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Book Review: Hollow Kingdom: A Novel by Kira Jane Buxton

Hollow Kingdom: A Novel  by Kira Jane Buxton

Grand Central Publishing, 2019

ISBN-13: 978-1538745823

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook, audio CD

 

Hollow Kingdom is literally a bird’s eye view of the apocalypse: it is narrated by a smartass domesticated crow S.T. (for Shit Turd). S.T.  was raised by Big Jim, and lives with him and his dog, Dennis.  S.T. is an independent-minded, educated bird who has watched plenty of television and is addicted to Cheetos: he has developed an admiration for humans, and affection and loyalty to Big Jim. One day Big Jim’s eyeball falls out, and he starts acting mindless. S.T. attempts to cure him with medicines he collects at Walgreens, to no avail, and on his trip to and from the drugstore, realizes that whatever has gone wrong with Big Jim has happened to the other humans as well, and it’s not looking good for the animals, either, especially pets. S.T. and Dennis leave Big Jim, braving a variety of hazards together, from angry bears and malicious crows to deadly tigers,  to visit Onida, a mysterious creature who is supposed to be able to tell them what is going on. S.T. learns that humankind has been attacked by a virus through their electronic screens after consuming more than their fair share of resources and losing touch with nature, so the world can return to balance.  He decides that it’s his mission to rescue other domesticated animals trapped in their houses now that the humans are gone. This is quite a challenge, since neither he nor Dennis have opposable thumbs, useful for opening doors.

The horrific thing about what’s happening to the humans is that they aren’t dying suddenly, or even slowly. They’re just deterioriating, still alive even when there’s nothing really left to animate, except for those who are evolving into something even more dangerous. Mostly aimless, they are triggered into action and violence by the appearance of a screen or the “ding” of a notification. S.T. can see a bigger picture than most of the other animals, but as a domesticated bird, he is not used to being in the outside world. What’s interesting is watching him balance his attachment to humans, and especially Big Jim, with his newly rediscovered relationship with nature, as trees, vines, and all kinds of animals retake the city.

In all the books of apocalyptic fiction I’ve seen, I’ve never come across one quite like this. Original, funny, and sometimes grisly or gross,  even though it takes place during and after an apocalypse it ends on a note of hope.  This bird’s eye view of the end of the world is definitely worth a look.

Contains: some animal harm and death.

Posted on December 20, 2019 by , Reply

Book Review: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

The Cabin at the End of the World  by Paul Tremblay

William Morrow. 2018

ISBN-13: 978-0062679109

Available: Hardcover, paperback, mass market paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

Paul Tremblay is at it again, screwing with the minds of readers, playing a morality game that results in a twisted read worthy of film version due to its close characters, claustrophobic setting, and themes that he refuses to shy away from.

Tremblay’s previous books, A Head Full of Ghosts and Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, both toyed with the reader’s sense of reality and the supernatural. In The Cabin at the End of the World, Tremblay drags the reader into what seems to be a simple home invasion story. Nothing is what it seems, though: this is a tight, utterly uncomfortable, well-told tale of horror that requires the reader’s intellect and intuition to untangle whether there is a supernatural factor to the story

A young girl, Wen, plays outside with her grasshoppers, while her parents, Eric and Andrew, are inside, relaxing on a peaceful family vacation in the woods of New Hampshire. Nothing is supposed to be anywhere near them: no stores, neighbors, or distractions.

Then Leonard arrives. A hulking man, he speaks calmly to her and appeals to her innocence before announcing, “None of what’s going to happen is your fault. You haven’t done anything wrong, but the three of you will have to make some tough decisions. I wish with all my broken heart you didn’t have to.” Three strangers emerge from the woods and enter the cabin. They  inform the family that the end of the world is inevitable, unless the parents make a heart-wrenching decision that will ruin them.  Are these strangers cold-blooded psychopaths who sought out this family, or is there something more at play?

The way Tremblay paints the characters of both the family and the intruders, is what drives the story. To say more would kill the suspense, but suffice it to say, the emotional heft of this tale will leave a scar behind.

Highly recommended reading for readers of great suspense.

 

Reviewed by Dave Simms

Editor’s note: The Cabin at the End of the World  is a nominee for the 2018 Stoker Award in the category Superior Achievement in a Novel. 

Posted on March 13, 2019 by , Reply

Book Review: The Deep by Nick Cutter

The Deep by Nick Cutter

Pocket Books, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4767-1774-6

Available: Paperback, mass market paperback,  library binding, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

With his second novel, The Deep, author Nick Cutter has his modus operandi firmly established: keep the number of main characters to five or less, put them in an isolated setting, add in a biological menace to terrorize the characters, and a dash of blood, and voila, you have a thriller/horror novel.  It’s the formula he uses, and he does it very well.  This book moves at a fast clip: no lengthy expositions or wasted time.  It’s a good thriller from one of the better writers of the genre.

 

The plot: it’s present day, and the human population is being ravaged to extinction by a new disease called the ‘Gets.  The only possible hope for a cure lies in a research station at the bottom of the Marianas Trench in the Pacific, in the form of a new sort of biological organism.  As the book opens, contact with the three scientists at the research station has been lost.  Luke Nelson is the brother of Clayton Nelson, one of the scientists trapped on the bottom.  For reasons unknown to Luke, he’s brought in to make the trip to the bottom and re-establish contact with Clayton and the others.   Once he gets to the station, mayhem results.  The biological organism is not what it seems, and it bends reality for all the humans, causing deadly results.

 

Most of the book takes place in the claustrophobic environs of the research station. The characters quickly realize they are trapped in a station where reality and fantasy, through their dreams and nightmares, quickly meld together: distinguishing between them becomes almost impossible.  Cutter’s skill really shines here.  You start to feel claustrophobic on reading some of the sequences, such as the ones with characters trapped in corridors or ducts.  Add in the terror the characters feel from the creatures (or figments of their nightmares) pursuing them, and you have a first rate thriller.  The descriptions are perfect: Cutter really lets you feel the emotions of the characters as they struggle to survive.  The backstory on Luke Nelson and Clay Nelson is filled in with chapters interspersed throughout the book that reference a point in their lives growing up.  As it turns out, those chapters are not just asides for understanding the characters, but play a part in the overall story thread. These chapters do help flesh the brothers out, but they won’t change your thinking about them.  They are pretty much good or evil: there’s very little in-between.

The only drawback to the book is the ending, which felt rushed and seemed confusing, asking more questions than it answered.  After over 480 pages of excellent writing, the last 10 just felt tacked on.  Outside of that, this is an excellent thriller/horror novel, recommended for adults and teens alike.

 

Contains: violence, mild gore

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

Posted on October 26, 2018 by , Reply
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