A few months ago, I was introduced to J. M. White through a mutual friend, all of us authors. White was interested in doing a swap/review exchange.
I gave her Daimonion, and in return, she graced me with her latest horror/psychological thriller, The Other Inside.
Y’all better hold your socks for this book.
Title: The Other Inside
Series: N/A
Author: J. M. White
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Release Date: January 09, 2020
Heat Level: N/A
Pairing: N/A
Length: 207 pages
Genre: Horror, Serial Killer, Psychological Thriller
WARNINGS: Graphic depictions of violence and mutilation, murder, abuse, child abuse, a depiction of underage rape
TAGS: supernatural, horror, serial killer, psychological thriller, vampires, murder, abuse
Synopsis:
Billie comes from a broken family. His mother was murdered, his abusive stepfather hauled away in cuffs for the crime. No longer able to remain in the home where his mother was killed—he runs. Eleven years later Billie has settled in a small New Hampshire town, but the terrible thing inside him needs to feed. A thing he has come to call the Other.
Bodies pile up. The town is terrified. Law enforcement is on the hunt for an elusive killer. Billie knows he can keep his secret if he is careful, but everything changes when he reconnects with his childhood best friend. The closer he becomes to her; the more secrets of his past are unearthed. Maybe his stepfather isn’t guilty? But if he didn’t kill his mother… who did?
My Review:
White has done one bang-up job in this tale. The novel is cleverly crafted between different points of view. The first-person point of view is used for all of the scenes that are happening in the here and now. When the author dives into the past, the writing narrative switches to the third person past tense. In addition, the story is told to us from both of the main characters; Billie and Clare.
Billie and Clare are best friends and neighbors in small-town America, where every house is hiding some secret. This book has several. We get to watch as these two grow up together, experience the trials of childhood, snippets of the teenage years and finally into young adulthood. Clare seems to have traveled well on her journey and yet we get clues, sometimes very subtle, other times told quite loudly, that all is not as it might seem.
Billie, on the other hand, has had one hell of a journey. Growing up in an abusive and toxic environment, thanks to an alcoholic stepfather, we see the end results of Billie’s formative years spent in fear. But, is the abuse his step-father delivers to every member of the family the reason why Billie is the way he is?
Billie likes blood. In fact, he needs it. Which gives this tale an incredibly different take on Vampires. “The Other” is Billie’s way of describing the cravings that overtake him, the indescribable need for blood. White holds our hand at the beginning of this tale and shows us (plausibly) how step-daddy’s anger and lashing out slowly turns Billie into someone who finds satisfaction in the coppery taste of life-giving blood. From the journey’s first steps of self-harm to animal hunting, to human murder.
The pivot point in this novel is the death of Billie’s mother. As the reader, we are left guessing, sort of, how the murder happened. Again, White leads us down a path of suspicion that would have you believe that Frank (the stepfather) is the murderer. But then maybe was it Billie?
Believe me, the truth of it all, I didn’t see coming. And that’s kind of how I found the whole book. I just didn’t see it coming. You suspect that something’s up – like when you pay money at the movie theater for a horror movie – you know what you’ve signed up for, yet you still end up jumping in your seat at the scary moments.
This is what White’s done. Clever. Very, very clever. “Look here, let’s walk down this path. Isn’t it dark and scary? See the shadows and the gnarled old roots of the giant trees?” And then something completely wild and unsuspected jumps out and leaves you breathless.
That’s The Other Inside.
At the end of the book, the author has her bio listed and some interesting information. The ‘vampirism’ in this tale is modeled after a real-life condition (not truly recognized yet) as Renfield Syndrome. I encourage you to read the extra page. It will send shivers down your spine.
Real. Vampires. Exist.
Now, go read this book.
Rating:
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Meet the Author:
J.M. White is the author of Shattered and The Other Inside, psychological thrillers with a supernatural twist.
She is also the creator of Thirst for Thrillers, a blog pairing cocktail recipes with books. A concept aimed at encouraging more people to read good books in a genre she loves.
J.M. White currently lives in the greater Boston area where she is working on her third novel and (probably) re-binging the X-Files.
J.P. Jackson 