A God in the Shed
Book synopsis:
The village of Saint-Ferdinand has all the trappings of a quiet life: farmhouses stretching from one main street, a small police precinct, a few diners and cafes, and a grocery store. Though if an out-of-towner stopped in, they would notice one unusual thing--a cemetery far too large and much too full for such a small town, lined with the victims of the Saint-Ferdinand Killer, who has eluded police for nearly two decades. It's not until after Inspector Stephen Crowley finally catches the killer that the town discovers even darker forces are at play.
When a dark spirit reveals itself to Venus McKenzie, one of Saint-Ferdinand's teenage residents, she learns that this creature's power has a long history with her town--and that the serial murders merely scratch the surface of a past burdened by evil secrets.
Overall Review:
I was really excited for the lore building of this book. Unfortunately, I felt that the story lingered more on too many ideas occurring at once with so many loose ends. I wish there had been more time building out the world and the characters. I’m not sure if I’ll read a potential sequel as the book ended with a cliff hanger.
It’s quite shocking to me that this is going to be developed into a TV show, I suppose it makes sense, but with so many loose ends, I find it hard to believe that viewers will be met with any real satisfaction at any aspect of the story.
A Taste of the Haunting:
Song pairing: Living on the Sand by Colter Wall
Movie pairing: The Village and Antlers are both near to capturing the aesthetic and twists of this book. I almost recommend The Empty Man in this pairing as well, but it may sit on too modern for this book’s tastes.
To dive further into the mood… I recommend Lovecraftian stories.
Setting:
The setting felt normal, nothing too special. I suppose in a way it helps the story feel more practical and grounded, but when it came to the god’s design, I was hoping for more otherworldly features and descriptions to create a chilling atmosphere.
Characters:
The characters had limited growth and development. When I think of the characters at the beginning versus the end, they felt stagnant in their positions and intentions. Yes, they had fear or shock, but their actions didn’t feel challenging or frustrating in any sense. They were just there.
Plot:
Too many dead ends for my tastes. I understand that it left off with a trail for future development, but I feel the same with the TV show Yellowjackets. There’s just too much left and unsatisfactory at that, it almost feels like too much work to have to follow up with each chapter and character trying to search for answers. The plot seemed to lead up to the end, but there was still so much that had no real depth and development.
