Misfits was such a great read. I liked the revenge part in relation to Marnie's rape and in general how the aftermath was portrayed in a well written manner and not "she bounced back quickly like nothing happened".

I really liked that one got to know the characters a bit before the plot took a faster pace with more action. The book is engaging and fun read, especially if you like original horror novels with lots of gore. The more I neared the ending, the more I sat on the edge of the seat wanting to know what happened next.

Overall, I highly recommend Misfits.

The opening scene from this book is not one soon to be forgotten!

The story quickly moves on from there though, and leaves the reader wondering what bearing it has on the main story. A brutal rape occurs in the small town of Milbury, CT. and so begins this tale of revenge, rumors and more brutality in the form of truth. Marnie survives the rape and beating; saved by her group of friends. Once she admits what happened and who did it, the group join together to avenge her. It's all downhill from there. Will their group be able to put right what happened to Marnie? You'll have to read this to find out!

MISFITS is not what I expected from Hunter Shea. To be honest, I was thinking about some kind of weird monsters. The way this tale twisted is so much fun for the reader, I'm not going to say exactly who the villains were. I'll just say once you find out, it's terribly difficult to pull yourself away from this book.

It did take a big longer than normal for the action to get going here, but I think that's because we needed a bit of background on the characters. Also, it's a weird thing, but I didn't really connect with any of the characters here except for Mick. He was a bit of a loner, and a misfit, (the whole group was really), but most of the others had some type of outside support. Mick was truly alone.

Overall, this was a fast and fun read, which is typical of Hunter Shea. I had a great time with MISFITS and if this sounds up your alley, you will likely have a great time as well!

Recommended!

Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2FCFbct

*Thanks to Flame Tree Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

Misfits by Hunter Shea is a horror story that drops us in 1993 with five kids who all bond with each other due to being, the odd ones out amongst all the other kids for one reason or another, Misfits. Marnie, one of the five, is brutally raped one night and the kids know they have to retaliate themselves. Their town has a creepy legend like a lot of towns seem to. The Melon Heads are the legend in this case, they live deep in the woods on Dracula Drive! out of the five friends only Marnie and Mick believe in it. The rest of the misfits know it's a myth created to keep kids from entering the woods. The misfits use this to get back at Marnies attacker, without realising they are setting a plan in motion that they may regret forever and that just occasionally the scary legends amd myths are there for a reason and they may find themselves in their own mightmares pretty soon.
Well! yes, if you want scarey, here you have it! If you are a bit faint hearted and don't like your books dark or gruesome steer clear of Misfits! This book doesn't just grab you, it throws you into it, right from page 1! Hunter Shea's writing recreates the 90s in graphic detail and is spot on, I was almost nostalgic at certain points. We witness the struggles that each teenager is going through, with their parents and their personal problems also.
A very original story with every character Hunter Shea has created fitting together as a jigsaw would to create an absolutely bang on Horror story. I would say one of the darkest and best horror I have read, maybe EVER! It is a book that you end up almost scared of turning the pages of because you never know whats around the corner do you?
Thank you to Random Things Tours, Flame Tree Press and also NetGalley for the copy of the book to write my review today.

Nobody goes down Dracula Drive. Legend has it that down the abandoned road is where the Melon Heads live. It isn’t worth facing the humanoid creatures on a dare, not when they will eat you alive.
After Marnie gets attacked, she has her friends get revenge on the guy who did it. They decide to bring the guy to the Melin Heads, and let them take care of the problem. Not everything goes as planned and now nobody in town is safe.
Hunter Shea is a great writer, you quickly get sucked in to the story and become attached to these characters. Hunter has a way with words and can write a tense and suspenseful situation. As you read, you can feel the hairs standing up on your neck, as if the Melon Heads are watching you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

‘Deep in the woods of Milbury, Connecticut, there lives the legend of the Melon Heads, a race of creatures that shun human interaction and prey on those who dare to wander down Dracula Drive. Maybe this night, one band of misfits can help the other.

‘Or maybe some legends are meant to be feared for a reason.’

MISFITS is not only a gore-fest of cringe-worthy folklore that Shea fans will love, underneath the carrion surface is a heart wrenching tale of love, sacrifice, and friendship. – Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and Flame Tree Press, for loaning me an eGalley of MISFITS in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the idea behind this book, a group of unpopular kids using freaky monsters to get revenge. It sounded like a lot of crazy fun. I was bullied in school and can completely get behind the idea of getting revenge on someone. Though maybe not using monsters. I loved the fact the Melon Heads are part of the area’s folklore and legend. A lot of small towns have something similar. I grew up in a small town and there was a legend of the White Lady who haunted the school I went to. And no, I never saw her but I really wanted to. This book is the perfect embodiment of being careful what you wish for because sometimes what you want isn’t worth the cost. The Melon Heads aren’t docile pets that can be controlled. This is a great horror novel.

Every town has a creepy legend...a beast at the lake, a creature in the woods, a witch in The One House nobody will walk past.... And every town has that group of fringe kids....the group at the back of every school photo shoot....or just missing from the yearbook entirely. In the 90s grunge era, Milbury, Connecticut is no different.

Local lore tells the tale of the Melon Heads.....walk down Dracula Drive after dark, and they might get you. And 5 kids in the fringe group....broken homes, stoners....Misfits. When one of them is raped, the close-knit group plots revenge. But revenge sometimes comes at a great price.....

This book is creepy....and really gross in places. But Hunter Shea managed to creep me out once again! He's scared me with giant rats, funky fungus and various other monsters....why not forest dwelling melon heads!

Readers who enjoy campy creepy horror will love this book....just don't eat while you read. There are some gross parts...ha ha!

Loved this one! I can't wait to see what Hunter Shea is gonna scare me with next!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This was a fun, brutal and gory read. The story really took you to the 90s which I really enjoyed. There is a lot of blood and gore and I did find some scenes to be quite uncomfortable to read but so it’s definitely not for everyone. I did really enjoyed the story though - I love a good creature feature. This was my first Hunter Shea read and I can’t read to read more!

I've read and enjoyed several of Shea's earlier horror novels, so I typically keep an eye open for anything new from him - all the more so as there is a sudden bite of fall to the air! His latest, set mainly in the late 1990s in a dying Connecticut town has a lot of the same feel to '80s and '90s horror. The story revolves around a group of five stoner friends. While some have more troubled backgrounds than the rest, they all band together in defense of Marnie. But, their plan for retribution wildly backfires, pitting this band of friends against the town's local urban legend - the Melon Heads. With a very The Hills Have Eyes feel, this gory tale reads a lot like a classic horror film. It's not for the faint of stomach or those who are easily offended (insert just about all of the trigger warnings here).

But the plot clips along at a fast pace - with lots of violence, surprises and even an ending that delivers genuine shocks. It's not my favorite of his books, but it certainly captured my attention! I do wish that the very end included a few more practicalities though!

MISFITS, by Hunter Shea, is a coming-of-age horror novel that takes place in the 1990's. As with many of Shea's books, this one takes a legend--that of the Melon Heads--and turns it into reality. Every town has it's rumored "haunted area", and in Milbury, CT it was the large expanse of woods off a rutted road, nicknamed "Dracula Drive".

". . . There were no vampires on Dracula Drive. No, something far worse . . ."

A group of the town's "misfits"--Mick, Vent, Marnie, Chuck, and Heidi--half-believe the legends. When one is brutally attacked, they decide to take matters into their own hands, knowing that there would be no justice for the likes of them otherwise.

". . . their parents were losers and their children were doomed to be even worse losers. Why treat them like regular people who mattered? . . . "

The most impressive part of this novel, to me, was the absolute perfection of the characterization, and the way the five friends went so well together. You can't pick your real family, but these teens certainly managed to make one of their own.

". . . For whatever reason, despite their sometimes wild differences, they just clicked . . . five salmon who preferred to swim downstream."

All of the 90's references, from clothing to music and vehicles, brought a strong sense of nostalgia. I felt as though I had been mentally transported to that time, along with the characters. There is a realism in this novel that many authors fall short of. Every decision made, every action taken, every horror encountered, felt entirely believable in context.

". . . Which tells me there was something out there. Something that everything else was afraid of."

While the Melon Heads--a band of deformed humanlike-creatures--was not a group I was previously familiar with, by the time the book was finished they felt as familiar to me as legends of Bigfoot and the Jersey Devil. All of the actions and subsequent reactions had a ring of truth to them all. To be able to suspend disbelief and just go with the flow of a story is a great treat that every reader seeks.

". . . guilt was more powerful than any theology."

I won't spoil anything with particulars, other than this book was one you won't want to tear yourself away from. It was both original and "familiar"--at least to those of us who grew up in the 1990's. The characters were ALL integral to the story, and the ease with which they fit together couldn't have been portrayed any more poignantly.

The ending . . . I'll leave it at "this is one I never saw coming".

Highly recommended.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

In this gruesome tale, set in 1990s-Milbury, Connecticut, five teens, Mick, Marnie, Vent, Chuck and Heidi, discover some urban legends are very real and very deadly. The friends are misfits, stoners, living on the edge of society, but luckily, they have learned to rely on one another and actually have a super tight-knit group.

One night, Heidi and Marnie decide to head to a local bar that is known to serve minors. They have no idea that one choice will forever change the course of their lives. They're just looking to have a few drinks, listen to music, blow off some steam and maybe flirt with some guys. When Marnie sees her ex-boyfriend's father there, she doesn't think too much of it.

It's strange he goes to a place frequented by people so young, but he's harmless, or so she believes. When he follows her out to the alley, she quickly realizes how wrong she is. He brutally beats, rapes her and leaves her bleeding out on the ground like a piece of trash.

By the time Heidi discovers her and what has happened, Marnie is barely alive. Heidi manages to get her out of there and to their friends for help. Marnie refuses to tell authorities, or seek treatment, even though it is clear she is severely injured. The rest of the group agrees to go along with Marnie's wishes. The last thing they want is for her to have to tell what happened to her if she is not comfortable doing so.

They know who did it. Marnie remembers and told them. She wants him to pay, as does everyone else in the group. They are sick of taking everyone's shit. It's time for some vengeance. Even in her weakened state, Marnie is beyond ready to fight back.

The group hatches a plan to use the Melon Heads, a terrifying local legend, to make the rapist-POS pay. Mick insists he knows of a way to find the group of mutant cannibals, but is it legit? From there stuff really gets crazy, but truly, this entire book is intense and I'll say it, gross.

There were so many moments when I literally exclaimed, ewww, while reading. I can't even tell you how many times. Gruesome, disgusting descriptions and imagery pepper these pages. It was so fun!

I loved the way Shea formed the entire story around a local legend. Those scary stories we all hear as kids, how many of them are actually real? There was a lot of action here as well, but some things were tough to read. I would definitely tread with caution if rape, sexual assault, or severe violence on page is triggering for you.

For me, although certain scenes were uncomfortable, they made sense in the overall narrative. It's gory, fierce, violent as hell; in short, a complete bloody mess. That's what we're here for. If you are looking for a brutal way to enter the spooky season, look no further. Misfits is it!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Flame Tree Press, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I had such a fun time reading this. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way. Now Melon Heads are a new personal terror. Add them to the list!

Why am I hearing of this author only now? This book was creepy, disturbing, gruesome, and atmospheric and I loved it!

I grew up watching slasher movies like “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Friday the 13th”, and always love reading a good scary book once in a while. Only difference is, this book takes place in the 90s with the grunge rock scene, which is so awesome! Hence, it was no surprise that I hooked on to Misfits as soon as I started.

The characters blend well with the setting. Although the stoner kids come across as misfit and loners, I felt a connection to all of them. Mick, Vent, Chuck, Heidi, and Marnie all come from mediocre backgrounds, and you immediately root for them. Surprisingly, I also found the Melon Heads to be very complex. Even though they are scary, I liked how they stick together and protect their group.

I have not read any of Hunter Shea’s books, so initially I did not know what to expect. After reading Misfits, I am considering reading them all now. I love books that evoke an emotion out of me, and this did not disappoint. I got queasy at certain scenes, and I don’t think I experienced such fear when reading a novel. Each scene will have you at the edge of your seat. However, it is also emotional and funny at times. Moreover, the story also ends in such a way that I did not expect. But, I felt it was the logical way to end the story, and it hints for a sequel!

Overall, Misfits is great if you are in the mood for a gory, horror read about urban legends.

Happy Publication Day!
September 8, 2020

The year is 1993 and right in the middle of the grunge era where 5 teenagers bond together in their own unique friendship since they didn't quite fit in with the standards and styles of the other kids at school. One night their friend Marnie is brutally attacked and they know they must seek revenge on their own for this horrific crime. Almost every small town has a creepy legend of sorts maybe a haunted house or a Stickman legend or even vampire and werewolves who live in the woods to prey on the innocent victims who dare try to search for them to find out if the legends are true or false. Well, their town has a legend too The Melon Heads who live deep in the woods on Dracula Drive (not the real street name). Marnie and Mick believe in this legend while the other three know it's a silly, unbelievable myth that is meant to scare children to keep them from playing in or near the woods, but this is how they plan to take out their vengeance on Marnie's attacker. What a crazy and senseless plan they set in motion never realizing there could be irreversible consequences and that sometimes scary legends are there for a reason and will become their worst living nightmare. Yikes!

This was was another amazingly frightening book by Hunter Shea and is not for any timid or weak stomached readers. The first chapter grabbs you and won't let go. The writing is spot-on and captures the essence of the era and the struggles that each teen was dealing with in their personal lives and with their parents. The story is fun and horrific all at one time. I just loved this book and couldn't get enough and can't wait to read another horror novel by Hunter Shea. Warning: extreme violence, language, gore, graphic sexual scenes etc. Everything one could want in a really good horror book.

I want to thank the publisher 'Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful horror book and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I highly recommend this thrilling and creepy horror book to readers and have given a rating of 5 Horrific 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

Another fantastic novel by Hunter Shea! I just became acquainted with this author a year ago and I've not been disappointed by his work yet. Great character development and fast moving plots that will have you tearing through the pages. Its difficult to find actual "scary" books these days but I've had more than a couple nightmares at the hands of Hunter's imagination. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

Thanks to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

When I started reading Misfits, I wasn't sure what to expect but it definitely transcended all my expectations. From the beginning, it is clear that Shea is prepared to take us to some very dark places - both literally and metaphorically. He creates the atmosphere brilliantly and I was keen to learn more about the myth of the Melon Heads.

Misfits focuses on the lives of five teenagers, who, as the title suggests, struggle to fit into a particular friendship group and prefer each others' company. Despite their reputations, I found them actually quite easy to relate to and felt sympathy for them as they tackled their demons. Their taste in music also brought back some memories! I loved their relationship with each other and the way they stuck up for each other during times of adversity.

This is not a novel you want to read if you are hoping to sleep, but I really enjoyed this aspect of it. It is incredibly gory and the sense of danger is never far away, but it kept me reading until the end.

This is a new to me author but this won't be the only book I read by this author It's goosebump creepy. Not to be read at night. Be warned. Absolutely worth checking out. Happy reading!

'Misfits' by Hunter Shea is one of those stylistic cult classics in the making.

A horror folklore novel originating from a local legend about the Melon Heads, this is a wonderfully disturbing story that may even leave you feeling unsafe down those eerie, isolated roads that most small towns have hidden away.

Though folk tales of the melon heads in general have roots in a handful of states, Shea credits Michigan lore for his story. Despite that inspiration, he focuses around the mythical street, Dracula Drive.. which is part of the Connecticut-based legends.

Ultimately, the legends have a few things in common. They're nearly always a revenge story and even if they don't begin that way, they often evolve into it at some point. Likewise, the melon heads typically have large, bulbous heads and misshapen bodies, a tendency to feral behaviors, and a fondness for forested areas with lonely roads. All things the recipe for this type of creepy horror might need.

Set in the 90's grunge era, the plot follows a group of high school friends who are arguably already outcasts. They're stoners, some of which have pretty horrible family situations and really only each other to count on. They exist mostly on the edges of society, sometimes they're a bit vicious even with each other, but they also have a bond. They look out for one another.

When one of their friends suffers a brutal sexual assault, refusing to report it out of fear of humiliation, the group decides to handle things themselves. They get the idea into their heads that the melon heads might be real and that maybe they're the answer to their problem.

Up front, this is a rough story and it opens with a bit of a bang. If you're sensitive to violence or sexual assault, gory scenes, or easily frightened, it might not be the book for you. That being said, if none of those things is a trigger for you and you're looking for a good horror tale, look no farther.

Interestingly enough, the character I didn't really think I was going to like.. Mick, won me over. Don't get me wrong, he's not a nice guy. There's no question about that. But he absolutely has justifiable reasons for being who he is.. and what he lacks in kindness and what most would call.. general morality.. he more than makes up for in loyalty and fierceness. I ended up really feeling bad for him actually and rooting him on.

The girls, Marnie and Heidi, are also incredibly close. It was nice two see a couple of female characters that genuinely cared about one another and would go to whatever lengths to help each other. They held each other up, rather than letting the need to compete drag them both down.

Rounding out the boys, Chuck and Vent are actually both kind of sweethearts. Chuck is a big kid with a bright future and a good head on his shoulders. Right from the start, I found myself what had really even drawn him to the group.. but it was easy to see what made him stay.

Atmospherically, it's very heavy. Shea did a great job of conveying the constant dread the group was suffering as the story moved along, the toll it took in that bone-deep exhaustion of too much fear and not enough time to recuperate, and there are some very unnerving scenes.. not all of which are even due to the melon heads themselves. I'm telling you, Mick's circumstances are bad.

If you're a fan of films like Pumpkinhead, Jeepers Creepers, or The Hills Have Eyes.. you're going to love this book. I know I did. It's definitely going to be in the running for best pure horror title of the year for me. We'll have to see if anything can beat it.. I have serious doubts.

Hunter Shea knows his cryptids, his urban legend. I’m typing this out about an hour away from where this book takes place, but the melon heads were completely new to me. At first, I thought maybe they were a creation of the author’s imagination, but the lore rang so true, I had to put down the book and conduct some research. Sure enough, the creatures, Dracula Drive, it’s all got its base in reality.
Shea starts off giving us the titular Misfits, a group of social outcasts who rely on each other. It’s an added bonus that the story takes place in 1993 so we’re immersed in flannel and grunge rock - possibly some of the best stuff the 1990’s had to offer. I have a personal litmus test for books that contain a cast of characters, though it’s admittedly not a great one for people who take notes or, you know, have a good memory. If I can close the book and come back in a couple days to write a review, still remembering all the main characters by name, the author did a great job of sticking them in my brain.
Mick, Heidi, Marnie, Vent, and Chuck all come to life on the page, fitting under the banner of social outcasts, yet retaining their own personalities. They each have hopes and dreams and backstories that endear them to the reader. To Shea’s credit, this is a massive part of what makes the book work. To me, yelling and screaming into the void, but directed at the author, it makes the events that happen throughout the story carry weight.
If you’ve read this author before, you know that bad stuff happens in his stories. If you haven’t - hello, welcome. Meet Hunter Shea, bad stuff happens in his stories.
Misfits is a really solid example of a book hitting me at just the right time. Life this past week has been stressful, going back to work outside the house for the first time since March. I needed the perfect book to destressify. This was a read I’d been looking forward to, one I knew would be immensely readable. It’d be gruesome and brutal, with the misery being inflicted on others. Exactly what I needed in my life, in other words. It could plausibly fit under the title of creature features, but those tend to be light on characterization, heavy on gore. Shea proves here you can, indeed, have your cake and eat it too.
This is a great Autumn read. Why? Because it’s a great read in general and it comes out in September. Truthfully, it’d be a great read any time of the year, but don’t let that stop you from sitting with this book and your favorite Octoberfest/Pumpkin beer. I would recommend to anyone who loves well-written, character-driven teenage groups, as well as fans of cryptids and local folklore.

Brutal, violent, and wildly entertaining, this book was a fun read. I loved the setting and enjoyed the relentless action. The book became darker and more disturbing as it progressed and ended on a completely crazy but emotional note.

The characters came from dysfunctional families or were messed up for one reason or another but were believable and interesting.The Melon Heads were scary and more than a little intriguing.

I truly enjoyed this new, creepy creature feature from Hunter Shea and highly recommend it.

"Dare to walk, Down Dracula Drive..."

I enjoy author Shea's writing but I enjoyed this creature feature tale even more than I expected.

Shea created characters that I actually could visualize and emphasize with.

The story starts in Milbury, Connecticut in 1977 on Christmas Day - a story in which brotherly love is definitely lacking. Two brothers head out of town onto a deserted road, riding their bicycles, and find out that legends can actually be based on truth.

The story then skips forward to 1993 and five misfit teens find themselves involved in a horror story beyond their wildest imagining.

I liked the characters, the spooky settings, the creatures - all with a backdrop of 80s and 90s music and culture.

This was a fun, gory read.

I received this book from Flame Tree Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.