Amazing Horror: The Mean Ones

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https://www.prairielights.com/book/9781951971304

Midsommar meets The Final Girl Support Group in this horror novel about a woman who survived cult killings as a child and is striving to be "normal," but a spontaneous trip into the woods and the voices in her head keep pulling her to the dark side.

So what if Sadie hears talking dead animals and a strange, comforting male voice in her head? The therapist insists these are just symptoms of PTSD. It makes sense considering that she hid under the bed and watched as her best friends were slaughtered.

But the murders were seventeen years ago, back when her name was Sabrina. Now, she’s Sadie: a perfectly normal 29-year-old. She works as a physical therapist assistant and lifts weights with her boyfriend, Lucas, who’s the sweetest, most considerate man—as long as he’s not angry. But when Lucas spontaneously agrees to join a couples trip to a cabin in the woods, the visions get worse, a strange figure stalks her during the night, and that male voice in Sadie’s head keeps calling, asking her to do things she’s never fathomed.

Sadie’s not sure if it’s her paranoia or something else entirely . . . But she is sure of one thing—this time, she’s not going to sit idly by as everything starts to unravel.

My review: 5 stars

The author raised the stakes on many levels. Less YA and more adults with relationships, but also flashbacks to her 12-year-old experience. She survived a cult attack on her cabin during summer camp. Our opinion on the main character's situation changes as we learn more about the past, the bullying, how she dealt with her mother, the present relationship, her PTSD, and medication. The opportunity arrived to spend a long weekend with friends in a cabin in the woods, but Sadie kept her past a secret from everyone, and stepping into the woods triggers more than the past. Very visual, easy to read, can't put down, short, eerie, graphic, horror well done. Amazing urban, black magic, paranormal, supernatural, nature, rural superstition imagery.

If this author writes it. I'll read it.