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A review by jess_reads_books
In The River by Jeremy Robert Johnson
5.0
This is a novella about loss, how it impacts us, and the lengths that we are willing to go to for those that we love. Every parent’s nightmare has happened. While out on a father/son fishing lesson, a man watches his child be taken by a creature of the river. Within moments his life changes forever. In the father’s mind the only way to rectify his loss is to set out on a voyage into madness; a voyage of revenge upon the creature that stole his heart.
IN THE RIVER brings to life a mixture of horror, fantasy, and emotions that will linger with you after you finish reading. What starts out as an idyllic fishing lesson between father and son, quickly becomes the nightmare of any parent. The father’s journey to find the creature that stole the life of his son brings the reader into a world steeped in folklore and fantasy. At times I wasn’t sure what was real and what was a hallucination of the father. What I do know to be real are the emotions that Johnson made me feel. My heart broke repeatedly while reading this novella and I could truly sympathize with the father’s passion in seeking revenge on the river creature.
Johnson’s ability to make me feel such rich emotions, while also making me worry and fear for the father, is a true testament of how well this novella is written. Everything is so intricately detailed while somehow avoiding getting trapped in the weeds of too much information. Even the formatting of the pages help to build tension and bring the story to life. I am thrilled that I already have ENTROPY IN BLOOM on my shelf, so that I can continue reading more of Johnson’s work!
IN THE RIVER brings to life a mixture of horror, fantasy, and emotions that will linger with you after you finish reading. What starts out as an idyllic fishing lesson between father and son, quickly becomes the nightmare of any parent. The father’s journey to find the creature that stole the life of his son brings the reader into a world steeped in folklore and fantasy. At times I wasn’t sure what was real and what was a hallucination of the father. What I do know to be real are the emotions that Johnson made me feel. My heart broke repeatedly while reading this novella and I could truly sympathize with the father’s passion in seeking revenge on the river creature.
Johnson’s ability to make me feel such rich emotions, while also making me worry and fear for the father, is a true testament of how well this novella is written. Everything is so intricately detailed while somehow avoiding getting trapped in the weeds of too much information. Even the formatting of the pages help to build tension and bring the story to life. I am thrilled that I already have ENTROPY IN BLOOM on my shelf, so that I can continue reading more of Johnson’s work!