*4.5/5 stars, rounded up due to lack of half-stars.*

Going into this book, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. It’s labeled as literary horror. I haven’t read much horror so far in my life. But I do want to start. I think this was a great book to start with. It’s very hard for a book to scare me, so I knew that wasn’t going to be a factor with this “horror.” There were many times in this book where I could say I was creeped out though. There’s some graphic killing and recollections of traumatic events in some characters’ lives. These events are described in a way that, while cringing and imagining it, the reader wants to keep reading for more.

The characters in this book, for the most part were great to read about. There was great thought put into the history of each character and how they connected in the huge web. When I was reading I tried to make assumptions about what was a connecting factor between people. I was often wrong. I like when I can attempt to guess at an aspect of a book, then be wrong. It shows that it’s not predictable.

There was really only one part in which this book didn’t sit well with me. (I will do my best to share this without spoiling things.) There is a point in the book that a relationship between two characters develops, but it doesn’t feel natural to me. Not that it doesn’t feel natural for real life. To me I didn’t see the one character to be someone, especially under the circumstances. When someone threatens your life and you’re uncomfortable in your own house…well that’s all you get. I can’t go farther than that. But I’d also like to mention that it didn’t take long for me to accept and be happy with what developed from this.

I think what I liked most in this book were the villains. Here’s where the horror really comes into play. We’re not dealing with ghosts or vampires. No, that’s not real horror. In this book there are things that I still don’t know what to call. It’s not that descriptions weren’t given, just that the characters don’t get a full knowledge. All we can tell is they are scary, dangerous, and pure evil.

This book is great and I greatly enjoyed Kraul’s writing. After the wait for its release (that’s what I get for finding out about a book when still in the process of getting published) I can say the wait was well worth it. I don’t know what R.P. Kraul has in store for reader next, but I know I’ll be eagerly awaiting it’s release, whenever that may be. ( )

If you were to look at the labels for my books on Goodreads, you would find that I’ve read very little horror. This is not because I don’t like horror. It is because there is very little horror that I find to be good, and actually finish. I grew up on a farm in Indiana. We lived in the 100+ year old farmhouse that had been my great-grandmother’s before she passed away. It was a house that she claimed was haunted. I grew up in that old house watching horror shows. You know the ones that had you screaming at the character to do something, or not do something and they did THEIR OWN thing which always caused a problem. That is what this type of book is like. Classic Horror. This it the type of book anyone who LOVES horror will want to read. It transported me back to those late Friday or Saturday nights when I would sit up alone watching those shows that would scare me so much I wouldn’t want to leave my chair to go to bed. That is what this book did for me, and yes I read it at night. The author sets the tone for the book from the very beginning with his description of Belacort, Pennsylvania. The town felt so real that I actually googled it to see if it existed. His description of the town sets you on edge and keeps you there. The characters are believable. You have real people who have real problems that you can identify with. Some you will love and some you will love to hate. They are fleshed out in such a way that you can’t help it. For me I will always choose a character driven plot because if the characters are not believable, then no matter what happens to them it makes the writing seem unbelievable. Kraul has managed to find that delicate balance.

The horror in this book is the type that messes with your mind. It is not your typical “slasher” type of horror. This is worse. This is the type that will creep you out to the point you will be afraid to close the book, and afraid to continue reading. So you want something creepy for a change? Get this book. It is just thing to fill that horror void in your reading. ( )