speculative fiction

Review: A House at the Bottom of the Lake by Josh Malerman

~ megs14malloy

A House at the Bottom of a LakeA House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

During the summer they are seventeen, James and Amelia, go on their first date. They are both nervous, but decide to take a risk.

They take a canoe out on a local lake, with some sandwiches and beer; making a day of it. James has spent some time on the busy lake and knows a passageway to a connecting lake that sees less traffic; they can be alone.

It’s romantic, it’s adventurous and the two really hit if off.

As they are exploring the second lake they come across another waterway; a tunnel actually, that the canoe will fit into. They’re having so much fun, and not wanting to disappoint one another, they figure why not explore more.

Things get a little hairy for a bit, but ultimately they pop out in a third lake. It seems completely unoccupied. They paddle around marveling at their find and then they discover more.

Looking down into the water they spy the top of a house. A house actually submerged under the surface of the lake.

They take turns diving down and cannot believe what they find. A two-story house with an open door and multiple furnished rooms to explore.

It defies all logic. How can this be? The two are absolutely mesmerized by their discovery.

After that first date they begin to spend more and more time at the house. It has altered their lives, but not all is well in their home below the waves.

This is an interesting novella. I have mixed feelings about it. Part of me loves the speculative side of it, that allows the Reader to imagine the outcome and essential meaning. But another equal sized part of me wants more explanation.

Even James and Amelia are confused by it all. How the heck am I supposed to know what is going on?

I did find the writing intriguing. I liked James and Amelia taking a chance on one another and finding and sharing this obsession together. I think they both felt like there was nothing special about themselves and finding this house, and each other, made them special. It gave them meaning.

To me, the house was ominous. It felt like a predator fish that lurks in the deepest parts of the ocean. The one that has a light on its head to attract all the little innocent fishes. By the time they realize they are in danger, it’s too late.

You know the one, right?

Overall, A House at the Bottom of a Lake is a very interesting story. I think I got a good handle on Malerman’s style from reading this. I’m definitely interested in picking up more of his work. Personally, I would love to see a continuation of this story.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate you!

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Review: Second Chances by P.D. Cacek

~ megs14malloy

Second ChancesSecond Chances by P.D. Cacek
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Second Chances is the follow-up to P.D. Cacek’s 2019 release, Second Lives, which I read and reviewed last year.

In that novel, we learn of a global phenomenon where souls, in some cases, a long time dead, are reincarnated in a sense, into the bodies of recently deceased humans.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the bizarre occurrences, but the newly matched souls with bodies are known as Travelers, mostly accepted within society and protected under the law.

In some cases, the families of the recently deceased people, now inhabited by the souls of other people, agree to take these Travelers in and basically absorb them into their families.

It’s an odd concept, but definitely creative and also quite interesting to think about.

In this installment, we are mainly following twins, Jessie and Abbie, whose father is the leader of a religious movement known as, True Borns.

Daddy’s main area of focus happens to be preaching hate against the Travelers, or Imposters, as they call them. Otherwise known as imps.

We also follow a mentally unstable teen boy and his equally unstable mother, as well as a few other people related to the Traveler phenomenon.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one, y’all. It hurts my heart, but I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first novel.

It was definitely interesting, particularly the overall picture of what is going on in this world. If you think about the ramifications of what our world would be like if this actually happened, it’s creepy AF.

With this being said, there were also large portions, or storylines, of this book that just didn’t sit right with me. Frankly, they made me uncomfortable.

Particularly, Jessie’s storyline as a trans character, but also the treatment of mental health for Curtis and his mother. I would definitely be interested in seeing OWN voices reviews on those two representations here, should they come up.

Overall, I just don’t think it was a solid match for my tastes.

It is a good book though, don’t get me wrong. I would recommend picking it up, especially if you really enjoyed the first book.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Flame Tree Press, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity!

There is a reader for every book, and a book for every reader.

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Review: Second Lives by P.D. Cacek

~ megs14malloy

Second LivesSecond Lives by P.D. Cacek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

My exact thoughts upon completing this:

Eight people die.
Four come back but not as they were before. Or should I say WHO they were before.

Intriguing premise, right?
It certainly is and I think Cacek did a wonderful job of weaving this highly detailed tale together.

The writing was very solid. You can definitely tell that Cacek is an experienced author.
Each chapter was like a short story unto itself. It was quite impressive. For those of you who enjoy short story collections, I feel like this book could really work for you.

Creative and unique, this story made me really sad. I feel like it is suppose to be a story about hope, love, relationships and sacrifice for others but honesty, it bummed me out. Some of the characters end up in fairly hopeless circumstances and are forced to begin again with no choice.

I thought going into this that it was a horror novel but after reading it, I wouldn’t personally classify it as such. It seemed more speculative fiction to me. There were a few chilling moments, mostly due to the thought of imagining something like this actually happening to you or a loved one.

We get a couple of hints throughout that the events of this story are a phenomenon occurring around the world but this book focuses on patients in one hospital. They are all strangers but through various doctors have their cases ultimately connected. The book seemed to be broken up into three distinct parts: learning about each character, the soul shuffle and the aftermath. I liked the format a lot and thought it was an agreeable way to present the story.

Other than that, I can really not say too much more without giving anything away. I think if you like eccentric stories that explore life’s darker side, you should give this one a shot. I definitely am interested in chatting about this with some other bookworms, so if you ever read it, message me!

A big thank you to the publisher, Flame Tree Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity!

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