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A review by motherhorror
Knock Knock by S.P. Miskowski
4.0
Spend enough time navigating the waters of horror fiction and you will soon discover for yourself that most coming of age horror features protagonists of the male persuasion. Coming of age is one of my favorite sub-genres; I gobble them all up!
Coming of age centered around anyone *besides* straight, white males are few and far between. So add this one to your TBR! Our story begins deliciously with 3 girls who hate the idea of pregnancy and motherhood so much, they agree to sneak off into the woods and perform a ritual to ward off getting pregnant forever.
The first act of this story is some of the most magnetic, small town drama I have ever read. I was so engrossed in the interwoven stories of each of the three girls, I forgot to wonder about where any of it might be going. S. P. Miskowski's narrative seamlessly tracks all three, main characters through childhood, teenage years and on into womanhood. Each woman is unique and identifiable. Most noticeably to me is the author's ability to explore a variety of personal issues and struggles that the women face and translate them to the readers in a way that feels authentic and intimate. I love how several times I found myself relating to the woman I was reading about. I remember on more than one occasion thinking, "I have felt that exact same way." There were some specifically poignant scenes told with such an unflinching, raw voice-that I felt really moved by the experience.
Almost suddenly, the sinister nature of the plot was revealed and it was TERRIFYING!
From that moment on, this was true, unadulterated horror. I was invested in these women's lives and it was difficult to realize that something evil was at play here and there was really nothing any of them could do about it--no matter how extreme the measures. I don't want to spoil any reader's discovery moments (and there are some good ones here!) so I'll just say that I'm recommending this to horror fans that love the following: Coming of age, occult, small town drama, paranormal/demonic activities I fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars but ultimately I had to be honest that there were a few chapters that were a little slow for me. Also I felt like it took awhile to find my footing with the third act but once I made the connection, it was easier to follow.
Also, reviewer sidenote: This is book one of a four book series called, "The Skillute Cycle Series". Skillute is a rural fictional town in the Pacific Northwest. About a month ago I read, THE WORST IS YET TO COME which also is set in Skillute. I loved it so much that when I found out the author has a whole series set in Skillute, I needed it. I will definitely buy the rest of the series and anything else this author writes.
Coming of age centered around anyone *besides* straight, white males are few and far between. So add this one to your TBR! Our story begins deliciously with 3 girls who hate the idea of pregnancy and motherhood so much, they agree to sneak off into the woods and perform a ritual to ward off getting pregnant forever.
The first act of this story is some of the most magnetic, small town drama I have ever read. I was so engrossed in the interwoven stories of each of the three girls, I forgot to wonder about where any of it might be going. S. P. Miskowski's narrative seamlessly tracks all three, main characters through childhood, teenage years and on into womanhood. Each woman is unique and identifiable. Most noticeably to me is the author's ability to explore a variety of personal issues and struggles that the women face and translate them to the readers in a way that feels authentic and intimate. I love how several times I found myself relating to the woman I was reading about. I remember on more than one occasion thinking, "I have felt that exact same way." There were some specifically poignant scenes told with such an unflinching, raw voice-that I felt really moved by the experience.
Almost suddenly, the sinister nature of the plot was revealed and it was TERRIFYING!
From that moment on, this was true, unadulterated horror. I was invested in these women's lives and it was difficult to realize that something evil was at play here and there was really nothing any of them could do about it--no matter how extreme the measures. I don't want to spoil any reader's discovery moments (and there are some good ones here!) so I'll just say that I'm recommending this to horror fans that love the following: Coming of age, occult, small town drama, paranormal/demonic activities I fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars but ultimately I had to be honest that there were a few chapters that were a little slow for me. Also I felt like it took awhile to find my footing with the third act but once I made the connection, it was easier to follow.
Also, reviewer sidenote: This is book one of a four book series called, "The Skillute Cycle Series". Skillute is a rural fictional town in the Pacific Northwest. About a month ago I read, THE WORST IS YET TO COME which also is set in Skillute. I loved it so much that when I found out the author has a whole series set in Skillute, I needed it. I will definitely buy the rest of the series and anything else this author writes.