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ruminations_reverie 's review for:
Nowhere
by Allison Gunn
This was probably one of my biggest surprises of the year. I didn't have high expectations for this one and came out of it pleasantly surprised. The comps were for the Mare of Eastown (Show) and The Outsider (Book, Stephen King). I haven't seen/read either of them, but after reading this one, and having just purchased a good used copy of The Outsider at a recent library sale, I am excited to check them out.
I thought this was going to land more in the Thriller genre, but I think it is much more of a horror read. While it is not in your face scary it is more than a little unsettling and that feeling of dread and unease grows throughout the fast paced book. This one is compelling enough to keep you turning pages and once the action starts, it doesn't stop until the last page. This is the definition of a "bingeable" book. I read it in less than 24 hours and was eager to keep picking it back up.
I will say that I had an issue with some of the characters, and that goes for pretty much all of them. The characters are a bit exaggerated at the beginning and throughout the novel their actions, motivations, and decisions don't feel consistent. The main cast are pretty much all unlikable or annoying and while that works for some, I didn't necessarily have anyone to cheer on. That remained true for nearly the entire book until the very end. At that point I was relying on my compassion as a parent to illicit some connection and emotional response to the characters. There were many moments in this, as a parent, that were hard to handle. Definitely trigger warnings for the loss of a child in this one. While I don't get triggered by this particular element, it doesn't make it any easier to read.
The horror in this is somewhere in the cosmic realm and I was reminded of books like The Watchers by A.M. Shine and Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chobosky. It is Appalachian folkloric horror and those elements were certainly the best part of this book. It was downright haunting at times and would be the perfect book to take into the woods on a camping trip this summer. Bonus points if you are in the Appalachian area.
I would say that while I was not blown away by Gunn's writing I still enjoyed it enough and think she penned a great, creepy horror novel here. I will look for future works from this Debut Author. If you like any of the comps mentioned above or are looking for a chilling folkloric horror novel, this is definitely a contender for one of the best horror I have read this year.
I thought this was going to land more in the Thriller genre, but I think it is much more of a horror read. While it is not in your face scary it is more than a little unsettling and that feeling of dread and unease grows throughout the fast paced book. This one is compelling enough to keep you turning pages and once the action starts, it doesn't stop until the last page. This is the definition of a "bingeable" book. I read it in less than 24 hours and was eager to keep picking it back up.
I will say that I had an issue with some of the characters, and that goes for pretty much all of them. The characters are a bit exaggerated at the beginning and throughout the novel their actions, motivations, and decisions don't feel consistent. The main cast are pretty much all unlikable or annoying and while that works for some, I didn't necessarily have anyone to cheer on. That remained true for nearly the entire book until the very end. At that point I was relying on my compassion as a parent to illicit some connection and emotional response to the characters. There were many moments in this, as a parent, that were hard to handle. Definitely trigger warnings for the loss of a child in this one. While I don't get triggered by this particular element, it doesn't make it any easier to read.
The horror in this is somewhere in the cosmic realm and I was reminded of books like The Watchers by A.M. Shine and Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chobosky. It is Appalachian folkloric horror and those elements were certainly the best part of this book. It was downright haunting at times and would be the perfect book to take into the woods on a camping trip this summer. Bonus points if you are in the Appalachian area.
I would say that while I was not blown away by Gunn's writing I still enjoyed it enough and think she penned a great, creepy horror novel here. I will look for future works from this Debut Author. If you like any of the comps mentioned above or are looking for a chilling folkloric horror novel, this is definitely a contender for one of the best horror I have read this year.