Book Review: Standalone by Paul Michael Anderson
Ladies and gentlemen, here comes Paul Michael Anderson with easily one of the most unique and original concepts you'll read in a horror book this year. Mixing horror with science fiction, Standalone also acts as a love letter of sorts to the slasher genre. There’s some fun shout outs to our favorite villains and movies throughout the span of horror cinema as the plot rolls along and unravels. This is one of those stories that reveals bits and pieces as it goes, never really showing all its cards until the end. And even then, the reader has room to add some of their own interpretations.
The first chapter is such a draw-in, following our lead, Jenkins, as he ravages a very familiar summer camp. Anderson drops in odd little bits here and there to take the reader out of familiarity. We're pretty much asked to make a mental note of strange happenings to return to later. Come chapter two, we start to see what's really going on. If you read my reviews, you know I like to go light on synopsis. Honestly, I don't even read the back cover most of the time. This book has a Christopher Nolan-movie vibe, where if you go in knowing little to nothing, you're bound to enjoy it more.
One of the more impressive elements pulled off here is the seemingly effortless balance of deep existential questions with gore-laden fun with familial drama elements. At first glance, it seems like too much to squish into one book, and at times I did find myself with a bit of whiplash. Perhaps wishing I had more action during exposition or even hoping for a more detailed explanation of the concepts that make up the foundation of the story. As I mentioned before, a lot of that is intentionally left, or at least that was my interpretation.
Standalone also comes with a bonus short story at the end - “The One Thing I Wished For You”, and as much as the book worked for me, I liked the story even better. The book and story share a common theme of a father making sacrifices for their child, and though the book pulls it off, the story is even more effective at those heartstring tugs. Standalone put Paul Michael Anderson on my radar, but "The One Thing..." made his collection of short fiction - Bones Are Made to be Broken - a must-have book.
If you're looking for something that's not going to echo books you've already read, or if you're simply looking for a new twist on the tried and true slasher, that makes plenty of room for blood and guts, Standalone is very likely up your alley.
Review by Brennan LaFaro
Blog: http://brennanlafaro.wordpress.com
Twitter: @whathappensnex5
I received a paperback copy from the publisher for review consideration
