They're Watching - A Different Type of Horror Novel
There are certain things that readers point to when they say they didn’t like a certain book. One of the main things that I see quite a bit is an unlikable or unrelatable protagonist. In some respects, I understand this, but I think its also not necessary to have a protagonist in a book that is likeable. But at the same time, you will not get along with everyone in life, and I think that the closer we can get to true life—even in horror books—the better the book will be.
In the novel They’re Watching by Michael David Wilson and Bob Pastorella we have a protagonist, Brian, that moves into a new apartment and immediately starts spying on his neighbor through a hole in the wall. He watches his attractive female neighbor in her bedroom so much that it becomes part of his nighttime routine. This is clearly not a likeable character, and yet I could not stop reading this book. There is a little bit of everything in this novel and it gives off all of the vibes I love the most. Brian is an awkward person in social situations and that aspect of his character could not have been more perfectly written. As I was reading, I felt as uncomfortable with all of Brian’s social interactions as he must have felt. The dialog and Wilson and Pastorella’s ability to make it as strange and uncomfortable as possible really brought this novel to another level for me. It reminds me a lot of the way Brian Evenson writes dialog because of the awkwardness of the main character. Evenson is one of my favorite authors and I saw lots of similarities between his writing and the Wilson/Pastorella combo in They’re Watching.
The plot is fast paced and there is an element of mystery to the book. When you’re reading you’re not quite sure who to believe and you keep questioning yourself. At times, you even begin to feel bad for Brian, the peeping protagonist but then you remember that he isn’t exactly the greatest person in the world and he probably deserves whatever he gets.
They’re Watching is a tightly written horror novel that puts a new twist on the genre. There is a lot to dislike about the main character but that, I believe, is what makes this novel so good. Engrossing from the first page, you won’t be able to put this thing down until it reaches the ultimate, unexpected conclusion. Strong 4/5.
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