Review: This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno
This Thing Between Us is a really interesting horror novel exploring the grief of a recently widowed man as he tries to stop the supernatural force that is tormenting him.
I am very new to horror, I think I have only read four horror novels ever, and I am incapable of watching horror on screen, so I am pretty green in general. The more I read the genre, the more I become convinced that I need to read more.
I really loved the way this book talks about grief. It is so nuanced and feels so real and raw. I was incredibly moved and invested in this character journey. I think on paper this might not seem like a book I would pick up because I typically would not pick up a book so much about a man dealing with the aftermath of a woman's death. This book is so about grief; Thiago is so deep in this loss, it absolutely does not do the things I tend to hate about fridging. His character journey isn't about how her death has prepared him to go on and be great but with a terrible backstory. This book really does feel incredibly personal and raw. If you are at all interested in depictions of grief, I would highly recommend this book.
The plot is also just really enthralling. I was so pulled into this story, especially the first half. This book pulls you into its mystery, into the slow and spiraling descent into the horror of this book. It is really well done and captivating. This book also uses one of my absolute favorite plot devices. To say it in a not spoiler-y way, this book has some circular moments I really loved.
I am really enjoying my newfound interest in horror. I love about it the same things that I love about other kinds of speculative fiction, and I love the heightened emotions. I would really recommend this to people who like books about grief. And I would note that this horror novel includes a dog and some body horror stuff.
