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A review by sdsmith80
Last Days by Brian Evenson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
<b>An exquisite blend of action and horror!</b>
I've been looking forward to this book for a while, having heard that Evenson is a former Mormon, which influences his writing, and that this was a different kind of Cult Horror, with a unique cult. I was able to pick it up from my local library, however they didn't have a Kindle copy, so I had to read through the Libby app, which was a new experience.
First, I want to touch on my theory of horror versus action. AI least with films, and extended somewhat to books, I have always felt like the difference between action and horror lies in the killing. Action films tend to go with quantity of kills. They have big explosions, the main character goes on a massive killing spree, to get to their goal. Horror, on the other hand, goes for quality of kills. In some horror, you're only going to get a handful of deaths, however the deaths will be on screen, creative, and meaningful. All of that said, I feel like Last Days has done a good job of walking the line in between, blending the high body count with creativity, making them relevant to the plot as well.
As for the story and characters, it felt almost like a blend of The Big Lebowski and Gabino Iglesias' The Devil Takes You Home. It had that bleak, dark feeling, and Kline was being pulled along for a ride he never asked for. There was absurd humor in the way that everything kept piling on, never giving him a break, and even the dialogue had a dry wit that had me chuckling throughout, even though horrible things were taking place.
Lastly, I just want to say that I adored the little Easter Eggs that referred to the Mormon church and their "Sacred, not Secret" temple practices. Things like the back and forth to get from one area to another, "What is wanted?", and the correlating response made me smile. My husband left the organization before getting his endowments, but living in Utah, I've become immersed in the culture and know all about the ceremonies.
Overall it is a great book, a fun trip down the rabbit hole.
I've been looking forward to this book for a while, having heard that Evenson is a former Mormon, which influences his writing, and that this was a different kind of Cult Horror, with a unique cult. I was able to pick it up from my local library, however they didn't have a Kindle copy, so I had to read through the Libby app, which was a new experience.
First, I want to touch on my theory of horror versus action. AI least with films, and extended somewhat to books, I have always felt like the difference between action and horror lies in the killing. Action films tend to go with quantity of kills. They have big explosions, the main character goes on a massive killing spree, to get to their goal. Horror, on the other hand, goes for quality of kills. In some horror, you're only going to get a handful of deaths, however the deaths will be on screen, creative, and meaningful. All of that said, I feel like Last Days has done a good job of walking the line in between, blending the high body count with creativity, making them relevant to the plot as well.
As for the story and characters, it felt almost like a blend of The Big Lebowski and Gabino Iglesias' The Devil Takes You Home. It had that bleak, dark feeling, and Kline was being pulled along for a ride he never asked for. There was absurd humor in the way that everything kept piling on, never giving him a break, and even the dialogue had a dry wit that had me chuckling throughout, even though horrible things were taking place.
Lastly, I just want to say that I adored the little Easter Eggs that referred to the Mormon church and their "Sacred, not Secret" temple practices. Things like the back and forth to get from one area to another, "What is wanted?", and the correlating response made me smile. My husband left the organization before getting his endowments, but living in Utah, I've become immersed in the culture and know all about the ceremonies.
Overall it is a great book, a fun trip down the rabbit hole.