Tim Meyer (1)

First of all, I really resonated with the introduction from Sadie Hartmann (aka Mother Horror). Meyer's The Switch House and Lutzke's Of Foster Homes and Flies were the first books I read from these respective writers, and they had a huge impact on my love for and exploration of the indie horror scene (which literally began just last year and is continuing to thrive). I'm excited to read more from each of these authors and to continue to mine the horror scene.

Now, on to the book itself. I received the Night Worms/Thunderstorm Books exclusive edition in November of last year, but I didn't get around to reading it until a couple weeks ago. I'm late in writing my review, but this is actually the very first book I read in 2021 and I was so happy to start the year with such a good one!

There's so much to love here, from the fleshed out characters, to the immaculate pacing and suspense, to the thrilling, jaw-dropping final act. I already had a soft spot for this type of story because I'm a big fan of (dark) coming-of-age tales, and I'm pleased to report that the Lutzke-Meyer duo knocked it out of the park. Baker Gray is an authentic and fully realized protagonist, whose burgeoning hormones are fully smitten by the older Cass and yet who still questions his own actions even as he sinks down the well of moral dilemma. I may not have been caught up in the same dark web as Baker when I was young, but many of his thoughts and feelings are strikingly relatable. I think this speaks to the success of the writers in capturing the fears and yearnings of an adolescent male whose loss of innocence begins early in the book and continues on to the shocking finale.

In addition to the characters of the book, I also really enjoyed the pacing. You know, just based on the tone and mood early on, that something is going to go horribly wrong as Baker falls head-over-heels for Cass, but the book is patient enough to wait until the end to reveal the its full horror. Plus the increasing infatuation/sexual tension, growing rivalry with Baker's best friend Seb, and escalation of Cass's demands are plenty engaging and help carry the story along at a brisk, worrisome step. Oh and the countdown in the chapters is a nice touch, clearly spelling out that we're heading towards something bad. I loved every single chapter in this book, but that ending is just amazing. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say I'm a sucker for home-invasions-gone-wrong. Also there is a twist that, honestly, I should have seen coming but I was so enraptured by the story that it still caught me by surprise.

There are a couple of references to William Golding's Lord of the Flies, and this seems an appropriate connection. In addition to the cruel realities of human nature and the inevitable loss of innocence, there's also a story here about three teens at odds with the world wanting to create new rules in a home they can call their own. And there's something beautiful and inspiring about that, even if it ends up being a home built on mistrust and duplicity.

This is a horror book where the monsters are all too real. There is deviance, violence, and brokenness, but there's also moments of joy and truth (even if that truth is written in blood). To say more would be to spoil the experience. Go, and read it for yourself. You won't be disappointed.… (mehr)

This is definitely one of those books you read in a single day (and preferably at the beach): short chapters, relentless action, a constant switching of perspectives to keep things interesting, and loads of hair-raising tension mixed with brutal violence. The premise is compelling (hundreds of unwitting guests unwillingly placed in a death match game versus a gang of bloodthirsty maniacs), and I'm pleased to report the author pulls it off with all the pulse-pounding suspense and brutal kill scenes that you'd hope for.

It felt like a beautiful mashup of Battle Royale, Cabin in the Woods, and Dead by Daylight. I like that the killers each had their own "persona" they adopted when the game started, making them seem like boss battles in a video game. I also like that we got chapters from the perspectives of the guys running the game, as well as a host of other characters. And the genre shift in the final act is just wonderful. I know Tim writes in a variety of horror genres, but for some reason I just knew this was going to go into cult/cosmic horror territory (one of his specialties). No more spoilers, but it does and it's GOOD.

I couldn't get enough of this book. I also thought it was really interesting the way it was constructed. From what I understand Tim wrote it in pieces for his Patreon as a sort of a choose-your-own-adventure, meaning he would stop along the way and give various options and his fans would vote on how the story should progress. I love this type of interactive story telling, and I think it would be cool to see more stuff like it.… (mehr)