internal struggles were realistic. You can't help but root for the family to make it through this particular patch of crazy.
Casualties is definitely worth checking out. This is especially true if you, like me, find comfort in reading books about people with PTSD. It gives an added touch of realistic horror even as it reminds you that you aren't alone.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author free in exchange for an honest review.
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