In the coal-mining town of Shudder-to-Think, Pennsylvania, teenage friends El and Octavia wake up in a movie theater with a cinematic gap in their memories. They soon discover that a mysterious ailment causes the town’s women to lose segments of their consciousness, a phenomenon linked to the underground fires that have burned beneath the streets for decades. The narrative follows their investigation into local folklore, encounter with skinless men and deer-headed humans, and the eventual unearthing of a generational cycle of sexual violence and systemic silence.
Readers interested in body horror and Pennsylvania Gothic find a story that literalizes the psychological impact of trauma. The book serves those looking for a queer perspective on regional identity and the physical toll of industrial decay. By the end, the reader understands how community-wide repression functions as a survival mechanism and what is required to break inherited patterns of abuse. It provides a stark visualization of memory loss as a physical manifestation of a town’s darkest historical secrets.
Escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2020
- Language
- EN
