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A review by brendamn
This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno
3.0
This is the sort of book that reminds me how very restrictive Goodreads' 5 star rating system is. I just want some half star increments, I could give this a 3.5 and move on. That isn't an option though of course, so off into the wide and varied abyss of 3 star books it goes. It feels incredibly silly to be this bent over a rating system, probably because it is, but here I am regardless. Oh well, onto the actual review.
This Thing Between Us approaches the topic of grief through the lens of horror and the supernatural, it is well chartered territory. Though all the same it still feels a bit more fresh and unique than you'd expect. That is worth quite a great deal given this is Moreno's debut novel, this books proves a lot of potential for his future works.
Small spoilers ahead. Nothing big, but heads up anyways.
What I found most refreshing here is that unlike the majority of books on the supernatural, it did not take 4/5ths of the book for someone else to acknowledge what the protagonist is experiencing. The protagonist Thiago isn't frantically trying to provide others with evidence of what is going on for the whole book with you just waiting for someone to finally believe him. Acknowledgement from a side character comes early here. I was very glad to be spared that trope.
The book employs second person narrative in a very inventive way. The book is addressed to his deceased wife Vera, and for the most part it only seems to be a widow writing to their deceased partner as a way to cope with the loss. The narrative choice proves to serve a higher function in the end, and its purpose is integral to understanding this book as a whole. It is an unexpected but welcome surprise.
Moreno shows a good deal of insight with his ability to dip into what I guess I'd call a "global human subconscious" now and then. One paraphrased line for example: "People tell you to call them if you ever need anything, as if it is your responsibility to let them know when to care". He provides insights we can all identify with, but haven't widely noticed or talked about. There are other instances here and there in the novel of this, but that was one of the more memorable ones.
With all these merits and more, This Thing Between Us is a noticeably better than average debut novel, but it still overall has that amateur early writing feel to it. Moreno provides a unique style of writing, but it it doesn't always feel present when reading. It felt like it slips into being a standard and generic read at times, waiting for Moreno to pick up the thread again. Hopefully he is able to refine what he's got and fill the great potential he has proven is there.
Just an aside, but damn I love how giddy he is about Stephen Graham Jones. Moreno is guided by admirable inspiration indeed.
This Thing Between Us approaches the topic of grief through the lens of horror and the supernatural, it is well chartered territory. Though all the same it still feels a bit more fresh and unique than you'd expect. That is worth quite a great deal given this is Moreno's debut novel, this books proves a lot of potential for his future works.
Small spoilers ahead. Nothing big, but heads up anyways.
What I found most refreshing here is that unlike the majority of books on the supernatural, it did not take 4/5ths of the book for someone else to acknowledge what the protagonist is experiencing. The protagonist Thiago isn't frantically trying to provide others with evidence of what is going on for the whole book with you just waiting for someone to finally believe him. Acknowledgement from a side character comes early here. I was very glad to be spared that trope.
The book employs second person narrative in a very inventive way. The book is addressed to his deceased wife Vera, and for the most part it only seems to be a widow writing to their deceased partner as a way to cope with the loss. The narrative choice proves to serve a higher function in the end, and its purpose is integral to understanding this book as a whole. It is an unexpected but welcome surprise.
Moreno shows a good deal of insight with his ability to dip into what I guess I'd call a "global human subconscious" now and then. One paraphrased line for example: "People tell you to call them if you ever need anything, as if it is your responsibility to let them know when to care". He provides insights we can all identify with, but haven't widely noticed or talked about. There are other instances here and there in the novel of this, but that was one of the more memorable ones.
With all these merits and more, This Thing Between Us is a noticeably better than average debut novel, but it still overall has that amateur early writing feel to it. Moreno provides a unique style of writing, but it it doesn't always feel present when reading. It felt like it slips into being a standard and generic read at times, waiting for Moreno to pick up the thread again. Hopefully he is able to refine what he's got and fill the great potential he has proven is there.
Just an aside, but damn I love how giddy he is about Stephen Graham Jones. Moreno is guided by admirable inspiration indeed.