SFF

We Are All CompletelyFine

Tachyon. Aug. 2014. 192p. ISBN 9781616961718. pap. $14.95. HORROR
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Five damaged people attend group therapy organized by psychologist Jan Sayer. Each of them has experienced something horrific: Stan was held captive by a family of serial killers; Harrison hunted monsters at the seashore; Barbara was cut and carved by a madman; Martin never takes off his sunglasses and sees strange creatures on the street. And Greta, well, Greta might have murdered a lot of people. Each group member tells his or her story, some eager to unload, others more slowly, but they all have to face their pasts.
VERDICT At just under 200 pages, this is a clever and creepy horror tale from Gregory (Afterparty; The Devil's Alphabet). The head-hopping from character to character can be an annoying narrative technique, but it works in this context. Concisely exploring the nature of fear and isolation, this short novel doesn't have time to develop into anything bigger, but it doesn't need to.
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