Cedar Mills by Dylan James: REVIEW
Synopsis
From Goodreads: “Seeking to understand the recent deaths and disappearances in their town, a disgraced homicide detective and a group of grieving high schoolers unwittingly join forces. But what this ragtag bunch of answer-seekers find will not only force them into a fight to save themselves and their town, but all of humanity as we know it… Welcome to Cedar Mills.”
My Review
Full disclosure: This is Dylan James’ debut horror novel, which will be published Aug. 1 by a very small, very young press, Savage Realms. The author contacted me and asked if I would read and review it in exchange for a free copy, which I accepted because I love me some sci-fi horror. I promised him this would be an honest review, and it will be. But just be aware that I’m not holding Cedar Mills to the same standard as I would a long-established author from a large press. There are parts of this book that a seasoned editor would have polished to a shine, but I can overlook the rougher quality in this case. Especially since I was reading an advance reader copy, which probably will get spruced up a bit before publishing.
I just wanted to be completely above-board with that, in case anyone thinks my reviews are inconsistent or paid for. They’re not, I’m just a firm believer in equity over equality.
With all that said…
This novel is a fun romp in the swamp for anyone who loves creature horror. Okay, so maybe it’s set on a river… but it feels like a swamp when the Cedar River Walker emerges from it. One of the novel’s strengths is its Creature from the Black Lagoon vibes, and at times it really does feel like the novelization of an old-school horror movie.
For the most part, though, this book feels like R.L. Stine for the 2020s. I grew up reading Goosebumps and Fear Street (in fact I was re-reading a Fear Street novel when I picked up Cedar Mills), and they’re all-time favourites of mine. Yes, they can be cheesy, and the characters and dialogue tend to be cookie-cutter cliché, but dangit, they’re creepy good fun. Cedar Mills gave me the same feelings, but with more swears and gore for today’s audience.
My main criticism would be that I wasn’t crazy about the explanation of the monster, but that’s probably a personal taste thing. It actually grew on me more by the end. And I wouldn’t say the ending knocks it out of the park, but it’s interesting to note that James leaves it open for a sequel.
The bottom line
Overall, I enjoyed this as a lazy-summer-day read. The writing and characterizations feel unpolished, but don’t let that stop you from reading it if you enjoy creature horror. There are some truly nerve-shattering moments here.
Many thanks to Dylan James and Savage Realms for providing this ARC for review consideration.
You can pre-order the Kindle edition of Cedar Mills now on Amazon.com. (Release date is August 1)