Pearl by Josh Malerman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
**2.5-stars rounded up**
How would I explain Pearl? So, we all remember Napoleon from Orwell’s classic Animal Farm?
Yes, that Napoleon. The pig. This book is like Napoleon had a grandson named Pearl, still a pig, who didn’t feel Grandpa Napoleon took it far enough in his revolt against Mr. Jones.
Pearl is here to revolt against all mankind. He’s taking it to the next level and it’s not going to be pretty.
While I can appreciate this is a solid and imaginative Horror story, it just wasn’t for me. Rounding up to a 3-star rating is me being generous about my actual reading experience.
I’m happy to have read it, but also happy to be moving on.
With this being said, my less than stellar experience with this story is purely based on personal taste and is in no way a reflection upon this author, his creativity, or his writing.
If this synopsis intrigues you, which if you enjoy Slashers, it should, absolutely pick this one up and give it a shot. You may find an all new favorite Horror story within these pages.
I did enjoy the vibe happening; the slashing, the murdering, the telepathic king pig, but for me the way it was told was entirely too chaotic. It felt choppy and it made it hard for me to follow what was actually happening.
Additionally, the characters all felt flat and indistinguishable to me. Even Pearl wasn’t diabolical enough as a villain.
Overall, I was bored and slightly uncomfortable for pretty much the entire story.
In case there is any confusion, Pearl was originally published with the title On This, the Day of the Pig in 2019. Personally, I feel like the original cover and title are more reflective of what this story actually is. I’m not sure why they went for this change.
Anyway, regardless, thank you to the publisher, Ballantine, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
While this one wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea, I am confident a lot of Horror fans will really enjoy this one!