[Book Review] Highway Twenty- Michael J. Moore

Michael J. Moore’s Highway Twenty introduces us to Conor Mitchell and his sleepy hometown of Sedrow Wooley, Washington. Conor is just about as normal as you can get. He’s got an average job working as a mechanic, a regular girlfriend and a decent place to live. But his average life and quiet town are being turned upside-down. Slowly, the people of Sedrow Wooley start to vanish. A few days later, they return. But they’re different. Those who return are changed; they’re hungry monsters masquerading as human. As more and more of the town is slowly changed, Conor has to figure out just what in the hell is going on and hope he can do it in time to save his town. 

Right off the bat, I’ve gotta say that Highway Twenty sort of defies categorization. It’s definitely horror, but a weird mix of subgenres. It’s got elements of cosmic horror and creature feature. It’s something of a fast-paced thriller, but with deeply psychological elements with quite a bit of mystery thrown in for good measure. And it’s definitely a little bizzaro. Simply put, Highway Twenty is a story that refuses to be placed neatly into a little box. Moore has woven a fascinating and unique tale unlike any I’ve read before. This crazy mix made for some seriously enthralling reading. There were certainly moments in which the story got a bit bizarre, but it absolutely kept me hooked. 

One strong point of Moore’s work is in his everyman hero, Conor Mitchell. The everyman is a classic literary archetype, so Conor isn’t necessarily breaking new ground here. However, despite the commonality of this character type, I still think that Moore did a simply amazing job with Conor. He is the epitome of the average dude, making him very relatable. He is certainly no hero, but is met with extraordinary circumstances. Like any great everyman, Conor has to rise to the occasion when he realizes what’s on the line. I think that what makes Conor such a great character is the skillful way in which Moore has crafted Conor’s flaws. He is far from perfect, and throughout the story we see him fighting against his own inner turmoil as well as the external threat. Being inside Conor’s head as his world slowly crumbles is a deeply emotional experience. As things go from bad to worse, Conor continually has to make tough choices and sacrifices if he has any hope to survive. Despite this being a horror novel, some scenes were absolutely emotionally gut-wrenching. 

In addition to the top-notch protagonist, Moore’s antagonistic force of evil is 100% pure badass. I can’t say too much about the big baddies, cause the fun comes in slowly realizing what Conor is up against. Moore keeps you on your feet and guessing as you, alongside Conor, try to figure out what in the world is going on in Sedrow Wooley. Along with the killer creatures that Moore has devised comes an overbearing sense of inevitable doom. The worse things get, the more and more it looks like Conor has no chance to survive himself, let alone save the world from this threat. Despite that exponentially growing sense of futility and doom, Conor keeps fighting and you keep reading. 

Highway Twenty is a masterful combination of awesome monsters, lightning-paced action and genuine, emotional characters. You’ll laugh, your heart will pound, and you might even shed a tear. Good horror always evokes emotion, and Moore does so in spades. Fans of cosmic horror or creature features will love this one; as will fans of psychological horror and emotional, character-driven story lines. If you’re looking for something totally fresh and unlike anything you’ve read before, that will draw you in and really get you thinking, give Michael J. Moore’s Highway Twenty a shot.

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $4.99 (Kindle), $17.46 (Audible) or $14.99 (paperback). Also available free with Kindle Unlimited.

About The Author

I have worked as a personal trainer in the Seattle area for years. My spare time is spent searching the darkest corners of my mind for whatever horrors, oddities, or fascinations may have found their way in, begging expression in my unique literary voice.

Also, I’ve always been passionate about storytelling and impressed by the influence it has on people and the decisions they make in life. I love engaging with the projects I work on, diving headfirst into the research, investigation, and production of stories I feel are worth writing about. I am a curious and proactive Author.

Check out his website here.

^{Photo and text from https://michaeljmoorewriti.wixsite.com/website}

[Book Review] Savage Days- Kyle Van Dongen

Reviewer’s Note: If you’re a regular, you may have noticed me go dark for the past few months. I don’t have much of an excuse, but I was working full time and taking 4 college classes and life sort of got in the way. Now that things have slowed down a bit, I’m hoping to get right back into the swing of things. Thanks for sticking with me.

Kyle Van Dongen’s post-apocalyptic creature feature Savage Days centers on a rural community surviving decades after the world as we know it comes to a nuclear end. When a young girl is abducted by a terrifying monster, the members of the community decide it may be time to pack up and move elsewhere. This proves to be problematic for Benjamin, an aging scavenger and one of the centric characters of the story. See, Benjamin is the only member of the community who braves the inner cities, dodging ‘Mutes while grabbing whatever supplies he can. In return, the community provides him with food. Despite providing the community with this valuable service, Benjamin is certain he won’t survive without the food they give him in return. In a desperate attempt to keep his community together (and his pantry stocked) Benjamin sets out to hunt the monster, making the area safe once again. To help him he enlists Caden, the son of a prepper who was totally ready for the end of the world.

Now that we’ve set the scene, let’s talk about the scene we’ve set. I absolutely love anything apocalyptic, and Savage Days does not disappoint. I strongly consider world building to be the most important aspect of a good apocalypse novel. There is a fine line to walk between painting a good picture and oversharing to the point of removing mystery. Van Dongen walks the line expertly; crafting a bleak, horrific world devoid of hope. He drops you right into the middle of his world with little in the way of introduction. You don’t know what has happened or why the world is the way that it is. By means of believable dialog and character’s thoughts, Van Dongen slowly fills in the blanks and back story. The best part is that it never feels like we are being fed the story. Little details come to light through the natural discourse of the story. 

As far as characters go, Van Dongen has a pretty solid cast. The main trio are Maisie, (the mourning mother of the missing girl), Benjamin the scavenger and Caden the survivalist. At first, Caden has nothing but disdain for the others; seeing Benjamin as a bumbling idiot and Maisie as an unhinged liability. As the tale unwinds, the dynamic is constantly shifting and the characters each go through some significant realizations and changes. These are not cookie-cutter character archetypes; nor are they static in their development. 

No review of a creature feature would be complete without a few words on the creature. This subject is a bit touchy though, because I take a firm stance of zero-tolerance against spoilers in my reviews. With that in mind, I’ll keep it vague. Van Dongen has dreamt up a pretty horrific monster. It is dangerous and scary, but not necessarily too unique or innovative. Overall, it is about what you would expect from a nuclear apocalypse monster, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Savage Days is a fun read, with great world building and enjoyable characters. The story is fast paced and not likely to leave you bored. Though the real action doesn’t kick off until the final quarter of the book or so, I definitely wouldn’t call this a slow burn. While there is a fair amount of blood and violence, if you’re looking for a horrific bloodsoaked gorefest, this might not be extreme enough for your tastes. If you’re a fan of creature features or apocalypse tales, this is one you won’t want to miss. 

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $3.00 (Kindle) or $10.00 (paperback). Also available free with Kindle Unlimited.

[Book Review] An Invitation to Darkness- Hailey Piper

Hailey Piper’s An Invitation to Darkness is part of the A Short, Sharp Shock! series by Demain Publishing. Set in the late 1800s, Piper tells the story of Captain Jamie Thames, a woman who has made a successful living as a captain at sea, all while disguised as a man. Ready to retire with her riches, she begins searching for a place to settle down. In this search she comes across Leavenworth Manor, a somewhat rundown estate in a quiet ocean side village. Inquiring about purchasing the estate, Jamie meets and immediately falls in love with the lady of the Manor, Elizabeth Leavenworth. Elizabeth lives with just her bedridden father, who agrees to let Jamie stay at the manor for a short while. During her stay, Jamie starts to realize that Elizabeth and the Manor have a dark secret. She investigates the dark happenings at the Manor, hoping to protect her newfound lover and make a future together.

Despite the overarching love story, this isn’t quite a romance. The romance is what enables and drives the plot, but the plot itself is plenty dark and scary. Piper crafts an extremely unique antagonist, unlike anything I’ve read before. The twist of what the antagonistic force actually is comes as a successful surprise. There are even some clues that lead you away from the truth. It is refreshing to see such an interesting and unique dark force. 

The prose and writing style Piper employs is rather beautiful. The story is told through first person, past tense narration. The word choice and tone definitely invoke the character and the time during which the story takes place. It can be a bit flowery at times, but it fits in with the overall mood of the story.

An Invitation to Darkness is a dark and creepy tale full of ominous overtones and mystery. It’s a quick read, and one that hooks you right away and keeps you invested till the end. While it was a bit more romance driven than most of my typical reads, that did nothing to detract from the interesting antagonist and dark story. An Invitation to Darkness is a perfect tale to take in on a dark, stormy night.

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $0.99 (Kindle). Also available free with Kindle Unlimited.

[Book Review] The Tunnel- Gayne C. Young

Gayne C. Young’s novel The Tunnel brings us into the underground world of the Acuña Cartel– literally. The cartel is digging a tunnel under the US-Mexico border, hoping to create an easy and undetectable path to smuggle everything from drugs to people across the border. When the tunnel workers are attacked, leaving only one survivor, the cartel understandably has some questions. Sent in to find the answers are our team of action-movie-caricature heros. The Tunnel is a fast paced, action horror novel that packs a serious punch on both of those fronts.

When I first looked into this book, I was concerned that it would be more action than horror. The spec ops looking soldier gracing the cover makes it seem like it might be a military fiction piece, or something similar. Not so much my forte. However, any doubts that I held were wiped away fairly early on in the book. Young deals out bloodshed, violence and death wholesale, introducing you to characters and then mercilessly slaughtering them all. His savagery and lightning-paced narrative leave you wondering who will make it out alive, if anyone at all.

In addition to the brilliantly done bloodbaths that frequent the story, Young treats us to a healthy share of suspense and scene building as well. Things don’t go from bad to worse until about the halfway point of the novel. The first half is a series of well crafted and suspenseful scenes, interspersed with the occasional bucket of blood for good measure. 

Overall, The Tunnel is a well put together, fast paced action horror novel. The pacing, characters, and dialog almost make it feel more like an action movie. The characters can be a bit silly, and the dialog is mostly light and witty. There isn’t too much character development, or the crafting of deep, personal relationships here. Just good, lighthearted characters getting ripped into shreds by cave dwelling monsters. I was pleasantly surprised with just how horrific this book truly is, and am looking forward to reading more from Gayne C. Young. 

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $2.99 (Kindle) or $9.99 (paperback). Also available free with Kindle Unlimited.