Another new writer for me who I'd never heard of so this was another impulse buy. I'm doing well with these impulse buys, because I thought this book was excellent.
Billy Lender is the victim of extreme bullying at school. When he finds a small space behind a cupboard to hide in, he starts hearing a voice which promises to help him get revenge on his bullies.
It's very short so any more than that about the plot would be moving into spoiler territory.
Billy is a brilliantly drawn character who I felt full sympathy with throughout. Alongside the bullying he's also dealing with puberty and a burgeoning sexual awakening. This is all dealt with subtly and sensitively whilst building the tension about what the voice and the space behind the cupboard actually is.
A good enough introduction to his writing that I ordered three more of his books while I was reading this story.
The house has a dark history- as they all do in this type of story. Soon, the influence of the house is creeping into their everyday lives.
This wasn't as successful for me as the other story, but is still extremely well written. Omar and Gordon feel real as a couple and the escalating sense of dread is masterfully done.
There's no big monster attacks in these two stories, no gore or extreme violence. Not even any real overt scares. Just characters who feel genuine having their lives invaded and destroyed steadily by strange forces that are never fully explained.
I guess the lack of explanation will alienate some readers, but I liked it. It leaves the reader to figure things out rather than handing the answers to us on a plate.
The lack of in your face horror will not be to some readers' taste either, but fans of the slow burn subtle fright will love these stories.
As I said, before I'd finished the first of these, I loved it so much I was already seeking out his back catalogue. If you like your horror subtle and psychological, this could well be the book/s for you.
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