Great characters, stuck in an half-baked story and setting. I liked it, but it probably would have been much better if it had been developed into a longer novel.

A good read if you're into cosmic horror. It's not my favorite sub-genre but this one is worth a read.

I found Catfish Lullaby an intriguing read. This novella is set in the South and I’m here for the witches and the gothic feel.

Catfish Lullaby is one of the most story-rich novellas that I’ve read in a long time. I don’t understand how A.C. Wise managed to cram so much into one little book! This book is ostensibly a southern folk tale, but it’s so much more than that.

The story follows Caleb, one of the very few non-white residents in the small southern bayou town of Lewis. Caleb is the only child of the town Sheriff, he’s biracial, and he’s gay. Basically, he’s the local prejudiced bullies’ wet dream. And he certainly does get picked on.

One night, his next door neighbor’s house can be seen burning through the trees. Only nobody is in a big rush to put the fire out. See, these neighbors have a reputation for being mean, for being weird, for possibly being cultists. They get up to a lot of unsavory business there, and have for as far back as anyone can remember. They’re rumored to have started their own doomsday sort of cult.

Well, Caleb’s father isn’t about to let them all burn. He may not like them, but he’s still the Sheriff, and with that comes certain responsibilities. So he and Caleb head over to check it out. As the house burns furiously, the only member of the family to be found is Cere – Archie Royce’s daughter. The girl is the same age as Caleb. And she’s standing too close to the fire. And she seems remarkably unafraid.

Although the story begins when Caleb and Cere are young people, it follows them into adulthood. Their paths diverged sharply not too terribly long after the fire, but they’re destined to come together once more to fight off something terrible – the end of everything.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

I always love rural swamp horror (yes, it's a genre in my mind) and this one's got a well-written queer protag to boot! It was the perfect length, fleshing out the mythology without revealing too much and spoiling the mystery and terror of the unknown.

Catfish Lullaby is a novella which deals with an American Gothic urban legend twist that works on all accounts but does leave you wanting more.

The story is well constructed by A C Wise and it was very easy to delve into the pages and before you know it, the story is finished. The characters are richly written in particular Caleb and Cere who really stand out. Wise does a justice to the secondary characters and draws them out quite well.

The plot is well constructed and deals primarily with three time periods that particularly work well together. The first time period gives the reader intrigue whilst the next period embroils the reader into the myth and legend. The final part gives us an exciting conclusion. This all hinges together like a well-oiled door but it does Leave you wanting more. It is a strongly constructed novella but it does make one wonder if the story was opened out a bit more, we would have a well rounded novel that would have given a well satisfying experience.

Overall, this is well constructed though I do wish that it were longer and there was room to let the story breathe. It is a quick read and thoroughly enjoyed though I would have loved a more fuller story that let me dive into the myth, Cere and Celeb more openly. Loved it and just wanted more.

I received and ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

The book is succinct, to the point, yet imaginative and vast in its details. It keeps you hooked with its roots in American urban myths/folklore and the mysterious Cere, with her indescribable powers and hooded demeanor. Overall, this is a good short read. It gives you all that you should expect from a supernatural/horror fiction and has a somewhat satisfying ending, which is shrouded in uncertainty, as we like our supernatural fiction endings to be. But the one thing that was a thorn in my side this entire book was the nonchalant dropping of the n-word, not once but twice, for no other reason that to show the racism that is prevalent in the American South. I really did not see any reason for it other than writing racist characters who can bully the biracial main character, it has no relevance to the plot. I get trying to show the deeply entrenched racism, but I think it could be accomplished by just saying 'the n-word' instead of the actual word, especially when you are a white author.

“Catfish Lullaby” is a good novella about the bayou, the life of Caleb, spanning decades, a mysterious girl from next door who lived with a family who may have been dealing with magic or who may have just been a cult, and the legend of Catfish John. There is nothing wrong with this novella, Caleb is an interesting character, and it holds my interest, but I feel like for a short as the story is, the focus is a little too wide. The family next door that lived on the compound feels like something that should have been explored more so that we get a sense of Cere, the person that Caleb and his dad bring into the house when she’s the only one left. All of the tension that could have been built over pages of Caleb watching Cere doing her mysterious things was not there. And I am all for a coming-of-age story about race and sexual orientation, but this feels like these topics were explored much more thoroughly in a way that Caleb is the only truly developed character in a story where there needs to be more time developing everything. I really want to like this more than I do, and I cannot say that people who have given it five stars and nominated it for a Nebula award are wrong. I like the ideas and the writing, I like that every time I read the name Catfish John, I started to sing the Grateful Dead song, but I was not fond of the execution.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a high quality novel that is like a combination of Joe Lansdale and True Detective season 1. The descriptions throughout are very evocative, and the novel is strong on the crime/mystery aspects. It's a slow burn, coming-of-age novel that features racism and homophobia in the Deep South. There are hints of the supernatural as well, and the book has a high creep factor.

This was an enjoyable read although perhaps “enjoyable” is not the right word. Reading about apocalyptic events and things out of human control is more stressful than enjoyable right now! But this was a good read. Fast paced, creative, horrifying.

AC Wise does a fantastic job of giving us a glimpse of the unexplainable in this, of showing us beings bigger than humans, of things unexplainable. She weaves together real events, folklore and cosmic horror to create a disturbingly immersive story.

This book follows my one rule for cosmic horror--be a book Lovecraft would probably hate! Our main character is Caleb, a black gay man. We follow him through portions of his life deep in the swampy depths of Louisiana. Each chapter starts with an excerpt from “Myths, History, and Legends from the Delta to the Bayou (Whippoorwill Press, 2016)” which, from a cursory search, is a fictional book. (Whippoorwill Press is a real publisher but does not look to have been active after 2005.) These fake excerpts are perfectly crafted to keep the reader asking “what if it’s real?”

Broken up into three portions of Caleb’s life as a child, then a teenager and then as an adult, Catfish Lullaby is a generational tangle between Caleb’s family and the prejudiced, cult-like Royces that live just on the other side of the trees. An entanglement that brings Cere Royce into Caleb’s life and family, brings death and the supernatural and, the legend, Catfish John.

[TW and Note: The f slur and n word are both used in this story against the main character when he is younger. Although it makes sense in the setting, is not excused or brushed over, it is still something that gives me pause since the author is white.]

What I wanted from this book: a punchy, scary horror novella about a queer black man, full of deep south folklore and vivid settings. And to be fair, the protagonist is queer and black, and that was a real breath of fresh air in the horror genre. The side characters were sweet and quirky, though we don't spend enough time with any of them to really care. The rest of what I wanted, I didn't get. The setting didn't feel real, the folklore wasn't well explored, and it just wasn't scary. I'd read more from A.C. Wise, but I didn't love this.

I'm not exactly a horror or gothic fan, but I enjoyed the hell out of this book. It's like southern gothic with a twist of eldritch horrors and it works so well.

The book is really atmospheric is the only word I can find for it. I'm someone who categorises stories by formulas and tropes, and this book hits the formula for a southern gothic. A small down. An infamous Old Family that live apart from everyone else. The outcast MC.

The first half of the story is about when Caleb meets a young girl, Cere after tragedy strikes her family. There is more than meets the eye to both Cere and the tragedy, and it ends with them facing off against an eldritch horror. The second half is about 10 or 20 years later when the monster makes a return, and Caleb must find Cere again to have a fighting chance.

The strength of this novella lies in the language and the world A.C. Wise builds, and the character of Caleb, who as a half-black boy has never fit in or been accepted by his town. At its core, this novella is really about family; the ones you are born into the and ones you make. And I will forever be a sucker for found families.

actual rating: 2.5

There was nothing really technically wrong with this which is why I rounded up instead of down, but it just was not what I was looking for or what I was expecting based on the summary. To me it sounds like most of the story will take place in the present day with maybe flashbacks or a few chapters at the beginning taking place in the past, but a little over half the book actually takes place when the main character is a child and I just felt like it dragged on and on.

Also I have no idea why I thought that there was going to be a romantic element with the Catfish 'monster' - I mean, I do know why, because I'm me and I'm here for it - but that's definitely not the case and most of the story focuses on the main character and a girl he was briefly friends with. On the one hand it's nice to have a gay character where that isn't the whole 'point' of their character and the plot is actually about something entirely different, but on the other hand that's just not what I was personally in the mood for right now.

Overall there were some cool horror and Southern Gothic elements but I felt the pacing was off and it just didn't really hold my attention. I'm sure it will be a very enjoyable read for some people though.

I got a free reader's copy in exchange for my honest review. Thanks NetGalley and Broken Eye Books!

In all cultures, we have tales passed down from generation to generation. Often these tales are altered as time passes, so sometimes we mix up the villains and heroes.

In Catfish Lullaby, we meet Catfish John, who's supposedly an evil swamp monster lurking and ready to kill whoever is unlucky enough to wander into his territory in the small town of Lewis. In that small town lives Caleb, the sheriff's son. In a town full of white faces, theirs are some of the few black and brown scattered in between. For years, rumors have been floating around about the Royce family who live not too far from Caleb and his father. One night, the Royce home is burnt down with the patriarch, Archie Royce and his sons dying in the flames. There is only one survivor, Archie's daughter, Cere. The sheriff instantly takes her in his home. Caleb eventually finds out the horrifying truth about Cere and her family. However, they soon find out that Cere was not the only survivor and a terrifying showdown ensues. Years pass and now Caleb himself is the sheriff of Lewis. The evil from his past reappears though and Caleb must find himself relying on a monster he never thought existed, Catfish John.

I'm not American, nor have I ever been to America. But this story was the embodiment of what I imagine life to be like in the South. A small town with an undercurrent of racial tension and superstition and full of Republicans. There's even mention of the KKK to emphasize that we're most definitely in the South now.

This is my first time reading A.C. Wise and I must say I won't mind reading more of her work. She has a way with words that kept me reading straight through until I was done. This was a horror but by the time Wise was done it was also a poignant tale full of sorrow and loneliness.

Caleb was the perfect hero of this book. He was black in and gay in the very conservative South. He already had two things against him. However, his courage when dealing with the evils that threatened his hometown was phenomenal.

I feel like I do not have the words which can adequately express the feelings Wise evoked in me with this book. I felt like I was transported to the swamp right alongside Caleb and Cere as they searched for Catfish John. This is one of the few books which was able to actually make me feel like I was experiencing the atmosphere the author was trying to portray. I enjoyed this book so much I could see myself reading it again very soon.

Suitable audience: There was no sexual content other than name calling. However, due to some of the otherworldly events which occurred throughout this book which may be very scary for younger readers, I suggest this book be read by older teens and adults.

Recurrent themes: Discrimination. Folklore. Monsters. Life in the South.

Violence: Some dead bodies were found, obviously murdered. 

Sexual Content: Kissing

Profanity: A character was frequently called by a derogatory name for homosexuals.

Religious Themes: Necromancy was performed during this book.

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: None.

3.5/5

Caleb, a young black boy, lives in the small town of Lewis. Other boys like to bully him because of his race and sexual orientation. Things change for him when his father, a local sheriff, takes him to check a fire on the property of Archie Royce. They save Archie’s daughter, Cera. who becomes Caleb’s friend. Cera is strange and scary. Not surprising as she leads a supernatural fight with her family.

Horror elements of the story are scary but also vaguely described. As a result, they seemed far-fetched, and I had a hard time making sense of parts of the story, especially of Cera’s involvement in potential end of the world scenario. That said, I enjoyed how AC Wise blended swamp and Louisiana myths, including the folkloric bogeyman known as Catfish John, into a horror and coming-of-age drama. 

The book, divided into three parts, makes time-jumps between Caleb’s childhood and adulthood. I found the first part stronger and emotionally engaging. Caleb’s struggles with his homophobic peers and surreal experience of the cosmic horrors lurking in the swamps impressed me with their vivid imagery. The second part lacks some tension and focuses on the power of the family of choice. 

Wise’s writing is economical and efficient in creating an oppressive, disturbing atmosphere. I can’t say I loved all similes but consider me impressed. I’m not surprised Catfish Lullaby was announced as a finalist for the Nebula Award. Well worth a read.

<i>ARC through NetGalley</i>

Spanning over several years, Catfish Lullaby is an excellent southern gothic horror novel. When Caleb - the young son of the sheriff - meets a young girl named Ceres, the sole survivor of a tragedy, nothing in their small town will be the same. With sympathetic characters and an original and spell-binding story, this novel is a short and sweet addition to the horror genre!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.