Tell Me I'm Worthless - A Shocking 'In Your Face" New Release!
“Sometimes, at the end of everything, the only option you have is to make it worse.”
Alice, Ila, and Hannah entered an abandoned house, only Alice and Ila left. Years later, Alice and Ila have spun off into completely different directions, both dealing with the horrific trauma from that house. Alice, a trans woman, is unable to keep a job and spends her time drinking and hiding inside her haunted apartment. Ila, a woman of color, has become a TERF and is battling the hatred inside of her. But the house somehow still haunts them, calling them back, and eventually Alice and Ila reconnect to re-enter the house that destroyed their lives.
Tell Me I’m Worthless is the upcoming release from Alison Rumfitt and is a savage and intense haunted house read.
mood board based on the novel - all images from weheartit.com
“The House watched the three girls, and a thin line of water dripped from the ceiling. If it had been raining that night, it could have just been rain. But it wasn’t. It was dry outside. The House was salivating.”
Here’s what I loved:
It’s clear that Rumfitt was inspired by some of the great haunted houses of literary history, and it was great to see their take on it. The house itself is one of the main villains of the story, and we have a few chapters that are from its own hateful perspective. The house represents the hate we see in our every day lives, and its chapters are really tough to read, it feels like someone from 4chan is just screaming in your face with the most hateful things they can imagine. It’s powerfully effective, and Rumfitt crosses barriers bravely in a way I’ve not seen in a long time in the horror genre.
While most of our main characters are extremely unlikeable, Rumfitt does an impeccable job of keeping you hooked and reading. Despite their anger, their hurt, their flaws, their controversial beliefs, you don’t find yourself wanting to pull away. You are committed to Alice and Ila’s story, even as more and more horrible things come to light. Which is a statement, in of itself. By the end of the story as Alice and Ila have moved forward, you even find yourself rooting for them. It’s a tough writing technique to pull off, but Rumfitt nailed it.
This book won’t be for everyone, and I implore you to check trigger warnings before even picking this book up. Rumfitt also includes a trigger warning paragraph before the story starts. But if, despite those triggers, you are comfortable reading this – you’re in for a hell of a ride. I spent most of the book cringing and wanting to also take a very hot shower to scrub my skin clean. But I’m grateful for this book existing, and I’m thrilled to see a new addition to the shock horror genre, this could stand right up there next to American Psycho, Haunted, and Manhunt. I’m also thrilled to see a completely unique addition to the haunted house story. Trust me, you’ve never read anything like this.
Big thank you to Tor Nightfire for sending me a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Pick up a copy for yourselves when Tell Me I’m Worthless hits shelves January 17th.
“…this house simply came into being from contact with the pure, violent terror that can only exist in the very worst examples of humanity.”
