When I recently asked Ketchum to describe this novella to me, he said, "There's very few people in this one that you'd want to go to lunch with." He was right.
I'm not a huge fan of realistic horror; for me, there usually has to be some element of the supernatural for me to enjoy it. Weed Species is real horror, and is actually based on events that happened in Canada. However, it's short enough, and well written enough, that it didn't turn me off. The bulk of the book centers around a man and his girlfriend that kidnap, rape, and occasionally murder girls. What's interesting about the book, and what sets it apart, is the underlying comment on the passiveness the main characters have about what they're doing. When someone becomes so detached from what others are feeling, or will feel, that's really the definition of real horror.
Definitely not for the faint of heart, Weed Species is a concise, disturbing novella that will curl your toes.
For more information on Jack and his books, check out his website: http://www.jackketchum.net/
Rated 4.5 out of 5
(Originally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on March 11th, 2007)
No comments:
Post a Comment