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A review by wolfiereads
Od and Ed by Shanti Leonard
5.0
Sci-fi/fantasy and horror are genres I always say I'll check out but never do. I'm glad I stepped outside my romance only comfort zone - this book is so good!
It's a dark fantasy/horror akin to a mix of Stranger Things and Stephen King, Pet Sematary in particular - supernatural small town in the late 80's? Check. Child's perspective with a straightforward, minimal stream-of-consciousness narrative? Check. Souls stuck in a parallel universe, re-animated corpses, multiple spiritual possessions in one person? Big time check. (Bonus check for kick-ass cover art!)
This borders more on dark fantasy with horror elements (and much needed, genuinely hilarious dark humor), so if you're a wuss like me and can't handle medium to extreme gore and disturbing imagery, you'll be fine. The narrative has a slow, wandering start but once it gets going after a few chapters, it's hard to put down. The ending is a bit rushed, but still satisfying and surprisingly touching. I could see this expanding into a series, but it'll do just fine as a stand-alone.
My only qualm is a storytelling choice that might just be personal preference - some of the explanation heavy dialogue felt too on the noise, giving the reader (and characters) the answer without letting them figure it out first. Those moments awkwardly stuck out and made the pace momentarily stumble. Granted, this is told from childrens' perspective so it makes sense to have straightforward explanations rather than realizations from inner monologues. I would've preferred context clues instead of blunt explanations but, again, probably just a personal preference.
4.5 / 5 for me! It's a unique, well executed story by a debut author and a surreal, memorable reading experience that'll live in my head for a long time. I look forward to Shanti Leonard's future works!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Shanti Leonard and IBPA for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
It's a dark fantasy/horror akin to a mix of Stranger Things and Stephen King, Pet Sematary in particular - supernatural small town in the late 80's? Check. Child's perspective with a straightforward, minimal stream-of-consciousness narrative? Check. Souls stuck in a parallel universe, re-animated corpses, multiple spiritual possessions in one person? Big time check. (Bonus check for kick-ass cover art!)
This borders more on dark fantasy with horror elements (and much needed, genuinely hilarious dark humor), so if you're a wuss like me and can't handle medium to extreme gore and disturbing imagery, you'll be fine. The narrative has a slow, wandering start but once it gets going after a few chapters, it's hard to put down. The ending is a bit rushed, but still satisfying and surprisingly touching. I could see this expanding into a series, but it'll do just fine as a stand-alone.
My only qualm is a storytelling choice that might just be personal preference - some of the explanation heavy dialogue felt too on the noise, giving the reader (and characters) the answer without letting them figure it out first. Those moments awkwardly stuck out and made the pace momentarily stumble. Granted, this is told from childrens' perspective so it makes sense to have straightforward explanations rather than realizations from inner monologues. I would've preferred context clues instead of blunt explanations but, again, probably just a personal preference.
4.5 / 5 for me! It's a unique, well executed story by a debut author and a surreal, memorable reading experience that'll live in my head for a long time. I look forward to Shanti Leonard's future works!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Shanti Leonard and IBPA for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!