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The Fear
Two women quarantined together. A world falling into chaos.
When a virus sweeps across the globe, cities and entire countries shut down overnight. The Fear zooms in on a married couple, Ash and Jack, in one small apartment, growing restless and claustrophobic and paranoid. People are dying in droves. Governments are toppling, imploding, lashing out. Martial law, police states, riots, bioterrorism. No one knows what to believe, who to trust.
As the horror ramps up to apocalyptic levels, Jack is slowly unraveling. She shuts herself away and fears everything. Fears the virus has crawled its way inside, down her throat, into the lining of her stomach. Ash is afraid, too—afraid of what her increasingly erratic wife will do to her.
In a pandemic none of us are ready for, should we fear the outside world . . . or what's waiting within?
When a virus sweeps across the globe, cities and entire countries shut down overnight. The Fear zooms in on a married couple, Ash and Jack, in one small apartment, growing restless and claustrophobic and paranoid. People are dying in droves. Governments are toppling, imploding, lashing out. Martial law, police states, riots, bioterrorism. No one knows what to believe, who to trust.
As the horror ramps up to apocalyptic levels, Jack is slowly unraveling. She shuts herself away and fears everything. Fears the virus has crawled its way inside, down her throat, into the lining of her stomach. Ash is afraid, too—afraid of what her increasingly erratic wife will do to her.
In a pandemic none of us are ready for, should we fear the outside world . . . or what's waiting within?
199 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2020
26 people are currently reading
552 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
August 12, 2020
I'll be honest and say that the cover of this drew me in and the idea of a "Pandemic" horror story was all I needed to know to download this. I was worried that perhaps this would be too scary, too realistic, in these current times we're living in but I needn't have worried. Ugh.
It has a strong start and I was excited to see where the author was going to take us. Unfortunately it's a repetitive ride. Page after page after page of the same thing. Ash (Ashley) and Jack (Jacqueline) are under quarantine. Jack suffers from mental illness which has been exacerbated by being recently attacked by a man they refer to now as The Cardigan Man rendering her nearly agoraphobic. Due to Jack's instability she has cocooned herself in the bedroom while Ashley tries to keep it together in the living room - and that's the plot.
Jack's craziness drove me bonkers and if I had to hear about "The Cardigan Man" one more time I was going to throw my kindle at the wall. The ending was pretty disappointing with a fantastical twist that made no sense whatsoever. I'm sure some folks will probably dig this but I'm not one of them. 2 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Nerdy Wordsmith for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
It has a strong start and I was excited to see where the author was going to take us. Unfortunately it's a repetitive ride. Page after page after page of the same thing. Ash (Ashley) and Jack (Jacqueline) are under quarantine. Jack suffers from mental illness which has been exacerbated by being recently attacked by a man they refer to now as The Cardigan Man rendering her nearly agoraphobic. Due to Jack's instability she has cocooned herself in the bedroom while Ashley tries to keep it together in the living room - and that's the plot.
Jack's craziness drove me bonkers and if I had to hear about "The Cardigan Man" one more time I was going to throw my kindle at the wall. The ending was pretty disappointing with a fantastical twist that made no sense whatsoever. I'm sure some folks will probably dig this but I'm not one of them. 2 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Nerdy Wordsmith for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 30, 2020
I started this book around the time that I got it, early August 2020 but then I set it down for a spell. Why? It was triggering my already heightened anxiety at the time. This is a story about a pandemic. And quarantine. And psychological horror. So as a citizen of the US living in the 'right now' world of Covid-19 and the Trump administration...this book presents some challenges for emotional readers who bring all of that into the book with them.
That being said, due to the fact that this book is also a Night Worms buddy read with some of my team members, I binge-read the last two-thirds before the presidential debates last night to make my deadline.
I'm giving you, the readers, all this personal context because it's relevant. Instead of re-imagining the plot summary on the back of the book, I'll just highlight the important details:
Ashley & Jaqueline are a married couple who find themselves quarantined in their apartment as a virus spreads wildly out of control. The women are already vulnerable and mentally unstable due to the fact they fled the area where they were the targets of a hate crime and are hoping to rebuild their lives in a new city. Their hopes are dashed. Jack, having suffered the most psychological trauma is not handling pandemic-life well and the world is in total chaos.
I'll admit, I have Coronavirus burn-out. I'm tired of thinking about it, talking about it and the current administration's downplaying of it gives me anxiety and an unhealthy fear that it will never go away. Couple these feelings with all the side-effects like being too housebound and the family being around each other too much--I'm living through my own isolation/cabin-fever story so this particular book was too on the nose for me but it's going to AMAZING 10 years from now as an accurate representation of how events played out. I loved when Hamilton took this tale into new territory and into more fictional storytelling--veering away from the narrative being almost non-fiction and emotionally exhausting. The body horror elements saved the day.
I enjoyed the representation of a gay couple, I think Hamilton handled that well and I applaud authors who bravely go outside their comfort zone to give us minority representation and normalization (here's where I suggest that *if you're an author thinking about doing that, have a sensitivity reader-Hamilton identifies in the back of the book that he had one. I think that's really important enough for me to mention)
Lastly, I wrote in my notes "Kate Austin problems"
Evangeline Lilly is the actress who played Kate Austin in LOST and she has this horrible habit of overly using her co-star's stage name. It's like every other line. That's not a screenplay thing because none of the other actors did it, it's a HER problem. And the characters in this book do it too. They say each other's names more than actual people would ever do and it made me hyper-sensitive to it and also drew my attention to other repetitions. Something an editor could (should?) spot and eliminate.
Final thoughts: This is a modern pandemic/apocalyptic horror with social commentary and a sweet-spot for the supernatural and body horror. I enjoyed the psychological notes and character development but feel very strongly that this book could have used more editing (There is mention of a team of editors in the back of the book but maybe this just slipped through the cracks?). A great introduction to this author's work.
That being said, due to the fact that this book is also a Night Worms buddy read with some of my team members, I binge-read the last two-thirds before the presidential debates last night to make my deadline.
I'm giving you, the readers, all this personal context because it's relevant. Instead of re-imagining the plot summary on the back of the book, I'll just highlight the important details:
Ashley & Jaqueline are a married couple who find themselves quarantined in their apartment as a virus spreads wildly out of control. The women are already vulnerable and mentally unstable due to the fact they fled the area where they were the targets of a hate crime and are hoping to rebuild their lives in a new city. Their hopes are dashed. Jack, having suffered the most psychological trauma is not handling pandemic-life well and the world is in total chaos.
I'll admit, I have Coronavirus burn-out. I'm tired of thinking about it, talking about it and the current administration's downplaying of it gives me anxiety and an unhealthy fear that it will never go away. Couple these feelings with all the side-effects like being too housebound and the family being around each other too much--I'm living through my own isolation/cabin-fever story so this particular book was too on the nose for me but it's going to AMAZING 10 years from now as an accurate representation of how events played out. I loved when Hamilton took this tale into new territory and into more fictional storytelling--veering away from the narrative being almost non-fiction and emotionally exhausting. The body horror elements saved the day.
I enjoyed the representation of a gay couple, I think Hamilton handled that well and I applaud authors who bravely go outside their comfort zone to give us minority representation and normalization (here's where I suggest that *if you're an author thinking about doing that, have a sensitivity reader-Hamilton identifies in the back of the book that he had one. I think that's really important enough for me to mention)
Lastly, I wrote in my notes "Kate Austin problems"
Evangeline Lilly is the actress who played Kate Austin in LOST and she has this horrible habit of overly using her co-star's stage name. It's like every other line. That's not a screenplay thing because none of the other actors did it, it's a HER problem. And the characters in this book do it too. They say each other's names more than actual people would ever do and it made me hyper-sensitive to it and also drew my attention to other repetitions. Something an editor could (should?) spot and eliminate.
Final thoughts: This is a modern pandemic/apocalyptic horror with social commentary and a sweet-spot for the supernatural and body horror. I enjoyed the psychological notes and character development but feel very strongly that this book could have used more editing (There is mention of a team of editors in the back of the book but maybe this just slipped through the cracks?). A great introduction to this author's work.
October 6, 2020
First, I have to mention that Spencer Hamilton knocked it out of the park with this promo package. He sent me a copy of the book, a sticker, and an awesome COVID-19 mask. It’s adjustable and doesn’t feel suffocating. Kudos Mr. Hamilton!
THE FEAR is a mix of global pandemic, body horror, and social commentary.
We follow married couple, Ashley and Jacqueline, and their descent into fear and paranoia when a viral pandemic spreads across the world causing chaos and turmoil everywhere they look. Things hit an apocalyptic level with rioting, martial law, and police states. Sound familiar? There are themes of mental illness and racial prejudice which really add to the psychological element. The body horror element is PRESENT. And let me tell you, there are some cringe-inducing scenes, so beware.
It can be a tricky thing to write a book about the current state of the world, even with a horror twist, but I thought the author did well here. The story is compelling and gripped me to the last page. My only issue is some parts are a tiny bit repetitive. I read fast so I’ll admit I took in a lot right away and skimmed those parts. All in all, I thought THE FEAR was well done with an ending that surprised me. Definitely worth picking up if you’re curious!
THE FEAR is a mix of global pandemic, body horror, and social commentary.
We follow married couple, Ashley and Jacqueline, and their descent into fear and paranoia when a viral pandemic spreads across the world causing chaos and turmoil everywhere they look. Things hit an apocalyptic level with rioting, martial law, and police states. Sound familiar? There are themes of mental illness and racial prejudice which really add to the psychological element. The body horror element is PRESENT. And let me tell you, there are some cringe-inducing scenes, so beware.
It can be a tricky thing to write a book about the current state of the world, even with a horror twist, but I thought the author did well here. The story is compelling and gripped me to the last page. My only issue is some parts are a tiny bit repetitive. I read fast so I’ll admit I took in a lot right away and skimmed those parts. All in all, I thought THE FEAR was well done with an ending that surprised me. Definitely worth picking up if you’re curious!
September 25, 2021
I waited until now to read this because I had a feeling that reading it during the height of the pandemic would be incredible anxiety inducing. And BOY was I ever right! Even now it gave me serious anxiety but more in an this is incredibly disturbing anxiety way. If I’m not making sense it’s probably because my mind is still whirling after finishing this and I’m still gathering my thoughts. That’s how damn good it was, it completely blew my mind to shreds and I can’t quite seem to collect myself. I just keeping thinking about it all and I can’t shake the disturbing crawling feeling going up my back. There’s just so many terrifying aspects to this story and they come together to make up one hell of a mind blowing, horrifying package. I really enjoyed the queer representation as well, I firmly believe that some of the very best horror is queer horror and this book definitely lives up to that. I really can’t recommend this one highly enough, although do be warned that the pandemic aspect could possibly be triggering.
September 28, 2020
Review of The Fear by Spencer Hamilton
I recently watched a horror documentary on the history of horror movies. There was a quote made by Stuart Gordon that relates to horror books too and especially this one in particular.
“𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲.” - 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐧
Out of all the dystopian, apolitical books that are coming out recently, this one will be the one that is set apart from the rest. Spencer Hamilton took bits of our pandemic history and included it in his novel for generations to come that never knew or kept up with what was happening in the world. This will be the depiction of our history told in a horror novel. The sub genres labeled for this book in my eyes would be pandemic, psychology, body and cosmic horror.
Synopsis: As the virus sweeps the globe, the governments are toppling, imploding and lashing out. Ash and Jack are cooped up in their apartment growing claustrophobic and paranoid. Jack thinks she’s infected and Ash fears for what her wife will do. While the pandemic is raging outside, should we be more afraid of what’s within?
“𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫.” - 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧
I just want to say “wow” this book was a trip! I think I had to put it down several times because my anxiety kept welling up and I needed a breather. I really enjoyed the epigraphs that were included before each chapter. Everytime I read one of the quotes I thought about what I was going through at the time and what would happen to the characters next. It's scary to think some of the news headlines and tweets happened only months ago. This book played on many of my own fears and anxieties. I thought about The Shining and how Jack Torrence went mad in isolation, Ha! Wait did I just catch that. I also loved the LGBTQ representations and some of the experiences they face and gaslighting are ones that I faced in highschool. I don’t live with it everyday but I do still deal with self doubt and insecurities. I rated this book 4.5 ⭐️ only because it just barely missed the emotional mark for me. There were two scenes in particular that almost had me if it had a little time to simmer.
Personal note: possible spoiler so come back and read this when you finish the book.
I wanted to add this note in after seeing the negative reviews “The Fear” is getting. I’m not sure if the people that read this book are standing up for the LGBTQ community or just judging from what’s on the surface but as a woman that is bisexual I resonated with jack’s character. I myself face struggles with my identity and think about the things people told me growing up. I sometimes wonder if their words and actions changed my life course in some way. I love my husband and child but I still struggle with wondering where I would have been if I would have had that support when I came out as a lesbian. Before I was told to experiment with men. Would I have been with my husband? I try to think of it as a blessing in disguise. Not all of our stories are the same and not everyone is so sure of themselves and just know right away what their sexual orientation is. This is the first book that I actually connected with that showed some of my inner struggles with identity. Hopefully whoever sees this will understand and think about this character on a deeper level.
I recently watched a horror documentary on the history of horror movies. There was a quote made by Stuart Gordon that relates to horror books too and especially this one in particular.
“𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲.” - 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐧
Out of all the dystopian, apolitical books that are coming out recently, this one will be the one that is set apart from the rest. Spencer Hamilton took bits of our pandemic history and included it in his novel for generations to come that never knew or kept up with what was happening in the world. This will be the depiction of our history told in a horror novel. The sub genres labeled for this book in my eyes would be pandemic, psychology, body and cosmic horror.
Synopsis: As the virus sweeps the globe, the governments are toppling, imploding and lashing out. Ash and Jack are cooped up in their apartment growing claustrophobic and paranoid. Jack thinks she’s infected and Ash fears for what her wife will do. While the pandemic is raging outside, should we be more afraid of what’s within?
“𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫.” - 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧
I just want to say “wow” this book was a trip! I think I had to put it down several times because my anxiety kept welling up and I needed a breather. I really enjoyed the epigraphs that were included before each chapter. Everytime I read one of the quotes I thought about what I was going through at the time and what would happen to the characters next. It's scary to think some of the news headlines and tweets happened only months ago. This book played on many of my own fears and anxieties. I thought about The Shining and how Jack Torrence went mad in isolation, Ha! Wait did I just catch that. I also loved the LGBTQ representations and some of the experiences they face and gaslighting are ones that I faced in highschool. I don’t live with it everyday but I do still deal with self doubt and insecurities. I rated this book 4.5 ⭐️ only because it just barely missed the emotional mark for me. There were two scenes in particular that almost had me if it had a little time to simmer.
Personal note: possible spoiler so come back and read this when you finish the book.
I wanted to add this note in after seeing the negative reviews “The Fear” is getting. I’m not sure if the people that read this book are standing up for the LGBTQ community or just judging from what’s on the surface but as a woman that is bisexual I resonated with jack’s character. I myself face struggles with my identity and think about the things people told me growing up. I sometimes wonder if their words and actions changed my life course in some way. I love my husband and child but I still struggle with wondering where I would have been if I would have had that support when I came out as a lesbian. Before I was told to experiment with men. Would I have been with my husband? I try to think of it as a blessing in disguise. Not all of our stories are the same and not everyone is so sure of themselves and just know right away what their sexual orientation is. This is the first book that I actually connected with that showed some of my inner struggles with identity. Hopefully whoever sees this will understand and think about this character on a deeper level.
September 30, 2020
3.5/5 rounded up for Goodreads.
The Fear is a novel that addresses one of the main downfalls that 2020 had to offer, the Covid-19 pandemic. The story follows Ashley and Jack, two married women that move to Austin, Texas and shortly after become victims of a hate crime. Ashley, being confident and unconditionally supportive of her wife during the aftermath, including post-traumatic stress, from the previously mentioned violent attack, navigates the rapidly changing world after she receives the news of the pandemic plaguing the world. Jack meanwhile, becomes agoraphobic and struggles to maintain her grip on reality as she tries to deal with the results of being attacked and the guilt of relying solely on her wife to both emotionally and financially support them through the current global crisis.
I was really excited about this novel when I was approached by the author to review a copy of this book. A pandemic horror story while we are currently dealing with one, yes please! I am nothing but a glutton for self-punishment. However, I did not realize that the events in the novel would be blurring the lines between fiction and non-fiction. I guess it never really dawned on me that the pandemic being written about in the story would be so current and it felt kind of exhausting to read about it. However, there were some events that clearly did not happen to me personally or to anyone that I know, particularly towards the end, that made this novel feel more like the fictional horror story that I was looking for.
There were quite a few times that I felt like the narration from Jack’s character became redundant and I start to get slightly annoyed reading from her point of view. Then I remembered that she is suffering immensely from mental illness and I couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty that I was annoyed with this fictional character and it ultimately left me feeling fairly confused about how I felt about her. There were several chapters where I felt like the characters names were being overused when I clearly knew who the author was referring to, it felt like every fifth word was either “Ash” or “Jack” and it occasionally became distracting.
Grievances aside, Hamilton has a knack for writing a slow decent into madness and I am here for all of those downward spirals! The transformation within both of our leading ladies at the end of the novel is extremely satisfying and I would love to read more by this author.
The Fear is a novel that addresses one of the main downfalls that 2020 had to offer, the Covid-19 pandemic. The story follows Ashley and Jack, two married women that move to Austin, Texas and shortly after become victims of a hate crime. Ashley, being confident and unconditionally supportive of her wife during the aftermath, including post-traumatic stress, from the previously mentioned violent attack, navigates the rapidly changing world after she receives the news of the pandemic plaguing the world. Jack meanwhile, becomes agoraphobic and struggles to maintain her grip on reality as she tries to deal with the results of being attacked and the guilt of relying solely on her wife to both emotionally and financially support them through the current global crisis.
I was really excited about this novel when I was approached by the author to review a copy of this book. A pandemic horror story while we are currently dealing with one, yes please! I am nothing but a glutton for self-punishment. However, I did not realize that the events in the novel would be blurring the lines between fiction and non-fiction. I guess it never really dawned on me that the pandemic being written about in the story would be so current and it felt kind of exhausting to read about it. However, there were some events that clearly did not happen to me personally or to anyone that I know, particularly towards the end, that made this novel feel more like the fictional horror story that I was looking for.
There were quite a few times that I felt like the narration from Jack’s character became redundant and I start to get slightly annoyed reading from her point of view. Then I remembered that she is suffering immensely from mental illness and I couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty that I was annoyed with this fictional character and it ultimately left me feeling fairly confused about how I felt about her. There were several chapters where I felt like the characters names were being overused when I clearly knew who the author was referring to, it felt like every fifth word was either “Ash” or “Jack” and it occasionally became distracting.
Grievances aside, Hamilton has a knack for writing a slow decent into madness and I am here for all of those downward spirals! The transformation within both of our leading ladies at the end of the novel is extremely satisfying and I would love to read more by this author.
September 7, 2020
Wow. I'm seeing some of the reviews for this one and let's be honest, some people are ripping it apart and calling it torture porn. I respect these opinions but have to respectfully disagree.
This is BODY HORROR. yeah. It's a thing.
After reading this book, I asked Spencer if he had taken inspiration from Kathe Koja, because this was sooooo much like Koja's storylines. I was actually surprised when he said he had never read any of her stuff. Koja is different in that her stories are all lyrical with a fevered dream quality. The Fear was very modern and easy to decipher, as far as what was going on.
What was going on, you ask? Well, this story is about a gay couple, Jacqueline and Ashley, living during the current pandemic that is now our everyday reality. Ashley is of Chinese descent and Jacqueline suffers from mental illness. How they handle the everyday issues of intolerance, racism and contagion is what this book is about. These are all issues that we are pretty familiar with but Spencer takes it one step further and creates a nightmare situation for our characters, and this is where the horror story truly takes shape.
I enjoyed how this story built up and then transformed into something supernatural. It was an absolute treat to read this and anyone that has read and enjoyed body horror and pandemic stories will agree with me. I have zero doubts about that.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. HONESTLY. I put this in the category of BODY HORROR and PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR. I also put this book on my shelf alongside Poppy Z Brite and Kathe Koja. Hell...I put it alongside my entire Dell Abyss Collection. This book would have been scouted for the Dell Abyss Line back in the 90s. I guarantee it.
This is BODY HORROR. yeah. It's a thing.
After reading this book, I asked Spencer if he had taken inspiration from Kathe Koja, because this was sooooo much like Koja's storylines. I was actually surprised when he said he had never read any of her stuff. Koja is different in that her stories are all lyrical with a fevered dream quality. The Fear was very modern and easy to decipher, as far as what was going on.
What was going on, you ask? Well, this story is about a gay couple, Jacqueline and Ashley, living during the current pandemic that is now our everyday reality. Ashley is of Chinese descent and Jacqueline suffers from mental illness. How they handle the everyday issues of intolerance, racism and contagion is what this book is about. These are all issues that we are pretty familiar with but Spencer takes it one step further and creates a nightmare situation for our characters, and this is where the horror story truly takes shape.
I enjoyed how this story built up and then transformed into something supernatural. It was an absolute treat to read this and anyone that has read and enjoyed body horror and pandemic stories will agree with me. I have zero doubts about that.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. HONESTLY. I put this in the category of BODY HORROR and PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR. I also put this book on my shelf alongside Poppy Z Brite and Kathe Koja. Hell...I put it alongside my entire Dell Abyss Collection. This book would have been scouted for the Dell Abyss Line back in the 90s. I guarantee it.
August 5, 2020
“The Fear grew.”
Think you can fair well in an apocalyptic pandemic? Think again. Jacqueline and Ashley, a married couple living in Texas, are trying to create the perfect life for themselves. A beautiful home, weekend activities like watching Jaws in the park, and good ol’ intimate fun. That is, until the pandemic hits. See, the thing about a stay-at-home order is that it can cause underlying anxieties to fester. Your enclosed room can become an incubator for paranoia, claustrophobia, and Fear. How long do you think you could stave off the anxiety before the Fear completely consumes you?
Ahhhh!!! This book was EXCELLENT! Especially for this time and place right now, it felt like a psychotic homage to all the struggles we are going through mentally. I’ll definitely have to read it again in a few years once all this pandemic stuff is behind us to see how I process it but it’s a perfect exaggeration of what we’ve all felt when the pandemic started. My one warning is that this book is heavily intimate with the psychology of paranoia and claustrophobia so if you have anxiety regarding these items, read cautiously.
That being said, this book is character driven. It’s an in depth dive into two peoples’ minds during an apocalyptic pandemic so there’s no action/adventure and there’s really only one scene. But listen to me, this book has so much going on, it reads like an action/adventure! Absolutely engrossing and fast paced. And as a psychology nerd, it was a treat to read. This is probably my most favorite book of 2020 honestly. And I’m going to STRONGLY encourage everyone to pick up a copy once it releases August 11!!!
Think you can fair well in an apocalyptic pandemic? Think again. Jacqueline and Ashley, a married couple living in Texas, are trying to create the perfect life for themselves. A beautiful home, weekend activities like watching Jaws in the park, and good ol’ intimate fun. That is, until the pandemic hits. See, the thing about a stay-at-home order is that it can cause underlying anxieties to fester. Your enclosed room can become an incubator for paranoia, claustrophobia, and Fear. How long do you think you could stave off the anxiety before the Fear completely consumes you?
Ahhhh!!! This book was EXCELLENT! Especially for this time and place right now, it felt like a psychotic homage to all the struggles we are going through mentally. I’ll definitely have to read it again in a few years once all this pandemic stuff is behind us to see how I process it but it’s a perfect exaggeration of what we’ve all felt when the pandemic started. My one warning is that this book is heavily intimate with the psychology of paranoia and claustrophobia so if you have anxiety regarding these items, read cautiously.
That being said, this book is character driven. It’s an in depth dive into two peoples’ minds during an apocalyptic pandemic so there’s no action/adventure and there’s really only one scene. But listen to me, this book has so much going on, it reads like an action/adventure! Absolutely engrossing and fast paced. And as a psychology nerd, it was a treat to read. This is probably my most favorite book of 2020 honestly. And I’m going to STRONGLY encourage everyone to pick up a copy once it releases August 11!!!
August 10, 2020
This book managed to take quarantine and made it scarier.
I loved the characters in the book. They were such well written women. They were written in a way that you agreed with them both. I wanted to like his likeable characters and I hated a couple of them so much.
I loved that the Author put present day quotes and it really plays off of the fear of everything that has been going on. I don't think I'm going to complain anymore about being in my house.
I took off a star due to a few of the sentences being repetitive.
I loved the characters in the book. They were such well written women. They were written in a way that you agreed with them both. I wanted to like his likeable characters and I hated a couple of them so much.
I loved that the Author put present day quotes and it really plays off of the fear of everything that has been going on. I don't think I'm going to complain anymore about being in my house.
I took off a star due to a few of the sentences being repetitive.
September 17, 2020
I was excited to read a horror story set in our current time and climate because let's be real: 2020 is its own special horror story.
The Fear started out promising enough with Ash and Jack, a lesbian couple in a new city when Covid begins rapidly spreading and the pandemic panic begins and they find themselves stuck in their new apartment.
I liked how each chapter started with an actual tweet from our current president. I also liked the realistic portrayal of trying to grocery shop at the beginning of the panic.
I didn't like the way Ash and Jack were written. One character has some mental health problems and it results in her not leaving her room and hallucinating a man to have sex with... 🙄
I got annoyed and bored with the plot and super sick of the Cardigan Man (a homophobic and racist hipster) and the ending made no sense. The end was some weird fantasy novel twist that felt totally unrelated to the rest of the story.
If you're into body horror and looking for something to read that will make you squirm The Fear will do it. Just be warned there's some Stephen King-style bad sex scenes and the end is hella weird.
The Fear started out promising enough with Ash and Jack, a lesbian couple in a new city when Covid begins rapidly spreading and the pandemic panic begins and they find themselves stuck in their new apartment.
I liked how each chapter started with an actual tweet from our current president. I also liked the realistic portrayal of trying to grocery shop at the beginning of the panic.
I didn't like the way Ash and Jack were written. One character has some mental health problems and it results in her not leaving her room and hallucinating a man to have sex with... 🙄
I got annoyed and bored with the plot and super sick of the Cardigan Man (a homophobic and racist hipster) and the ending made no sense. The end was some weird fantasy novel twist that felt totally unrelated to the rest of the story.
If you're into body horror and looking for something to read that will make you squirm The Fear will do it. Just be warned there's some Stephen King-style bad sex scenes and the end is hella weird.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2020
I received a free copy of the book by the author, however I also bought the fucking thing to have some skin in the game.
Why?
Cuz it's a good book. Also I like having physical copies of the things I'm reading. Screens hurt my fragile eyes.
A Pandemic Horror Story is what it's labeled as, and as such it's pretty timely in its narrative. Whether it affected me because I'm a Texan, I'm a minority that's faced a few of the things the characters here have gone through, or because the Covid pandemic has yet to reveal any end in sight, I am still uncertain.
As it is, the story takes our two protagonists, a newlywed couple that each have baggage of their own to work on, through the beginnings of the Covid crisis and works it into something...more.
There's a very real element at play here. From the homophobia, the racism, the fear that this virus instilled in people at its beginnings, really deliver a fast pace beginning that slip into something in the lines of The Shining. It becomes a small scaled claustrophobic tale that hangs on the two main characters, where time ceases to exist. Time ceases to be a meaningful character as it wibble wobbles through, becoming less and less part of the plot as the mental health and situations begin to wibble wobble into insanity. Spencer writes in a way that seems like a nice slow start, and then shifts gears several times, speeding along into something that's expected and yet unexpected all at once.
This isn't to say it's without its flaws. I do feel like the beginning could have been stretched a bit further, getting a better grasp and full view of the characters, as well as the oncoming storm that is the Covid fear. There are certain things that did feel out of place in the very real world setting, that had it not been set in Texas, and having a grasp on what it's like here, it would not have been as believable as it was.
But these are just nitpicks, things that I would have liked to relish in more. however, as it stands, the story is a delicious read that may spike the anxiety (it did mine), and despite it's decently long length, a fast read.
Why?
Cuz it's a good book. Also I like having physical copies of the things I'm reading. Screens hurt my fragile eyes.
A Pandemic Horror Story is what it's labeled as, and as such it's pretty timely in its narrative. Whether it affected me because I'm a Texan, I'm a minority that's faced a few of the things the characters here have gone through, or because the Covid pandemic has yet to reveal any end in sight, I am still uncertain.
As it is, the story takes our two protagonists, a newlywed couple that each have baggage of their own to work on, through the beginnings of the Covid crisis and works it into something...more.
There's a very real element at play here. From the homophobia, the racism, the fear that this virus instilled in people at its beginnings, really deliver a fast pace beginning that slip into something in the lines of The Shining. It becomes a small scaled claustrophobic tale that hangs on the two main characters, where time ceases to exist. Time ceases to be a meaningful character as it wibble wobbles through, becoming less and less part of the plot as the mental health and situations begin to wibble wobble into insanity. Spencer writes in a way that seems like a nice slow start, and then shifts gears several times, speeding along into something that's expected and yet unexpected all at once.
This isn't to say it's without its flaws. I do feel like the beginning could have been stretched a bit further, getting a better grasp and full view of the characters, as well as the oncoming storm that is the Covid fear. There are certain things that did feel out of place in the very real world setting, that had it not been set in Texas, and having a grasp on what it's like here, it would not have been as believable as it was.
But these are just nitpicks, things that I would have liked to relish in more. however, as it stands, the story is a delicious read that may spike the anxiety (it did mine), and despite it's decently long length, a fast read.
September 6, 2020
THE FEAR starts with cautious optimism, and ends with hard fought-for freedom. This is how many of us likely felt entering and exiting the period of COVID quarantine here in the US, which matches the timeline of this book.
This book shines in its portrayal of the declining mental state of both of the main characters, Ash and Jack. The gradual descent into the parts of their own minds that house the darkest parts of them felt very real and was quite gripping.
THE FEAR is well-written overall and was a fast read, and I would recommend any horror aficionado to read it. Fans of King will see the influence he had on this writer's ability to describe the grotesque and unpalatable. Certain parts of the story felt unnecessary, a distraction from what was really going on, while others were littered with brobdingnagian vocabulary that sometimes impeded this reader's ability to understand the author's intent. The ending felt a bit rushed and was over too soon, but I've heard that's a sign of a good book: it leaves you wanting more.
I did enjoy reading THE FEAR, and will certainly seek out other titles from this author in the future.
This book shines in its portrayal of the declining mental state of both of the main characters, Ash and Jack. The gradual descent into the parts of their own minds that house the darkest parts of them felt very real and was quite gripping.
THE FEAR is well-written overall and was a fast read, and I would recommend any horror aficionado to read it. Fans of King will see the influence he had on this writer's ability to describe the grotesque and unpalatable. Certain parts of the story felt unnecessary, a distraction from what was really going on, while others were littered with brobdingnagian vocabulary that sometimes impeded this reader's ability to understand the author's intent. The ending felt a bit rushed and was over too soon, but I've heard that's a sign of a good book: it leaves you wanting more.
I did enjoy reading THE FEAR, and will certainly seek out other titles from this author in the future.
August 7, 2020
"Stephen King's The Stand could literally be the death of her."
When we started 2020 words such as pandemic and social distancing wasn't mentioned on a day to day basis but now it's a way of life. In times of a pandemic I thought it would be a great idea to escape in books and read about a pandemic...
The Fear is a pandemic based horror loosely inspired on the Covid-19 situation but much more dramatic and horrific as we follow Jacqueline (Jack) and Ashley (Ash) alone in a small apartment with The Fear. The women slowly become restless and paranoid and lash out at each other as Jack slowly loses her mind, resulting in her shutting herself away as she convinces herself the virus is inside her becoming more erratic.
This was a brilliant book and I thoroughly enjoyed it and I know for sure a lot of you guys would enjoy it too. The descreptive language was superb I especially enjoyed the description of Jack's swelling feet. I was left shocked and repulsed. I must mention the Cardigan man what a brilliant character which I felt amplified the sporadity of Jack as a character and brought a different dimension of horror to the novel. I felt like the Cardigan man was Jack's devil on her shoulder. As the book develops Jack becomes more delerious leaving Ash in a difficult situation does she protect herself or the woman she loves.
This book excelled in psychological horror as its heavily influenced on paranoia and claustrophobia which at times left me feeling uneasy. That being said this book is heavily character driven thankfully the two main characters gave us a greater insight into how the human mind copes with isolation and change. I often find horror books are difficult to end and feel that they finish abruptly but with The Fear the last couple chapters were probably the best and it ended naturally.
When we started 2020 words such as pandemic and social distancing wasn't mentioned on a day to day basis but now it's a way of life. In times of a pandemic I thought it would be a great idea to escape in books and read about a pandemic...
The Fear is a pandemic based horror loosely inspired on the Covid-19 situation but much more dramatic and horrific as we follow Jacqueline (Jack) and Ashley (Ash) alone in a small apartment with The Fear. The women slowly become restless and paranoid and lash out at each other as Jack slowly loses her mind, resulting in her shutting herself away as she convinces herself the virus is inside her becoming more erratic.
This was a brilliant book and I thoroughly enjoyed it and I know for sure a lot of you guys would enjoy it too. The descreptive language was superb I especially enjoyed the description of Jack's swelling feet. I was left shocked and repulsed. I must mention the Cardigan man what a brilliant character which I felt amplified the sporadity of Jack as a character and brought a different dimension of horror to the novel. I felt like the Cardigan man was Jack's devil on her shoulder. As the book develops Jack becomes more delerious leaving Ash in a difficult situation does she protect herself or the woman she loves.
This book excelled in psychological horror as its heavily influenced on paranoia and claustrophobia which at times left me feeling uneasy. That being said this book is heavily character driven thankfully the two main characters gave us a greater insight into how the human mind copes with isolation and change. I often find horror books are difficult to end and feel that they finish abruptly but with The Fear the last couple chapters were probably the best and it ended naturally.
August 11, 2020
This book is a 4.5 out of 5 for me. I truly enjoyed this novel, pandemic horror is one of my favorite sub genres.
The novel is very character driven, and I find it beautiful how an author can put you inside the mind of a character and slowly show the snowball of being isolated and living in fear. Ash and Jack are two phenomenal characters and I find that anyone who reads the novel can relate to them!
I also love the feel of this novel. The claustrophobic setting really plays a huge role in the novel and is beautifully woven into the novel. I highly recommend this novel!
The novel is very character driven, and I find it beautiful how an author can put you inside the mind of a character and slowly show the snowball of being isolated and living in fear. Ash and Jack are two phenomenal characters and I find that anyone who reads the novel can relate to them!
I also love the feel of this novel. The claustrophobic setting really plays a huge role in the novel and is beautifully woven into the novel. I highly recommend this novel!
October 4, 2020
Reading a pandemic horror during a pandemic? What was I thinking? Yet this book caught my attention and didn't let go until the end. It feels very relevant and yet different enough from the current real world situation for me to be able to consume it. I thought the writing is great, and the way madness seeps into the characters' minds is both horrifying and sad.
That said, I found the middle of the book really repetitive. I also didn't really buy the setup because it feels contrived. The book attempts to make it as close to real life as possible (the real tweets at the beginning of each chapter is an example) yet the characters have isolated themselves for no good reason from the beginning. The villains are obviously evil, there's nothing subtle at all about them. The ending suddenly veers into the fantastical out of nowhere. I'm not an own voice reviewer so I can't speak to the portrayal of one of the characters' struggle with sexuality, but it felt kind of gratuitous at times. Overall, I think this book is still an enjoyable short read but just misses the mark for me.
Thank you to the author for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
That said, I found the middle of the book really repetitive. I also didn't really buy the setup because it feels contrived. The book attempts to make it as close to real life as possible (the real tweets at the beginning of each chapter is an example) yet the characters have isolated themselves for no good reason from the beginning. The villains are obviously evil, there's nothing subtle at all about them. The ending suddenly veers into the fantastical out of nowhere. I'm not an own voice reviewer so I can't speak to the portrayal of one of the characters' struggle with sexuality, but it felt kind of gratuitous at times. Overall, I think this book is still an enjoyable short read but just misses the mark for me.
Thank you to the author for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
July 7, 2021
I got this book not really knowing what to expect; just that it was a horror story set within the backdrop of a pandemic. I don’t even think I knew for certain that it was THE pandemic at the time. Considering when it had to have been written, this was either very convenient timing or a feat of unprecedentedly prescient forecasting. It deals with a number of uneasy but very real topics from racism, homophobia, trauma, degraded socio-political climates, asshole landlords (we’ve all been there, right?) and in many ways those are the real evils here. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: for true horror one need only look to reality
What I liked about this story the most was easily the relationship between the two main characters, Jaqueline and Ashley. It was real, sweet, loving, and tangible…until of course it wasn’t. Eventually things go completely to Hell, things turn bitter, raw, and disgusting in a few cases, and that’s really when I invested in this story. They were both explored thoroughly inside and out, quite literally in some cases. I revelled in the filth, hunger, and mania. I tune in for the picturesque couple hoping to make a new life for themselves because secretly I want to see it all come crashing down around them. I was certainly not disappointed.
It went places I really wasn’t expecting and I’m still puzzling over the ending a little bit, but in a good way. The best way, really. That’s the stuff that stays with you and THE FEAR definitely did that.
What I liked about this story the most was easily the relationship between the two main characters, Jaqueline and Ashley. It was real, sweet, loving, and tangible…until of course it wasn’t. Eventually things go completely to Hell, things turn bitter, raw, and disgusting in a few cases, and that’s really when I invested in this story. They were both explored thoroughly inside and out, quite literally in some cases. I revelled in the filth, hunger, and mania. I tune in for the picturesque couple hoping to make a new life for themselves because secretly I want to see it all come crashing down around them. I was certainly not disappointed.
It went places I really wasn’t expecting and I’m still puzzling over the ending a little bit, but in a good way. The best way, really. That’s the stuff that stays with you and THE FEAR definitely did that.
August 12, 2020
I figured this book would be fitting for the time that we are in, and it mostly is, but it is also extremely weird.
Ash and Jack have just moved to Austin. On their first day in town, they go to see Jaws at the river. When they are walking home they get harassed by a guy, later dubbed the Cardigan Man. Jack has always had fragile mental health and this is the last straw. They move again and this all happens when the US goes into lockdown due to the virus. More harassing and fever dreams ensue. Ash tries to hold her own, but they get locked into their building by their crazy landlord who shoots people who try to break out. Turns out Cardigan Man lives in their building and is helping their landlord. Jack has a full mental breakdown and Ash is trying to make the best of living on the food they have and being confined to their small living room.
I mean I honestly don't have clue what I actually just read. At first, I thought this seems fitting for the time, two women being harassed for being gay, mental issue, the pandemic, all seems logical and the making of an ok story. But it was hard to read, hard to follow, and the ending? Did I just read a weird fantasy novel? I have no clue. This book has me so confused I have a hard time formulating a review, and not in a good way!
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*
Ash and Jack have just moved to Austin. On their first day in town, they go to see Jaws at the river. When they are walking home they get harassed by a guy, later dubbed the Cardigan Man. Jack has always had fragile mental health and this is the last straw. They move again and this all happens when the US goes into lockdown due to the virus. More harassing and fever dreams ensue. Ash tries to hold her own, but they get locked into their building by their crazy landlord who shoots people who try to break out. Turns out Cardigan Man lives in their building and is helping their landlord. Jack has a full mental breakdown and Ash is trying to make the best of living on the food they have and being confined to their small living room.
I mean I honestly don't have clue what I actually just read. At first, I thought this seems fitting for the time, two women being harassed for being gay, mental issue, the pandemic, all seems logical and the making of an ok story. But it was hard to read, hard to follow, and the ending? Did I just read a weird fantasy novel? I have no clue. This book has me so confused I have a hard time formulating a review, and not in a good way!
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2021
“You don’t believe me.”
“I do, Jack. But can you take a moment to believe me? Believe in the possibility that memory is fallible and unreliable and that our minds are constantly playing tricks on us and massaging our confirmation bias?”
This is a book that heavily relates to every single person over the last year and half. It mirrors the anxiety, the claustrophobia, the spiral of our need to function in a society that isn’t prepared for a pandemic and the instability of handling mental health.
The Fear follows two women, Ash and Jack, who are trying to cope with more than just being locked in their small apartment. The Fear deals with issues of being in a biracial queer relationship, spiralling mental health and the oppression of just existing and the questioning of identity.
This was a really hard book to read for me, as I’ve been in a similar situation as Ash and was finding it quite hard to feel anything for Jack. I wanted to jump into the book and scream at Ash to leave, to realise that she deserves more and that it’s not her job to care for Jack and that it’s not her responsibility to get her help.
I felt a lot of dread and anxiety while reading and it was due to the fact Ash was locked inside a house with someone who wasn’t mentally well, who was becoming increasingly unstable as time went on. It wasn’t until near the end of the book I was beginning to feel a bit sympathetic for Jack, but I was really struggling to support her through most of the novel as she was a really unlikeable character to me.
The writing was absolutely amazing and really captured how isolating and scary a pandemic can be, especially when you’re literally living in one.
Although I struggled through some parts, more so because of my own triggers, this was a really unsettling, dread-inducing story and I really enjoyed it. When a book can make me feel real emotions, I know it’s a good book.
Trigger Warnings:
racism, racial slurs, homophobia, homophobic slurs, sexual assault, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, mental trauma, mental instability, physical assault, gore, body horror, animal death, blood, violence, bodily wounds
“I do, Jack. But can you take a moment to believe me? Believe in the possibility that memory is fallible and unreliable and that our minds are constantly playing tricks on us and massaging our confirmation bias?”
This is a book that heavily relates to every single person over the last year and half. It mirrors the anxiety, the claustrophobia, the spiral of our need to function in a society that isn’t prepared for a pandemic and the instability of handling mental health.
The Fear follows two women, Ash and Jack, who are trying to cope with more than just being locked in their small apartment. The Fear deals with issues of being in a biracial queer relationship, spiralling mental health and the oppression of just existing and the questioning of identity.
This was a really hard book to read for me, as I’ve been in a similar situation as Ash and was finding it quite hard to feel anything for Jack. I wanted to jump into the book and scream at Ash to leave, to realise that she deserves more and that it’s not her job to care for Jack and that it’s not her responsibility to get her help.
I felt a lot of dread and anxiety while reading and it was due to the fact Ash was locked inside a house with someone who wasn’t mentally well, who was becoming increasingly unstable as time went on. It wasn’t until near the end of the book I was beginning to feel a bit sympathetic for Jack, but I was really struggling to support her through most of the novel as she was a really unlikeable character to me.
The writing was absolutely amazing and really captured how isolating and scary a pandemic can be, especially when you’re literally living in one.
Although I struggled through some parts, more so because of my own triggers, this was a really unsettling, dread-inducing story and I really enjoyed it. When a book can make me feel real emotions, I know it’s a good book.
Trigger Warnings:
racism, racial slurs, homophobia, homophobic slurs, sexual assault, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, mental trauma, mental instability, physical assault, gore, body horror, animal death, blood, violence, bodily wounds
August 10, 2020
Holy cow this was a wild ride. 5/5 ⭐️. This book needs no synopsis because the reader needs to go in blind. It's weird and fun and just what I want in my horror.
October 30, 2020
3.5, rounded up for Goodreads!
This is probably the most interesting pandemic (apocalyptic? dystopian?) book I have read this year. The Fear starts at the beginning of this year's COVID pandemic and parallels almost exactly what happens in the real world...complete with, now hilariously not so well aged, quotes from Trump. That could be a horror all on its own.
The Fear is for body horror fans (Hello!), the main characters are a married lesbian couple (I was hesitant about this at first, with Hamilton being a cis man...but he did a great job, did his research, and it's notated in the acknowledgements), psychological terrors straddling the line between reality and sick fantasy, homophobia, racism, and sexism.
I got quickly invested in this book, to the point where as I continued reading and the storyline got more fantastical and demonic, I struggled to mentally draw the line between what really happened in the world during COVID and what was happening in the book. This is not a bad thing.
Major props to Spencer Hamilton, remember this name! Not only is The Fear a great read, but the fact that it's self-published deserves all the respect. I enjoyed chatting with Spencer about The Fear and his self publishing process. His hard work is respected and appreciated.
Shop small! Buy indie! Buy self-published!
This is probably the most interesting pandemic (apocalyptic? dystopian?) book I have read this year. The Fear starts at the beginning of this year's COVID pandemic and parallels almost exactly what happens in the real world...complete with, now hilariously not so well aged, quotes from Trump. That could be a horror all on its own.
The Fear is for body horror fans (Hello!), the main characters are a married lesbian couple (I was hesitant about this at first, with Hamilton being a cis man...but he did a great job, did his research, and it's notated in the acknowledgements), psychological terrors straddling the line between reality and sick fantasy, homophobia, racism, and sexism.
I got quickly invested in this book, to the point where as I continued reading and the storyline got more fantastical and demonic, I struggled to mentally draw the line between what really happened in the world during COVID and what was happening in the book. This is not a bad thing.
Major props to Spencer Hamilton, remember this name! Not only is The Fear a great read, but the fact that it's self-published deserves all the respect. I enjoyed chatting with Spencer about The Fear and his self publishing process. His hard work is respected and appreciated.
Shop small! Buy indie! Buy self-published!
September 3, 2020
SO I'm going to start out by saying that I did enjoy this book, and found it to be a fast read. The fear growing in the book was almost a palpable thing and I could feel my heart racing as I went on. The ACTUAL quotes of the president/news outlets/twitter at the beginning of each chapter was a real great touch that I enjoyed IMMENSELY!!! LGBT rep is always a great thing, and I feel like Spencer also did a great job with social commentary (racism and homophobia specifically). His writing can be a bit wordy, which I don't think detracts from the quality of the book but may irk some readers. Also, there are some pretty graphic and nasty scenes with injuries and body horror type stuff that may gross you out if you have a weak stomach. There were some cons though; things seemed a bit repetitive (please say the cardigan man ONE MORE TIME), it had that weird sex stuff I HATE IN horror books (looking at you Stephen King), and while the start was INCREDIBLY strong and had me sucked in I felt confused by the end (specifically Jack's evolution; I felt it was strange and hard to follow). Jack's descent into insanity could have been a little less obvious, it seemed like she was pretty much nuts to begin with. Either way, I think Spencer is going great places with his writing and I can't wait to see what else he cooks up in that brain of his.
May 6, 2021
This is a very apt book for what’s been happening in the world over these last twelve months, but it’s also so much more than just a novel set during a pandemic. It’s about our own horrors we might have to face within our own four walls, or even within ourselves.
The two main characters, Ash and Jack, are so strong and well developed that they drive this story, and make every moment of it terrifyingly realistic. In certain moments I could empathise with Jack, and for a lot of it I rooted for Ash. Their thoughts and feelings felt so genuine and their actions were believable.
I knew Hamilton was a good writer having read a few of his short stories, but I’m even more impressed now having read a longer piece of his work. His language is very impactful and yet has an easy flow.
I don’t really know what else to add without giving anything away other than that the ending of the story took my breath away. It was so unexpected and such a powerful and invigorating way to close.
The two main characters, Ash and Jack, are so strong and well developed that they drive this story, and make every moment of it terrifyingly realistic. In certain moments I could empathise with Jack, and for a lot of it I rooted for Ash. Their thoughts and feelings felt so genuine and their actions were believable.
I knew Hamilton was a good writer having read a few of his short stories, but I’m even more impressed now having read a longer piece of his work. His language is very impactful and yet has an easy flow.
I don’t really know what else to add without giving anything away other than that the ending of the story took my breath away. It was so unexpected and such a powerful and invigorating way to close.
March 24, 2021
'The Fear' took me nearly 6 months to read. Not because it is bad. Not because I didn't want to finish it sooner. Not because I didn't have time. It took me nearly 6 months to read because Spencer Hamilton wrote a pandemic horror story wrapped up nicely in social commentary during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that amplified all of my anxiety and stress...in the best way possible. I could only finish this book once there was an administrative change in the United States. I could only finish this book once vaccine rollout began en masse. I could only finish this book when I began to feel my own fear beginning to lift. Even though I had to take it slow for my own good, don't let that hinder you from picking this one up.
Instead, let it draw you in.
Jacqueline and Ashley are a married couple that have recently moved to Austin, and are settling into their new life together, when they witness a hate crime that will send ripple effects throughout the rest of the story. While both women are deeply disturbed by what has happened to them, Jacqueline (Jack) is suffering from extreme PTSD. A few months later, when COVID-19 begins to sweep across the globe, and the inadequacies and unpreparedness of the Trump administration add to the confusion and terror, Jack and Ashley find themselves trapped at home and struggling to survive. As the pressures mount, and the situation becomes dire, the women must ask which terror is worse - the unknown outside or the festering within.
I applaud Hamilton for writing about this collective moment in such a way that will last beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. That he taps into the claustrophobia of relationships and the anxiety of the mundane right alongside the very real terrors of xenophobia and racism. This is a well-crafted, indie horror story, and I can't wait to see what other dark roads Hamilton takes us down.
Sincere thanks to the author for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Instead, let it draw you in.
Jacqueline and Ashley are a married couple that have recently moved to Austin, and are settling into their new life together, when they witness a hate crime that will send ripple effects throughout the rest of the story. While both women are deeply disturbed by what has happened to them, Jacqueline (Jack) is suffering from extreme PTSD. A few months later, when COVID-19 begins to sweep across the globe, and the inadequacies and unpreparedness of the Trump administration add to the confusion and terror, Jack and Ashley find themselves trapped at home and struggling to survive. As the pressures mount, and the situation becomes dire, the women must ask which terror is worse - the unknown outside or the festering within.
I applaud Hamilton for writing about this collective moment in such a way that will last beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. That he taps into the claustrophobia of relationships and the anxiety of the mundane right alongside the very real terrors of xenophobia and racism. This is a well-crafted, indie horror story, and I can't wait to see what other dark roads Hamilton takes us down.
Sincere thanks to the author for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 7, 2020
This book started off with a phenomenal punch. Fantastic writing, a compelling opening that really draws the reader in and allows them to experience being in that terrifying moment. (Not to mention an obvious and admirable love of the movie "Jaws" that makes me want to see the movie again)
I'm afraid to say that the solid one-two punch combo that brilliantly opened this book and pulled me in began to fade into what felt like half-hearted swipes of an exhausted boxer as the story moved along.
The author's writing was solid enough to keep me going, despite getting frustrated with some of the repetitive elements of the madness that ended up negatively affecting the main characters relationship.
I was also intrigued by the way that The Fear manifests, both mentally, as well as physically, at the end. But I wish the author had planted a few more elements hinting that would be coming earlier in the story so it didn't seem to come out of nowhere.
I loved parts of this story, and hated other elements of it.
But, ultimately, kudos go to Hamilton for pulling me through all the way to the end. Because, despite my frustration with some of the stretched out moments of mental descent, or with some of the details that require the reader to bite off more suspension of disbelief that can be comfortably chewed (and I'm not talking about the very end, but some of the details about the madness happening outside the apartment - that, like the book itself, started off incredibly strong, but then seemed to just peter out as the book progressed) I wanted to keep reading, to see what happens next. IE, the author knew how to keep the reader turning the pages.
I did enjoy the book, loved certain elements of it, and actually cared for the characters. So kudos to the author - I'm definitely going to be checking out his other books.
I'm afraid to say that the solid one-two punch combo that brilliantly opened this book and pulled me in began to fade into what felt like half-hearted swipes of an exhausted boxer as the story moved along.
The author's writing was solid enough to keep me going, despite getting frustrated with some of the repetitive elements of the madness that ended up negatively affecting the main characters relationship.
I was also intrigued by the way that The Fear manifests, both mentally, as well as physically, at the end. But I wish the author had planted a few more elements hinting that would be coming earlier in the story so it didn't seem to come out of nowhere.
I loved parts of this story, and hated other elements of it.
But, ultimately, kudos go to Hamilton for pulling me through all the way to the end. Because, despite my frustration with some of the stretched out moments of mental descent, or with some of the details that require the reader to bite off more suspension of disbelief that can be comfortably chewed (and I'm not talking about the very end, but some of the details about the madness happening outside the apartment - that, like the book itself, started off incredibly strong, but then seemed to just peter out as the book progressed) I wanted to keep reading, to see what happens next. IE, the author knew how to keep the reader turning the pages.
I did enjoy the book, loved certain elements of it, and actually cared for the characters. So kudos to the author - I'm definitely going to be checking out his other books.
September 11, 2021
Ashley and Jacqueline both need a change. They move to Houston, TX, but are instantly attacked by a homophobic, xenophobic hipster Jack dubs "The Cardigan Man." Soon, between Jack's deterioration and Ashley's optimism, the world stalls. The president has just announced a national lockdown to defeat a deadly virus called Covid-19.
Being almost 2 years in the pandemic, I didn't think this book would scare me. But yet, it did. Spencer Hamilton adds so much fear to this novel, it really lives up to its name. There are many things discussed in this novel that are so much more than just the pandemic. We discuss Jack's Christian-based trauma, Ash's not-so-great relationship with her parents, and Jack's increasingly bad mental illness.
This book will mean a lot to a lot of people. It discusses normal fear, while also delving into what we may consider "irrational" fear. But all irrational fear stems in truth.
Also, fuck Doug.
CW: homophobia, slurs, xenophobia, homophobic attack, suicidal ideation, self-harm, blood & some body horror, mental illness/psychosis
Being almost 2 years in the pandemic, I didn't think this book would scare me. But yet, it did. Spencer Hamilton adds so much fear to this novel, it really lives up to its name. There are many things discussed in this novel that are so much more than just the pandemic. We discuss Jack's Christian-based trauma, Ash's not-so-great relationship with her parents, and Jack's increasingly bad mental illness.
This book will mean a lot to a lot of people. It discusses normal fear, while also delving into what we may consider "irrational" fear. But all irrational fear stems in truth.
Also, fuck Doug.
CW: homophobia, slurs, xenophobia, homophobic attack, suicidal ideation, self-harm, blood & some body horror, mental illness/psychosis
August 11, 2020
“Here, it was oppressive. It was nothing you wanted to get caught under. It covered the land like a lead blanket and then hammered itself into place until the world couldn’t hold such a vast and growing amount of water. It came hot and heavy. It came fast and left whenever it pleased . . .”
Spencer Hamilton, in this breathshattering debut, swifts us off onto the wildest of rides—a ride that, curiously, happens to be quite closely knit, decorticating the tropes and the normalcies of the conventional pandemic tale; if there is anything to say of Hamilton, it would be that he is anything but conventional.
Shufted into a dark world reality almost too close to home—an existence rifled by outbroken virus, laid off and quarantined . . . sound familiar?—we are brought into the tight perspectives of an encumbered one named Ashley, and her partner, Jacqueline, a woman lost and plagued within the nightmares of herself, as they two attempt to navigate the days and weeks and months and potential years of this strange apocalypse. If you’re expecting the sprawling chaos of such scopes as The Stand or The Road or whatever other pandemic novels that take us across the many landscapes of America, this novel is not it; and to expand on that—please do heed the warning—this should not deter you. Hamilton here, in fact, constructs a masterful legerdemain, collating his joys and gems and many horrific influences into an exhibition nonetheless: a grand and specular showcase of just what can—and likely will—happen to the human mind under such contemporary, sibylline duress. Oh, and believe me, the Fear is alive and well.
So as not to persist into the hinterland of spoilers, I will cut this somewhat short, with just a few more words about why YOU should grab a copy of this book about as soon as feasibly possible:
The economic and yet exquisite, striking prose; the depth and nuance to the perspective characters that is rare to find—these are not flat, unwritten females but detailedly truthful personas hypersensitive to any possible out-of-whack representation; the gorgeous imageries, creativities, and innovations to the much saturated genre; and the succinct and clear evolution of the author’s abilities. From his short story collection, Kitchen Sink, to the debut of The Fear and even on and beyond, Hamilton is a one to watch.
He’ll be a household name before we know it.
So come on in . . .
. . . the water’s warm and incredibly weird and not at all swimming with unseen and monstrous things . . .
. . . you can trust me.
Can’t you?
Spencer Hamilton, in this breathshattering debut, swifts us off onto the wildest of rides—a ride that, curiously, happens to be quite closely knit, decorticating the tropes and the normalcies of the conventional pandemic tale; if there is anything to say of Hamilton, it would be that he is anything but conventional.
Shufted into a dark world reality almost too close to home—an existence rifled by outbroken virus, laid off and quarantined . . . sound familiar?—we are brought into the tight perspectives of an encumbered one named Ashley, and her partner, Jacqueline, a woman lost and plagued within the nightmares of herself, as they two attempt to navigate the days and weeks and months and potential years of this strange apocalypse. If you’re expecting the sprawling chaos of such scopes as The Stand or The Road or whatever other pandemic novels that take us across the many landscapes of America, this novel is not it; and to expand on that—please do heed the warning—this should not deter you. Hamilton here, in fact, constructs a masterful legerdemain, collating his joys and gems and many horrific influences into an exhibition nonetheless: a grand and specular showcase of just what can—and likely will—happen to the human mind under such contemporary, sibylline duress. Oh, and believe me, the Fear is alive and well.
So as not to persist into the hinterland of spoilers, I will cut this somewhat short, with just a few more words about why YOU should grab a copy of this book about as soon as feasibly possible:
The economic and yet exquisite, striking prose; the depth and nuance to the perspective characters that is rare to find—these are not flat, unwritten females but detailedly truthful personas hypersensitive to any possible out-of-whack representation; the gorgeous imageries, creativities, and innovations to the much saturated genre; and the succinct and clear evolution of the author’s abilities. From his short story collection, Kitchen Sink, to the debut of The Fear and even on and beyond, Hamilton is a one to watch.
He’ll be a household name before we know it.
So come on in . . .
. . . the water’s warm and incredibly weird and not at all swimming with unseen and monstrous things . . .
. . . you can trust me.
Can’t you?
August 18, 2020
I loved this book. It's horribly timely, the gore is disturbing without being overplayed, and the characters are real, human and play brilliantly off each other.
If proving that all it takes to leave a dark, gory imprint on the reader with just a brief touch of horror in all the stories of KITCHEN SINK wasn't enough, Spencer Hamilton is back with a longer, even more bloodthirsty taste of horror in THE FEAR.
Ramping up the terror from the ominous Book One to the rampaging carnage of Book Four, Hamilton not only offers a twisted commentary on the world as it is right now, but just how much worse it could be: he flits from body horror to tense, psychological drama with the turn of a page and ramps it all the way up to 11 for a gruesome, perfect finale.
Scares abound in a tight, cutting showcase of the best aspects of the genre in one fast-paced, character-driven story with copious amounts of feeling, heart and of course, blood.
If proving that all it takes to leave a dark, gory imprint on the reader with just a brief touch of horror in all the stories of KITCHEN SINK wasn't enough, Spencer Hamilton is back with a longer, even more bloodthirsty taste of horror in THE FEAR.
Ramping up the terror from the ominous Book One to the rampaging carnage of Book Four, Hamilton not only offers a twisted commentary on the world as it is right now, but just how much worse it could be: he flits from body horror to tense, psychological drama with the turn of a page and ramps it all the way up to 11 for a gruesome, perfect finale.
Scares abound in a tight, cutting showcase of the best aspects of the genre in one fast-paced, character-driven story with copious amounts of feeling, heart and of course, blood.
August 23, 2020
A difficult to read book...not because it’s bad (4-stars), but because it fueled my anxiety. Real world events devolved into a dystopian nightmare not far from today’s reality, making it clear that we truly do live in horrific times. The downward spiral of the main characters is equally disheartening and aggravating. Easy to sympathize yet I wanted to shake them and tell them to get a grip. Well done Mr. Hamilton!
August 20, 2020
The Fear is a pandemic based horror novel inspired by COVID-19. It follows two women (Ash and Jack) around into a tiny apartment and dives into their minds as they slowly become restless and begin to emotionally shut down. The plot was excellent and the characters were very well written. The claustrophobia and paranoia plays a really huge part in this novel making me feel really anxious and uneasy. If you enjoy psychological horror, I urge to read this one! It’s fast paced and truly horrifying.
A huge thank you to the author for sending me this e-Arc of this novel. I very much enjoyed it and its probably one of my favorite short read of 2020.
A huge thank you to the author for sending me this e-Arc of this novel. I very much enjoyed it and its probably one of my favorite short read of 2020.
August 16, 2020
The Fear is a pandemic based story, hugely inspired by the Covid-19. I was inspired to read this book as it would be fitting for the current time that we are in.
This book is on emotional horror and is centered around Jack and Ash who are quarantined together in a small apartment. Jack is afraid of the Cardigan man who turns out to be a fragment of her own imagination, who seems to be constantly haunting her thoughts.
The descriptions in this book are expertly done and held my interest throughout, although at some points I did struggle to keep up with the plot of the book.
As the story develops, Jack becomes more deranged, putting Ash in a difficult spot. She is left to choose between protecting herself or her lover.
Summary: Befitting of our time, story of two gay women, harassed and mentally ill. Dealing with issues surrounding the pandemic.
This book is on emotional horror and is centered around Jack and Ash who are quarantined together in a small apartment. Jack is afraid of the Cardigan man who turns out to be a fragment of her own imagination, who seems to be constantly haunting her thoughts.
The descriptions in this book are expertly done and held my interest throughout, although at some points I did struggle to keep up with the plot of the book.
As the story develops, Jack becomes more deranged, putting Ash in a difficult spot. She is left to choose between protecting herself or her lover.
Summary: Befitting of our time, story of two gay women, harassed and mentally ill. Dealing with issues surrounding the pandemic.
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