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A review by teamredmon
The Fear: A Pandemic Horror Novel by Spencer Hamilton
3.0
This book was not at all what I expected. The story of a married couple during the covid-19 lockdown. We follow Jacqueline and Ashley as they learn of the virus sweeping the country and into their lockdown and isolation. Just prior to the stay at home orders, the couple is accosted by a homophobic man that we know only as "The Cardigan Man". As Jack and Ash are stuck at home, Jack begins a slow descent into madness and Ash can only watch the woman she loves completely lose it.
For me, this hit too close to home to be truly enjoyable. I read to have that escape from the real world and when the world is in the state that it is, reading about things that are actually happening just doesn't do it for me. Now, about halfway, there's a turn to body horror that makes book not read like non-fiction but it didn't fully turn it around for me. While at the same time as being too close to the real world, it also some how feels quaint reading about people during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Knowing that the book is supposed to take place in March/April/May time of year and reading it during December when the situation is just as bad if not worse. I couldn't help but feel a disconnect. Also, the phrase "The Cardigan Man" makes up roughly 17% of the entire book and I could have done without reading that phrase as many times as I did.
I do think that the author has a bright future in the horror fiction industry because, despite my problems, the novel is well written and genuinely deals well with difficult issues (homophobia, mental illness, etc). The first half of the book does quiet horror quiet well when Jack is having her descent into madness it does feel like the reader, Ash, and Jack are helpless to stop it. And the body horror made my insides knot up the way good body horror is supposed to. Overall, I was impressed with the author's debut novel, despite choosing to read it at the absolutely wrong time, and will absolutely read more of his work.
For me, this hit too close to home to be truly enjoyable. I read to have that escape from the real world and when the world is in the state that it is, reading about things that are actually happening just doesn't do it for me. Now, about halfway, there's a turn to body horror that makes book not read like non-fiction but it didn't fully turn it around for me. While at the same time as being too close to the real world, it also some how feels quaint reading about people during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Knowing that the book is supposed to take place in March/April/May time of year and reading it during December when the situation is just as bad if not worse. I couldn't help but feel a disconnect. Also, the phrase "The Cardigan Man" makes up roughly 17% of the entire book and I could have done without reading that phrase as many times as I did.
I do think that the author has a bright future in the horror fiction industry because, despite my problems, the novel is well written and genuinely deals well with difficult issues (homophobia, mental illness, etc). The first half of the book does quiet horror quiet well when Jack is having her descent into madness it does feel like the reader, Ash, and Jack are helpless to stop it. And the body horror made my insides knot up the way good body horror is supposed to. Overall, I was impressed with the author's debut novel, despite choosing to read it at the absolutely wrong time, and will absolutely read more of his work.