I love horror books that subvert the genre and make you think, "what did I just read?" but in a good way. And Head Like A Hole by Andrew Van Wey certainly does that.
I'll try to explain. This book is part slasher, part revenge story, part creature horror, with a smidge of dark sci-fi. That's a lot of stuff brewing but the author has done such a fantastic job at melding these elements all together that it all makes perfect sense as you're reading.
A man is out checking his crabtraps and discovers a female human head attached to a piece of torso. Imagine his surprise when it starts trying to talk to him! This is how the book begins and whatever this creature is, it can manipulate and control this man to do her bidding.
She needs human flesh to live but she is not a zombie. She absorbs the body parts she eats and, slowly, begins to transform into an entire female form, her limbs growing back as she feeds.
In the meantime, our main protagonist has been in what she has been led to believe is a horrific car accident. She has a large scar on her face but can't remember anything about that night. Her group of friends aren't saying anything as they've all lost touch over the years.
However, there's a reason for this creature to seek this group out. She has revenge on her mind. I'm not going to say what for because that mystery is the backbone of this novel. But let's just say this group begins dying in a most bloody and brutal fashion as our protagonist tries to figure out just what happened all those years ago.
This book builds tension, grabs your attention, and the pacing is stellar. I never once found my mind wandering as I read because, despite how weird things got, I was always looking forward to reading more. Needless to say, I highly recommend this book!
For my full review, check out my Horror Reads YouTube channel here.
Dave from Horror Reads
