Guest Review: Horrorcon by Scott Norton

 

Synopsis

A young woman trying to move on after a personal tragedy, attends a horror convention where she sells “authentic monster artifacts” and meets a mysterious author who becomes strangely obsessed with her.

For anyone who has been to a horror convention, or is just interested in what they’re about, this book covers the experience in significant depth while placing you in the center of two fascinating and harrowing journeys.

Review

While I was reading this novella I found myself wondering what I was expecting because it was nothing at all like what I was expecting. When you read the synopsis you think there might be some crazy guy at the horror convention right? Or something sinister at least is going on there surely, but it was nothing like that and yet it was.

Without giving away the story I can tell you that it is vampire fiction, but not like any vampires I’ve read so far in that they aren’t made in any traditional sense or any other alternative sense that I’ve read.
The story has two character point of views, Eliza being the girl who loses it all, and Dr Radan being the creepy guy. I think Dr Radan was written quite well coming off to be the type of creepy that is sleazy, the ‘old guy stop following me around because you have no reason to’ type of creepy and I love how he is slowly unfolded to us in character and his story. It’s because of that I at first wasn’t so sure it was a vampire novel, I was given inklings and it took half the book to be completely sure because the term isn’t used and there’s only a few references to anything traditional in the first half.
What really intrigues me about Dr Raddan is that we get bits and pieces of who this man might be and his story, but we don’t get a full explanation and we end up not having a complete idea of how he got to where he is and how he is the way he is. He is such a character of mystery and I really feel that adds to his creepiness rather than taking away from it. I would love to know more about him and his story, but that might end up destroying the atmosphere.
As for Eliza, she is the main focus with her story and the pain she is going through, but at first we don’t really learn what the story is. All we have are snippets alluding to something darker until a pivotal point in the novel where we learn everything there is to. In cases like that it can be frustrating, but I found it to be anything but frustrating. Instead to me it helped draws you in and keeps you intrigued wanting to know what happened. The book is written in such a way that it is a good ploy to keep you going with it and luckily that doesn’t stop after you read her story.
But the kicker for me was the ending. Don’t worry, there are no spoilers here, but I can say that I was so not expecting that. I love a book that has an ending like that one, even if the book is mediocre, with an unexpected ending it always seems to lift it up. Gives it some kick. Makes the story implant itself in your brain so you remember it, which is what it has done for me.
And as far as horror goes, it was not as scary or creepy as I would have liked. I would say it’s more light fare, dark fiction rather than pure horror, but this is coming from someone who grew up on horror. It would be a good read for those who are either still being introduced to horror or are first timers. Even so do not expect scary, think more paranormal romance, but without the romance.

This review is by Dutchie(Bonnie) @ Bookish Ardour. Who is this week's Featured Blogger. Thanks for the review Dutchie!