Around the middle of last year, I explored a lot in the horror genre. I had fun but my journey was cut short because I had to take a sabbatical leave from horror for a while. I had to protect my sanity and mental health as I am an overthinker.
During the time I explored the horror genre, I fell in love with Stephen King, Adam Nevill, Helen Oyeyemi, and Bram Stoker works. These authors are now my top horror authors that I would read anytime and day.
At that time when I read some of the books of the authors I mentioned above, I was having fun exploring the horror genre, but then I read books from Patrick C. Harrison III and Matthew stokoe. With others I won't be talking about in this post. These three author got me to my ”No No” boundary. I had to stop to protect my sanity. So I will briefly review and talk about the books.
First Book: Grandpappy by Patrick C. Harrison III.
’Grandpappy’ is an extreme horror novella of 164 pages with few but unbelievable triggers. This book was published in 2022. The author specializes in horror, splatterpunk, and all forms of speculative fiction. If you are a fan of extreme horror, I think you should check this author out, but I wouldn't encourage anyone who isn't into horror to read this.
’Grandpappy’ is a book that had me questioning my sanity. From the first page of the book it got darker, unhinged, bloody, horrific and most of all haunting. I don't know what Patrick was smoking when wrote this book because I felt like I needed to scrape and wash off the first layer of my skin to feel alright.
This book revolves around Charles whose parents left him to take care of his grandpa who is receiving hospice care while they went on a vacation to the tropics for a couple of weeks. Charles thought that grandpa will be easy to care for not knowing that grandpa is not a typical old man. Instructions were left for Charles as to how he would take care of him. He was to always turn grandpa to avoid bed sores from developing on his body. However, Charles neglects these instructions until a bedsore appears on grandpa's body. From there on things begin to go wrong and traumatizing things take place. Will Charles survive our vile Grandpappy?
My Review And Rating.
The story of this book starts off strong and slow, but Patrick succeeds in making this book haunting by creating an atmospheric tension which he builds on to a maddening stage. Deep inside I pray and wish no young boy experiences what Charles experienced. It was traumatizing and horrific.
Charles' character unravels in a grotesque way that makes the reader's skin crawl. Grandpa's character was a character straight out from hell regardless that he was bedridden. Also, the Gretel, the dog whose life was suddenly cut short for grandpa's pleasure. Patrick did an amazing job with his characters in this book but I couldn't bring myself to finish reading it.
All the scenes in this book were repulsive, some people enjoyed this book so much, but I didn't. I can commend Patrick on his work of art with this. The scenes were eerie, dark, crazy and unpredictable.
Rating this book, I will give 3.5 out 5 stars regardless of the fact that I didn't finish. Extreme horror lovers would enjoy this, but I couldn't. This book tested my sanity in various ways.
Second Book: Cows by Matthew Stokoe.
’Cows by Matthew stokoe’ was published in 2015, October with 215 pages. Stokoe specialises in particularly urban horror exploring his dark view of lives lived in our modern world today. Stokoe is a ruthless author, I see him as an author who crosses sensitive boundary lines boldly without the fear of criticisms. Some people say his mind is too dark and needs to imprisoned. In my opinion, he writes how evil can be deeply rooted in us regardless of who you are, discipline or personality if the chance is given.
’Cows’ is an extreme horror that is bizarre, totally disgusting that it could activate your gag reflex, if you have one. The storyline of this book majorly revolves around Stephen who lives with his mother and his pet DOG, while held up in his room 24/7 watching the TV. Stephen believes from the lavish program on the TV that to be safe, loved, and happy is the normal way of life.
However, this Stephen's view about life all change when got a job at a slaughter house as the meat grinder guy. Unfortunately for him, his boss Mr Cripps is a psychopathic maniac who later influenced Stephen to start to be a cow killer as an empowerment fuel. In this new development, Stephen met Lucy, the young elusive lady who lives upstairs in his apartment building. From there on, things went south in a horrific way.
My Review And Rating.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone at all. In my opinion, I felt Stokoe had an idea of what he want write in the first place but then let his intrusive thoughts and imaginations run dark and wild. This book is disgusting in every level, it is brutal, gory, immoral, and finally it is disturbing. The author explore all unthinkable pervision. Is it bestaility, extreme violence against animals, is it horrific sexual abuse, is it gruesome death that were graphically, methodically and gradually described in a sensational way? All of it. I don't want to keep going because it's triggering.
The characters of this book were all created to elicit sadness from the readers in every way. I was sad when I started reading this book. The characters are well built, the plot was written well too. Though I was able connect with the characters, my sanity was being disturb at a high level. I didn't finish this book, a scene at all the middle of the book did it for and I was done. DONE!
Right now, I am in support of the readers who are protesting for the arrest of Stokoe and for his books to be banned. I won't be surprised if it happens. I was mortified as to how Stokoe’s mind conjured up this story.
Rating this book, I will give it 3.8 stars out of 5 stars. Regardless of how perverted this book is, I commend on the author's writing skills, his narrative skills and his world building skill. If you have a strong heart and a healthy mental health, you can read this book, good luck.
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