Author: William Massa
Since I come from a Hollywood screenwriting background, I tend to approach stories from a conceptual perspective—what is the hook or big idea of the story? High Concept In Hollywood terms, what drives a story and makes it stand out? seed Ania Ahlborn’s novel feels at first like it’s tapping into well-worn territory—on the surface, it feels like just another possession story. But a brilliant script and effective scares elevate the story to a higher level.
Ahlborn takes familiar tropes and gives them new meaning – there are many creepy scenes in the book that linger in the reader’s mind. There is a particularly shocking scene at the beginning of the novel where a parent examines a possessed child, which is really memorable. The demons/villains in the work are also effectively visualized, and the moments when we actually get a glimpse of the dark entity are truly creepy.
But beyond the special effects, the story is filled with relatable themes that provide a psychological foundation for the surface-level horror and action. The parents of the possessed child are experiencing financial/family problems. The husband is still chasing his dream of becoming a musician, and the romance of the bohemian lifestyle has lost some of its appeal as the financial responsibilities of adulthood mount. Add to that heady family pressures and a disapproving mother-in-law, and you have a dramatic powder keg that serves as an effective subtext for the horror.
As the novel unfolds, Ahlborn also throws a wrench into the reader’s puzzle and adds a twist that makes it different from every other possession story I’ve read. This isn’t an isolated incident, but a repetition of history, as we learn that the husband was possessed by the same demon in his youth, and that demon is now tormenting his daughter. This element adds a bit of frustration to the reading—the husband never comes clean about his past and how it relates to what his daughter is going through, but his silence ultimately makes sense in the context of the story.
Overall, this was a great read, and it’s clear why Amazon picked up this standalone novel and adapted it into a film—it’s a total horror movie. Ahlborn recently released Shudder This book has already been at the top of my reading list, and little is known about her latest work, Bird Eateris due out next March, but the evocative title caught my attention. Ahlborn is a new face in the horror genre, and I eagerly await what she writes next.
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grade:4/5
About the Author: William Massa is a screenwriter and script consultant. His first novel, FEAR THE LIGHT, will be available on Amazon later this month. Visit William’s Facebook page.
