A review by sarahholliday
This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

I've come to really love & appreciate the horror genre, and This Thing Between Us is a perfect example as to why: the best stories in the genre are ultimately concerned with the mundane, universal experiences of humanity. Grief, guilt, loneliness, hate...by depicting these things in the extreme, at their most otherworldly and horrific, authors like Moreno interrogate the ways these very basic human emotions can takeover our lives.

Moreno is a beautiful writer, and you can feel him wrestling with his own grief as he walks us through Thiago's. The book is written like a love letter, or a confession, which means our understanding of events in the book are limited to what Thiago understands. It makes things a bit confusing at times, but the underlying messages of the story still come through. 

This Thing Between Us is a really powerful examination of grief, loss, race, belonging. There's gore and eeriness, horrific circumstances and plenty of tear-jerking moments, but it's all framed by genuine empathy. A really challenging and breathtaking book. 
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