Title: Bedfellow

Author: Jeremy C. Shipp

Release date: November 13, 2018

Having recently read Jeremy’s creepy ‘The Atrocities,’ I was excited to check out ‘Bedfellow’ when I saw him post about it on Twitter.

I know, going into a Shipp read, that my reading brain will be tested. He likes to write in an unconventional or non-straightforward manner (at least for how I read), so I expected the unexpected, and sure enough – I found it!

What I liked: The story opens up with a home invasion. A man has entered the family home and we have a mild standoff. This invader not only enters the home, but also whittles their way into the minds of each family member.

The story escalates fairly quickly and will make you question what you just read. Told through alternating perspectives between the members of the family, you’ll read a section, and immediately have to go back and reread what happened, when you get to the next section, the next family member.

It is psychologically unnerving, both for the reader and for the members in the story. You’ll feel like you’re actively engaged as part of the plot, trying to connect the dots, especially in the second half when things really take a bonkers turn.

Shipp writes incredibly complex ideas with a very simple, straight forward prose. Accessible writing with border-line inaccessible concepts. It really is fascinating and something that is both frustrating and phenomenal. This is a book that’ll make you contemplate DNFing a million times!

What I didn’t like: No surprise, from what I just said, but at first the various POV’s as well as subtle detail differences will drive you mad. This will test you. You will have to decide if this is a book you’re willing to persevere through or not.

Why you should buy this: As I mentioned, Shipp writes stories that challenge the reader. If you’re wanting a story that won’t make you think or be engaged, carry on. But if you’re wanting to read a physically unnerving story that wraps itself around your brain and pulls you into the story – and feel like you’re in the story – ‘Bedfellow’ is perfect for you.

Shipp is a fantastic writer, one whom seems to be writing on a different plain than most, and the dark fiction community should celebrate how much of the normal boundaries he pushes.

4/5