What the Zombies Wrote

Loves,
A review. Of a book. The day after I finished it. I do believe in miracles. I do. I do. I do.

"She lifts both arms in surrender, but the bleeding black thing disappears, vacuumed through the open window, a single swift bolt, as though it never existed at all." 

Finished Scott Heim's In Awe. It's his lesser known work, overshadowed by Mysterious Skin. I must say that I understand that shadow. The misfits in Mysterious Skin were odd in a way that lent them to likability, while the misfits in this work were kind of... freaks.Their actions are bizarre  outlandish, and at times unbelievable, but each eyebrow raised action pours them out to the reader. These weirdos give us their insecurities and fears in raw detail no matter if we can handle it or not. This is what makes the novel strong.

In Awe surrounds three people coping with the death of a mutual friend family member. There's Harriet, the delirious and spaced mother of the diseased; Sarah, a young woman obsessed with the macabre and horror flicks; and Boris, a disturbed teen obsessed with a boy that doesn't know he exists.

At times, the novel's language makes the book seem somewhat paranormal, despite no supernatural elements. It's a dreamy language, hazy at points. It's easy to get lost in, to flow too in the rush. But that's what these characters are: Lost. Abandoned. Unrequited. Their fantastical worlds have spilled to reality.

In Awe is an exact representation of living after losing a loved one.

Thanks for reading,
Nick