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A review by the_coycaterpillar_reads
Autumncrow by Cameron Chaney
4.0
Autumncrow is a collection of short stories all centred around the small Ohio town of Autumncrow. The town where it is always Halloween. I loved the fact that each story cracked open the wounds of the town, the backstory, the creation, and the inhabitants, and their way of life. I have been an avid subscriber of Cameron Chaney’s YouTube channel, Library Macabre, and had a funny feeling this was going to be as haunting as his content. The stories are packed with humanity, depravity, and emotion.
My instant thoughts on Autumncrow took me back to my youth reading Goosebumps from R.L. Stine. It was that same edge and harboring intent that I connected with and now reminded me of now. The book focuses on the residents and the first story that spoke to me was Pumpkin Light, a familiar scene, familiar inhabitants, but a different story. The setting is chilling but we have an old woman reminiscing. The story was a perfect start to get me warmed up to what was to come. The tone was set, the narrative was precise and haunting even when describing the most average of a task.
With an almost gentle start, Chaney jumps in his truck and speeds off into the distance. With a kick up of dirt and stones that gentle start is a thing of the past. All safety is gone, and the stories take a decidedly dark turn.
Autumncrow’s next story is Burnt Brownies which is by far my favourite story in the collection. This is where you get a true taste for just how immersive the writer’s style is. The story is predominately a regretful tale of neglect and sibling love gone awry. As siblings get older, they grow apart, they are interested in different things and they make a shift in their life towards adulthood. This story did knock it up a notch and I could feel my anxiety pulsing as the story edged towards its conclusion. Halloween can be haunting, but brownies can kill.
Autumncrow was a brilliant selection of short stories. The psychological exploration of grief, relationships, and fear was outstanding. I was seriously impressed with just how real the themes were portrayed. The author was able to put me in the character's shoes, I felt the emotions, often with papercut-like rawness.
My instant thoughts on Autumncrow took me back to my youth reading Goosebumps from R.L. Stine. It was that same edge and harboring intent that I connected with and now reminded me of now. The book focuses on the residents and the first story that spoke to me was Pumpkin Light, a familiar scene, familiar inhabitants, but a different story. The setting is chilling but we have an old woman reminiscing. The story was a perfect start to get me warmed up to what was to come. The tone was set, the narrative was precise and haunting even when describing the most average of a task.
With an almost gentle start, Chaney jumps in his truck and speeds off into the distance. With a kick up of dirt and stones that gentle start is a thing of the past. All safety is gone, and the stories take a decidedly dark turn.
Autumncrow’s next story is Burnt Brownies which is by far my favourite story in the collection. This is where you get a true taste for just how immersive the writer’s style is. The story is predominately a regretful tale of neglect and sibling love gone awry. As siblings get older, they grow apart, they are interested in different things and they make a shift in their life towards adulthood. This story did knock it up a notch and I could feel my anxiety pulsing as the story edged towards its conclusion. Halloween can be haunting, but brownies can kill.
Autumncrow was a brilliant selection of short stories. The psychological exploration of grief, relationships, and fear was outstanding. I was seriously impressed with just how real the themes were portrayed. The author was able to put me in the character's shoes, I felt the emotions, often with papercut-like rawness.