LOGAN VS. THE TERROR OF WILLOW FALLS

Logan goes on a trip and discovers Jay Bower’s The Terror of Willow Falls, but was it worth the AirBNB?

TITLE: The Terror of Willow Falls

AUTHOR: Jay Bower

GENRE: Coming of age Horror

PAGES: 286

FORMAT: E-book/Hardcover/Paperback/Audiobook

PRICE: $16.99 paperback, $3.99 e-book, $25.99 hardcover, $16.76 audiobook.

Sometimes small towns have secrets that aren’t spoken of. You arrive, and look around its quaint and quiet, but something doesn’t seem quite right. Somewhere in the woods behind you is darkness, something beyond comprehension. Something that you can never escape. 

This is Willow Falls. A small town that has way too many secrets and Thirteen-year-old Joey Speight has fallen straight into it. This is the main premise of The Terror of Willow Falls by Jay Bower.

Joey doesn’t want to be in this town. He hates that he had to leave his home outside of Chicago to live with his great grandmother, but…they had no choice. This puts them all in the sights of a monster, The Eyebiter. 

The monster reminds me of a mix between a wendigo, and the eldritch beings of Lovecraft’s realm. Black magic brought it here, and when Joey and Len go to investigate, they seemingly wake the sleeping entity, and it wants blood. 

Joey’s grandma seems to know more than she will say and then were off to the races in this coming-of-age horror novel. 

What is most compelling to me; and is also one of my favorite tropes, is the small town with secrets. It is also mixed with the idea that the sins of our ancestors can come back to haunt us. Which I think philosophically is hard to do, but when you hit it, it lives up to the readers expectations. As someone from a small town those secrets will haunt you, because sometimes it’s better not to know. Without spoiling too much, I realized this early on, and it broke my heart for Joey, as this could’ve all been avoided. 

But then we wouldn’t have had this wonderful novel, and that would’ve been no fun. There would be no plot, thus, our poor hero gives into curiosity and decides to look for the Eyebiter. Which is his worst mistake. Entering the cavern is where the horror really ramps up, we have not just the claustrophobia, but the worry that the thing could appear at any time. 

The prose is simple, but you really get into the mind of the child that Joey is. On the other hand, I think Jay did something really compelling by pairing the Eyebiter’s origin with Joeys scenes. When we go back in time we learn so much, and it is done at the perfect time to build dread. 

As a reader we know what is going on to an extent. We know what Joey is walking into, and that builds up the dread. I mean we know it is real before Joey does, and just that fact keeps the reader going. It keeps us on edge for what will eventually be the climatic clash between Joey and the Eyebiter. 

That foreshadowing is so well done, that when twists do happen the reader is caught off guard. The way he has crafted the story really pulls you in more than anything else. Especially with Anne, the reveal with her was one I didn’t see coming but should have.

The book is the first in a trilogy, so pick it up today. I know I’ll be reading the second one as soon as I can!

Water drips in the distance, as I approach the chamber. Sound echoes around me, and I kick something. Four and a half Eyeballs dance across the cave floor. I scream and bump into something. It grabs my face, and I scream. 

Until next time. 

Logan Patrick has earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, and author of The Disappearing of Three Forks, and has been included in the Horrorzine. As well as a collection, Marked: Tales of S.T.A.N.G.E., Logan has a background in theater, from acting to directing. As well as a play that is still in development.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.