Book Review: Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney
Genre: Horror
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
A boy’s idyllic childhood is shattered with the arrival of his maternal grandfather. It’s clear there is something else to the old man, hidden beneath the surface, putting both the boy and his beloved dog, Teach, on edge.
Wild Spaces is a coming-of-age horror novella, focusing on the boy as he struggles with internal and external changes. The arrival of the grandfather triggers a growing tension in the family; his presence in the family home expands as he takes up more and more space and the parents are almost pushed out of previously communal areas. He takes an interest in the boy, too, and you can sense the way the boy is initially torn, finding his grandfather interesting but maybe a little intimidating, and soon wishing the grandfather would leave their lives so things can go back to how they used to be.
Teach is really the only named character in the book. It’s a technique that’s interesting, but ultimately was growing a little tedious towards the end of the novella. I liked the way Coney dealt with the ideas of youth and coming of age. Overall, however, although I didn’t hate the book, I didn’t love it either, and it sits firmly in a kind of middle category for me, though I think it’d settle more with fans who really love slower coming of age stories.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter: @elleturpitt
Bluesky: @elleturpitt.bsky.social
I received this ebook from Titan Books via NetGalley for review consideration.