A review by jbhertel
Dead End Tunnel by Nick Roberts

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Maverick revisits an event that happened on his 13th birthday, when he had a sleepover with his two best friends and they snuck out of the house at night to ride their bikes to a spooky tunnel. They all entered the tunnel, but only two emerged at the other side. And, that's just the beginning of what happened that night the lives of three families changes forever. Now, as an adult, Maverick is compelled to return and face "the dark forces that have lurked in waiting".

I found this coming-of-age novella nostalgic and creepy, yet it still managed to throw in a bit of humor. It was fast-paced, hooked me right from the start, and had just the right amounts of body horror and cosmic horror. The only thing keeping it from being a 5-star read is the ending was a bit predictable. This was the first book by Nick Roberts that I've read, and I'm now a huge fan. I look forward to reading his other books.