A review by ameliareadsstuff
Gone to See the River Man by Kristopher Triana

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'm beginning to think this Lori lady might be messed up.

For as much horror as I've read, not a lot of it has been extreme or splatterpunk, of which Gone to See the River Man definitely is. It was an uncomfortable read, though still enjoyable in its own way, and it went in some directions I wasn't expecting from how it started. I thought Kristopher Triana did a good job escalating what was happening as the novel continued, reframing what we think we know and feel about the main characters and their situation. 

This is a big 'reader discretion is advised' book, if you couldn't tell from all the reviews being "5 stars—amazing, author is genius writer!" and "1 stars—garbage, author should be shot!". Still, it's a tricky one because exploring what is happened (and what has happened) was a strong part of the book for me that you'd lose if you knew too much going in. I'm glad I didn't read too much of the book's Goodreads description, since it gives the game away on whether
something supernatural is going to happen or not
. 

I wouldn't flippantly recommend this one, but if you like extreme horror, I'd keep it on your radar.
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