7 Brains by Michael Louis Calvillo

7 Brains is the sort of chapbook that I would probably skip if it was written by another writer. The premise is a bit out there. Malcolm, the story’s protagonist, is tasked by his subconscious, which can take over his body, to eat seven brains of people who represent pure forms of emotion. Under Michael Louis Calvillo’s capable hands, a novella like this can work. The writing from a technical standpoint is very strong. The flow is excellent and the book is enjoyable to read. There were certain elements of it that I’m still not sure about and weren’t explained particularly well, especially the ending of the book, which left me a bit confused.

Probably, the strongest element of this story is the lead character. Despite the horrific things that Malcolm is doing, it is still easy to relate to him and root for him. He comes off as a real person, and that’s a skill that Calvillo has shown in other books of his that I have read. The story is short and moves at a quick pace. Although there were certain things that I didn’t like about 7 Brains, by and large this was a cool chapbook and one that I enjoyed reading.