Synopsis
Tyler Kyle doesn’t believe in monsters.
A washed-up thirty-year-old actor and reluctant cryptid investigator, Tyler is used to playing the Scully to his best friend Josh’s Mulder on their stupidly popular YouTube channel. But when Tyler receives previously unseen footage of the B movie bombshell mother who abandoned him eighteen years ago—footage linked to an isolated island in the Canadian wilderness—the mystery is one conspiracy he’s determined to investigate. The fact that following the scent gives Tyler an excuse to run away from the “straight” Josh, whom he drunkenly made out with, is just the cherry on the shit sundae.
But Echo Island isn’t what it seems. Somewhere amongst its pine-clad hills lurks the stalker whose footage lured him to the island in the first place, and behind its eerily scenic veneer hides a twisted secret buried in its roots as a gay conversion camp. As Tyler retraces his mother’s footsteps, he discovers a supernatural connection the residents share with the island—one that calls to Tyler the same way it did his mother.
Face-to-face with the supernatural, he sure-as-shit wishes he hadn’t gay-panicked and left the cryptid-obsessed Josh behind. Pursued by the stalker, searching for his mother, and debating whether it’s possible to queerbait yourself, Tyler comes to realize that it doesn’t matter so much whether you believe in monsters, if they believe in you.
THE ERSTWHILE TYLER KYLE is an adult horror comedy for fans of GHOST FILES, BUZZFEED UNSOLVED, and TWIN PEAKS.
Content warnings can be found at the back of the book, or on Steve Westenra’s website.
Review
This one has been on my TBR for a minute, and when I had the chance to bump it up for the Indie Ink Awards, I didn’t hesitate!
The erstwhile Tyler Kyle has received a video that looks to be proof of his missing mother having been on a remote island. But when his best friend, and YouTube channel counterpart, doesn’t receive permission to visit and Tyler does, he goes ahead without him. Even though they’ve received emails from some super stalker, he goes anyway … because that’s what you do when you’re Tyler Kyle. But as things begin to unravel, both on the island, as well as in Tyler’s life (and mind), he will struggle to find answers even at the cost of his own safety.
First and foremost, since I first saw this cover when the book was announced I honestly have thought the title was The Erstwhile Tyler Kelly, even going so far as to refer to it as such when thinking about it. So feel free to take anything I say with a pinch of salt, because apparently I can’t even read. Don’t judge a book by its cover? Don’t … read a book by its cover. I don’t know.
Anyway, I’ve been wanting to read this for a good while now. The main character of Tyler is one half of a cryptid hunting show that, even if unsuccessful in finding proof, has gone on to find some decent popularity. It made me think of my two best friends in BestGhost, and the author and I have even spoken about some parallels. After getting into this, I can see that the best friends in this certainly have a different dynamic to mine, often flirting with each other to the point of fans launching their own fan-fictions. The book features a rift between them, and a drunken mistake one night is actually why Tyler was so willing to go off alone all willy nilly. Well, that and the fact that there’s a chance for news of his mother.
Tyler is a complicated main character, often propelling himself into situational self-sabotage and unnecessary danger. However, with this being a novel and all, I can forgive him quite a lot, and I do find that I like him overall. As a man that has struggled with his own sense of self and purpose (and attractions), I can even see pieces of myself in Tyler as well, just not the manwhoring. I’ve never been huge on the use of smut or spice scenes in books, however this does do well with showing off how they seem to come at Tyler from all angles. More often than not, these things kind of happen to him, not directly because of him, but most definitely because of how unsure he is. I like that it’s an approach I would not have taken if it were my own writing, personally, and yet it’s an incredibly honest and spot on way to showcase his struggles with self worth. I try hard not to insert my own style onto other’s stories, however when doing so brings to light something that I think is particularly deftly handled, I’m all for it. Westenra has a distinct voice.
If being in love with your best friend and coworker isn’t enough. If your mom going missing and allegedly having stayed on an island with a mock-cowboy that’s definitely the head of a cult isn’t enough either, the author paints the island as its own separate entity. From a bunker in the woods that felt a la Lost (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) that requires swimming through what is essentially a moat, to strange elk-ish monster noises, large “bear traps”, an “art display” of old skeletons nailed to trees, and an insane stray dog population, this place just seems to be one big ball of secrets and deception. This part really brought me enjoyment, I had zero idea where this was going and where it went to eventually my mind hadn’t even considered. I also love the tough conversation around being in any way LGBTQ, as the town’s initial purpose was to be a conversion camp, pushing the limits beyond what is socially, and even legally, acceptable. And I think it was really well developed and delivered in how the people in the town free themselves from one oppressor just to be trapped in a different cage.
Perhaps not the happy ending you’d imagine, but there is a sense of resolution. Between Tyler and Josh, between Tyler and Conrad, Conrad and his people, between the island and its stagnant and bigoted past. People might still be on a leash of sorts, but the taste of freedom is just the beginning for those willing to reach for it. Great for fans of horror, mystery, and thriller, with horror and supernatural elements, and a taste of romance—it’s even, in many ways, inherently, darkly humorous. This is unique in a way that I feel has some mass appeal, especially in the current market with CJ Leede, Brian McAuley, and Chuck Tingle’s works being on the rise. I think this would successful share self space with them. I hope you’ll check it out.
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