A Cosmology of Monsters
Books | Fiction / Horror
4
(219)
Shaun Hamill
"If John Irving ever wrote a horror novel, it would be something like this. I loved it.” —Stephen KingONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR:ESQUIRE • THE NERD DAILY • THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARYA GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS FINALISTMonsters both figurative and very literal stalk the Turner family. The youngest child, Noah, narrates the family history: how in the late '60s, his bookish mother, Margaret, marries Lovecraft-lover Harry against her better judgment. The couple has two daughters--Sydney, born for the spotlight, and the brilliant but awkward Eunice, a natural writer and storyteller. But finances are tight, Margaret and Eunice are haunted by horrific dreams, and Harry starts acting strangely. He becomes obsessed with the construction of an elaborately crafted haunted house attraction, christened the Wandering Dark. The family tries to shield baby Noah from the house's faux horrors, but unbeknownst to them, he's being visited by a furry beast with glowing orange eyes--the same ghastly being glimpsed by both his mother and sister. However, unlike them, Noah decides to let the creature in. . . .As he approaches the conclusion of his family's tale, it becomes more and more apparent that there's only one way the story can end: with Noah making the ultimate sacrifice.
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Author
Shaun Hamill
Pages
336
Publisher
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published Date
2020-08-04
ISBN
052556392X 9780525563921
Community ReviewsSee all
"I loved this story! I couldn't put it down. There were so many Holy S#@*% moments that my head was spinning. "
Margie Hunter
""I think horror is the most important fiction in the world."<br/><br/>I have a complicated relationship with this book. I absolutely loved the first 100+ pages. I was completely hooked, and confident that this was going to be one of my favorite books of the year. Then the story changes. <br/><br/>I feel a mixture of love and frustration when I think about this book. I enjoyed so many things about it, but there were other aspects that fell short, or weren't fleshed out enough. I don't want to say much because you deserve to experience this book on your own like I did. <br/><br/>I was very entertained by this story, but I wish there would have been more of a focus on the family and the haunted house instead of the monster. It feels weird to say that I loved everything but the monster when the monster was woven into so much of the book. <br/><br/>A Cosmology of Monsters was almost a favorite, but it just felt like some things were missing. I still tore through it, and had so much fun reading this story. I would love to check out more horror from the author in the future. <br/><br/>CW - kidnapping, suicide attempt, grooming"
Emily
"One of the best books I’ve ever read in my entire life. Definitely the best book I’ve read so far in 2022. I cannot recommend this highly enough. "
Jana
"I absolutely loved this book. The first half was peak fiction for me. Great atmosphere and setup with the family. As others have said, I had issues with the monster, but otherwise, this is one of my favorites."
Gonzalo T
"spooky family and house (ahs sorta)"
Sage Windsor
"An interesting setup, but it started going downhill for me the moment the monster turned out to be a ~beautiful woman~"
M
Megan
"Unique "
Mike SJ
"Sad, weird, funny, exciting, heart-warming and bleak. An odd mixture of various tropes from horror and folklore. A story of the tragedy that can be passed from one generation to the next, and of how life's unknowns can affect us in seemingly inescapable ways. Read it, please."
David Sinclair
