Hello, GoH peeps! Dustin here with another edition of Recent Reads coming your way. I’ve got a bit of variety here for you with these three books that I’ve covered. Rest assured, that they have their own distinct flavor to them but they all have some bite.
Unbortion by Rowland Bercy, Jr.
I miss reading more schlocky s**t. I love all kinds of horror whether they’re low or high-brow, and I can safely say this sits somewhere in between. Rowland Bercy, Jr.’s Unbortion delivers on the promise of its absurd premise while still making this reader feel icky after reading it, and all within just over 50 pages. Before proceeding, please be advised that there is content about abortions in this book, as well as potential harm to animals.
Unbortion, in a nutshell, tells the story of an aborted fetus somehow miraculously still alive trying to find its way home to its host: the mother who elected to abort it.
I was concerned at first that this was going to be an in-your-face political statement at first but this book quickly proves that it’s in it for the entertainment of the reader who enjoys B-movie horror, the surreal, and doesn’t mind a little boundary-pushing. I do say that it pushes boundaries a little as the plot of an aborted fetus making its way back to its mom, who’s having regrets — seems like a twisted after-school special but it didn’t seem that way to me. Though, it does push boundaries as well in ways that body horror is depicted. There are some medical terms in this one that I did not even fully understand so I was kind of getting an education while I was reading!
That said, I believe the mean-spiritedness of the affair gets toned down thanks to the surrealism of the scenarios that take place. Characters do and say things that no one would say in normal scenarios, and I say it gets the point across pretty well so I don’t find it a negative. There’s no time for character development because the book jumps into action almost immediately but you get where everyone is coming from pretty fast. Like, you know what you need to know about them, and it doesn’t have to be a few pages describing their childhood to adulthood and whatnot.
While I was reading this, I was of the mindset that it was set in the ’80s and that it looked like a low-budget shot-on-video flick so I was surprised to see characters using cell phones. However, I think the aesthetic of indie ’80s horror fits this book so well. To me, it is here to purely entertain readers looking for something dirty but still enjoyable to read. It doesn’t set out towards some lofty goal of elevating horror, nor does it seek to be abrasive and offend readers. Well, it’s either that or I’m desensitized.
Why Are You Biting Me? by Dalton Primeaux
As of writing, your boy has been going through some tough and tricky challenges in life so for this next read, I wanted something a bit easy to digest but still has bite (pun intended). I’ve already felt so low and had lost interest in reading because I felt so drained and exhausted all the time so I picked up this book off my box — I keep a lot of books in a plastic storage box because my shelf is full — and it seemed just like what I was looking for. It’s a novelette so it’s short as heck and the story is about a family of three moving into a new house where sinister supernatural entities reside. The mystery must be uncovered before it is too late for any of them to leave. I actually ended up loving this and that’s also the reason for the 4.5 rating I am giving it.
The story effortlessly and seamlessly tells a story of two dads and a kid. They don’t have to go through the struggle of being that kind of family. Not to say that it’s not an important discussion to have but with the author being queer himself, it’s refreshing to read a story with queer characters who don’t have to be justified. And I liked these characters. I wish I got to know more of them but it is a novelette after all, and what we do get of them is just enough for me to get attached to them. I think the book also does a great job of setting up some creepy sequences with supernatural elements. It’s easy to see this as a movie if done under the right hands. Overall, I don’t have much to say. It’s a pretty straightforward story, though, I will say it definitely has bite. It pulls no punches when delivering it’s gruesome punchline. I just wish I got this as a full novel. I think that’s a testament to the writer’s talent and skill. To be honest, this is a premise we’ve seen before but the writer had me compelled throughout that I wanted more. I see that Dalton Primeaux has a few other books out so I’ll be checking them out for sure.
Lastly, this does not affect my rating at all but I do like that the book comes at a portable pocketbook size that can literally fit in most pockets, and the text is large for my struggling eyes to read. It makes reading a breeze. I’d be down if more novellas or novelettes were put out in this format.
Golf Curse by Cameron Roubique
It’s been a while since I’ve read Cameron Roubique’s slasher novels and he never disappoints with each of them that I’ve read. Seriously, the Kill River books and Disco Deathtrap very much captured the spirits of ’80s slasher films, particularly this one. In many ways, this one, Golf Curse, does too.
Golf Curse is set in 1981 and tells the story of a young adult and the rest of the employees at a golf course being picked off one by one when an ages-old killer is unearthed, seeking vengeance against those who have taken his people’s land.
I thought the characters were pretty likable for the most part. We stay mostly in the perspective of the main character, Ronnie as he navigates his summer at the Indian Hill Golf Course with his friend Mark. The author really captures the best elements of a golden age slasher. It’s not just the kills, but character development matters too. Our characters don’t go through major arcs but we see them hang out, play pranks on each other, have crushes, shoot s**t with their co-workers, etc. It’s enough to get a picture of who these people are, or at least our main character. The only problem I did have with this book is the development of some of the characters closest to our main character. I felt like they didn’t really get much exposure until their deaths, which again, Cameron Roubique does so well. The kills are described to be so painful and nasty, using a tomahawk, a bow and arrow, and some equipment around the golf course.
I also thought the killer’s backstory was pretty interesting, and I can definitely see where he was coming from. However, like in a lot of slasher tales, the killer goes too far and involves innocent people, like in this one. I don’t think this is the last we’ve seen of the shared universe between Disco Deathtrap and Golf Curse under the Year of Blood banner if we’re to go by the stinger at the end of this book. In that case, count me in! Whether Cameron Roubique goes for another installment in this series, or a new slasher altogether, I’ll be on the lookout for it.
Thank you so much for going on this journey with me on each edition of Recent Reads! You can grab these books over on Amazon. Sadly, a lot of the good reads aren’t available locally so the only choice I have is to order online, which comes with a hefty shipping fee. Thankfully, I rarely get disappointed with the books I get. Stay safe and stay awesome, folks!
Unbortion by Rowland Bercy, Jr. is available to purchase here
Golf Curse by Cameron Roubique is available to purchase here
Why Are You Biting Me? by Dalton Primeaux is currently out of print at this time
More Book Reviews
Being Filipino and a horror reader, I don’t think I read enough works from my neck of the woods in the horror genre. I’m always looking for something that sticks… From Reddit’s NoSleep forum to Mr. Creepypasta’s reading on Youtube to now, Stolen Tongues has gained its following of horror fans during its development. When I first heard Stolen Tongues… Zombies, vampires, mechanical men, mad scientists, monsters, killer apes, living statues, ghosts, demons – all the iconic figures of bizarre cinema can be found in Japan’s early film output, filtered… “It seems the very maddest, queerest thing that ever happened to me.” –The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Since their inaugural case, A Study in Scarlet… “Capitalism is nothing before the forces of love and passion!” So declares an impossibly pregnant woman’s stalker in The Embodiment, the second story in this intricate puzzle box of a… I will admit that when I first laid eyes upon Mexican Gothic in the horror section, I was unsure whether this story was supposed to be in horror or if…
ALL THAT DARKNESS ALLOWS Book Review: Dimly Lit Filipino Horror
Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell (2017) – Book Review
Carnal Curses, Disfigured Dreams: Japanese Horror & Bizarre Cinema 1898-1949 (2019) Book Review – A Trove of Lost and Forgotten Japanese Horror
Hound of the Baskervilles (2022) Book Review | A Weird, Erotic Retelling of a Classic
Cursed Bunny (2017) Book Review
Mexican Gothic Book Review – Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Dustin is a horror fan and sometimes short story writer who hails from the Philippines. He likes a lot of the horror genre but usually goes for slashers and arthouse/slowburn stuff. Currently, he’s trying to make up for lost time in the horror literature world by digesting as many horror books as he can.