Four fantastic fall reads for consumers with a taste for the macabre

People Of The Lake by Nick Scorza

From Nick Scorza's Facebook page

Are you a fan of small-town horrors? Does learning about superstitions make your toes curl? If your answer is yes, you should read People of the Lake. The book follows sixteen-year-old Claire Morris as she moves to the town of Redmarch Lake to live with her dad after a falling out with her mom. Claire hopes to get her dad to talk about her dead twin sister, Zoe, but when she gets to Redmarch Lake she has even more questions. Why does no one like outsiders? Why can’t you go to the woods? But the most mysterious of all, why are there shadows in the lake? As her peers are found in the lake, murdered with sigils cut into their chests, she dives deep into an investigation of the town’s history, leaving her with answers she wishes she didn’t find. This book is an easy read at 291 pages and it’s a page-turner that fans of the supernatural will love. As it is a bit short for the content it holds, the book does feel a bit rushed and the characters can sometimes feel like they’re not quite fully fleshed out, but the plot is captivating enough to balance out those issues. Betrayal is a recurring theme in the plot, which lets drama bleed through on every page. In short, this book warrants a B- and is definitely worth a second read.

Final Girls by Riley Sager

From Riley Sager's Facebook page

If you are a fan of Stephen King or murder stories, this is the book for you. Final Girls follows the story of Quincy Carpenter, the sole survivor of a cabin massacre, who is prompted to join the Final Girls (a group of women who are the only survivors of mass murders), but she refuses. The book picks up 10 years later, and Quincy is doing well for herself. Then, suddenly, her life comes to a halt when the leader of the Final Girls is found dead and Sam, another Final Girl, shows up at her door wanting to find answers. The plot is breathtaking, with its twists and turns that weave the perfect mystery to keep you guessing till the very end. Unfortunately, the author’s ability to write women is rather disappointing, especially when most of the characters are women, and the male characters all seem to have a hero complex, making most of the characters very one-dimensional. Overall, Final Girls is worthy of a B+. 

The Cellar by Natasha Preston

From Natasha Preston's Instagram page (@authornatashapreston

One moment, Summer is walking alone at night, the next she is being approached by a strange man who insists her name is Lily. She wakes up the next morning, added to the man’s collection of flowers, a group of three other women he holds captive in his cellar as a makeshift, perfect family. As her family and community continuously search for her, Summer forms bonds with the other women and tries to stay alive in hopes she could be rescued soon. Despite the haunting premise, this book is so utterly gorgeous that it must be read multiple times to be fully appreciated. The characters are painfully human and you are given the opportunity to empathize with them, as well as hate them. The plot itself is not as action-packed as most thrillers but is definitely a great book to show that humans can be just as horrible, sometimes even more so, as supernatural monsters. The Cellar is beautifully written and rightfully earns an A-. 

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby

From Laura Ruby's Instagram page @thatlauraruby

Looking for a puzzling and intriguing story that’s not too horrifying? Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All may be the book for you! Told from the perspective of a ghost named Pearl, the story follows the lives of three orphaned siblings, Vito, Frankie, and Toni, during WWII. As Pearl narrates the lives of the three siblings, she finds herself seeking to avenge her death and those of others, providing two storylines within one book. This novel evokes many different emotions from the reader and shapes the characters into real people in your mind. The story covers many themes, such as romance, loss, and betrayal. This book will make you laugh and cry in the span of a chapter and is so thoroughly marvelous you won’t be able to put it down. Seeing the characters through the perspective of a ghost is certainly different, but it works very well. Ruby’s writing will bring you into the story and keep you there even once you’ve reached the end. Overall, Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All deserves an A and is a fantastic read for this season.

By: Emery Oliphant-Buchta

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue II

October 30, 2020