A review by tobin_elliott
In Excess of Dark by Red Lagoe

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

"The universe is a harsh motherfucker, an expanse of nothingness devouring light, but her dad taught her to seek those pinpoints of light, to reach for them and to hold on for dear life."

Grief is a monster. Loss is a monster. Monsters that can both climb in your head and tear out your guts...and their ability to wound—and to continue to wound—can take years to abate. But once they've sunk their claws in, they never truly go away, and they can cause pain when you least expect it.

Playing in the same sandbox as King's PET SEMATARY and L.C. Marino's BURY THE CHILD, this novella digs just as deep into the grief, but comes at it from a different angle.

I will say, initially, I felt some of the imaginative sequences Karina had (especially on the way to the campsite) went on a little too long and were a little over-detailed, but then, as the story progressed, it made total sense, and I settled into the story.

Lagoe doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable aspects of the story, and allows us insight into some very unpleasant aspects of Karina's grief, which I admired. It's the portions of the story where Karina deals with her relationship with her son Xander—and reveals the feelings he had for her as well—that, to me, are the strongest parts of this story.

My only complaints—and they're both minor quibbles, to be honest—are that there's two characters I would have preferred more insight into. There was a point through the story that I felt as though Gavin (Karina's husband) had been somewhat forgotten. I would have liked to have seen more of Karina's thoughts toward him and their marriage as the story progressed. As well, largely because of the impact he obviously had on his daughter, I would have enjoyed a bit more insight into Karina's father and his dealing with the darkness.

However, as I said, these are more "nice to have" and not "need to have" elements. 

I must also give a shoutout to Sobelo for putting together a really good looking book, with incredible illustrations by the author tipped in at strategic points. Just a well put together book.
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