BELOW by Laurel Hightower feels like a relentlessly paced pulse pounding episode of the X-FILES. The only things missing are Scully and Mulder. Jam packed full of the weird, the bizarre, the unknown, and the unexplainable.
Addy is haunted by the voice of her ex-husband. No, he hasn’t passed on to the other side and this isn’t anything supernatural. His words live rent free in her head, echoes speaking up to give his (unwanted) opinions and judgements whenever Addy is unsure or lacking conviction in herself. There is another man whose voice is currently present in Addy’s life as well, this via CB radio. A trucker, a stranger who seems nice enough, helping to guide Addy through the dark mountains of West Virginia as the weather quickly begins to deteriorate.
I’ll just say that things do not go as planned for Addy and Mads, the trucker. It’s at this point that Hightower cuts the brake line and smashes the accelerator down through the floorboard. BELOW reaches out of the impenetrable blackness, grabbing you around the throat and squeezing, only allowing you to finally catch your breath once you have turned that final page. This novella does not stop. It does not rest. Addy is dealt blow after blow after blow, both psychologically and physically. Only her grit and resilience can aid her in somehow escaping from the living nightmare she finds herself trapped within.
Most people will be drawn to BELOW due to the enigmatic red eyed presence of the Mothman, but there is so much more to be mined from this tale's surprising cavernous depths. The X-FILES famous line is “I want to believe” meaning in whatever it is that may or may not be lurking out there, but this novella is about wanting (no not wanting, needing) to believe in one's own self, in trusting one's own voice. About having the confidence to spread your wings (maybe even shadowy feathered wings) and stride down your own path in life with head held high.
There were some truly creepy, spine chilling moments in BELOW. One in particular I was not expecting but that would have made me nope right on up out of there if I found myself in that situation. The small cast of characters, the desolate road, and the nighttime darkness all coalesce into a palpable sense of claustrophobia and isolation. And though Addy, and through her you the reader, is adrift in a tide of darkness there is that ever present tingling crawling up your scalp, the sensation of being watched, of hidden eyes tracking your every move that you can't quite shake.
BELOW by Laurel Hightower is a completely different beast than her novella previous CROSSROADS but it still packs a raw emotional punch. There is a vulnerability to be found in Hightower’s prose. A flaying away of one’s outer layers until all of their inner demons, fears, and insecurities are laid bare for all to witness, along with the struggle of facing them head on, whether for better or for worse. On top of that throw in strange phenomena, disorentating horrors, the Mothman, and you’ve struck horror gold. Hightower for me is a must read author. A TBR jumper straight to the top anytime she has a new release. If you have yet to check out her work, what are you waiting for?
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
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Top reviews from other countries
Elizabeth Jackson
Pure fright fest
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 29, 2023
Elizabeth Jackson
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 29, 2023
Full of easily understood characters that you grow to care for, twists and turns galore. In such a short time I was invested int this creepy little tale chocked full of elements I really didn’t expect. The gore was few and far between but genuinely stomach churning.
Now, onto the star of the show: the red eyed monster making it’s home on the cover. Having it remain mostly undescribed and unseen until page 49 was immensely clever and left more room for development of plot and characters which was needed for such a short book. When it was finally revealed it scared the guts out of me…if you catch my drift.
The creatures drive and existence and what fuels it and some of its actions/motives are hazy, at best, which lends to the unease. You’re constantly asking: what does it want? Why is it doing this? Especially in the final segment of the book.
Made for a very interesting, complex ‘villain.’
And lastly, the setting. While stuck in one place, it managed to feel vast and otherworldly and left you yearning to know what other terrors were watching in the pines, hiding in the snow, or lurking in the caverns and water.
A decent, scary read. Highly recommend.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Images in this review
Martina J.
Divertido, a momentos muy intrigante, un poco desilusionante al final.
Reviewed in Mexico on January 17, 2023
Hughes Ouimet
A creature horror thriller full of what why and how with lots of suspense, cliffhangers and twists.
Reviewed in Canada on July 31, 2022
