Synopsis:
Love freaking hurts. Follow Triple-Six, an institutionalized, lovestruck outcast, as he fights to save the only girlfriend he’s ever had from the reanimated clutches of her undead mother–the infamous pyromaniac serial killer he accidentally freed from Hell. Certain to please fans of Katherine Dunn and Jason Pargin, FREE BURN is a darkly comic and surprisingly emotional horror story like nothing you’ve read before.
Review:
Free Burn by Drew Huff is a wonderful and bizarre story, that’s self aware and delightfully off-kilter. If Katherine Dunn’s “Geek Love,” was written with the irreverent humor of Netflix’s “Big Mouth,” it would probably result in a strange, outlandish and hilarious novel- well here you go. Upon receiving my copy in the mail, I was VERY excited (thank you again Dark Matter Ink) and then briefly confused. Despite having devoured Dark Matter titles such as Catherine McCarthy’s “Mosaic,” and “Our Love Will Devour Us,” by R.L Meza, as well as the extreme and darkly comedic works of Duncan Ralston, I can’t say I expected to see the author of “Woom,” and “Pedo Island Bloodbath,” on the blurb. Out of all of the horror authors, everywhere, this seemed like a bit of a random connection. Well, I set aside my confusion and dove straight in. Clarity dawned within moments… like after the first line. Free Burn is a whirlwind of unapologetic absurdity and gross out humor, and Ralston’s endorsement suddenly made a whole lotta sense- it’s vomit-inducing, stomach-churning splatter.
I can’t even begin to delve into the intricacies of this INSANE plot, mostly for my own sanity, but equally because going in blind is absolutely the way forward with this book. Here’s the briefest of summaries, just to get you hooked. Project 0666 (who is born with some strange form of ectrodactyly) is again, down on his luck when he participates in the murder of a fellow inmate. He’s placed in solitary confinement, where things take an even more drastic and unbelievable turn. He accidentally summons a demonic, pyromaniac serial killer from Hell… who also happens to be his girlfriend/ sneaky link/ co-murderer’s mother. Uh oh. Luckily for the partners in crime, they manage to escape imprisonment. Not so luckily, their captor (Roy Pike), the ghost of their first victim (Edmund Blueing) and an undead arsonist, AKA Lorraine the Immane are all hot on their tails.
Once you’ve finished reading, you have to go and listen to Drew’s episode with Dead Headspace, it really adds another layer of perspective to her characters. Whilst Drew may be lacking paralyzing, portal-opening lobster claws, how she tackles grief and manages anger, is reflected in how three-dimensionally and complexly her protagonist is written. When you turn a blind eye toward the twisted fantasies and bodily fluids- it’s almost touching…
That being said, Huff also mentions that with her antagonist, she “wanted to write the most disgusting woman,” she possibly could. AND SHE SUCCEEDS. Lorraine Worner is one of the scariest and most manipulative psychopaths I’ve come across. She actually makes you laugh out loud, before you remember she’s caused 100s of deaths and millions of dollars worth of damage, and feel terrible. She disappears and resurfaces many times throughout the novel (which can honestly get a little repetitive toward the end) but never fails to stir up a potent cocktail of fear and mild amusement within the reader.
If you’re looking for Eric Larocca-like plots, with a more straight-forward narrative voice, this would likely be up your alley. The prose is nothing fancy, but this likely works in Free Burn’s favor. I feel if you took this plot and rewrote it Sara Tantlinger style (lyrical in it’s prose) it would push the novel past bizarro into ridiculous and excessive. We’re instead tided over with hilarious puns and plenty of sarcasm (the lowest but funniest form of humor) amongst the devastating flashbacks and eyebrow raising body horror. Even the ability to convey this bonkers plot coherently shows Drew to be an adept and skilled writer… I can’t wait to get my hands on The Exodontists.
Free Burn is as unpredictable as it is captivating. It doesn’t merely push boundaries, it obliterates them entirely, leaving readers slack-jawed but wanting more. Absolutely deranged, and a veritable feast for fans of spooks, smut and Satan- Free Burn is made for readers who relish the unconventional, the outrageous and the disturbing. Drew Huff’s twisted imagination simultaneously horrified and entertained me, and I can’t wait to see what atrocity it spews out next.
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