A review by parksidereads
Come Closer by Sara Gran
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Yes, I’m trying to give this book more than 5 stars. I love it that much and feel deeply and personally insulted if someone doesn’t like it, seriously I have a compulsive need to explain it to them because they obviously missed something. I think about one scene in this book nearly every day (this isn’t an exaggeration or a book reviewer fib, I do, it haunts my psyche).
Official review, written Apr 12, 2021:
Hey horror buddies. If you haven’t read Come Closer by Sara Gran, then what the fuck are you doing with your life? Stop what you’re doing right now, grab yourself a copy, and read it. It’s just under 200 pages, so it will not take you long to right your wrongs. Trust me, you will thank me later. Or maybe not, maybe you will curse me as you’re lying awake at night wondering if anyone else can her the tap, tap, tapping on the walls.
I have recently discovered I’m obsessed with novellas, especially when it comes to horror. There are some fantastic horror authors in the industry that can really pack a pretty hard punch in under 200 pages, and Sara Gran is one of them. How she was able to get SO MUCH jammed into this little story is simply AMAZING.
Vivid. Memorable. Unnerving.
A unique take on possession told through the eyes of the protagonist Amanda. Her story will creep under your skin and never leave, ever. I am writing this review 5 months after finishing the novella. I still remember it as if it were yesterday. If you know me, this is significant. I have full on mom brain mode. I am lucky if I remember what I read yesterday. I look at everyone differently now. When I see hate in the world, I think of those hateful actions and think about the aggressor, and if I’m seeing the “REAL” them, if they’re still in control.
‼️ UPDATE ‼️
It’s been about a year since I’ve read this book (It’s March 2022). I still think of it, one scene in particular. This book is like a parasite that burrows its self inside your brain, wiggling out when you least expect it and terrifying you all over again… guys I love this book so much.
Official review, written Apr 12, 2021:
Hey horror buddies. If you haven’t read Come Closer by Sara Gran, then what the fuck are you doing with your life? Stop what you’re doing right now, grab yourself a copy, and read it. It’s just under 200 pages, so it will not take you long to right your wrongs. Trust me, you will thank me later. Or maybe not, maybe you will curse me as you’re lying awake at night wondering if anyone else can her the tap, tap, tapping on the walls.
I have recently discovered I’m obsessed with novellas, especially when it comes to horror. There are some fantastic horror authors in the industry that can really pack a pretty hard punch in under 200 pages, and Sara Gran is one of them. How she was able to get SO MUCH jammed into this little story is simply AMAZING.
Vivid. Memorable. Unnerving.
A unique take on possession told through the eyes of the protagonist Amanda. Her story will creep under your skin and never leave, ever. I am writing this review 5 months after finishing the novella. I still remember it as if it were yesterday. If you know me, this is significant. I have full on mom brain mode. I am lucky if I remember what I read yesterday. I look at everyone differently now. When I see hate in the world, I think of those hateful actions and think about the aggressor, and if I’m seeing the “REAL” them, if they’re still in control.
‼️ UPDATE ‼️
It’s been about a year since I’ve read this book (It’s March 2022). I still think of it, one scene in particular. This book is like a parasite that burrows its self inside your brain, wiggling out when you least expect it and terrifying you all over again… guys I love this book so much.