Special thanks to Tenebrous Press for the ARC copy they provided.
I truly enjoyed this book, as evidenced by the fact I read most of it in one sitting. One thing I will say for Tenebrous Press’s books, they devour you whole and won’t let go. You get sucked in, and before you know it, the book is gone, and you’re wishing for more. Lumberjack was no exception to this rule.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I started reading this enthralling little book. To like the main character was my one assumption. I instantly identified with parts of Neville: his need for validation, desire to be more than himself, and devotion to what he thought was an honorable cause greater than himself.
That liking and identifying with the character then turned into a sickening descent into madness that showed me where portions of myself could go horribly wrong, and get twisted into disgusting insanity.
Watching Neville sink into that insanity, knowing where he was coming from, and all the places he went wrong because I’ve had to avoid those pitfalls in my own life, with my own mental health, that is what made Lumberjack a truly horrifying read. It twisted my gut and gave me anxiety that lingered with me even after finishing the last page and discovering my favorite side character lived (thank you Anthony Engebretson, I owe you one…).
If the above isn’t a recommendation for this book, I don’t know how to give a better one, but here’s some more praise, all the same. Anthony’s writing is clear and to the point. It doesn’t give you the pretense of being flowery and emotional, but it’ll creep on you, dig its claws into you, and you’ll feel the emotion of the characters by the time the book’s done and you’ve closed the cover, or your reading app. Lumberjack is a stunning end to a fantastic publishing year for Tenebrous, and I can’t wait to see what horrors they have in store for next year.