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A review by raforall
Husk: A Contemporary Horror Novel by Dave Zeltserman
5.0
This is an example of a book giving me so much more than I expected. And this is saying a lot because I really like this author. CARETAKER OF LORNE FIELD [same author] is one of my all time favorite horror novels. Like HUSK it is literary fiction as much as horror. Zeltserman refers to that book in Husk and I loved that. [My review from when I first read Caretaker: https://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-im-reading-caretaker-of-lorne.html]
But back to HUSK, I'm using the sound bite line for this novel and saying "It's as if Paul Tremblay wrote the DEXTER series." I bet I have your attention now.
The plot summary gives you the basics of what happens. You learn real quickly that Charlie belongs to a race of humans that can only stomach human flesh; they need it to survive. His job for his clan is to bring back bodies, but as the novel opens, he abandons everything for Julie.
But while this novel is a tale of a monster living among us, trying to fit in [clumsily] and Charlie is a boarding romantic hero, the novel is so much more.
First of all Charlie is so likable, yet he is a monster...literally. Talk about flawed protagonist.
Also, this sounds like a far fetched story, but somehow it is utterly original, compelling, and so thought provoking. I don't want to give much away with details because reading it was chilling, and not just because Charlie is a killer. What this story reveals about society, family, human nature, modern life, the trials of being undocumented...is so amazing. And it is all wrapped up in a well paced, compelling storyline.
This is a quick read, but one you will think about for a long time afterwards. Plus, the Husker details are so chillingly realistic. It makes me wonder who else is living off the grid in the woods. Yikes.
There is very little detail of violence here. There is violence and characters do die, but because Charlie is describing it all and he is dispassionate about killing people for food, it is described without much detail or emotion.
Oh yeah, that's important too. All of this book is in Charlie's first person voice. He is telling, us the reader the story, but that is all I will say about that.
Three Words That Describe This Book: anxiety, thought provoking, unreliable narrator
Last line makes the entire book. Seriously brilliant. I was getting worried as the book was coming to a close that there was no way he could finish this book satisfyingly. Well, I was 100% wrong. Just perfect and totally makes the anxiety ratchet up another notch and
Readalikes: Paul Tremblay- because both authors write books that are horror with high anxiety and dread, but not a lot of gore. Their novels are also thought provoking looks at human nature at their cores. High anxiety, literary fiction styles, character focused, with open endings that wrap things up, but leave it up to the reader to decide what to believe.
The Warm Bodies series by Issac Marion is a more literal readalike [sentient zombie who fall in love with a human]
BREATHERS A ZOMBIE'S LAMENT by Browne [which I reviewed here: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-im-reading-breathers-zombies.html] is another thought provoking look at a zombie trying to pass in a world of humans. While Charlie is not a zombie, he is a monster.
But the series that most captures the feel of HUSK, how we are drawn to this killer character, and how we are manipulated by the author to sympathize with a monster reminded me of the Dexter series by Lindsay. This is a perfect read alike for people who loved that series [in print or on TV] and are looking for similar reads.
But back to HUSK, I'm using the sound bite line for this novel and saying "It's as if Paul Tremblay wrote the DEXTER series." I bet I have your attention now.
The plot summary gives you the basics of what happens. You learn real quickly that Charlie belongs to a race of humans that can only stomach human flesh; they need it to survive. His job for his clan is to bring back bodies, but as the novel opens, he abandons everything for Julie.
But while this novel is a tale of a monster living among us, trying to fit in [clumsily] and Charlie is a boarding romantic hero, the novel is so much more.
First of all Charlie is so likable, yet he is a monster...literally. Talk about flawed protagonist.
Also, this sounds like a far fetched story, but somehow it is utterly original, compelling, and so thought provoking. I don't want to give much away with details because reading it was chilling, and not just because Charlie is a killer. What this story reveals about society, family, human nature, modern life, the trials of being undocumented...is so amazing. And it is all wrapped up in a well paced, compelling storyline.
This is a quick read, but one you will think about for a long time afterwards. Plus, the Husker details are so chillingly realistic. It makes me wonder who else is living off the grid in the woods. Yikes.
There is very little detail of violence here. There is violence and characters do die, but because Charlie is describing it all and he is dispassionate about killing people for food, it is described without much detail or emotion.
Oh yeah, that's important too. All of this book is in Charlie's first person voice. He is telling, us the reader the story, but that is all I will say about that.
Three Words That Describe This Book: anxiety, thought provoking, unreliable narrator
Last line makes the entire book. Seriously brilliant. I was getting worried as the book was coming to a close that there was no way he could finish this book satisfyingly. Well, I was 100% wrong. Just perfect and totally makes the anxiety ratchet up another notch and
Readalikes: Paul Tremblay- because both authors write books that are horror with high anxiety and dread, but not a lot of gore. Their novels are also thought provoking looks at human nature at their cores. High anxiety, literary fiction styles, character focused, with open endings that wrap things up, but leave it up to the reader to decide what to believe.
The Warm Bodies series by Issac Marion is a more literal readalike [sentient zombie who fall in love with a human]
BREATHERS A ZOMBIE'S LAMENT by Browne [which I reviewed here: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-im-reading-breathers-zombies.html] is another thought provoking look at a zombie trying to pass in a world of humans. While Charlie is not a zombie, he is a monster.
But the series that most captures the feel of HUSK, how we are drawn to this killer character, and how we are manipulated by the author to sympathize with a monster reminded me of the Dexter series by Lindsay. This is a perfect read alike for people who loved that series [in print or on TV] and are looking for similar reads.