Thanks to Netgalley for the free ebook to review!

This fast paced horror was interesting. I enjoyed that it was easy to read and fast paced most of the time. I thought it was interesting that it took place in a day. I thought the author did a great job weaving other important things into the story-sexual assault in the workplace and a small glimpse of what it’s like to be LGBTQ and latinx in a city. Overall I thought it was well written and interesting.

This book covers a lot of important topics and I feel like it tackles them well, with knowledge and thoughtfulness.
However, I didn’t enjoy it because of this. The trigger warnings needed to be clearer for me as I was a little unprepared and once I started reading, I quickly became aware this book wasn’t for me.

Great book. Really engaging. I thought the lead character was interesting, and I cared what happened to him.
I will watch out for this author.

It's not often that a book terrifies me, but wow did this one. Not to mention, as a queer woman, it was terrifying on two fronts, the paranormal activity and the thought that past evils of privileged groups of people can have lingering effects on a place, on a society. Honestly, that thought scares me more than the paranormal activity. The thought that, despite all of the advances we have made as a society, our dark past can never be undone, and it will never stop haunting those people still affected by it.

Gabe Espinosa is back at work after a suicide attempt, and although neither he nor anyone else at the Rosebriar Room, a fancy restaurant in an upscale hotel that was converted from an old Gentleman's Club, thinks he's quite ready to be back yet, Gabe is trying his best to return to some sort of normalcy. That is, until a man hurls a three hundred pound table at him and tries to kill him. From there, it only gets scarier.

This book heavily reminded me of the indie horror film, It Follows. Not just because of the way both the movie and the book involve possessed people just off in the peripheral working their way ever so closer and closer to you, but also in the meaning behind it. It Follows is a metaphor for an STI, the main girl goes on a date with a man she barely knows and she gets tied up and told that this "thing" walking towards her is going to follow her now, until she passes it on to someone else. In the same vein, Gabe's following is tied to his idea that he cannot be worthy of love. In It Follows, the main character decides that she could never live with herself if she gave it to someone else, so she spends her whole life walking away from It. Gabe realizes he needs to move on, love himself, and find worth in himself to get the haunting to stop.

I loved this spooky, atmospheric, dark-themed read!

{This review will be published as a blog to the link below. It will also be posted, in a shortened version, to my Instagram @citronella_seance)

Three point five stars out of five.

Gabe Espinosa, two weeks off a suicide attempt, returns to his job at the Rosebriar Room, part of Chicago's Sentinel Club, only to find an evil making itself known to him. He is attacked by a diner at the restaurant, finds the furniture in his apartment stacked upon itself, receives calls and voicemails from a voice exuding evil menace, and is in his roommate's Uber as a random jogger attacks the car, only to fall behind as they escape. Clearly, something is stalking Gabe, but what?

Gabe ends up at the library to research The Sentinel Club, and finds that many years ago, it served as a (white) man's only club, where apparently everything went - including the murders of people of color who toiled away there. After being attacked on the L by a group of Wall Street types, he makes his way back to the Rosebriar Room, intending to end the evil. He just doesn't know how.

As he stands in the empty dining room, he is attacked again, and nearly loses his life but for the actions of his immediate supervisor - who clocks the attacker with a heavy flower vase. The evil is stalled. For now.

I rarely say this about many books, but I wished it had been a bit longer. It is a slim volume, and the last quarter - finding out the cause of the evil and then going to meet it - feels a bit rushed. The opening is a tad slow, but it's probably necessary to really get into who Gabe is: a young gay man and person of color, working in a job he hates under a supervisor he can't stand. I'd also have preferred some more action-related items to show the reach of the evil. It's still a decent read, and if you're into horror/evil, you'll appreciate the descriptive passages of ordinary people and things that shift into evil beings with which no one would want to deal.

Thanks to NetGalley and NineStar Press for the reading copy.

You know that feeling.. when you see a book cover that just reaches out and draws your gaze? That's exactly what happened to me with this novel. The blood red tempest against the black and white Chicago skyline just pulled me right in. And it's not misleading, in the least. This is a book I feel secure saying, you can judge by its cover.

From the opening scenes, freshman author Jose Nateras easily immerses you in even the day to day life of Gabe Espinosa. The anxiety swirling within the main character is apparent, even in his mannerisms as he takes the train into work.

Nateras glimpses at society as a whole, are clear and concise, but never boring. The same things that emerge in Gabe's thoughts, are the kinds of things we probably think ourselves. Even the pattern of his thoughts feels natural. It's actually difficult to remember that this is a debut novel, because the author is so skilled.

The story is well rounded. There's deep backstory, both on a personal level, and in regards to what is actually occurring around Gabe throughout the story. Though we only see them briefly here and there, the supporting characters have some depth and backstory of their own, which is refreshing. Foreshadowing is so well done, that at least once, I found myself on edge in a situation where none of the intense moments even occurred. I had just become so conditioned to them, I was left feeling almost alarmed when it didn't happen.

And make no mistake, there is a terrifying undercurrent to this story. It may not be the contemporary horror we've come to expect.. overwrought with gore or jump-scares.. but it is most definitely terrifying in its way. This novel is psychologically exhausting, not just due to the nature of the story itself, but also because Nateras does such a good job of connecting the reader with the character. I felt like I knew his pain intimately. At times, I even cried with him, and that's no small feat.

There is an almost old fashioned 'creep' factor to 'Testament.' I've had similar reactions to books over the years, but with few contemporary authors-- William Peter Blatty, Stephen King, Ira Levin-- to name a few.. and okay, you got me. Most of those are not very recent contemporary at that.

But don't just let me tell you, add this book to your to-be-read list. Get to know this phenomenal new author.

actual rating: 3.5

This was a pretty interesting book although definitely more character driven than I was expecting it to be. This worked well because a lot of the story focused on the main character's struggles both as a gay man and a man of color so it was nice to see a different perspective in an urban fantasy book and these things did tie into the haunting very heavily by the end of the story. I do think it could have been a little bit longer and maybe have a few more scenes focusing on the horror/haunting elements because I did feel like it was a bit lacking in that area, but definitely a very enjoyable read and I would read more from this author in the future.

Sometimes a book just grabs you by the hand and drags you through its story. This is one, and I loved every minute of it.

Gabe struggles with a lot. Both paranormal, supernatural weirdness, amd his own internal problems. Queer and brown in a world that doesn't care for either of those, he nonetheless searches for community, acceptance, love.

This book does a marvellous job at depecting these struggles. The way the supernatural elements mirror and highlight Gabe's frustration and journey is very well done. The tension in this journey is palpable, rising and falling and always just enough to keep me turning the pages.

Actual Rating: 3.5/5 stars

It is very rarely that I pick up a supernatural novel that revolves around a gay character. And although Testament by Jose Nateras is not an instant favorite, it is good enough of a story to end a great series of releases this year.

For the most part, I have had an easy time reading. Other than the first person point of view that I am comfortable with, the writing and the imagery is great. Descriptions, from the setting to Gabe's spectrum of emotions, are well articulated that you feel exactly what the author wants you to feel.

These types of narrations are what I live for! More writings like this!

Also, I appreciate Gabe's vulnerability. Some might probably take this negatively. I can already sense a few readers complaining on his damsel-in-distress demeanor. But I guess that's the likable part of Gabe, for me -- how he deals with an old relationship and the crap happening in the restaurant, and how he is openly scared of all these things.

There are a lot of stereotyping and labeling going on too. There's the tendency to say opinions about someone for their sexuality (and race). And I guess that it comes from the fact that as an LGBT person of color, they face these issues on a normal basis.

On the other hand, I may have hoped for a more clever ‘attack’ too from those who are after him. It kind of go and went literal -- physical and mental wise-- but otherwise gives a fair share of creeps too. Like I said, the writing is really good.

The ending is a bit of a let down, unfortunately. I wish for a better end, maybe a more climactic reveal about the truth of the Sentinel Club and the hotel, rather than knowing significant parts of it in a mere library. The mystery does not disappoint, but the supernatural aspect stays a little under my threshold.

Like, perhaps gather the pieces, one by one, put it all together, and boom! Finding a good resolution about the attacks could have salvaged the lapses I found on the book.

Overall, I don't think the ending makes the entire novel bad. I give points for this book on touching some sensitive and timely subjects (and of course the writing). This can be a casual read, but not exactly one for the overly sensitive, supernatural fanatics.

What a terrifying ride this novel is! so let’s see... Gabe is returning to work after a suicide attempt, he’s recently broken up with his boyfriend... so things are pretty raw for him on all fronts. I don’t mean to minimize what happened to Gabe...but I don’t want to give away too many details about what is revealed in the novel.

Gabe returns to work but he’s unsettled. Of course, he’s still missing Kenny - the partner who cheated on him and moved out of their home - but he’s feeling unsettled in the hotel he works in. He can’t really put his finger on why he’s feeling so unsettled. It’s one of those things where he’s seeing figures out of the corner of his eyes, he feels the air move around him... he feels eyes on him.

He tries to put it all behind him and get back into the swing of work. The first customer of the day goes well for about 3 minutes then Gabe finds himself being attacked. The man’s entire demeanor changes from when he walks into the dining room... suddenly he’s agile, strong and definitely tries to kill Gabe.

From this point in the novel... Gabe is haunted by more than just his ended relationship. It’s as though the spirit from the hotel is following him, stalking him through the Chicago. There are some terrible attacks on Gabe ... and he beings to think he’s losing his mind. I mean, who wouldn’t?

Gabe is a great character. Nateras does a great job of writing about some of the issues that Gabe faces as a POC... who is also gay! Racism is at the source of the haunting that’s going on... and Gabe is a convenient victim.

The author did a great job of ratcheting up the fear and anxiety in some of the scenes. I will definitely never ride the subway again without taking a careful look around me. Come to think of it, I probably won’t want to get in an elevator for a while either!

Nice and spooky with a good dose of timely topics! Thanks! Enjoyed this one!