Rookfield

by Gordon B. White

When Cabot Howard's ex-wife, Leana, flees the pandemic with their son Porter to the backwoods town of Rookfield, Cabot sets off after them. Once he arrives, however, he finds Leana is in hiding, her family won't hand Porter over, and the townsfolk are deadly serious about always wearing masks. The town's children dress like little plague doctors and the adults are hellbent on getting Cabot out by nightfall.



Despite being alone and under attack, Cabot won't leave without his son. Nothing-not ex-in-laws, not the sheriff, not even whatever monstrosity might be lurking in the woods just behind the barn-will stop Cabot from getting them out of ... Rookfield.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

122 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2021

About the author

Gordon B. White also writes as Gordon White

Gordon B. White is a Shirley Jackson Award and Bram Stoker Award nominated writer of horror and weird fiction. He is the author of the collection As Summer’s Mask Slips and Other Disruptions, and the novellas Rookfield and And In Her Smile, the World (with Rebecca J. Allred, 2022). A graduate of the Clarion West Writing Workshop, Gordon’s stories have appeared in dozens of venues, including The Best Horror of the Year Vol. 12, and the Bram Stoker Award® winning anthology Borderlands 6. He also contributes reviews and interviews to various genre outlets. You can find him online at www.gordonbwhite.com or on Twitter @GordonBWhite.

Reviews

[Steve Stred · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **

I’ve found this year that people are either totally fine reading books that feature/mention/discuss Covid-19, while others want to stay far away from it, preferring to enjoy some escape from reality and just diving into a world where people don’t need to wear masks or worry about a runny nose.

Gordon B. White took a different route and, at least I think, walked that very thin line between writing a book directly about Covid-19 while writing a book that you could argue is a fictional ‘pandemic’ within its pages.

The book also takes a unique look at a separated couple and their child and is told from the perspective of the parent who would, in most instances, be considered the ‘bad’ parent. It was a lofty idea and White does a great job of tackling it and making us feel empathy when we really shouldn’t or, more accurately, really wouldn’t if this was people we knew.

What I liked: ‘Rookfield’ follows Cabot, a well-off dbag who doesn’t fully believe there’s a pandemic and isn’t one who wants to wear a mask or follow society rules regarding distancing. When he receives a voicemail from his young son, Porter, asking him to come get him, he decides to go, but much to his chagrin, his ex-wife has taken Porter out to her relative’s place in Rookfield, a small town in the middle of nowhere.

At first, White gives us a sense that Cabot has been wronged, and that he should go out and get his son. But it’s through little hints and tip-offs that let us see the ‘why’ behind her taking Porter. Once he gets on the road and has some interactions with people, you also see his entitlement and his ridicule of people. In one telling moment, once in Rookfield, he is giving a ride to someone wearing a mask. The masks that the people in the town wear resemble that of a plague mask, but avian in nature. Cabot tries to tell this individual it’s a plague mask. No, the character replies, it’s a mask after the Rook, the bird the town is named after. To this point, Cabot scoffs and tells the character that it is in fact a plague mask and that the people were just too stupid and called it Rookfield, forgetting the ‘B’ at the start. This seemingly innocent exchange comes full circle later on and it is a pitch-perfect foreshadow that had me smiling when Cabot realized what he’d missed.

White, as mentioned, did a fantastic job of creating a book that tackles Covid-19 head-on, while also creating a book that doesn’t specifically mention the current pandemic once. Well done.

What I didn’t like: Honestly, I felt like we had a lot of hurry up and wait. We knew full well that something insane and crazy was going to happen, but we got to see Cabot be a dbag over and over and how he should’ve just left, like his lawyer told him, and returned with the proper paperwork and authorities.

Why you should buy this: White has created a fantastic entry in the world of ‘small town folklore’ horror and this book zips along. Tension filled and creepy as all heck, this book was a joy to read and see just what the hidden bonkers moments were.

Great stuff.

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published at Cemetery Dance:
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
An unusual horror story set during a global pandemic, Rookfield hits close to home.

A man named Cabot, seriously lacking in self-awareness and full of privilege, is looking for his son and estranged wife in a small town called Rookfield. Leana apparently fled to the small town under marital duress. It’s suggested that perhaps Cabot and Leana didn’t see eye to eye when it came to the ways they would be handling the pandemic and the protection of their son’s health and safety.

Cabot finds himself in the center of some unusual circumstances but, honestly, they are of his own making. Narrated by a character who views the world through his own skewed lens, the book forces the reader to filter Cabot’s experiences through a fact check.

Once Cabot is reunited with his family, the question lingers heavy in the air: Will he learn to accept things the way they are or will he continue to believe his own narrative and risk everything? In contrast, Rookfield citizens take the pandemic very seriously but there’s something just below the surface that has nothing to do with the current health crisis.

White spins a truly compelling yarn but by the end of this story, I was left wanting more. While I appreciated the way the author crafted an eerie atmosphere layered with unsettling dread, I was let down by ambiguity. I wanted to spend more time with the town of Rookfield and its strange citizens. I desired a backstory on the totems, maybe a detailed account of some folklore, or a tour of the township.

I will seek out other stories by Gordon B. White and I’m excited that I own As Summer’s Mask Slips and Other Disruptions. I would recommend Rookfield to horror fans that enjoy cultish, small-town horrors and eerie secrets.

[David Peak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expertly written and perfectly paced. Longer review/interview on the way.

[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW: Gaslighting, toxic parent relationship, toxic relationships, language, bullying, family drama, classism

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:When Cabot Howard’s ex-wife, Leana, and their son, Porter, flee the pandemic to the backwoods town of Rookfield, Cabot sets off after them. Once there, however, Leana is in hiding, her family won't hand Porter over, and the townsfolk are deadly serious about always wearing masks. The children all dress like little plague doctors and the adults are hellbent on getting Cabot out by nightfall.

Despite being alone and under attack, Cabot won’t leave without his son. Nothing—not ex-in-laws, not the sheriff, not even whatever monstrosity might lurk in the woods just behind the barn—will stop Cabot from getting them out of ... ROOKFIELD.
Release Date: October 15th, 2021
Genre: Horror
Pages: 96
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Spooky tones
2. Creepy characters

What I Didn't Like:
1. Made Cabot too much of a villain

Overall Thoughts:
Complete spooky tones of this man going to a town he's never been to get his son back. I loved that about the book. It seriously kept me on the edge of the seat trying to figure out what was going on. I had zero idea and just had to read to know. When I got to the ending I was shocked it's a big rook that brings people back that are sick. I guess that's what happened... That part wasn't exactly clear.

Final Thoughts: Another reviewer said having a prequel to this book would be great and I agree. I'd love to find out more about the town and the people.

I loved the authors writing and the could see the town he painted. I'll read more from him.

Recommend For:
• Creepy town settings
• Mysterious townspeople
• Main characters that are jerks

IG | Blog

[Stacia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover blurb mentions Rookfield being like The Twilight Zone on steroids & I agree. It's horror-esqe, getting more unhinged as you go along. It's set in our covid/plague world & starts out with a normal enough premise: a woman takes her son & goes to stay with relatives while going through a divorce. The viewpoint is told from her husband, a typical narcissistic mansplaining type (meaning, it's hard to find a lot of sympathy for him, imo). He wants to get his son back so he comes riding into the small town on his white horse (Maserati actually) & that's when things start going from odd to outright weird. There's definitely a Twilight Zone feel when you're in this small town where things just aren't... right. This novella really would make a cool episode of Twilight Zone with the requisite creepy signature music. White tackles a range of themes in this book from coping in our weird covid world to the horrors that reside within oneself. I think fans of weird horror or The Twilight Zone will enjoy this one.

Probably 3.5 stars because I didn't like the main character but I'm bumping it to 4 because I think White really captured the strangeness of the off-kilter world we've been inhabiting since 2020.

Thanks to author Gordon B. White for sending me a pre-pub copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Yvonne (the putrid Shelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rookfield is a story set during a global pandemic, sounds familiar right? The author is so eloquent in his portrayal of life in a pandemic. Be prepared to walk a tightrope of emotions. The protagonist is a character that leaves you questioning his motives. On one hand, you can get on board with his thought processes behind tracking down his wife and son. The world is in chaos, and he needs the familiar to ground him. On the other hand, he is full of self-entitled privilege that makes him a major turn off. There’s no come and go with him, no middle ground.

Cabot escapes the city looking for his son and estranged wife and makes his way to Rookfield. It’s a strange little town that instantly has your nerves on edge. Pandemic masks are everywhere and soon you get a feeling that things between Cabot and his estranged wife, Leana aren’t exactly on close terms. It’s a stressful time existing through-out a pandemic, let alone trying to navigate the difficult roads that parenting lead us down. They don’t seem to agree on how they should bring up their son during these difficult times and there is obvious friction between them.

I loved the feel of this novel, there is a dark edge, a sinister undercurrent. Be prepared to look over your shoulder in fear of your skull being caved in by an unknown assailant. The characterisation of the narrator is well crafted and with enough space to grow and become a fully-fledged person with flaws and strengths, even in a novella. The heightened narrative doesn’t allow the tension to let up and you find yourself scrambling to put the clues together and come up with a plausible answer.

The story was brutal and raw. Examining the why’s left my head aching. I wouldn’t completely say that Cabot is an unreliable narrator, but you must witness his experiences and decide if his rose-tinted spectacles need a dusting. The residents of Rookfield are found to be taking the pandemic very seriously (and why not?) BUT something is just off from the get-go. Cabot rides into the town with his Maserati and his narcissistic bullshit and they are more than a little wary of him. I don’t want to spoil anything so pick this one up, it’s brilliant.

[M. A. Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great folk horror tends to portray circumstances so pleasant that they force readers, viewers, and characters to at least consider the possibility that a little sacrifice here and there just might be worth it. The world of Rookfield takes this tendency and runs with it, contrasting the all-too-real horrors of domestic abuse and COVID-19 denial with something eerie and inexplicable that, though disturbing, seems like it may genuinely improve the lives of people in a picturesquely insular town.

Among Rookfield’s many gripping features, the tensions between characters stand out as signposts for how readers ought to react. It’s hard—perhaps impossible—not to root for the citizens of Rookfield, no matter how creepy they seem at times, every time the plot sets them in opposition to the detestable main character. There are several reasons this book might make readers stay up too late, on the edge of their seats (in all seriousness, it’s so scary I kept feeling my legs tense in readiness to run), because they just have to know how the narrative plays out; perhaps the most crucial reason is that it never loses sight of who the real villains in life most unquestionably are.

This might be a perfect little book for people who need to process the pandemic through supernatural fiction. It should also be a fantastic read for anyone in search of a book that might make them break a sweat. I found this one completely impossible to put down.

[Kim Napolitano · Rating 5 out of 5]

What? Fantastic! A more detailed review pending as I process this unbelievably amazing novella. Go get!

[Martha Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

White's debut novella does what I love from any book I read under 200 pages: it hits the ground running, and barely gives you space to breathe. White has no time to waste, and neither does Cab, our POV character already on the way to making bad life decisions in the opening sentences of the story.

Rookfield is about Cabot, a city man trekking it to the countryside to reunite with his son, who his wife has absconded with in fear of their safety. You see, there's a pandemic going on, and Leana (in the process of divorcing from Cab) has disappeared to the small town of Rookfield where she grew up, searching for a safer place to ride everything out.

But Cab is not the kind of person to let something lie, especially something he sees as an affront to him, personally. White does a very effective job of using Cab as a compelling POV while also not really trying to make him likeable: in the spirit of Thomas Tryon's Harvest Home, everything that goes wrong here is because Cab just couldn't leave it alone. So when he goes back to Rookfield, against the advice of so many people (including his lawyer), it feels inevitable when things start going absolutely and creepily haywire. The town is full of kids in plague masks, everyone is hostile, there's mysterious arson, and Cab's situation deteriorates the more he doubles down on "rescuing" his son.

Cab sucks, and I commend White for being willing to make his main character a pretty detestable guy. He doesn't wear masks unless forced to, and acts childish about even being asked; he's careless about viral exposure; Cab is the guy who thinks he's the smartest person in the room and will always let you know. There is a vicious delight in watching someone who thinks they know best be told, over and over again, that he doesn't, and to be punished for that hubris in the end.

My main critique is that, because the story is told from Cab's POV as an outsider, I don't get to learn literally everything about Rookfield and their rituals and practices. I would read this story again from the perspective of almost every other character, just because I'd love to know the details of the situation that are hinted at or referred to. White does a great job of building a world that clearly has a deep lore in a short number of pages, and if he wanted to spend more time with the citizens of Rookfield, I certainly wouldn't complain.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll take my pandemic with a side of Lovecraftian dread, please.

I was fortunate enough to recieve an advance copy of this novella with the promise of an honest review. I am glad I had the chance, because Rookfield blew my expectations away.

There is a certain appeal to a story already in progress by the time we are invited in, and Gordon wastes no time moving us along. In the ever familiar pandemic times, Cabot is on a mission to check in on his estranged wife (Leana) and child after a disturbing call from his son, Porter. Leania has taken Porter back to her hometown to get away from the city, the pandemic, and (truth be told) Cab himself but Porter’s call hints at trouble.

Things take a turn as Cab enters town and is greeted by the sight of Rookfield’s childern going about their day in full, Victorian plague doctor garb.

And things only get stranger from there.

Gordon B. White’s prose expertly wraps us into the unfolding nightmare. My current favorite line reads, “Like any scene of a sufficiently large tradgedy, the burnt wreckage held a magnetic allure. It was as if the enormousness of the desruction had imparted to the ruins an outsized density which drew Cabot towards it.” Poetry…

This novella has teeth and will hold you in its jaws as it takes the “new normal” we find ourselves in and begs us to question what we are willing to do to keep our family safe from a town bent on protecting its own.

[Jeff Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy hell! Rookfield, the story itself, is ominous and anxiety inducing from the jump. Rookfield, the town itself, is like seeing a shadow that extends too long for comfort—something is just so unendingly off.

I loved this novella. The pacing is razor sharp, and because of that, every sentence feels wholly necessary. I felt like I was flinching from the prospect of impending doom in every direction the entire read. Perfect.

After reading his short story collection, As Summer’s Mask Slips, I became a fan of Gordon B. White’s work. Rookfield has me rooted in further.

Do yourself a favor and get in on the ground floor of a brilliant writer. The anxiety and dread is worth every page!

[Georgette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cabot Howard is not a nice man.

I go into most stories expecting to root for the protagonist, but this hits a little too close to what’s happening in the world right now – a pandemic caused by airborne viruses, a lingering paranoia, deniers who are too full of themselves to be part of the possible solution, and no traffic on the roads. In any case, this is my first encounter with pandemic fiction resulting from COVID-19, a genre we will no doubt see more of in months and weeks to come.

Anyway, we find Cabot racing his fancy car to his ex-wife’s hometown because Leana took off with their son “without his permission”, which is already a red flag on many levels. He wants Porter back, of course, but things take a turn for the weird when he gets to Rookfield. Sure, the adults are wearing masks and he doesn’t get any service if he doesn’t put one on, but what’s with all the kids wearing full-face Plague Doctor masks? And what’s with the town’s bird obsession?

I won’t exactly call Rookfield a pleasant read. Cabot’s headspace is a cringe-worthy place to be idling in while he attempts to barge his way through people who don’t like him and don’t want him around. But the author keeps his protagonist just interesting enough for you to go along for the ride to see if this will end in redemption or comeuppance.

And the strangeness of what’s actually up in Rookfield also proved to be a great hook, or even THE hook, which unfortunately leaves us wanting at the end. I want to know more about how the town and its residents fell into this creeptastic scenario. Should Rookfield be a novel instead of a novella, we might have learned more about this strange little backwoods town and its avian secrets. Something for another book, perhaps?

Gordon B White isn’t an author I’ve read before, but this isn’t surprising since my reading habits have stayed local lately. I came across his tweet quite by chance, and the genre was right. It’s been a hot minute since I reviewed anything because my iPad 2 finally died, and I can’t afford a new reading device. Turned out that my new (bigger!) phone worked well enough. So, more reviews forthcoming?

This ARC was courtesy of author Gordon B White in exchange for an honest review.

[Wendy Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things spilled on my shirt while reading this novella:
- Oatmeal
- Coffee
- Guacamole
- More coffee

I just wanted to find out: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS TOWN?

[Christi Nogle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover blurbs were right about this one. I really enjoyed it!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pitch-perfect.

[Reggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m glad this novella was only 122 pgs long because I kept hoping the Karen-esque main character would die in a fiery crash. This guy, at every turn, cannot help himself. Cabot Howard is driving away from the big city in his dove white Maserati to the small village of Rookfield, where his ex wife, Leana, has taken their son, Porter, to ride the pandemic out with family. When he gets there he is all to shocked to find out how strict their pandemic protocols are and how that does not gel with his agenda of taking his son back with him. I enjoyed this. Gordon really gets Cabot’s character right, no matter how detestable he is. He also drops these seeds of unease in the beginning that grow and grow into this spectacular weird end. Good stuff!

[Sarah Budd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cabot is on a mission to find his son and bring him home. Set during the pandemic Cabot doesn't care about the virus and certainly not the lockdown rules and regulations. It doesn't take long to conclude he's a bit of an arsehole. He's furious that his ex wife Leana has taken their son away from the city and back out across country hundreds of miles away back to Rookfield a small town in the middle of nowhere where his ex wife family hails from. However due to the pandemic his lawyer advises him there's not much he can do other than wait it out.

Cabot refuses to wait so he sets off, driving non stop until he finds Rookfield. Gordon B. White does an amazing job of quickly establishing some seriously weird vibes about this town. If it were me I'd leave straight away.

Even visiting the local shop seems fraught with danger but Cabot doesn't seem to notice any of this, he's too busy being an arsehole! He's a deeply flawed man, he's rude, and aggressive and mostly self centred but he loves his son. After a close shave he finally manages to locate the remote location where his son is being held .

Porter is drastically changed. His ex-wife's family are very reluctant to talk to Cabot. Leana refuses to come out and speak with him. He can't quite put his finger on his son's new appearance and things get even worse for Cabot, he's clearly not welcome in this little town.

We begin to learn that Cabot has been an absent father and even though Rookfield is a small out of the way town laced with danger and uncertainty, Porter doesn't want to leave. There's no sign of the ex wife and Cabot grows worried for her safety too. Nothing is what it seems in this town far from civilisation. No one is willing to help him not even the law. The town is hiding secrets from the rest of the world but Cabot is determined to find answers and protect his son.

Cobat has a lot of problems, it's so easy to not like him, he's domineering husband and absent father but you can't help but admire his tenacity of refusing to leave until he's sure both Porter and Leana are safe. Through his troubles he comes to realise that he really does love them both but is it too late for them to be a family once again?

I loved the fast paced action of this tale. There is absolutely no filler in these pages. Rookfield is a multi genre mash up of thriller, folk horror and mystery mixed together to create a really unique tale. There are some really chilling moments in this tale whilst also being a really tense and gripping read.

I loved the ending too, Rookfield goes out with a bang and the ambiguous ending really fits in with the mysterious town of Rookfield and its strange macabre customs. We never really know what happens to Cabot and will always be left wondering what happened to him.

Overall, this is an incredible debut released by Trepidatio Press. I can't wait to read more from Gordon B. White.

[Clint · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stone the Crow: a Review of Gordon B. White's ROOKFIELD

Within Rookfield’s novella-length dimensions, Gordon B. White achieves a narratively tight tale, while simultaneously managing to flex the story’s scope into something much more significant. I was privileged to read this in galley form, and the story — from its vivid surface illustrations to its upsetting subtext — continues to haunt me still.

Clearly in touch with its scale (in terms of both tale and “the confines” of Rookfield itself), White swiftly establishes tension by sending his protagonist, Cabot Howard, in pursuit of his young son, Porter, who’s mother has made the unsanctioned call to escort the boy to the titular town. I might mention, too, that these aforementioned confines are also beholden to the zeitgeisty component of a pandemic.

Howard is a difficult character, making his presence in the ostensibly inhospitable Rookfield even more claustrophobic. “A tornado wouldn’t be so bad,” Howard muses at one point, before “briefly entertaining the possibility of a whirlwind wiping him and the rest of the town completely away”; White proceeds: “Only one lingering suspicion kept [Howard] from fully embracing the fancy, though: If Rookfield was the real world, what worse Oz might a funnel cloud take him to?”

As Howard begins interacting with the town’s inhabitants, White initiates some Hitchcockian tension spooled with a Cohen Brothers’ brand of dark humor. (An indelible cast of characters comes in White’s presentation of mysterious, “plague-doctor children.” I’m particularly fond of one of these Pall Mall-packing children who receives some extenuated and entertaining stage time.)

Yet, despite Howard’s (sympathetic) pretensions, much of the action is saturated in his progressive scene-by-scene quest for his son, and how these set-pieces alter his initially inflexible character; and alteration, as it happens, possesses uncanny implications in the province of Rookfield.

With Rookfield, Gordon B. White cleverly corkscrews narrative threads, culminating in a compelling, claustrophobic nest of a novella, its final wings flaps remaining with me these many months later, seething with unsettling insinuation.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The indie horror community tends to be remarkably supportive of each other. The advantage of course is that solid authors that might otherwise be overlooked are carried by the successes of other allied authors. It also means that authors that arguably are not as good are raised up along with the rest of the bunch because of their cohort's generous support for their fellow authors. As a result, sometimes looking for exciting indie horror can be a bit of a gamble.

So, I had head great things about this, and after the first 10 pages of a rather thin novella I had a concern that this was going to be the kind of release that found its way onto the market as a vanity project with no checks from an editor that could require changes. It was a bit clunky, and I feared that it would stumble its way to the end. Thankfully, despite the rough opening, the author's voice gelled pretty rapidly and the book was smooth sailing very shortly after my initial trepidation.

It's set smack-dab in the middle of the pandemic. The book follows a narcissistic douchebag on a mission to get his son back from his ex-wife that skipped town to shelter in the country.

I don't want to give away too much about it, but this book delightfully subverted my expectations. It gets weird pretty quickly, and the main character is so self-centered that it's easy to believe how he was motivated to engage with a situation that would normally have reasonable people turn tail. The book paints the main character in such a heavy handed way to showcase how infuriating he is, that it all feels like it is on rails for cliched expectations.

While it may have too slow of a build for the steep climax, I felt fully satisfied with the resolution. The whole thing held together perfectly while still delivering something completely unexpected.

No doubt I will read more of this author's work, especially if he has an editor that he has to answer to before it can get published.

[Alex Babanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genial, sweetly poisonous feast for conossieurs

Once every long while a writer comes along whose prose is so potent you think of stashing it in small vials for future use. Also you pray they keep writing, cuz you need this stuff more than any other lit.

The problem with books like this is just like with LSD: they end, and you have to return to reality.

I discovered Gordon B. White's short story 'Fine and Fancy Arms' in a recent folk-horror compilation and I was immediately hit with that unmistakable feeling of words working through my eyes and skin, seeping into my whole body, electrifying it, sweetly poisoning it. I immediately went on and bought two other books that were available.

The same feeling expected me there: of neural connection to the words and letters, the sweet and poisonous invisible threads thrumming between me and them.

On the surface 'Rookfield' it's a beautiful 'pandemic song', clearly inspired by the weird and controversial 'new normal' that befell us all. But on top of that I have an impression like Gordon B. White's prose is a virus in itself. Reading his stories feels like petting an alien caterpillar with watery prickly fur that you rub your palm against, frightfully enjoying the sweet poisons showering your skin with mind-altering stings so that the whole experience is cerebral, alien but strangely wholesome and invigorating.
Highest class, top shelf prose that carpet bombs your neurons with something new and unexpected, and you don't know how he does it.
Similar writers to check out? None, but you'd be ok with Jeremy C Shipp, Greg Zahler, John Hornor Jacobs.

Companion music for this book? Try T(h)reats by STUFF.

[Joseph A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Cabot drove into Rookfield - for the last time - I already knew there was no way he was getting away from there.
And some might argue that that solution was best for everyone. I mean, he even questions the thought himself: could Rookfield give him a second chance?
Did he deserve a second chance?
A cocky, irritable man that seems to exude arrogance in order to cover his own frailty. Leana escaped with Cabot, away to where her family have seemingly convinced them to 'rebirth'. I couldn't blame them. I would have done the same if my old life had involved a man like Cabot.

In Rookfield, I enjoyed the fast pacing and the heavy punches delivered throughout the plotline. Every time I thought I'd garnered an idea as to what was really going on, I was proven wrong again. I loved the ride.
This story traverses themes. Cultists, body horror, the insecurities of humanity in the midst of something unprecedented.
It touches on politics without getting too political, it never lingers too long on one scene, and it shocks until the very end, when the world is blown wide open.

I finished it 5 minutes ago, and in my excitement to get some words down this review will no doubt be written erratically. All over the place, in fact.

For me, this story is 5/5 and I'm looking forward to reading more of White's work.
My kind of Horror.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Angel Dey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the whole time I was reading this book, I could tell, just as Cabot could, that something was amiss. But it wasn't until the absolute end that all was revealed. I was just as certain as Cabot was that something terribly sinister was going on in this backwoods town. I really love that I couldn't even begin to guess what was going on. That's what a good mystery is supposed to do.

The story is a quick read but definitely worth the time I spent speeding through the pages. I couldn't tear myself away, and even when I absolutely had to (it was 2 a.m.), I went straight back to it as soon as I could.

There's a seriously creepy factor going on from the moment Cabot, the protagonist, sees the sign for Rookfield. The town doesn't seem to like outsiders for sure, but they aren't running him out altogether. Cabot is on edge and angry, and is not a likable protagonist. But there are moments when he pulls his head out of his rear and realizes he's being a jerk, so you think maybe there's hope for him yet.

As the story unfolds, things get crazier, he gets angrier, and you kind of start to wonder whose side you're really on.

I don't want to spoil anything, but I highly recommend reading this book.

[Suz Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fan for Gordon B. White, I came into this novella with huge expectations.

The way White creates dread throughout the book is nothing short of masterful. I liked the creepy character who Cabot, the protagonist, sort of bonds with when he arrives in Rookfield, and the female sheriff is delightful.

While I adored the creepy atmosphere and the pandemic small town setting, I wanted more characterization of the protagonist. I love unlikeable protagonists, but my issue with this one is he felt skewed to be hateable without those bits that reveal motivation and give them dimension. For example, he is needlessly hurtful in an encounter with his wife’s relatives, throwing a tragedy in their faces. I couldn’t understand what attracted his wife to him in the first place, how he held a job that netted big bucks, and why his son would reach out to him. Even his relationship with his lawyer seemed odd. The pacing for the majority of the book was leisurely, but the climax and ending felt rushed. I did, however, like the play on words in the revel.

With its disturbing small town plague-doctor-masked cast, Rookfield provides a solid dose of pandemic horror.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gordon B. White uses the COVID phenomenon to fuel the fire of his novella Rookfield. Locked in a custody battle with his ex-wife, Cabot Howard receives a call from his son Porter. Taken to relatives in the out-of-the-way township of Rookfield by his mother during the pandemic, Cab leaves the comforts of the city to retrieve his boy. Cabot's return to the sleepy local of his former relatives is filled with oddities - most of which center around young children everywhere wearing plague doctor masks. Following a failed show of force with Porter's aunt and uncle and getting nowhere bullying the sheriff, Cabot becomes embroiled in a mystery. As Rookfield closes its doors for a community festival, Cab discovers that the masks hide a terrible secret known only to its residents. Gordon B. White crafts an eerie tale that builds upon contemporary fear and classic symbolism. However, the obvious twist and unlikable protagonist constantly frustrate any momentum the book builds. Rookfield continues to remain a small town story that could benefit from some spit and polish.

[Joshua Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the depths of the pandemic, Gordon B. White has crafted a work of redemptive horror whose transformative arc is simultaneously terrifying and beautiful. The manifold illnesses both physical and mental demonstrated in this brief yet powerful tale are explored and executed through the use of deft metaphor, and approached with a sense of empathy that 2020 has (hopefully) renewed in all of us. Cabot Howard's attempt to rescue his quasi-estranged son from a town full of children wearing beaked plague masks is an eerie journey into a community - desperate for recovery and stability - that is protecting monstrous secret. More broadly, this is a story of shared humanity - a microcosm of our own harrowing times, a reflection of our uncertainties and desperation and the differing methods we've used to deal with the many frightening challenges. A thrilling and multi-dimensional novella by a masterful author.

[Brandon Applegate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rookfield is really the first book I've read that's found a way to incorporate the pandemic in such a way as to address not just the isolation of quarantine but the uncertainty and paranoia of the sickness itself. White's protagonist, Cabot, is not likable, but he isn't supposed to be. He is the great uninformed, a dangerous mixture of hubris and denial that so brilliantly encapsulates the swaggering unmasked jerk we've all grown so familiar with. In that way, one can draw a line between this novella and Richard Matheson's I Am Legend. The last third is absolutely batshit—by turns freakishly horrific, and oddly funny. I was left wanting more of the backstory behind Rookfield and its most bizarre resident. Overall, extremely well done.

[Kerry]

The Covid19 pandemic changed perspectives for the population of the world, and Gordon B. White takes on the masked world in his novella, Rookfield. When Cabot’s ex-wife and young son flee the city for the relative safety of the small town of Rookfield, Cabot follows. The small town takes masking seriously, with their young donning bird-beaked plague masks. Cabot plans to collect his son and his ex-wife and rescue them from what he’s certain is some nefarious wrong. The story is tense, atmospheric, and unique. In about 96 pages, Gordon B. White fleshes out a quirky town and its inhabitants while making a subtle statement about parenting and social responsibility.

[Andrés Menéndez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great novella where things are weirder than they seem. I enjoyed the setting, the protagonist, the story, and the character interactions. It's a fantastic book that focuses on a father trying to get back his son and wife without realizing he could be making a mistake. The pacing is slow at times, but it's worth it once you make it to the third act, which is wild, weird, and incredible! I really enjoyed this book, just like everything I've read from Gordon

[Cynthia]

This pulled me into it right away: a shitty main character, a mysterious town, and a wonderful visual image of townspeople in plague masks. (I wonder how this would have hit if I'd read it in the early, acute phase of the Covid pandemic, rather than in the desperately-trying-to-pretend-it's-gone phase in which I read it.) Great for fans of the "creepy small town" subgenre, which I will never tire of.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small town horror with some funny thrown in to keep things lively. Great dialog, decent character development, and a bizarre but intriguing monsterthing that I won't spoil for you. I've been digging smallish books lately and this one is definitely smallish. A quick, fun read for a cold, rainy, snowy, or just plain lazy day.