Shaun Hamill | A COSMOLOGY OF MONSTERS

Plot (via Goodreads):

Noah Turner sees monsters.

His father saw them—and built a shrine to them with The Wandering Dark, an immersive horror experience that the whole family operates.

His practical mother has caught glimpses of terrors but refuses to believe—too focused on keeping the family from falling apart.

And his eldest sister, the dramatic and vulnerable Sydney, won't admit to seeing anything but the beckoning glow of the spotlight...until it swallows her up.

Noah Turner sees monsters. But, unlike his family, Noah chooses to let them in...

Review:

I have so much to say about A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill, but I'll try to keep this at a relatively normal length. So yeah, I've been enjoying my thrillers lately, but even the ones I have been really looking forward to - while enjoyable - just haven't been hitting the mark for me lately. It's like they've been good or really good, but not mind-blowing. I almost started to feel like maybe pushing myself to read so many books and looking at this blog the way that I had been lately maybe was burning me out or taking some of the enjoyment out of reading. Well, I am happy to announce that I AM BACK and it is all due to this brilliant and bone-chilling novel. There is just so much that I loved about it, but three things really stuck out for me, so I am going to let you know what really solidified this as such a fantastic read that catapulted me right out of my book-slump. While a horror read isn't necessarily always my cup of tea, especially with a supernatural element, but this one resonates so stylishly and yet reigns and instant classic. Mark my words, one day people will be talking of this novel in the same vein as The Haunting of Hill House or the work of Stephen King.

Timeline - The timeline to this story was jaw-dropping and well-executed. I absolutely loved how we got to take a look at this family history over the span of 40+ years and it was told so eloquently and in such a non-cliche way. Listen, there are so many ways in which this story is unique, but they all blend together masterfully and the way this one jumps from such prominent events that really shape the history of this family was stunning and addictive. I had such a hard time putting this one down to even complete the simplest of tasks - like bathing and eating. I loved getting to see the characters as they developed throughout the years and the contrast between their changes and similarities were spectacularly written.

Family Dynamic/Characters - If the family dynamics of This Is Us and The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix had a lovechild, it would be A Cosmology of Monsters. For such a creepy and horror-themed read, the characters and their relationships within this family was just fantastic. I cared for each and every single one of them, flaws and all. There were times where I was laughing, picking sides during arguments, and getting pretty emotional. I literally love this family, I STAN for this family, and I was as a reader, feeling like I was an unofficial member of the family. Between the plot twists and the different sort of story-lines within the bigger picture, the cast of this novel resonates and is truly the star of this brilliantly crafted novel.

Horror Element - I don't like reading novels that have things that couldn't possibly happen. Whether it's monsters or vampires or werewolves or whatever the case - it has never interested me to really dive into the supernatural world and lately between a few other novels that have really roped me in and then this monster (get it?) of a story, Shaun Hamill has turned me into a fan of this genre. The element of fear is so stunning in this one and there were some really creepy moments, some scary moments, and some that were just so eerie and ominous that the combination of all of them within one story just blew me away. Shaun, I don't know where this creativity comes from, but you have one hell of an imagination and a prose that will just hold a relentless grip on even the most seasoned readers.

I don't know if this is up your alley and I honestly don't care, you need to read this book. Yeah, it's horror and not realistic at times, but it has all of the elements that make it so gripping and it's dashing and it's perfect and you need to experience it. Final word.

Special thanks to Pantheon Books for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 5/5