August's Eyes (book review)
Fans of nostalgic coming-of-age horror about serial killers set in the 90s will probably like this one..
This isn’t a new review, though it is making its Substack debut. It was originally posted to my old Goodreads profile in July 6, 2021. I hope you enjoy it.
**
bookshelves: horror, coming-of-age, arc, netgalley, indie-publishing, flame-tree-press, content-warning, favorites
I received an advanced e-copy from NetGalley and the publisher, Flame Tree Press, in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
Since the publication of Blood and Rain in 2015, Glenn Rolfe has not stopped. Like a man on edge or a character possessed, Rolfe refuses to let anything deter him from giving life to some of our most dreaded fears. His passion for the bizarre and the macabre (spanning the gamut are werewolves, serial killers, demonic possession, vampires, hauntings and more,) are seemingly bottomless. What's more, his brand of storytelling isn't one-dimensional, albeit dark, very disturbing, and unequivocally adult-themed. What he delivers isn't your typical horror.Instead, he presents common clichés and spins them on their tops, and then pens narratives that only he can. But despite their bleakness, there's inevitably light. There is hope, even for the damned. Maybe especially for the damned. He writes with heart and soul, and I think that's what I admire most about his work.
Similar to his local counterpart, Stephen King, Rolfe's stories are often set in small Maine towns. They also tend to be coming-of-age tales set in the 80s and 90s, with a palpable nostalgic feel, whose primary focus are children."What makes you think he gets to pick one?" August, a tall kid with a clawed hand, asked. His hollow eyes matched the straight black hair that touched his funny shoulders. Johnny thought it looked like he was wearing shoulder pads made of baby skulls beneath his faded blue Superman t-shirt. Johnny didn't like that August's shoulders made him think of baby skulls, but he thought that was August's fault. Somehow. And those damn eyes. Just two black holes..
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