Synopsis
Once there were four Lasco siblings banded together against a world that failed to protect them. But on a hellish night that marked the end of their childhood, eldest brother Shawn died violently after being dragged behind closed doors. Though the official finding was accidental death, Nathan Lasco knows better, and has never forgiven their mother, Stella.
Now two decades later, Stella promises to finally reveal the truth of what happened on The Day of the Door. Accompanied by a paranormal investigative team, the Lasco family comes together one final time, but no one is prepared for the revelations waiting for them on the third floor.
Review
A haunting blend of familial trauma and ambiguity, The Day of the Door by Laurel Hightower details one family’s horrific unraveling. The remaining members of the Lasco family are no strangers to tragedy following one night that resulted in the death of the oldest sibling, Shawn, seemingly at the hands of his mother, Stella. For Nathan, Aury, and Katy, the truth of what happened behind closed doors all those years ago remains elusive yet never far from their mind’s edge. When a paranormal investigative TV show comes calling, an opportunity to set the record straight for all members of the Lasco family, an estranged Stella included, becomes available. Could there really be a paranormal influence over their old home that caused Shawn’s death? Or is Stella simply thriving in theatrics again? Part A Head Full of Ghosts, part Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House, Hightower’s The Day of the Door utilizes the deepest of family secrets to unearth a reality that is beyond the Lasco family’s imagination.
Haunted houses have come in many different shapes and forms in the recent history of modern horror fiction. And most of the time, it is not so much the physical structures that are haunted; rather, it is the folks who dwell within these spaces. Hightower confronts this notion directly with The Day of the Door, attempting to untangle the complicated web that is the Lasco family. Is it them, or is it the space? This is a loaded question with many caveats, gray areas, and points of contention between Stella and her children. Undoubtedly, Stella is a narcissistic, cruel mother who relishes any form of attention, twisting any given narrative to suit her needs. Yet, there are many unanswered questions, strange occurrences, and troubling feelings attached to the place the Lasco children once called home.
In many ways, it feels as though Hightower is examining the well-known dichotomy of nature versus nurture on a grander, much bleaker scale. Based on Katy, Aury, and Nathan’s captivating characterizations, it is made abundantly clear that the night Shawn died has haunted them, affecting every life choice and major decision. This alone creates an enigmatic, malevolent darkness hovering over the Lascos before they ever set foot in their old home. Once they cross that threshold, all bets are off. Hightower capitalizes on deeply disturbing, genuinely terrifying instances of horror to drive home the gravity of the situation in conjunction with Stella’s cruelty.
To boot, The Day of the Door is psychologically heavy, an emotionally laden story. The Lasco children are written in a raw fashion, their scars and trauma made visible as the story progresses and some truths are shared. Their pain and suffering feel palpable on the page as we want answers just as desperately as they do. It’s excellent writing on Hightower’s part that immerses us right in the thick of things, additionally making every horrific aspect that much more terrifying. And as terrible as these circumstances sound, I simply want more of this kind of story-telling: raw, emotional, and real.
Loaded with emotional subterfuge and electrified with terror, The Day of the Door by Laurel Hightower is a masterfully crafted novel that sheds light on the darkest of family secrets. The Lasco kids (now adults) have suffered more than their share of heartache, possibly at the hands of their deeply conceited mother or something else entirely. The search for the truth proves to be equally traumatic as this confrontation unfolds, barring no one from injury or insult. The Day of the Door is an affecting story, one that doesn’t flinch in the face of the darkest parts of family.
The Day of the Door by Laurel Hightower is out now and is published by Ghoulish Books, an indie press. To support Ghoulish Books directly, you can order a copy from their website here.
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