Synopsis:
It was Vera’s idea to buy the Itza. The “world’s most advanced smart speaker!” didn’t interest Thiago, but Vera thought it would be a bit of fun for them amidst all the strange occurrences happening in the condo. It made things worse. The cold spots and scratching in the walls were weird enough, but peculiar packages started showing up at the house―who ordered industrial lye? Then there was the eerie music at odd hours, Thiago waking up to Itza projecting light shows in an empty room.
It was funny and strange right up until Vera was killed, and Thiago’s world became unbearable. Pundits and politicians all looking to turn his wife’s death into a symbol for their own agendas. A barrage of texts from her well-meaning friends about letting go and moving on. Waking to the sound of Itza talking softly to someone in the living room . . .
The only thing left to do was get far away from Chicago. Away from everything and everyone. A secluded cabin in Colorado seemed like the perfect place to hole up with his crushing grief. But soon Thiago realizes there is no escape―not from his guilt, not from his simmering rage, and not from the evil hunting him, feeding on his grief, determined to make its way into this world.
Review:
“This Thing Between Us,” is everything that you could possibly ever need- it’s reflective, it’s existential, and it’s completely bonkers. With more cosmicism than Lovecraft, and more angst than a philosopher on a bad day, it’s an absolute must read for those who like their horror with a side of heart-ache. Grab your flashlight, probably a teddy-bear, and please hold on to your sanity at all times.
In “This Thing Between Us,” we follow Thiago grapple with the sudden and painful death of his wife Vera. The couple encountered their fair share of obstacles, from navigating his strained relationship with his in-laws (who believe Thiago is not Mexican enough), to their shared condo’s dark and bloody background. Added to the mix, are the incessant nocturnal disruptions, bizarre packages and random blasts of music made by the couple’s “Itza,” device. But that life is gone. Unable to cope with living surrounded by memories of Vera, Thiago moves to a spacious cabin in rural Colorado using his insurance money…but can’t outrun the madness.
Grief horror (and this warms my spooky little heart) is growing in popularity, and there are an array of depressing options for readers to pick their poison from… so what sets this one aside? Amongst a graveyard of grief-laden novels, “This Thing Between Us,” truly stands out, as we read the story through Thiago’s second person musings to his dead wife. Following an unfortunate accident at the train-station, Vera’s death is a fluke event, but regardless, we watch Thiago struggle with his guilt and self-loathing. With the protagonist’s rapidly declining mental state, we’re in for a bumpy ride, and often have to question whether the truly odd events of the novel are a figment of his imagination… or whether there actually is something lurking in the shadows, waiting to drag him into the abyss.
You’re genuinely in for a treat, as that “Something lurking in the shadows,” manifests itself in the form of a demon. As readers of Rios de la Luz’s horror novella “Itzà,” and fans of Mayan folklore will be aware, Itzamna is a deity able to raise the dead, an interesting addition to this story in particular. Call me a nerd, but I was obsessed with the fusion of ancient myth with modern technology. Now I appreciate that a possessed digital assistant may sound like a B-movie concept, although I promise it was anything but, and it allowed for some necessary and sophisticated commentary on our increasingly digitised lives.
Now, my issue lies in the ending. Recently, I’ve grown to appreciate a little ambiguity, and even the implication of an ending(especially when it’s depressing) will suffice most of the time. The entire novel reads like an utter fever dream, but the final few pages were just too much for me. I felt like I was finishing a puzzle, only for the final piece to disintegrate before my very eyes. I agree that not every story needs a definite ending, but I do need just a little understanding, a smidge of closure… something. If you’ve read this one and have theories, I’d love to hear them.
On the whole though, it’s a truly miserable experience, making it the perfect read for me (and presumably you too if I still have your attention). I previously mentioned “Itzà,” by Rios de la Luz, if you loved that, and want more… read this. To my cosmic horror connoisseurs, from fans of Lovecraft’s “The Shadow over Innsmouth,” to lovers of “Harbour,” by John Ajvide Lindqvist, you will also lap this up. If you’re weird like me, and love haunted possessions, e.g the desk in Philip Fracassi’s “Gothic,” or the typewriter in Garth Marenghi’s “Terrortome,” you’ll find this one fun too. Furthermore, I’d like to use “Cujo,” and “Pet Sematary,” by King as a deterrent. If you couldn’t stomach the animal abuse in either, I’d miss this one.
Wrapping it up, “This Thing Between Us,” emerges as an epic convergence of grief and cosmic terror, weaving together existential dread and other-worldly menace with startling precision. Whilst not without its flaws, we’re plunged into a world in which we can’t decipher what is reality and what is nightmare, and for that alone, it’s worth the read. If you’re ready to question the very fabric of reality, and potentially never feel happiness again, dive in.
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