A great quiet horror story, this is a very unique book following a young boy and his family. The ending kept me guessing, and I felt like it was so short for what it was, but that's what made me love it even more. It's haunting, and I definitely recommend reading it if you're a fan of horror.

The boy meets the dog before the monster has ever been there. The monster being the boys grandfather. He lives with his mom and dad, but tensions really start to run high once the other person moves in. All the boy has is the dog, really, and the dog has him. And the grandfather stays throughout the years.

The boy starts to grow older, and he's the spitting image of his grandfather. But when the family tries to get him to move on, leave their little family behind, one goes out and never comes back.

Puberty is strange and confusing for everyone no matter how much your parents may tell you about what to expect. It’s especially so for the twelve-year-old boy at the center of S.L. Coney’s novella Wild Spaces, who comes to learn that all the things he doesn’t know about his mother’s family are connected to the changes he’s beginning to experience. Generational/hereditary trauma is hard enough when it’s purely emotional; what happens when it’s genetic, and those genes aren’t human?

Wild Spaces takes genres that perhaps shouldn’t work together (Southern Gothic, Eldritch Horror, and Coming of Age) and melds them so seamlessly that not only do they work together, they become something that feels fresh and new (Southern Eldritch Boys Adventure, perhaps?).

The story opens with a classic “boy meets stray dog” scene straight out of a Tommy Kirk/Kevin Corcoran Disney movie that melds a high level of wholesome adorableness (waiting to see if anyone will come to claim the dog before deciding on its new name (which ends up being the boy’s favorite pirate, Teach)) with a fair warning that this is about as light-and-fuzzy as the story gets, and that a monster is on its way. I loved this opening salvo of nostalgia tinged with danger. But from there, the story takes darker and darker turns beginning with the arrival of the boy’s maternal grandfather, who has clearly been estranged from his daughter for a long time. It’s the first time the boy and his father are meeting the grandfather, and the scene is wrought with awkward introductions that more than hint the grandfather is not a good man. Even Teach doesn’t like him. Exactly how the grandfather is not a good man is doled out slowly at first, until his true nature is revealed. These early scenes take place in a two-story house on the Carolina coast during a sweltering summer that builds to a massive storm (a storm that is both a physical danger and a metaphor for the havoc the grandfather is wreaking on their previously calm lives). If “remote house during a hot and stormy summer during which family tensions spill over and secrets are revealed” doesn’t make this book a Southern Gothic, I’m not sure what would. The reveal of the grandfather’s true nature alongside the physical changes the boy is experiencing eventually tip the story into very clearly Eldritch Horror. I don’t want to reveal too much about that aspect of the book. It took me by surprise and a few scenes actually scared me.

Even when I wasn’t outright scared, I was still uncomfortable (in all the right ways), and it took me some time to pinpoint why: the author’s narratorial voice leaves all the characters excepting Teach nameless, and that set me at a remove from them and their situation. They are the Boy, His Father, His Mother, His Grandfather. The physical details given make them real, while the use of titles (for lack of a better term) in place of names makes them a little surreal. I kept thinking “I should know these people at least well enough to know their names … why don’t I know their names?” It’s a really, to me, effective way of keeping the reader slightly off-kilter – which is exactly what the boy is feeling as he learns how much he doesn’t know about his mother, her family, and thus himself.

I highly recommend Wild Spaces. It’s a fast moving, discomfiting novella that will make you consider how family secrets affect a child’s development, and how unconditional love can help a child overcome trauma.

(Side-note: It occurs to me that Wild Spaces and Will Ludwigsen’s A Scout Is Brave make excellent companion pieces, and even though the authors did not intend it they do seem to be in conversation with each other. Both meld coming of age boys adventure and a gothic-style seaside setting with eldritch horror but with vastly different stylistic tones and narratorial voices. I’ve read both books twice now, and I suspect both will be on my “occasional rereads” shelf going forward.)

Omg?? What a horribly wonderful hidden gem this was. I read this in one sitting, which is how I’d recommend you read it since it’s only a little over 100 pages. If deep sea creatures (and the deep sea in general) freak you out, this is for you! 😅

I ate this up. I LOVED the swampy, murky, Deep South setting. It was super atmospheric and overall pretty horrifying, all while beautifully written for a debut. Would absolutely read more from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback

Wild Space by S.L. Coney is a horror story that stands out for its unique blend of beauty and strangeness. It’s a novel that defies easy categorization, weaving together elements of horror with a surreal, almost dreamlike quality that made for a captivating read.

The story itself is haunting and atmospheric, drawing you into a world that feels both familiar and otherworldly. Coney’s writing is evocative, creating a sense of unease that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page. The horror here is not just in the events that unfold, but in the way the story taps into deeper, more existential fears.

While the narrative can be strange at times, this strangeness is part of what makes Wild Space so compelling. It’s a book that challenges you to embrace the unusual and the unexpected, leading to a reading experience that is as unsettling as it is beautiful. The juxtaposition of horror and beauty is striking, making this a story that is both chilling and poetic.

Overall, Wild Space is a horror story that I thoroughly enjoyed, despite—or perhaps because of—its strangeness. If you’re looking for a horror novel that pushes the boundaries of the genre and offers something truly unique, this one is definitely worth a read.

This is not a book I should have read in October 2023 and then left until August 2024 to review...

I obviously won't be overly specific but I remember being both confused and intrigued by the writing style. It was hard to understand what was real and what was fantasy. Some actions and events walked the perfect fine line between horrific and necessary while others felt very exaggerated and unnecessary.

I wish I'd made more notes after I finished reading this one because I do remember feeling very invested at some points. Unfortunately, the ending was underwhelming.

Absolutely gorgeous short novella with a young boy and his dog, and the changes that end up happening when his grandpa comes to live with the family. You start getting the scale of how wrong he may have come back, and what the boy in turn ends up having to navigate. Definitely worth a summer's read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group as well as the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #TorPublishingGroup #S.L.Coney #WildSpaces
Title: Wild Spaces
Author: S.L. Coney
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Publication Date: August 1, 2023
Themes: Humans as monsters, Cosmic, coming of age
Trigger Warnings: human evil, Animal death, coming of age

This was beautifully written. No doubt about it. This coming of age story is beautiful and moving in many ways. It’s equal parts sinister and moving. This is the story of an 11 year old boy and his dog. They’re happy until his maternal grandfather unexpectedly shows up one day and begins to slowly crack his happy life.

Coming of age stories are usually very gratifying. This one, however, left me torn. The relationship between Teach the dog and his boy was achingly sweet as they usually are. By contrast, the relationship between the boy and his formally estranged grandfather is painfully and slowly malignant. That’s what stood out to me most about this novella. The beauty in the writer’s prose and the way they wove the relationships between characters was the shining point of this story.

There was something lacking overall. The writing was lovely and the story had good bones. I guess I wanted a little more. I’m not a big fan of vagueness in my fiction. I wanted something more satisfying in the end. Having said that, I can see the draw of the vagueness in this story. It’s so strange and beautiful in its metaphors and allegory that I do understand the appeal. It’s just not my favorite tactic.

All in all, I would recommend this to anyone who loves allegory and the ability to draw his or her own conclusion. If you’re someone who loves poetry and cosmic horror along with coming of age stories, this is for you. I’m glad I read it but it’s not a keeper for me.

Wild Spaces can be described as a coming of age story crossed with Cthulu. Which is kind of deeply disturbing on one level, but on another level is kind of awesome.

An intimate look at both childhood and childhood trauma and the gradual unpacking and understand-ing of same, Wild Spaces lulls you into a sense of “oh yes, I know where this is going even if it’s going to lead me down a path that is not my favorite, I still know the turns” before taking a hard turn off the path and into the woods. Suitable for early teens (some of the trauma may disturb more sensitive readers) and up.

I adored this probably beyond all reason.

#WildSpaces #NetGalley

A beautiful and haunting story about a young boy reckoning with events after his maternal grandfather's arrival.

I wish there were more to the story though!

I loved this book. The thematic exploration of family, patriarchy, and coming of age blends to perfection on a canvas of monster horror.

Coney packs a truly astonishing amount of cosmic-horror atmosphere, nuanced character and relationship work, and devastating heartbreak into this slim. No other book in 2023 affected me like this one did. Beautiful haunting prose and an ending that haunts me months after finishing it.

Oof. This one hurt. Not in a painful, "This book is bad at what it does," way, but in a "This book is written so beautifully that all of the deep aches hurt a little bit worse," way. This is certainly a book some people will need trigger warnings for, but I'm hoping that horror fans will have the presence of mind to know if they need to search them out before diving in.

To keep it brief: yes, the story inside is just as good as the cover.

Fascinating, fantastic, and highly original read! I loved every minute of it! I read this book months ago, and it still lives rent-free in my head. I think I'll have to make a point of re-reading it soon.

Horror can be synonymous with heartbreak, especially in the hands of S.L. Coney and their debut novella Wild Spaces. Billed as Robert McCammon’s Boy’s Life meets H.P. Lovecraft, readers will experience coming of age in a beautifully horrific way.

“The dog shows up at the mint-green house on the edge of the woods a month before the monster arrives, his coat shiny as a new copper penny.” Simple yet lush, Coney’s opening provides readers the opportunity to settle in and sets the style for the remainder of the book. The boy lives a gentle life with mother and father. The arrival of Teach, the only named character in the book, seems to signal the best summer of his 11 years. Lyrical prose builds a story of learning, love, and family, at least until the arrival of grandfather. Then the boy must navigate new waters and the emerging horror is as insidious as it is fascinating. For grandfather brings secrets and the boy begins to change; nothing and no one is safe.

Coney’s talent for writing is evident as this rich story develops in 128 short pages, set in a microcosm of the South Carolina shore. Readers not only watch but feel right along with the boy as the life he knows is twisted and tangled until he can no longer trust anyone except Teach, not even himself. This book is certainly a bildungsroman as it showcases the boy growing up and, in the realm of cosmic horror, becoming something new and terrifying

Horror, when it demands readers relinquish their hearts, provides a comfort and a pain that can be difficult to describe. Add in the coming-of-age factor and even the most hardened fans will have a difficult time not falling in love with this novella. An excellent debut from S.L Coney requires us to remember that “...we all have doors inside leading to cracked places and wild spaces.”

I was not a fan of this book. Trigger warnings should be given in regard to the dog not making it through the book. There was a bit too much death in this one, and I didn't understand the story's purpose. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC. 2 stars.

“An eleven-year-old boy lives an idyllic childhood exploring the remote coastal plains and wetlands of South Carolina alongside his parents and his dog Teach. But when the boy’s eerie and estranged grandfather shows up one day with no warning, cracks begin to form as hidden secrets resurface that his parents refuse to explain.”

I expect, when reading horror, to be scared, or disgusted. I did not expect to be SO SAD.

For a novella, this book did its characters very well.

You loved the boy and his dog.

You were intrigued by the father’s work, and the mother’s history.

You needed a shower after spending too much time with the grandfather.

But really, it just boiled down to sadness.

It probably says something about me, that I’d prefer gore over grief, but here we are.

7/10

Thanks to NetGalley, DreamScape Media, and Tor Publishing Group for this wallop of an ARC.

It took me ages to end this novella because something happened and it broke my heart. I cried a lot and then decided to end and it was a glorious end and this is an excellent novel.
Even if it can break your heart and make you cry buckets. Great horror but i haven't been crying so much since I saw a TV adaptation of the Odissey and there's Argo and I cried.
I was 4 years old.
I'm wondering if we will meet these characters and this world again. A well plotted story that kept me on the edge and I'm sure I will read again.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Fantastic and strange little novella. Deals with what we inherit from our families--whether we want to or not. What it means to be monstrous. Growing up and finding your place.

Beautifully written novella, unexpectedly devastating for 120 pages. It is eldritch horror, and that part is great; it's also family and coming-of-age and boy-and-his-dog and last summer of innocence and all those great horror tropes. I wish it was a novel... I think? I wanted it to go on and on, but it works as is. Hope Coney writes more.