[HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

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[HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by Alien Redrum »

Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

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In this all-too-real work of horror fiction, Rachel Autumn Deering explores the mind of a young man who is struggling to cope with the effects of post-war stress, drug addiction, self-doubt, and loneliness as they manifest themselves into his deepest, darkest fears.

Kevin Brooks returns to his rural Kentucky hometown after a three-year-long tour of duty in Afghanistan. He has lost the grandparents who raised him, his lifelong best friend, and his trust in the government he once proudly served. When Kevin meets a kind, young girl named Samantha, he thinks his luck might have finally taken a turn for the better. But something else has its eye on Kevin. Something dark and brooding and mean. Something that knows Kevin better than he knows himself.

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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by shiki-jitsu »

Spoilers for Chapters 1-3:

Ok, this is clearly going to be a quick read. Seem to already be through a quarter of the book just reading the first 3 chapters.

So far its keeping my interest. Want to see where the story goes.

Hate the Mamaw and Papaw spelling, that is some hillbilly shit. :lol: Cute introduction story of them on Halloween.

Nothing has really happened yet so I can't really comment too much. The opening chapter was well done, setting the stage for the PTSD he is suffering. Good introduction to the tiny town he lives in. See where this goes.
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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by Alien Redrum »

Definitely agree!

I haven't quite finished 3, but I will be done by lunch/end of the day.
shiki-jitsu wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2019 4:59 pm Hate the Mamaw and Papaw spelling, that is some hillbilly shit. :lol:
It takes place in Kentucky, so you are spot on. :lol:

Things I really liked:

  • How fucked up his childhood was. That shit about his mom was fucking heartbreaking. And the thing about being 6 and never celebrated a Halloween? WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK. That got to me a little.
  • The whole bit about the VA making him take drugs, then cutting his benefits because he takes drugs. Scary accurate and infuriating.
  • The description of his boy taking the head shot. The "oh fuck" (or whatever he said right before his head was taken off) made it all the more powerful.
  • The guy kocking the medic out for complaining about his friend's blood on his uniform made me :lol:.
So far I too am pretty impressed on how much I'm on Kevin's team SO FAST.

I also want to give a quick nod to the cover. I never noticed it until last night that it's a giant flea or bedbug or something going on there.
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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by shiki-jitsu »

Yeah I assumed it was a tick on the cover. Curious to see how whatever it is plays into the story.

Yes. So funny I wanted to comment on the mother and totally forgot. Brutal story. The dog bringing out her arm and that’s how they found her, crazy.

I’m expecting to kill off the next chapters tonight honestly
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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by Alien Redrum »

I don't know if I'll finish tonight, but mayhaps by tomorrow.

That said, that mask he got was a "Don Post Studios" mask. I didn't realize it was real. Neat stuff.

https://www.facebook.com/donpoststudios
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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by Neon Maniac »

I'm not reading this, but even I know it's a flea on the cover. :shake:
:facts:

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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by Alien Redrum »

Spoilers for rest of book.

Okay, It started REALLY strong, but once Kevin met the woman...meh. I mean, there is a ridiculous amount of unnecessary lovey dovey shit, especially for two people that just met (FFS, at the end, they were declaring their undying love for one another and they only knew each other for a week. Gross.).

Also, I'm TOTALLY cool with ambiguity, and at first that monster really creeped me out, especially when it went in the cellar (right before Kevin met the love interest). But there's literally no reason given for it, and that's a dropped ball. Is it PTSD? Is it a demon that has hovered over him his whole life? Wouldn't he recognize it if that's the case? His grandparents? But they lived happy lives.

I'm guessing it's PTSD? But...I don't know.

I do like how he (Kevin) was picking at his brain/back of head. That was cool.

The girlfriend drinking the moonshine is lazy. Seen it a thousand times. I'm actually disappointed how lazy it is. It's REALLY reminiscent of a Stephen King book (I don't want to spoil which one, but about the same thing happened, but different circumstances). No matter, though, just lazy.

Back to the lovey dovey shit. The flirting is just bad. I mean, terribly so. There's no believably to it at all. The back and forth is stilted and awkward (and not in the good first-love-budding-romance awkward kind of way). Maybe it's because I'm not 23 anymore that I don't buy it.But I think it's the writing of these scenes.

I love novellas. When done proper, a dynamite story can be packed into something like 150 pages or less. With Husk, however, I think the short page count hurt far more than it helps. There's no time to develop a believable relationship with Kevin and GOD I CAN'T REMEMBER HER NAME. This "I never kissed a girl" came out of fucking nowhere, and if his childhood were elaborated on, it would have more power.

Plus, the reasoning for the monster is really bothersome. Unless I missed it, there really is no reason for it (again, other than PTSD).

What is the fucking flea/bug on the cover for?

The thing is, I think I would have liked this book a lot more if it were longer. There seems to be too much missing and too much forced when it doesn't need to be. I like the author's style, but this could have been a lot better.

2.5/5 (I went 3 on Goodreads cause you can't do halvsies and I don't think this is a 2/5.)
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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by shiki-jitsu »

I made myself stop at 7 so I will finish it tonight and comment tomorrow.
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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by Alien Redrum »

I guess Husk is the sequel to Gilchrist. :shake:
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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by shiki-jitsu »

Alien Redrum wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 1:05 am I guess Husk is the sequel to Gilchrist. :shake:
I finished it when I said I did damnit. Just didn't have time to comment yesterday. Some of us are busy you know!
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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by shiki-jitsu »

Alien Redrum wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:13 pm Spoilers for rest of book.

Okay, It started REALLY strong, but once Kevin met the woman...meh. I mean, there is a ridiculous amount of unnecessary lovey dovey shit, especially for two people that just met (FFS, at the end, they were declaring their undying love for one another and they only knew each other for a week. Gross.).
Holy shit this. This went south so quickly.

Also whats with the prepubescent mindset of shit? His fantasy of her double fingerbanging herself one second and then a couple pages later he is talking about never kissing a girl. He is a grown ass man who has done tours of duty. This just didn't make sense at all. I swear she started writing this about children and then decided to add in the military stuff and shifted their ages older to fit that in. Otherwise it makes absolutely no sense. Make him a virgin? Yeah ok, that is atleast somewhat plausible. But not even kissed someone? Weird.
Alien Redrum wrote: Also, I'm TOTALLY cool with ambiguity, and at first that monster really creeped me out, especially when it went in the cellar (right before Kevin met the love interest). But there's literally no reason given for it, and that's a dropped ball. Is it PTSD? Is it a demon that has hovered over him his whole life? Wouldn't he recognize it if that's the case? His grandparents? But they lived happy lives.

I'm guessing it's PTSD? But...I don't know.
Yeah its just PTSD. Thats the only thing that I can see. Pretty corny and heavy handed IMO. I expected that from page one though.
Alien Redrum wrote: I do like how he (Kevin) was picking at his brain/back of head. That was cool.
Honestly the best part of the book.
Alien Redrum wrote: The girlfriend drinking the moonshine is lazy. Seen it a thousand times. I'm actually disappointed how lazy it is. It's REALLY reminiscent of a Stephen King book (I don't want to spoil which one, but about the same thing happened, but different circumstances). No matter, though, just lazy.
This was just sooooooo annoying. Number one there is no moonshine in the world that would mask the taste of all those pills crushed into it. It would have been obviously not been normal. There is no way she would have drank it.

And then to do nothing but profess their love to each other, and how great this nanosecond of time they had spent together was, etc. Straight garbage. How old is this author? 13? It would explain the completely off the wall male fantasy shit and never-been-kissed idiot soldier idea.
Alien Redrum wrote: What is the fucking flea/bug on the cover for?
Nothing to do whatsoever with the book. The title has nothing to do with the story other than one bad throw away line. The cover is just a random drawing that was accidentally put on this 12 year old's bad creative writing assignment.
Alien Redrum wrote: The thing is, I think I would have liked this book a lot more if it were longer. There seems to be too much missing and too much forced when it doesn't need to be. I like the author's style, but this could have been a lot better.

2.5/5 (I went 3 on Goodreads cause you can't do halvsies and I don't think this is a 2/5.)
A lot would have needed to be fleshed out and explained for this to work especially as a longer piece. The hillbilly grandparents shit was completely unnecessary. She sets up a nice scene with their introduction with the masks, etc. All these references to Halloween. A good setting with the house. But for no reason. This whole PTSD monster thing could have played out ANYWHERE. Why waste half of the pages of your novella introducing shit that will go NOWHERE? Just bad writing and even worse editing by the publisher (if there was one).

I haven't rated it yet, but this will probably be a 1 star on goodreads.
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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by Alien Redrum »

Shiki wrote: I swear she started writing this about children and then decided to add in the military stuff and shifted their ages older to fit that in. Otherwise it makes absolutely no sense.
Holy shit, this actually makes a LOT of sense. If you take out arguably one of the best parts of the book, the first three chapters with him being in/just getting out of the military, it now feels like that was added as an after thought after reading your theory. And it works. That (and the actual dealings with the demon) are great. The rest is...well, the rest is just bad. It's...you know that guy that never had sex, but talks about all the sex he's had, and he goes into detail and it's all just a little off. That's what this relationship feels like. I know Deering has been in a relationship, she often talks about her wife in interviews, but her writing it, it just feels off.

(But, to be fair, some people just can't write certain things well. I've heard Kelli Owen talk about how she hates writing sex scenes because she always feels they are unbelievable and bad.)

Point is, I'm with you. It really seems like this story was written early on in her career, put it aside, came back to it later when she was much better, and wrote that stuff we like but didn't adjust the awkward stuff.
A lot would have needed to be fleshed out and explained for this to work especially as a longer piece. The hillbilly grandparents shit was completely unnecessary. She sets up a nice scene with their introduction with the masks, etc. All these references to Halloween. A good setting with the house. But for no reason. This whole PTSD monster thing could have played out ANYWHERE. Why waste half of the pages of your novella introducing shit that will go NOWHERE?
EXACTLY. You know, I wish they had tossed the love interest and her parents and just went with the grandparent's story. That was far more interesting.

And now that I think about it, the preacher is another missed opportunity. He represents true good and the demon is true evil. But the two never even glimpsed one another. So why make him a preacher? There's a lot of what ifs here.
I haven't rated it yet, but this will probably be a 1 star on goodreads.
After thinking about it more and reading your thoughts and agreeing, I went with 2/5. I think there's a lot of potential with the author, and I'm not mad I read it. I'm just upset there were some great ideas buried in this that were never extracted or even addressed.

I'm confident I will read another one from her, though. She's piqued my interest enough to give another chance.
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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by shiki-jitsu »

Agreed, I will give her another chance. Especially in a longer form. The parts that were good were good, but the parts that weren't REALLY brought it down. Hard.

I like the thoughts about the preacher. It is a perfect example of the missed opportunities in the book. Could have made it interesting.

I was shocked to see all the 5 stars on Goodreads for this. There is no way that people really enjoyed this that much. But then again... we live in a world where Big Bang Theory is considered great TV. :shrug:

Now, at somepoint I have to get back to Gilchrist :lol: I don't know why but that just screeched to a halt for me.
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Re: [HDNA #04] - Husk by Rachel Autumn Deering

Post by Alien Redrum »

Yeah, man. I heard so much about her (not so much this particular book, but her) and I saw all the positive reviews, I thought, this is gonna be a great, fast read. After finishing, I also thought, "Wait, what am I missing?"

She's got a story in Lost Highways, which is on my shortlist of 'to read' anthologies. I'll let you know how it is if I get to it before you.

Please finish Gilchrist. I want to know how you felt about out (or at the very least, if you feel the same as me). :lol:
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