North American Lake Monsters by Nathan Ballingrud

• Format: Paperback
• Obtained from: Library (support your local library, people)
• Print length: 205 pages
• Publisher: Small Beer Press
• ISBN: 9781618730602

I heard some talk about this one on the grapevine (aka Facebook groups), so I added it to my not remotely gargantuan TBR. When it crossed my palms at my local library (aka my place of work),  my interest was piqued.  It may have sat on my bedside locker for a few weeks, but when I finally got around to reading it, I found it hard to put down. What’s it about? Let’s get one thing straight about this book – this is NOT about North American Lake Monsters – that is the title of one of the short stories, and while it has a lake monster (albeit a dead one), like all the others, this is about the people in the stories. So, what can one expect from NALM? My favourites were the single mother struggling to make ends meet who meets a man who claims to be able to switch his skin, and the ex-con who struggles to reintegrate with his family. There are lots of monsters on “display” here, but they take a back seat to the real horror of the stories – the lives of the people involved. These are bleak and dark, but well worth delving into, and one of my favourite reads so far this year. 

Verdict

I’m not quite sure I’m ready to announce Nathan Ballingrud as the American Clive Barker, although it’s not a bad comparison, but this is definitely a  fantasy/horror collection worth your time.