fuonlyknew

Welcome to my Saturday Screams where I share books that thrill and chill!

Today I’m sharing an ooey gooey one!

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Congeal

by John F. Leonard

Genre: Horror

My Review

I love a scary good read, whether in large doses or in nibbles. Congeal is a small book with plenty of big scenes. One in particular was sad and I wished hadn’t happened.

How do I describe the plot. I’m thinking equal parts The Blob and Cloverfield, the movies. With some touches of John Carpenter’s The Thing. Whatever it is that oozes up from the bowels of the earth and seeks to consume everything on the planet is terrifying.

The author sets up the story quickly, brings the characters to life and then unleashes some wild scenes. Many don’t survive.

Take a look at the fabulous cover. That’s just one of the things you have to worry about with this stuff. Is it sentient? What will stop it? Can it be stopped? All questions I had to know the answers to. Did I get those answers? Some, yes. Some, I drew my own conclusions. And that’s okay. A good book should keep me thinking about if afterwards.

I was wrapped up in this immediately and could easily have read Congeal as a full length novel. Short stories are meant to be read in gulps and the author did a great job.

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Synopsis

It starts with reports on the news of an inland lake turning semi-solid.
Surely, a media joke, some lame April Fool’s prank?
The before and after pictures are vaguely ludicrous and oddly disturbing, the contrast stark and strange.
First, darkly rippling water that hints at hidden depths. Slightly spooky and perfectly normal. Next, a putrid blotch of clotted sludge which bears little resemblance to anything aquatic.

It isn’t a joke.
And pretty soon, that greasy, sickening substance isn’t confined to an inland lake.
It’s spreading. Flowing over fields and filling streets.
Each morning brings a new revelation. Countryside denuded of life and towns empty and echoing.
The night is when it changes, becomes something that consumes. Something infinitely worse than a congealed impossibility.

CONGEAL is a short tale of apocalyptic horror. How the world ends may not be how you expect. Nuclear Armageddon or a zombie apocalypse could get beaten to the punch.
Our apocalypse may come from below.
An ancient, cosmic entity bubbling up to the surface in search of food.
It’s also the story of one individual and her fight to stay afloat in a sea of despair.

Amazon

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You can find a list of my reviews HERE.