by Christina Henry

A Horror, 2021 by Berkley, 321 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

• Content warning: abuse, violence, generally awful treatment of women, and a controlling terrible man.  Seriously, don’t read this one if you’re triggered by such things. 
• William is INCREDIBLY hard to read. He’s the WORST kind of character and you’re close enough to him and the action regarding him that it makes your skin crawl. It says something that in a book about a literal monster, William is the scariest thing you encounter. 
• The ending left me wanting more! The monster stuff felt like it was just sort of stopped, I wasn’t ready for that to stop. 

What I Did Like:

• That creeping up your spine “girl, you’re in trouble” feeling starts quick. It sets that vibe early and doesn’t let up. Love that! 
• Definitely contains edge of your seat type dangerous situations. The book is able to get your blood pumping easily and keep you stressed, which is a positive when you’re talking about horror. 
• A lot of plot lines sort of converge here but it’s done in a way that works. The monster in the woods, Mattie’s controlling husband, and the strangers on the trails all come together in a logical and believable way that raises the stakes. This story ends us being one that couldn’t happen except in this exact moment, and that works.

Who Should Read This One:

• Fans of horror that blends real elements with the paranormal will appreciate this one the most. It does a fantastic job of shoving them together in a way that allows you to almost compare them. Plus, this brings an intensity that horror readers will appreciate.

My Rating: 4 Stars

• The juxtaposition of real life horrors with paranormal type horrors is well done and makes a staggering point in a powerful way.