Remains Review

Andrew Cull. You’re going to want to remember that name. Remains, the authors Debut, is as good of a debut I’ve ever read. If this is any indication, Cull is going to be a mainstay in the horror scene for years to come.

With Remains, Cull tells the tale of a women named Lucy who for all intents and purposes, died the same day her son was brutally murdered. The author tells a wonderfully written tale of a mother who is haunted, literally and figuratively. Fresh out of being institutionalized, Lucy finds herself returning to the scene of her sons murder. She believes him to be there, and what transpires is a heartbreaking story of a mother confronted with a grief so heavy that the ghosts in her mind are just as dangerous as what’s in the house. Make no mistake about it, this novel is SAD. You feel Lucy’s heartache and desperation. I’m amazed at the skill Cull displays in making the reader share in the heartache, while still being able to scare the shit out of you. As much as this book is crushingly sad, it has teeth as well. They’re sharp, and they bite. Short chapters keep the pages turning and the tension to a high level, something that benefits the novel and keeps the reader engaged.

With Remains, Andrew Cull has cemented himself as a major player in the horror genre. He knows when to write with a chisel, gently carving Lucy’s ordeal into your heart, while at the same time knowing when to use his skill as a hammer, smashing you in the face with the violence and bloodshed horror aficionados will appreciate.