Book of Knives - Unsettling Spooky New Release!
“Hot and cold, life and death. Documentary. Truth. Lies. Keep batteries charged. Something is terribly wrong.”
An unsettling dreamy novel that takes place at a decrepit summer camp as one family slow unravels and a possible haunting drives them mad.
Book of Knives is the new release from Lise Haines, on shelves today!
Nora, a filmmaker, is newly married to a family friend named Paul. She’s also a widow, still grieving for her dead husband. Paul and Nora return to his family home, a summer camp that’s falling apart, to take care of the grounds and his ailing parents. His brother has also returned, with his wife and kids. Soon strange happenings occur around the camp; someone is stealing knives, there’s voices, secret rooms, dead birds. Nora begins to document and explore the camp and as old family secrets become uncovered, Nora watches in shock as those around begin to fall apart.
“I have looked at ten thousand moments on film where people are about to unhook themselves and their relationships. Perfectly nice people who think they understand the parameters of their lives. Then their eyes get dreamy, maybe their mouths open a little, and they fly out of themselves as if a barrier has been knocked down in a storm.”
Here's what I loved:
The overall vibe of this book is so strange, and it fits it so well. I was feeling sort of spooked out and unnerved so many times reading it, but I couldn’t pinpoint actual moments, it was just the entire storytelling. There were moments of horror for sure, but even outside of those moments it’s a strange story to read.
I liked the study on ghosts and what they truly mean. Nora is desperate to see her husband one more time and focuses a lot on spirits and how they can guide us whether we really see them or not. There’s a lot of grief in this book and a lot of the discussion involves ghosts or ghostly things happening. And really the decision is up to you when reading this book on what you believe and what you think may be madness and grief. I think that’s a fascinating way to tell the tale.
Lastly, I really loved all the kids in this story. Jones, our teenager, was so complex and I saw a lot of myself in her. Lily, the youngest, was such a sweet girl and her connection with Nina was really special. Clearly, Nina sees these children as filling a void she has felt for a long time, and it was both heart breaking and heart warming. All of the children have individual personalities and are crucial to the plot in their own ways, I felt this was really handled and written well.
Overall, Book of Knives is a slow burn with creeping thrills and character studies that you can sink your teeth into. Big thank you to Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pick up a copy of Book of Knives today!
“I inhale. ‘Who’s haunting this place?’ ‘You are.’”
