Review: A masterpiece. A benchmark for psychological horror.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 17, 2012
Every once in a rare while, a book comes along that succeeds in all departments--characterization, narration, ideology, execution. One that's so skillfully woven, the end effect is an unforgettable and powerful experience.This is that rare book.If anyone can create tolerance for a terrifyingly brutal rapist, B.G. Harlen can. Sweet mother, this is an exquisitely wretched story, one that is worth reading more for its thought-provoking journey than its final destination. It is certainly no fast-paced thriller. Rather, its a slow-burn analytical look at depravity personified and the strength of the human mind through the viewpoints of two characters: Him and Her. No names. No sense of time or location. Just the villain, the heroine, and their soul-shredding exploration of each other. The blend of her detachment and his confidence results in a psychological battle of confounding depth.How do you break a person? Do you take away hope? What if she's never experienced hope in her life?If you want to be titillated and repulsed on a corrosively erotic level, this will knock you out of the park. Reading it, you will feel stimulated, horrified, and eventually, purged.Resist the urge to pass this up because it's too dark. This mind-blowing rabbit hole is worth it.