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THE CURSE OF THE WENDIGO by RICK YANCEY
“In the name of all that is holy, tell me why God felt the need to make a hell. It seems so redundant.”
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Like I said with the previous book, Monstrumologist, I'm enjoying just how dark and visceral this series actually is. It's categorized as YA, as the protagonist is only 12 years old, but these books can easily fit on the shelf along with the 'big boy' horror greats.
My only issue with the first book was in Rick Yancey's choice to use a very obscure monster. It still worked well, but I wasn't as invested. This time around it's very different. The Wendigo is a monster/creature of myth with powerful resonance and fear that surrounds it. It makes for excellent horror tales, and this time around is no different.
The book is kind of split in two, taking place first in the north Canadian wilderness, where the desolation and outright power of the empty tundra was a character unto itself, followed by New York city, complete with filthy alleys, tenements, and the downtrodden that plagued 1800s big cities.
The protagonist, Will Henry, has evolved enough to hold some of his own agency, and therefore the books won't be propped up by his scientist master alone anymore. Will makes for a fine narrator, and the story deals with heartbreak and sheer abandonment of hope in very effective ways.
I'm also still hooked in with the books' prologues and epilogues. I still can't fathom where those are headed, and look forward to finding out.
Great Victorian horror with a taste of penny dreadful/pulp dark fantasy that I'm really enjoying. Recommended.
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