Books Not Decaf

By the time I had checked this out from the library, looked at it promisingly over the top of the other library book I actually prioritized, returned it to the library without having picked it up with the intent to actually start it, and found it as an audiobook on Libby, I had completely forgotten what it was even about.

With these types of books, though, I find it is a more enjoyable reading experience for me if I don’t have a clear or even moderate expectation. I let the author do their thing, the words paint the picture in my mind, and I just ride along as flowy as possible.

A Cosmology of Monster by Shaun Hamill is a novel that demonstrates the difficulties of hereditary mental health/health difficulties under the guise of horror themes. It centers one one family that is haunted by a monster from the grandparents to the children, and the struggle (and sacrife) of one child to end their generational curse.

I love when authors convey mental health as ‘living nightmare’s, using horror tales and boogeymen to express the unseeable in a terrifyingly tangible way. It’s my favorite way to do horror. While I wouldn’t say this book was scary, it was intriguing and mysterious, and had me interested the entire time.

Because so much happens over a stretch of decades, the book felt longer than it actually was. There wasn’t room for empty space – about every scene was important and connected to another part of the book in some way. This is especially important, in my opinion, to this genre. As much as I sometimes need a good fluff piece that 95% focuses on the smut, horror is the genre I expect to only ‘waste’ pages on scenes that increase the sense of ‘real life’ [therefore amplifying the realism and dread when shite starts going down].

I don’t know that I have much in the way of criticism. I do think there was a great sense of “oh shit” at any part; even with the audiobook adding music for dramatic effect, nothing felt as dire or whoa worthy as maybe some people may be wanting for their horror. I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Better than the Grady Hendrix book I read. I will be watching out for more of Shaun Hamill.

Rating: 4.25/5

Spicy Rating: 1/5

Notes:

• Great portrayal of heredity mental health difficulties;
• engaging narrative;
• and wonderfully lacking in the fluff department.