T.E. W. (terez93) reviewed on 5/16/2023 + 323 more book reviews

This intriguing cross-genre novel is quite complex and multi-dimensional, as many reviewers have noted. The author displays a capable familiarity with elements of Native American belief and culture, and respectfully weaves a narrative of traditional and modern elements of horror. The book tells the tale of a group of friends who each meet with a tragic fate, after committing a sin against nature in their youth. In addition, in particular, one of the contrite friends, Lewis, seemingly makes a Faustian deal with a dark entity, who comes calling years later, demanding and exacting terrible retribution.

The four friends, in their intemperate youth, violate the boundaries of a hunting area reserved for tribal elders, and there wantonly and illegally slaughter a herd of elk, including a young, pregnant cow, who dies a terrible and traumatic death, along with her unborn calf. The four are caught by the game warden, who makes them promise to never hunt again on the reservation in exchange for avoiding heavy fines and penalties... but the real punishment is yet to come, for each of them. I don't want to give too many spoilers here, but each of the men pay a heavy penalty, in ways most meaningful to them, often involving the suffering and death of those closest to them.

As many other reviewers have noted, the novel is complex, speaking to a number of realities which plague residents of the modern reservations even today, including crushing poverty and a lack of opportunity, racism (one of the friends is murdered by white co-workers - though who, or what, is ultimately responsible is debatable, as it appears that he is yet another victim of the dark power which is exacting its revenge), multi-generational trauma and dysfunction, addiction, and identity.

I appreciated the book, even though it didn't speak to me in the way many others have recently. As other reviewers have also reported, the writing style, a staccato-like, almost slang vernacular, which I was not terribly familiar with, made reading it somewhat difficult and awkward, for me, even though it was thoroughly comprehensible. The plot also lags in places; it seems to attempt to rather creepily set the scene, but that isn't always as successful as it wants to be. It is, overall, however, visually evocative and highly descriptive, which lends a great realism to the prose, which is deeply unsettling, but it was still difficult for me to get into it. That said, it's a generally enjoyable read, especially for those who enjoy cross-genre, creative and non-traditional horror.

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