A fusion of horror and social commentary that chills but proves too uneven to truly terrify.
Malevolent inner voices plague young pandemic survivors in near-future London.
The J5X virus has killed millions worldwide and—unlike Covid-19—is particularly lethal to children under 10, so when 6-year-old Billy Stevens falls ill, his mother, 43-year-old divorcée Rachel Jackman, braces for the worst. After weeks of steady decline, however, Billy miraculously recovers and soon begins chatting nonstop with an invisible entity dubbed Delfy. Rachel assumes that Delfy is something Billy created to cope with the boredom of his convalescence, but the rest of the family isn’t so sure. Rachel’s partner, Al, and Billy’s 16-year-old sister, Nina, fear Delfy is a post-virus complication. Rachel’s mother, Orla, becomes convinced that Billy is possessed after “Delfy” tries to strangle her. Government health insurance doesn’t cover child psychiatric care, and Rachel and Al are broke, so when Billy’s violent behavior escalates, Rachel persuades her ex-husband, Henry, to pay for a consult with professor Graham Watson, whose website advertises a specialization in “post-flu imaginary friends.” Unbeknownst to Rachel and company, Graham has a secret underground clinic full of kids like Billy. Pseudonymous author Green’s debut suffers somewhat for her haphazard incorporation of the J5X outbreak; the characters’ cavalier attitude toward disease prevention strains credulity, particularly given current events. Although a subplot that spotlights the affordable housing crisis feels more carefully considered and Rachel’s mounting panic rings true, a deeply silly coda undercuts the tale’s largely gratifying climax and denouement.
A fusion of horror and social commentary that chills but proves too uneven to truly terrify.Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09830-1
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
Though it falters a bit under its own weight, this series still has plenty of fight left.
In this long-awaited fifth installment of Shannon’s Bone Season series, the threat to the clairvoyant community spreads like a plague across Europe.
After extending her fight against the Republic of Scion to Paris, Paige Mahoney, leader of London’s clairvoyant underworld and a spy for the resistance movement, finds herself further outside her comfort zone when she wakes up in a foreign place with no recollection of getting there. More disturbing than her last definitive memory, in which her ally-turned-lover Arcturus seems to betray her, is that her dreamscape—the very soul of her clairvoyance—has been altered, as if there’s a veil shrouding both her memories and abilities. Paige manages to escape and learns she’s been missing and presumed dead for six months. Even more shocking is that she’s somehow outside of Scion’s borders, in the free world where clairvoyants are accepted citizens. She gets in touch with other resistance fighters and journeys to Italy to reconnect with the Domino Programme intelligence network. In stark contrast to the potential of life in the free world is the reality that Scion continues to stretch its influence, with Norway recently falling and Italy a likely next target. Paige is enlisted to discover how Scion is bending free-world political leaders to its will, but before Paige can commit to her mission, she has her own mystery to solve: Where in the world is Arcturus? Paige’s loyalty to Arcturus is tested as she decides how much to trust in their connection and how much information to reveal to the Domino Programme about the Rephaite—the race of immortals from the Netherworld, Arcturus’ people—and their connection to the founding of Scion, as well as the presence of clairvoyant abilities on Earth. While the book is impressively multilayered, the matter-of-fact way in which details from the past are sprinkled throughout will have readers constantly flipping to the glossary. As the series’ scope and the implications of the war against Scion expand, Shannon’s narrative style reads more action-thriller than fantasy. Paige’s powers as a dreamwalker are rarely used here, but when clairvoyance is at play, the story shines.
Though it falters a bit under its own weight, this series still has plenty of fight left.Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9781639733965
Page Count: 576
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A frighteningly good debut.
Mysterious guests overstay their welcome in this fresh take on the haunted house trope.
Eve Palmer makes the biggest mistake of her life when there’s a knock on the door from a man who says he grew up in her house. Against her better instincts she invites him and his family inside, but a 15-minute look around turns into a world of trouble when she can’t get them to leave. First the Faust family’s young daughter disappears in the basement; then a storm hits and the roads are blocked, giving them no choice but to spend the night. Soon rooms appear altered, strange odors waft through the house, and a toy chimp from Eve’s childhood seems to be sending her a warning: "Once they’re in, they never leave." Kliewer’s original and extremely scary story gathers elements inspired by authors like Shirley Jackson and classic horror films including Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He’s created a can’t-look-away imaginary world in which people and places aren’t what they appear. Readers will be as shaken as Eve, who fears she’s suffering from delusions when an apparition warns her that the Fausts—and even her partner, Charlie—aren’t who they say they are. Inserted between the book’s chapters are "documents" that lay out evidence collected by conspiracy theorists who believe what’s happening to Eve has nothing to do with delusions. This alternate storyline, written in the style of Reddit—Kliewer’s novel grew out of a novella he posted there—feels jarring at times, as we’re reluctantly pulled away from Eve’s gripping tale. The conspiracy theorists’ creepy posts aren’t quite as hypnotic, but they solidify the plot’s premise and neatly tie up Eve’s predicament. Fans of the surging horror genre will think twice about opening the door when somebody knocks.
A frighteningly good debut.Pub Date: June 18, 2024
ISBN: 9781982198787
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Emily Bestler/Atria
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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