Book Review for Out of Body by Christopher John Chater

Out of Body, by Christopher John Chater, is a horror romance that, through Harley, tells the story of a bloodstained legacy filled with demonic possession, bittersweet humor, and sacrifice.

Harley is a college student who is obsessed with death, especially astral plane. He manages to move into the plane and explores the wonders of being without a body. However, when he returns, he finds a demon named Horace possessing his body. After a humorous day of following Horace around, including seeing it acing a test and wooing the girl of his dreams, Harley finds out about a dark satanic cult he has mysterious connections to. Relying on his friend, Stephanie, he faces off against his family’s dark legacy, while trying to not get consumed in the process.

I liked the development between Stephanie and Harley. Not only did Chater show why the two fit together, but he also demonstrates the actions they are willing to go for their loved ones. The relationship is, ironically, more realistic than most of the relationships I read in romance novels. The atmosphere also had a sick sense of humor that I found endearing. The relationship between Harley and Darren, the somewhat awkward crush between he and Stephanie, and finally, the sickening connection Harley shares with Horace adds to the growing character development Harley has. As he follows the macabre clues and tries to warn his friends, he cracks through that eerie peaceful air, and follows the nightmare below. The air correlated with the cult that Horace leads, promising peace through death, and it was something I enjoyed in the story.

I did wish the ending would have clearer and more fleshed out; I would’ve loved to see what happened to Darren and Stephanie. Nonetheless, this was a good read, filled with humor and horror, along with an eerie sense of peace. I would give this book a rating of a 3.8 out of 5 stars, and would recommend this to readers who enjoy the decadence of the rich.