SHIFTLING - Steven Savile

Middle-aged Drew returns to his British home after receiving a call that his childhood friend, Scotty, has been hospitalized in a mental institute. Drew knows that it must be connected to an event when the boys were 15, back in the mid-1980s. Visiting now coughs up the memories when a group of boys were excited at the idea of having the carnival (funfair) in town. In order to spend some time at the carnival, the friends need to make some money so they go around town doing odd jobs. At the home of one of the town's creepier citizens, one young lad returns a 'changed' individual.

The town itself has an edge to it (the boys want to catch Old Man Harrison, who has over 100 cats in his home, dumping dead cats somewhere) and once you toss in a carnival you get the perfect setting for a dark, foreboding horror story, not unlike something Stephen King or Peter Straub might write.

Here, author Steven Savile captures the youth of 1985 quite well. Though many of the British pop references pass me by this isn't unlike Stranger Things but on the other side of the pond. (Note: this book was published nearly ten years before Stranger Things hit the airwaves.)

The book shifts (no pun intended) time frames - rotating between 'present day' and 1985. Of course this helps us be present for the incidents of '85 which are silently acknowledged in the present day, rather than being told the story. But it's the story of the teens that really is most interesting and the guilt and fear and horror of the middle-aged men is generally underwhelming. The past can never be forgotten.  We get it.

I did really like the characters (at both ages we see them) and the general setting was nice, though it did seem just a bit stereotypical and stale.

Looking for a good book? Shiftling by Steven Savile is a strong, character-driven horror tale, perfect for fans of the genre and looking for something that you generally won't find on the bestseller rack.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3-1/2 stars

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Shiftling

author: Steven Savile

publisher: DarkFuse

ASIN: ‎ B00I64L3B2

hardcover, 256 pages