paperback, 192 pages
Published Aug. 12, 2014 by Tachyon Publications.
Harrison is the Monster Detective, a storybook hero. Now he’s in his mid-thirties and spends most of his time not sleeping.
Stan became a minor celebrity after being partially eaten by cannibals. Barbara is haunted by the messages carved upon her bones. Greta may or may not be a mass-murdering arsonist. And for some reason, Martin never takes off his sunglasses.
Unsurprisingly, no one believes their horrific tales until they are sought out by psychotherapist Dr. Jan Sayer. What happens when these likely-insane outcasts join a support group? Together they must discover which monsters they face are within and which are lurking in plain sight.
I liked this book, but I wanted more story. It's a unique and cool little tale. I wish the author added another 200 pages to really beef it up, because it's for great bones.
This brief novel (novella?) is about a group therapy circle where all the participants are sole survivors of supernaturally-tinged massacres. One patient was partially consumed by cannibals, another escaped from a cult that inscribed every inch of her flesh with occult scars, another was held captive by a deranged otherworldly killer that carved macabre artwork into her bones. They meet on a weekly basis, each searching for solace and companionship, but their fragile steps towards peace are halted when the past catches up to one of their members.
This is a fast, fun story with an interesting premise. However, I felt like it selected and followed up on the least interesting plot thread. I found Greta’s story the least compelling of any of the survivors’, and the book suffered in the second half when it made that the central focus. There was so much good stuff hinted at in the …
This brief novel (novella?) is about a group therapy circle where all the participants are sole survivors of supernaturally-tinged massacres. One patient was partially consumed by cannibals, another escaped from a cult that inscribed every inch of her flesh with occult scars, another was held captive by a deranged otherworldly killer that carved macabre artwork into her bones. They meet on a weekly basis, each searching for solace and companionship, but their fragile steps towards peace are halted when the past catches up to one of their members.
This is a fast, fun story with an interesting premise. However, I felt like it selected and followed up on the least interesting plot thread. I found Greta’s story the least compelling of any of the survivors’, and the book suffered in the second half when it made that the central focus. There was so much good stuff hinted at in the other characters’ pasts, and I would have rather liked to learn more about pretty much any of the other characters than Greta.
This story is still worth reading, but it felt like a great premise squandered.
This is a great piece that delivers on all levels -- horror, adventure, character. My only complaint is that it is too short. I want more!
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2014/09/act-normal.html
