Inside, by D.M. Siciliano ~ 4.5 Stars

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Adult Fiction, Horror

Thanks to NetGalley and Parliament House Press for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

354 Pages

Synopsis: 1987 “Does it burn in the dark?”

Reid is a bully, but he’s still Alex’s best friend.

When Reid pushes Alex and their friends into invading a historically haunted Massachusetts house, Alex knows it’s a terrible idea, but he indulges his friend. What could go wrong?

Inside, a mysterious Shadow looms in the darkness. The door to the house vanishes, leaving them trapped. The group flees through the tiny, one-roomed house that defies logic, constantly shifting, presenting them with new doors, hallways, and rooms that seem to be plucked from their memories and fears. One by one, the Shadow hunts them, intent on burning them all from within.

Is there any way to escape? Or will they be burned from the inside out?

I was initially attracted to Inside because of the comparisons to The Blair Witch Project and Stranger Things, and while yes, there a few similarities, for the most part this story stands strongly on its own merits. Amidst the horror of what’s happening in the house the friends and their interactions with one another also help drive the story. Reid is especially fascinating and winds up being much more sympathetic as his backstory is revealed. I was initially afraid that at 354 pages, the whole wandering around the house looking for an escape was going to get old, but it doesn’t. The pace remains steady and I easily polished this off in two sittings. I do warn you though, what happens to these kids is just awful, and there is no happy ending. They all pay a very high price for their lack of common sense. There are a couple of elements in regards to the entity haunting the house that I was left me a little confused, but overall I quite enjoyed Inside and highly recommend it to horror fans who are looking for something off the beaten path.

Time’s Person of the Year

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Greta Thunberg, Time’s Person of the Year

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has been named Time Magazine’s 2019 Person of the Year. While I was personally rooting for the Hong Kong protesters who have been risking their lives on a daily basis to champion democracy, Ms Thunberg also has my deep admiration. In its announcement Time stated:

The politics of climate action are as entrenched and complex as the phenomenon itself, and Thunberg has no magic solution. But she has succeeded in creating a global attitudinal shift, transforming millions of vague middle-of-the-night anxieties into a worldwide movement calling for change. She has offered a moral clarion call to those who are willing to act, and hurled shame on those who are not.