Synopsis
The town of Stillwater has a very unwelcome resident. The town of Stillwater has been dying—the long and painful death of a town ravaged by floods and haunted by the ghosts of all who had lived there. Yet this most recent flood has brought something with it—a creature that nests among the good folks of Stillwater… and feeds off them. The children who haven’t disappeared whisper the same word—“vampire.” But they’re wrong. What has come to Stillwater is something much more horrific.
Review
All of my thanks to Titan Books for sending a copy my way!
Immensely gripping and impossible to put down, Ronald Malfi’s “not-vampire” book, The Narrows, not only provides meaningful commentary but also capitalizes on so many of the classic horror tropes we have come to know and love. Yet, every word of this book feels authentic, solidifying Malfi as one of the great small-town horror authors of our time. Stephen King is certainly known for demonstrating ideas of the dark side capitalism and the trends of moving away from Americana to the prominent big-box culture with his books It and Salem’s Lot. But, Ronald Malfi takes things a step further, crafting a tale for the modern age with The Narrows, a story that has been reissued at an eerie timely precipice in our country’s narrative.
The plot of The Narrows is simple and one that I, personally, will always pick up with excitement time and time again. Children are going missing in the small town of Stillwater, Maryland following a catastrophic flood.
Cue the record scratch. Here’s where I vehemently point out that eerie timing I mentioned previously with the recent passing of Hurricane Helene and the current unfolding of Hurricane Milton. Cue normal music.
Jumping from various townsfolks’ perspectives, it becomes alarmingly clear that the town of Stillwater is under siege from something bone-chillingly frightening. One police officer, Ben Journell, seems to be at the nexus of all that goes wrong, from dead farm animals, bats all over the place, missing kids, and another harrowing storm rolling into town. The damage from each of these things is something he’s never seen. But, he may be the only one able to stop it.
There’s a slightly overwhelming feeling in trying to review a book that manages to nail so many themes and ideas that are so personally gratifying. This is very true of The Narrows, a book that clocks in just over 400 pages in length and takes its time in setting the stage for sheer, unadulterated terror. On the surface, Malfi weaves an enticing tale exhibiting the insular life of the various townsfolk of Stillwater. This is damn good character work that instills feelings of care and investment despite the looming danger of something terrible headed their way. The remarkable drama displayed in this “slice-of-life” storytelling makes for one hell of a hook before things turn to chaos.
And believe me, Stillwater does indeed fall to utter chaos. With every instance of the “monster’s” damage being discovered, the levels of fear increase tenfold. This is in part thanks to the brilliant physical design of the creature, but also all of the hard-to-articulate feelings of “otherness” and vulnerability this thing exploits. Malfi pulls off a few written jump-scares in these pages, demanding the reader’s attention and absolutely refusing to let go. Forgive the terrible pun, but The Narrows is a book that unequivocally sucks you in.
All of this is to say that while this novel succeeds in entertainment value alone by being genuinely frightening, there is so much more at play below the rotting slick of these waters. The fact that this “evil” prays on a town that is already suffering as well as the youth of the community works a long way in instituting feelings of the wrongness in blood-sucking capitalism. And you may be sitting here saying, “Anna, wasn’t that already done in Salem’s Lot?” Sure, it has, but not quite like this. Malfi’s writing has a signature style that feels wholly original while still capturing all that we love about those pulpy 70s and 80s horror stories that stay with us. It’s gripping, it’s wild, it’s fun, it’s utterly terrifying, and I cannot get enough of these kinds of stories.
Championing much of what makes the horror genre so astounding, The Narrows by Ronald Malfi feels like a modern horror classic. The plot may sound like something that’s been explored to death, but rest assured that under Malfi’s skillful hand, there is plenty of nuance left within this particular brand of story. It is heartbreaking, utterly terrifying, and undeniably appropriate for this day and age, a narrative that stands the test of time.
The Narrows by Ronald Malfi has been reissued by Titan Books and is on shelves NOW!
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