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A review by doomkittiekhan
The Fear: A Pandemic Horror Novel by Spencer Hamilton
4.0
'The Fear' took me nearly 6 months to read. Not because it is bad. Not because I didn't want to finish it sooner. Not because I didn't have time. It took me nearly 6 months to read because Spencer Hamilton wrote a pandemic horror story wrapped up nicely in social commentary during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that amplified all of my anxiety and stress...in the best way possible. I could only finish this book once there was an administrative change in the United States. I could only finish this book once vaccine rollout began en masse. I could only finish this book when I began to feel my own fear beginning to lift. Even though I had to take it slow for my own good, don't let that hinder you from picking this one up.
Instead, let it draw you in.
Jacqueline and Ashley are a married couple that have recently moved to Austin, and are settling into their new life together, when they witness a hate crime that will send ripple effects throughout the rest of the story. While both women are deeply disturbed by what has happened to them, Jacqueline (Jack) is suffering from extreme PTSD. A few months later, when COVID-19 begins to sweep across the globe, and the inadequacies and unpreparedness of the Trump administration add to the confusion and terror, Jack and Ashley find themselves trapped at home and struggling to survive. As the pressures mount, and the situation becomes dire, the women must ask which terror is worse - the unknown outside or the festering within.
I applaud Hamilton for writing about this collective moment in such a way that will last beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. That he taps into the claustrophobia of relationships and the anxiety of the mundane right alongside the very real terrors of xenophobia and racism. This is a well-crafted, indie horror story, and I can't wait to see what other dark roads Hamilton takes us down.
Sincere thanks to the author for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Instead, let it draw you in.
Jacqueline and Ashley are a married couple that have recently moved to Austin, and are settling into their new life together, when they witness a hate crime that will send ripple effects throughout the rest of the story. While both women are deeply disturbed by what has happened to them, Jacqueline (Jack) is suffering from extreme PTSD. A few months later, when COVID-19 begins to sweep across the globe, and the inadequacies and unpreparedness of the Trump administration add to the confusion and terror, Jack and Ashley find themselves trapped at home and struggling to survive. As the pressures mount, and the situation becomes dire, the women must ask which terror is worse - the unknown outside or the festering within.
I applaud Hamilton for writing about this collective moment in such a way that will last beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. That he taps into the claustrophobia of relationships and the anxiety of the mundane right alongside the very real terrors of xenophobia and racism. This is a well-crafted, indie horror story, and I can't wait to see what other dark roads Hamilton takes us down.
Sincere thanks to the author for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.