Step aside, Harry Warden. Here comes Waylon Barlow.
Brain McAuley's debut novel, Curse of the Reaper, is one of the few good books that came in the deluge of movie-themed horror novels in the past several years. I read, or more precisely, tried to read, a lot of them.
McAuley is fan at heart and Breath In, Bleed Out is a full-on slasher novel. It's as self-aware as Scream, and almost as fun.
A group of hip-type young people go to a spiritual retreat near 29 Palms and the Joshua Tree National Park. Our not-so-humble narrator, Hannah, is still getting over a load of grief and survivor guilt over a recent tragedy. It's obvious from the get that there is something fishy about Guru Pax and his snake oil business, and sure enough bodies start to accumulate.
Breath In, Bleed Out is a book of contradictions. It's a satire about social media-obsessed hipsters, but it also seems to be targeted at them. The novel is both a satire and a certified slasher in its own right. It seems to tell us to find a comfortable, safe place somewhere in the middle of cynicism and spiritualism.
Hannah is extremely cynical at first and her ceaseless sarcastic snarks grow a bit wearying. Yet that same skepticism is her savior.
Breath In, Bleed Out seems to be trying to emulate the kind of book Grady Hendrix does so well. A deep awareness of genre tropes, some humor, and an emotional payoff. While it's a good book, it's kind of Xtra Lite Hendrix. I wasn't quite moved by Hannah and her plight the way I am about Grady's characters, or about the ones in Curse of the Reaper.
There's even a character named Grady in Breath In, Bleed Out. Coincidence?
I don't mean to be down on Breath In, Bleed Out. This is a good novel, and it's nice to see something by a genuine fan, instead of something by one of the bandwagon brigade.
McAuley concludes the book with a lengthy Author's Note about the inspiration for his slasher books and how much the movies mean to him. It was my favorite part of Breath In, Bleed Out and it helps keep me interested in his future books.
Written by Mark Sieber
Brain McAuley's debut novel, Curse of the Reaper, is one of the few good books that came in the deluge of movie-themed horror novels in the past several years. I read, or more precisely, tried to read, a lot of them.
McAuley is fan at heart and Breath In, Bleed Out is a full-on slasher novel. It's as self-aware as Scream, and almost as fun.
A group of hip-type young people go to a spiritual retreat near 29 Palms and the Joshua Tree National Park. Our not-so-humble narrator, Hannah, is still getting over a load of grief and survivor guilt over a recent tragedy. It's obvious from the get that there is something fishy about Guru Pax and his snake oil business, and sure enough bodies start to accumulate.Breath In, Bleed Out is a book of contradictions. It's a satire about social media-obsessed hipsters, but it also seems to be targeted at them. The novel is both a satire and a certified slasher in its own right. It seems to tell us to find a comfortable, safe place somewhere in the middle of cynicism and spiritualism.
Hannah is extremely cynical at first and her ceaseless sarcastic snarks grow a bit wearying. Yet that same skepticism is her savior.
Breath In, Bleed Out seems to be trying to emulate the kind of book Grady Hendrix does so well. A deep awareness of genre tropes, some humor, and an emotional payoff. While it's a good book, it's kind of Xtra Lite Hendrix. I wasn't quite moved by Hannah and her plight the way I am about Grady's characters, or about the ones in Curse of the Reaper.
There's even a character named Grady in Breath In, Bleed Out. Coincidence?
I don't mean to be down on Breath In, Bleed Out. This is a good novel, and it's nice to see something by a genuine fan, instead of something by one of the bandwagon brigade.
McAuley concludes the book with a lengthy Author's Note about the inspiration for his slasher books and how much the movies mean to him. It was my favorite part of Breath In, Bleed Out and it helps keep me interested in his future books.
Written by Mark Sieber
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