This was a wonderfully done cosmic horror fiction novel, it had that feel that I was looking for and was engaged with the Appalachian element that I was looking for from this type of book. The characters had that feel that I was looking for and worked in this story and enjoyed the cosmic element to this. Michael G. Williams has a strong writing style and was glad I read this, it was everything that I wanted and enjoyed in this genre.

intense and interesting cosmic horror. the vibes are impeccable. the ending was disappointing, admittedly, but other than that this one was wonderful! 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Reginald Voth, self-described *soon-to-be "lonely old queen"*, must return to his hometown after his despised mother’s death. Between the new neighbors no one warned him about, his brother’s complete silence, and the years of childhood trauma surging back to torment him, his sojourn isn’t off to a great start. Things go from bad to worse when his mother's house appears to be haunted… but maybe the cute neighbor he recognizes from the internet can help.

I'm not sure what I expected going in; I almost passed up on requesting this ARC thinking it was "not for me", but the glowing reviews made me take a chance. And I'm so thankful I did! The prose is a standout here, it's witty and high-quality without being flowery or losing itself in never-ending metaphors. I think it struck a good balance between horror visuals and plot progression, and, amazingly, laugh-out-loud humor too. It was a tightrope to walk, and I ended up thoroughly satisfied by the path it took.

My only quibble (because who would I be if I wasn't bitching about technicalities?), is the two present-day POV switches out of Reginald's head, especially the one in ch.16 (72%) to (SPOILERS) Lewis. It's just one scene, and of course it serves a purpose and is foreshadowed by Johnny first, but it is jarring and feels like a scenaristic shortcut *and* undercuts a lot of tension during the climax. I think the doubt (regarding Lewis' sincerity) would have been much more impactful for the reader if we hadn't been in Lewis' head. My two cents!

This is close to my only complaint though, and doesn't deter from the amazing character work achieved here. Reginald, of course, shines brightest as the jaded, snarky protagonist, but there's a lot that can be said about his supporting cast, too, and especially the kind of family he ends up with. The book does justice to its difficult themes (drug addiction, homophobia, racism in sex work, queer loneliness while aging) and masterfully portrays its core tension: grieving a parent you hated.
Though I have no connection to the Appalachian Mountains and have, strangely, only ever read about them in horror novels (Nowhere, Compound Fracture, Summer Sons), I could still picture the rural neighborhood portrayed here in detail, and it all felt familiar to my own experience. I thought it went beyond serving its purpose as a creepy backdrop and became its own antagonistic character to Reginald, which I enjoyed a lot.

All in all, I understand the praise this book has received and am happy to join its droves of five-star reviews. I truly enjoyed reading it, it did end up being just right, for me. 😊