Do They Know How Much Land in California is Worth? A Review of A History of Wild Places.

 I'm one of these people who only sees the story going along as a hazy, misty image. I know there are those who see the characters and their activities clearly, like a movie. I'm not one of them. Even the main characters are cloudy in my mind. I don't picture them as anybody in particular.

There was a villainous, evil, rotten guy in A History of Wild Places. Even though I don't clearly see characters, I kept picturing the rotten guy as Matt Gaetz. I don't know why. Okay, maybe I do know why. He gives me the crawlies.

Now to the review. If you like twists, this novel has a major one, and then one after that. I never saw that coming...twice! Perhaps two or three more times. A History of Wild Places was also literary with some beautiful language. I like that in horror. It takes it up into a higher plane than the one most people picture as horror.

I was shocked, shocked I tell you over some of the cruelty in the story, the things the cult leader did to a few of the members he felt weren't loyal. That may seem strange that I'm shocked by horrifying events in horror. I'm just like that. As long as they don't hurt dogs, I can deal with it. (No dogs are hurt in the reading of this story, but you don't want to be a tree or a person who would just like to take a walk.)

This is a bracing and interesting plot. I had a quibble. Don't these folks know how much land sells for in California? For what they could sell the commune for they could buy their own private island in Tahiti. Then they really wouldn't have to deal with outsiders because...ocean. Just saying. If I witnessed murder and brutality somewhere, I wouldn't want to much look at the place again. 

There is a major gross scene that made me wonder why these characters didn't revolt against the jerk who lead them. That eventually gets explained. Still, I wanted to kick a few people in the rear and yell, "What's wrong with you!"

But, that's what horror is all about. If characters were smart, they wouldn't go into that creepy forest where all the trees are leaking sap.

Thanks to  Atria Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read a digital ARC of A History of Wild Places.