Book Review: The Dunnie by Keith Thomas
Title: The Dunnie
Author: Keith Thomas
Release date: October 31st, 2022
Firstly – huge thank you to Keith Thomas, Night Platform Book Company and Netgalley for the digital ARC!
Ok, I’m so very confused.
About a few things actually.
But – A) Keith Thomas. Director of The Vigil, Firestarter and most recently an episode of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities wrote this. B) LOOK AT THAT COVER!! I actually messaged Trevor Henderson to ask if he did it (he didn’t) but even he was raving about it. C) This novella is so amazing YET I’M NOT SEEING ANYONE RAVING ABOUT IT!
So, I’m confused.
I’ve heard of the Dunnie before – in a mythology book we got for my son – where it takes the shape of a horse to trick a rider into riding it, only for the horse to ride into the water, drowning the rider and eating them after. I wasn’t sure if that was what we would be getting here, but I didn’t care. I was hooked and intrigued when I read the synopsis – a grandfather in the grips of dementia has a secret within the house. Sign me up.
What I liked: The story follows Asher, a teenaged boy who is struggling at school following the death of his father. His mother takes him with her to his grandpa’s, there to let him know he needs to move into an extended living home as his dementia is progressing and it’s no longer safe for him to live on his own. What they don’t know, is that he made a deal many years ago, and now the results of that deal has grown, and is hungry.
Thomas does a phenomenal job with Asher’s character, at once a kid who you root for and want to see him succeed, but also seeing how he’s holding onto his imagination and not letting the world entirely get to him. This novella had elements that made me feel like I was reading a Gaiman book, or something the Henson Company was producing. The pacing and quick, snappy chapters worked incredibly well to pull this reader along and there wasn’t a moment where the tension wasn’t subtly being increased.
The ending was really well done and I was so excited to see in the afterword that there will be more coming in this world. Thomas really knocked this one out of the park. I’m not sure if this started as a Screenplay and was adapted or how it came to be but this read very cinematically and the locations we got worked perfectly, especially when we were dealing with the character known as Goat.
What I didn’t like: I personally loved everything about this one. So, if I stick to my format/formula of how I lay my reviews out, I think the only thing some folks reading this might not like, is that it is a novella, so some moments and events do come and go quickly. I loved how it read and flowed, but some readers may wish for expansion in some spots.
Why you should buy this: At the moment this appears to be a ebook only, so for paperback lovers, you’ll need to wait. For those who read digitally, this novella has shades of Adam Nevill, Tim Lebbon and Laurel Hightower thrown in. It rips along, our characters are really well done and the relationship between Asher and Pa was really a joy to see how it ebbed and flowed, especially through moments when Pa’s dementia reared up.
This was an outstanding read – one I’ve already added to my ‘Best-Of’ list I have – and I hope more and more people discover this one. Now, I wait for Keith’s next release!
5/5
