_Our Winter Monster_ by Dennis Mahoney is a nonlinear and fast-paced horror read told from multiple points of view. Holly and Brian are struggling with their relationship when they decide to book a winter getaway. After crashing their car during a blizzard, they become separated from one another and begin experiencing strange and violent events. An intriguing book that will keep the reader entertained.

A deeply unsettling 80’s style Horror novel.
I actually really enjoyed this.
Gut wrenching, heartbreaking and creepy.
Will be on the lookout for his next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Our Winter Monster.

I love anything horror and/or supernatural; extra points for including the word Monster in the title will always catch my eye.

I was excited my request was approved since the premise was intriguing.

After a difficult year, Holly and Brian are on a trip hoping to reconnect and salvage their relationship. As the couple heads toward Pinebuck, a blizzard derails their plans and sets them on a course neither of them can imagine.

I didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped even though all the elements were there; a blizzard, a supernatural entity hunting innocent people, and a subplot that includes a missing couple from a few months ago.

The monster is not so much supernatural as it is a manifestation of trauma and guilt; it reminds me of the Babadook, but the movie was way better.

My biggest issue was how I didn't connect with anyone; I didn't dislike Brian and Holly but I didn't care about them and I also couldn't understand why they were together. They didn't seem to be compatible.

I didn't care about Kendra, either; I understand she misses her ex-gf and dealing with guilt over not being able to figure out what happened to the missing couple but her constant monologuing over these two issues got tedious quick.

The writing was good, but the narrative dragged as Holly and Brian searched for one another in the storm.

Despite the blizzard and disorientation of being caught outside in frigid temperatures, there was a lack of suspense and urgency.

The flashbacks may have contributed to this; it takes nearly the entire novel to explain what happened to the couple a year ago. There's plenty of filler on their lackluster relationship and how Holly feels about Brian.

As I mentioned above, I didn't feel any chemistry between them and couldn't take their relationship seriously.

I hoped the winter monster was a legit monster, but I understood it was a psychological and physiological response to the violent attack Holly and Brian survived a year ago.

What was ironic was when Tanner showed up on the page I made a correct assumption, and not because he likes odd combinations.

But I do read a lot of books featuring murderers.

At the center of this slow-building tense novel is a relationship still oozing from a traumatic day one year earlier that ricocheted them in separate directions. Now, wanting to get back to some semblance of their relationship before, Holly and Brian escape to a snow-quiet little town. Before they can arrive, though, a blizzard - or something in it? - stops them in their tracks, separating them once again. Battling the weather, onlookers, and trouble that seems to follow them both, Holly and Brain fight to get back to each other before it's too late. It's tight, tense, and terrifically written, with raw emotion at the center of everything.

Holly and Brian take a short trip to the mountains for a romantic getaway. Since a terrible event happened to them the previous year, their relationship has been on the rocks. They are both hoping a vacation might bring them closer together. Just outside of the town they're driving to, they get caught up in a blizzard and their car slides off the road. Suddenly, in a swirl of snow, Brian disappears. Holly attempts to find him but can't see any footprints or indication of which direction he went. Meanwhile, Brian wakes up outside with no memory of how he got there. As he attempts to find his way back to Holly, they keep missing each other and having unpleasant interactions with . . . whatever the thing in the snow is. Meanwhile, Sheriff Kendra Book is having a bit of a personal and professional crisis. She's reeling from an unexpected breakup with her girlfriend and is feeling guilty that she hasn't been able to find a couple that went missing in her town a few months ago. Now she's hearing that another couple might be missing and she worries that this case will also go unsolved. So she sets out in the blizzard to see if she can find the latest missing couple.

The story moves along at a fast pace and I liked the overall premise. I didn't really like the explanation for what was causing the disturbances/violence in the town. I never did really get a grasp on what was going on there. It was an interesting and fast read to find out what's going on -- which I guess sort of happens!

This book rarely gives you time to breath. The plot starts almost immediately and due to the many POVs, it moves smoothly forward. I especially liked that the author didn't hold back about the monster. It played a role from the start and did have a strong effect on the people and the story. There was also an interesting and unexpected subplot that didn't feel out of place at all. Overall those were some strong 300 pages. I'll definitely need a physical copy of that.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

The cover of this one is what really drew me in (that and the promise of a snowy horror novel). I was hoping for a fast-paced, John Carpenter-esque offering, with a terror out in the snow and the characters racing to save themselves and the town that they’ve wound up in.

This book is somehow a lot more languid than that. It is a slower study of relationships in some ways, and there’s a lot of the main characters trying to work themselves out. It was well done, and it felt a bit like what ‘I’m Thinking Of Ending Things’ was trying to do, but vastly better.

I do think that the horror in this novel could have popped out a little more in terms of the descriptions, but I can also appreciate that it’s not meant to be that kind of book. The writing also sometimes felt a bit anti-climactic, like something was being led up to but then the delivery was not quite as developed as I would have hoped.

I also just felt like we didn’t get as much of a sense of the stakes as I would have expected, and hence my three stars. This was a good book- it just wasn’t up the very tippy-top for me.

A Christmas-y (snow, winter, small town) horror? Somehow this one managed to feel a little cozy even though it was definitely a horror with some creature-feature and other aspects thrown in. It felt new and fresh - excited to see what this author does next!

This book was so strange and I loved it! Following a couple called Holly and Brian as they make their way to a small snowy town for a short trip to try and save their relationship, things quickly get derailed by a creature in the snow.

The atmosphere of this book was brilliant. The descriptions of the snow and cold were everything I wanted, as was the small town setting and cast of characters. My heart went out to Holly, Brian, and Sheriff Kendra, but I also really enjoyed the nuggets of information that fleshed out all of the side characters too. I also loved that the creature plotline didn’t follow a typical route and instead charted its own—far weirder—path. I perhaps could have done with one or two more moments of gore, mainly because I absolutely ate up the moments we did get!

This is the perfect horror novel to curl up with on a cold winter night!

The start of the book hits you in the face with the isolation and claustrophobia and gets the old adrenaline going.
The humour got me, it just sneaks up and pops its little head out.
As we are going through the story you feel
enveloped by the monster and unsure what is going on but I wasn’t confused, just felt like I was there along for the ride.
I read this on the edge of my seat constantly wondering what was coming next and what was behind all the madness.
The ending is very satisfying and I felt a great sense of completion for want of a better word. I enjoyed every aspect of this story and will look for more from this author.

Our Winter Monster - Dennis Mahoney 
Soho Press
1/28/25

Ok, so ...

Our Winter Monster. What a fitting title. 
This book is ... Hmm 🤔  What is this book, exactly ...

To me, this book is all the shades of seasonal depression. 
What the hell do I mean by that? I'm not entirely sure, to be frank ... but I know I mean it as a compliment ... 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I was WITH this couple as I read this book... I was in THEIR world. (and once you read this, you'll see why that's a scary-ass place to be, and not a'tall what you'd call cheerful.)

The premise is awesome, and there's really so much to unpack within these pages. It did take me a minute to orient myself, because the novel goes from zero to sixty straight away ... But once acclimated, I suggest buckling up cuz the emotional and physical journey we take with this couple gets crazy rather quickly.

Dennis Mahoney is performing a constant balancing act ... between dark, bloody horror and a fiercely beating heart ... between the outrageously absurd and the deeply profound ... between wild originality and a sense of the familiar ... between tragedy and triumph. 

This is a horror novel with something bigger to say ... a story that seeps in and, before you know it, chills you to the marrow. (I actually read it twice to fully absorb it.)

I really enjoyed my time with all the characters, and enjoyed their personal story arc's.

One of the things I love most about the horror genre is how trauma often becomes allegorical for much more universal fears that many of us have ... and we can see our own personal traumas reflected back at us, within a collective, shared experience ... and there's comfort in that; our feelings being seen ... and your fears being validated. 

(Ok, so that review felt a bit cryptic and all over the place. Spelled out very simply: This book is a whole vibe. I'm gagged. My flabber was gasted. And I can't wait to recommend it to others.) 

4 / 5

Full review on day of publication.

I received an ARC eBook from Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback.

I really enjoyed this. It's hard to describe what the author is doing here because it feels unique, but I would describe this as a mix of cozy horror (wintry small town vibes - I might re-read over Christmas) and visceral creature feature, with some bits and pieces of other horror subgenres mixed in. Despite throwing together a lot of disparate elements and a few major twists that might not seem like they'd work together on paper, in my opinion everything just somehow pulled together - and pulled together really well. This felt cohesive and has a strong message but it was conveyed with skill and nuance - I never felt like this was heavy-handed. This book is good with sitting in contradictions and grey areas which I loved. The characters were my favourite part. I strongly enjoyed following the Sheriff and the main couple, Holly and Brian. Overall, really excellent horror that feels like it's bringing something new to the table. I'm excited to read more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Holly and Brian have decided to take a weekend away to see if they can save their relationship. They recently had a traumatic event happened and it totally changed the dynamics in their relationship as well as their daily lives. As they are driving to the village, there is a horrible blizzard that is getting progressively worse. They have an accident and then everything goes into chaos.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but it was an interesting look at how trauma can effect everything in a person's life and if you don't talk about it or try to deal with it then it will explode. I still question if the monster was real or if it was just their way of dealing with everything.

There was a side plot that I was very intrigued by and would have loved more from that storyline.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

As mistifying as it is terrifying, Our Winter Monster is masterfully written. Between the pages of this supernatural thriller are powerful insights that speak to the human condition as well as terrible, mysterious, and monstrous things. Mahoney weaves fascinating parallels in the dynamics between several characters in the story, illustrating the often relatable "yin-yang" quality of interpersonal relationships. This would be a perfect Book Club read, because it's a book that keeps you thinking at the end. There is so much to dissect in this unique and gripping tale. Our Winter Monster will keep you frozen until you've finished the last page.

Thank you to Soho Press and Hell's Hundred for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a solid read, after a slightly slow start, the pacing picked up and carried the book well to its ending. I liked the concept, especially as someone with experience of the disorienting Northeast snow storms. It definitely lent well to being very atmospheric, dark, a feeling of lost and changing shapes where you cannot see them. It was also a short read, able to start and finish in one day. I think although I enjoyed the book, I was looking for more horror. It was there, it lingered. And there were shocking moments of it, but for sections of the book, I didn't feel that tenseness I was looking for. The first twist came early and the second revelation didn't seem to fit in well with the story. I thought both were good on their own, but coming together felt busy, not horror. The characters grew on me, and I think the sections leading up to the Bad Date were actually my favorite parts of the book. they were tense and primed in their mundane-ness that created the most anticipation from any other parts of the book. Again, overall I think this was a solid read, interesting concept, and good characters that raced across the page.

I was so intrigued by the cover of the novel and the summary, but unfortunately the content of the book did not live up to my expectations. The writing was incredibly generic and felt very detached from the characters--as readers, we learned more about the characters, especially the main characters, through explicit 'telling' rather than 'showing' which was disappointing. I really wanted to like this novel, but ultimately the plot fell flat with even flatter characters.

2.5 stars
Thank you to Soho Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book disappointed me and because of that it is hard to put my thoughts into a constructive review. Here are a few pros and cons of the book through my opinions.

Pros
Holly and Kendra as characters were very strong.
Kendra did previously have a girlfriend (natural LGBTQIA+ rep)
Characters were impacted or murdered by the creature. The author wasn’t afraid to pull punches there.
The unexpected serial killer! I would have loved it if the plot was a cat-and-mouse game between them and the monster couple instead of what we got.

Cons
I was not a fan of the boyfriend Brian. I found him very off-putting with how frustrating he was.
How the reveal with the monster was handled. I wanted that part to be tense and climatic but the revelation that they were the monster was just simply their flowing in the sentence. It didn’t have the impact of a central twist.
I felt there was no reasoning on how they came to stop the change or what magical construct allowed their mutual relationship problems to manifest into a physical monster.

Read in just a couple of sittings. A fresh take on people turning into monsters combined with the struggles that trauma can cause to a relationship. Thoroughly enjoyable.

A couple decides to go on vacation to a small ski resort town. An accident happens as a devastating blizzard with whiteout conditions hits. What follows is a story about emotional trauma, strained relationships, and a monster in the snow.

This isn't your typical monster story. Yes, there's a creature formed from snow and ice and it ravages anything in it's way, except for this couple who are on the brink of being pulled apart because of something which happened a year earlier that changed them both. They get separated after the accident and they both encounter this monster yet they remain basically unharmed as those around them are brutally murdered by it.

The sheriff of the town has also recently lost her girlfriend and is being pressured about another couple who went missing a few months earlier. They've never been found. Now a new couple seems to be eluding her as horrifying things happen whenever they're around.

The secret of this creature is something you don't see a lot in horror novels. And it's a refreshing and original take on how monsters are created and what is their purpose for existing.

With some unique kills, several character arcs (including a burgeoning serial killer), and an action packed narrative with some twists and turns, I recommend this novel.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the editor for sending me an advance copy of this upcoming title. Your hard work and dedication to this project are truly commendable, and I am incredibly honored to have the opportunity to review it before its official release.

The depth and quality of this work are a testament to your meticulous attention to detail and your passion for bringing exceptional stories to life. From the engaging narrative to the well-developed characters, it's clear that a tremendous amount of effort has gone into every aspect of this book.

I am genuinely excited about this title and eager to share my thoughts and insights. Having the chance to read it in advance has been a wonderful experience, and I am confident that readers will be just as captivated by it as I am.

Thank you once again for this incredible opportunity. Your support and trust in my feedback mean a great deal to me. I look forward to continuing to work together and witnessing the success of this fantastic book.