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A review by motherhorror
Waiting Out Winter by Kelli Owen
5.0
This review appeared originally in a published issue of SCREAM Mag 2019
Flies are disgusting. I can’t stand it when there’s a fly in my house making that incessant buzzing noise or tapping against the window as it tries to stupidly escape through the glass. Let’s not even talk about what flies are before they mature into adulthood. Those hideous creatures that feast on anything reeking, dead or dying.
They make my skin crawl and I’m sure I’m not alone in this. For so small an insect, flies, especially in number, induce the heebie-jeebies in us all.
That’s why this book, WAITING OUT WINTER is such a thrilling story! Author Kelli Owen takes the horror trope of an apocalyptic plague and scales it down to the smallest threat- the fly and its spawn.
But these are not your every day flies. Due to some kind of government engineering gone wrong, the flies are carriers of disease. One bite will kill you slowly and painfully.
This novella was rich with well developed characters. Instead of following this pandemic tragedy on a large scale, the author zeroes in on a family and the day to day struggles they face. It’s an emotional rollercoaster as the reader engages in the family’s victories and losses. My favorite aspect of this book was how realistic it was. It infiltrated my real-life fears-especially when there was a huge, slow fly trapped in the car with me while I was driving. I rolled all the windows down and I was relieved when it finally found its way out!
I highly recommend this novella to fans of apocalyptic, nature horror. It’s a page-turning, compelling read that leaves you feeling nervous about flies but hopeful that mankind will always find a way. I can’t wait to read the sequel, HATCH. It has a spider on the cover which already makes me creeped out.
5 out of 5 skulls
Flies are disgusting. I can’t stand it when there’s a fly in my house making that incessant buzzing noise or tapping against the window as it tries to stupidly escape through the glass. Let’s not even talk about what flies are before they mature into adulthood. Those hideous creatures that feast on anything reeking, dead or dying.
They make my skin crawl and I’m sure I’m not alone in this. For so small an insect, flies, especially in number, induce the heebie-jeebies in us all.
That’s why this book, WAITING OUT WINTER is such a thrilling story! Author Kelli Owen takes the horror trope of an apocalyptic plague and scales it down to the smallest threat- the fly and its spawn.
But these are not your every day flies. Due to some kind of government engineering gone wrong, the flies are carriers of disease. One bite will kill you slowly and painfully.
This novella was rich with well developed characters. Instead of following this pandemic tragedy on a large scale, the author zeroes in on a family and the day to day struggles they face. It’s an emotional rollercoaster as the reader engages in the family’s victories and losses. My favorite aspect of this book was how realistic it was. It infiltrated my real-life fears-especially when there was a huge, slow fly trapped in the car with me while I was driving. I rolled all the windows down and I was relieved when it finally found its way out!
I highly recommend this novella to fans of apocalyptic, nature horror. It’s a page-turning, compelling read that leaves you feeling nervous about flies but hopeful that mankind will always find a way. I can’t wait to read the sequel, HATCH. It has a spider on the cover which already makes me creeped out.
5 out of 5 skulls