Down by the water...
I snagged an e-copy of Becoming, from the author Glenn Rolfe, when he was giving 10 copies away on Twitter for a yet unrecognized Reviewer Appreciation Day (RAD), thought up by author Duncan Swan (debut novel Monstre). What follows below is my honest review, freely given.
I rated this book 4.5 stars.
I don�t know if I want to call this a creature feature, cryptid, or Eldritch type of story; I think all could fit in their own way. Something from deep in the lake is taking people, altering them with an implantation technique reminiscent to the Alien franchise (but so much... moister... gritty yet slimy). Not going to lie, I felt a little gaggy reading those scenes, hats off to the author for painting that disturbing imagery so well. We are also reminded during this tale of transformative horror, that there are truly deplorable horrors committed by seemingly regular people; acts that make the (moist) change of the lake preferable to their current situation.
I felt the townspeople�s reactions and abilities handling this type of infiltration were authentic, the author was not afraid to let a character fall if that�s how things were rolling, no unexpected hidden talents saving them at the last instant. I always appreciate when they are able to let the story go where it needs to go, even if it means character deaths. I have read some works in the past where the lack of death or injury almost takes away from the story because it suspends belief.
Happening in the time of the instant news cycle, I would be down to read a sequel, or even a short story that touches on this town again, and how our modern world would handle an incident such as this. Would it be covered up X-Files style? Would the lake be dragged for the creature? Would YouTube cryptid shows descend to pick apart the mystery and try to get something on film? Maybe a following would grow, waiting for their turn to become? I enjoyed this read, enough that I am thinking of ways to get another book out of it, so if you read it, tell me what you think; creature feature, cryptid, or cosmic deity stuck in a lake?
