Review: A Fun 80s Throwback
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 5, 2014
Fans of ’80s slasher horror rejoice! With Abra-Cadaver, Matt Drabble has constructed a throwback to that golden age of horror that includes his own unique serial killer: a revengeful magician released from a mental asylum more than two decades after his incarceration. His targets? Every person in the small town who had a hand in his sentencing, and the now grown-up group of kids who were witness to his shocking crime all those years ago. But are they really to blame for the crime that put Arnold Trotter away? And what will happen when the serial killing spectre sets his sights on them?There’s nothing overly advanced about Drabble’s novel. It’s a by the numbers slasher novel – complete with implausible epilogue – which features a distinctive killer, memorable death scenes, and some likeable-enough characters that you may even find yourself wanting to survive. Drabble takes his time setting the scene and distinguishing between the five adult versions of the children that witnessed Trotter’s actions on that long-ago fateful day. Though this scene-setting works well, the pace of the novel regularly grinds to a crushing halt in other scenes. This makes for the same information told from half a dozen perspectives, providing for little narrative flow – especially after it becomes apparent most who are introduced in this manner are soon thereafter dispatched by Trotter.Tonally, the book sometimes seems uneven. It’s hard not to get a laugh out of the idea of a magician offing people with fatal variations of various tricks he’s been doing over the years – making for some over-the-top bloodthirsty scenes – yet Drabble essentially plays it straight from beginning to end. Not knowing whether I should be laughing or wincing became my biggest quandary as I read through this.In the end, there’s something here for every horror enthusiast. Just brace yourself for some repetitious scenes early and then enjoy the mayhem as it unfolds.3 Wickedly Sharp Guillotines for Abra-Cadaver.