I haven’t gotten as much reading done this fall as I initially intended, but I’ve still managed to read some excellent novels in my spare time. I’ve read some nonfiction as well, but I’ll keep this space dedicated to fiction since it’s nominally a pop culture newsletter. With that said, these are all of the novels I’ve read for the first time this autumn in the order that I read them.
Black Mouth (2022) by Ronald Malfi
Black Mouth came highly recommended from several people whose opinions I trust, so I was excited to dive into this one. I think the best way to describe it would be Stephen King’s It passed through a Midwestern filter. The story follows a group of friends in a small West Virginia town who encountered a strange magician as children that led to a truly traumatic event that has shaped their adult lives. The story bounces back and forth between the events of their childhood and their current adult lives as they try to atone for their past sins and prevent tragedy from befalling other children. Where the novel shines is with the very human portrayal of the characters. You feel genuine empathy for them despite their flaws (maybe even because of them). There is also the introduction of a character about midway through the story that is so monstrous that I felt genuine revulsion and antipathy towards them whenever they appear on the page. It’s a dark yet hopeful story that rewards the reader for investing themselves in the wellbeing of the protagonists.
The Woodcutters (2023) by Josh Hanson
Historical fiction can be pretty hit-or-miss for me, and that tends to be especially true when the story is a nineteen century Western dealing with United States military campaigns against Native Americans. To say that many such stories are less than sensitive in their portrayals of indigenous peoples and their cultures would be an understatement. Fortunately, Josh Hanson’s The Woodcutters is both an excellent representation of the real life in the Wyoming Territory in 1867 and a truly macabre and terrifying horror story. The novel is told from the perspective of Lewis Tanner, a young man from Tennessee who is running from his past by joining the United States Army and serving at a fort in the Wyoming Territory that comes under attack by Native forces inspired by the real life Wagon Box Fight that was part of Red Cloud’s War. Tanner survives the battle, and he ends up getting swept into an unauthorized task force of American soldiers hellbent on revenge. Tanner and his fellow soldiers quickly realize that there are entities in the wilderness that are much worse than anything they could have imagined. The story then morphs into a Lovecraftian tale of cosmic horror filled with grotesque and nightmarish imagery. I thought I had a pretty good idea where this story was headed, and I could not have been more wrong. Hanson subverts expectations in a very satisfying manner. I highly recommend The Woodcutter to fans of horror with an especially gruesome bent.
What Kind of Mother (2023) by Clay McLeod Chapman
Come on. You knew I was going to be reading this one the moment it was released if you saw my interview with Clay McLeod Chapman from earlier this year. I was extremely excited for this novel, and it still somehow exceeded my expectations. I’ll do my best to discuss this one while avoiding spoilers. What Kind of Mother follows a palm reader named Madi Price living in a small Virginia community called Brandywine. Her life is turned upside down when an old flame (Henry) from her youth returns home carrying the tragic weight of having his infant son go missing five years earlier. Madi (who doesn’t actually believe in her psychic abilities) gets wrapped up in the search for this missing child after having a vision when making physical contact with Henry. To say much more about the plot would be a spoiler, but trust me when I say you have no clue what you’re in for. This novel is utterly devastating in the best way. It is a horrifying tale that makes the reader reevaluate what feelings of hope and despair really mean and what kind of power those emotions truly have.
Black Sheep (2023) by Rachel Harrison
Having read Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison over the summer, I was very excited to sink my teeth (sorry) into her latest novel. It did not disappoint! Black Sheep follows a young woman named Vesper Wright who left her small town in favor of the big city when she turned eighteen to escape the oppressive and omnipresent religion (some might say “cult”) that controlled the lives of everyone in town. When she receives an invitation to return home for her former friend’s wedding, she decides to suck it up and head back home once again. This is another book that is tough to discuss without spoiling some major twists and turns, so I would recommend going in knowing as little as possible beyond that brief synopsis. Harrison has proven herself to be an expert at writing flawed yet compelling protagonists who can’t help but get into situations that are over their heads. No matter how many mistakes they make, you can’t help but find yourself rooting for them. Black Sheep is a very fun read with some delightful supernatural underpinnings.
Deliver Me (2023) by Elle Nash
Sometimes I’ll read a book or watch a movie that I enjoy, but I’ll never really think about it again. Then there are times when a book or film will seep into my subconscious and haunt me for the rest of my life. Deliver Me falls into the latter category. The novel tells the story of Dee-Dee, a woman living with her mother and boyfriend in the Missouri Ozarks and working at a chicken processing plant that “processes” 40,000 chickens per shift. Her less than idyllic life is further complicated when her childhood friend returns home with her family and a new baby on the way. Dee-Dee hopes that her own pregnancy will be enough to get the love and attention she desperately craves from those around her. Also, her boyfriend has an insect fetish. Enjoy that mental image. That’s all I’ll say about the plot as I’d much rather talk about the themes. Deliver Me is ultimately about how every system and power structure in Dee-Dee’s life has utterly failed her. She receives no support from anyone or anything in her life without significant strings attached. Her mother responds to everything by reciting scripture and reprimanding her, her boyfriend lords over her despite not being in control of his own life, her best friend plays with her emotions for her own amusement, her job is physically and mentally oppressive with very little pay, and her own doctors and medical professionals disregard her own experiences. All of this coalesces into Dee-Dee growing increasingly desperate to find happiness in places where she is shunned. It’s a devastating yet beautifully written story that will stick with you long after you read it. On top of that, the novel features some truly horrific body horror that feels like if David Cronenberg directed Gummo. What more could you want?
That wraps up this season’s reading roundup. I’ll try to do one for this winter as well. I’m sure there will be plenty more great novels for me to read by then.
Amazing. Thank you, Josh...