Hunter Shea is becoming a new favorite author of mine. Once I picked up this book I couldn't put it down, I had to know what was next.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Flame Tree Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Legends live in small towns. Legends about creatures that live in the shadows, pale, deformed, hungry. They inspire fear and nursery rhymes that hold warnings for those who dare to seek them out on Dracula Drive.

In the 90’s, with Soundgarden playing in the background and the smell of weed in the air, a group of teenagers are just trying to make it through small town life. When one of their group is savagely assaulted, they vow revenge in the most heinous way they can think of—they take the scum sucking offender to Dracula Drive and offer him to the creatures who are rumored to live there. This one act will put this group of friends on a bloody path of no return, where legends become reality, death is a way of life and betrayal knows no bounds. Lives will be lost, sacrifices will be made and nothing will ever be the same again.

My thoughts:

Let me start this by saying, I picked this book up yesterday and ended up reading well into the night because I simply had to know how it all turned out. Hunter Shea gives us a tale, steeped in 90’s nostalgia, that sinks its rotten teeth into you and doesn’t let go. Just like the creatures, Shea wants his pound of flesh, and he most definitely got it from me. Misfits is a helluva ride and I loved every word.

It’s a coming of age story set to grungy soundtrack I could almost hear playing in the background. Serious 90’s feels! I’m going to show my age here, but this book transported me right back to high school. Pay phones, video stores, having friends call school and pretend to be your mom to get you out of class... It’s all here. The setting was so damn solid, perfectly paired with a chilling monster story and clever plot. From stomach churning gore to heartfelt revelations, this book has it all. I felt a bit wrung out when I reached the twisted conclusion.

A word of warning, this books deals with sexual assault. The author gives the act just enough attention to make readers understand the gravity of the situation without it ever feeling gratuitous. He did break my heart though with how he handled the aftermath. Well done Mr. Shea, well done.

If you’re a fan of coming of age horror, this is a must read.