An eleven-year-old boy spends his days exploring the coast of South Carolina with his dog and going on field trips with his parents. When his estranged grandfather makes an unexpected visit, tension between his parents begins to fester, and the boy himself feels a change within him.

WILD SPACES by S.L. Coney is a coming of age Lovecraftian novella coming in at 122 pages.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere in this book, the relationship between the boy and his dog, and the overall heartbreak that comes with him turning twelve.

For me, a lot of the faults I found ultimately came down to the length. I wanted so much more when it came to the building tension and I felt that the resolution all happened so fast that I wish there were more pages to really sit with it.

An overall enjoyable creature short, but I could have seen myself enjoying this more as something longer than a novella!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: August 1

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a beautifully weird little story- easy enough to finish in one sitting, but will probably stay with you long past that.

The prose is lush and gorgeous, and the story itself is so weirdly haunting and uncanny and weird, definitely like Lovecraft, but you know… without all the racism.

Wild Spaces
by S. L. Coney
Pub Date: 01 Aug 2023

This truly was a superb book.

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.

The longer his grandfather outstays his welcome and the greater the tension between the adults grows, the more the boy feels something within him changing —physically—into something his grandfather welcomes and his mother fears. Something abyssal. Something monstrous.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review!

The first word that came to mind when trying to describe this book was: heartbreaking. I never knew that such a small novella can cause such big emotion reactions. The impending doom was so fantastically written; I was more and more creeped out as it went on, until I was dreading what was to come (in a good way!). I went into it completely blind, and recommend others do it this way as well. I look forward to reading more of the author’s work!

This is a coming-of-age story of a boy who lives with his parents and dog along the ocean of South Carolina. He has an idyllic life until his grandfather, whom he's never met, comes to stay for a while.

This was fantastic. It has everything I love all wrapped together: coming-of-age (especially about a boy), southern Gothic, and cosmic horror. What an intense ride. This is dark with no happy endings, my favourite kind. Well-written, atmospheric and had me hooked from the first.

"Wild Spaces" by S. L. Coney is a captivating exploration of the human spirit amidst the untamed wilderness. The novel takes readers on a thrilling journey through breathtaking landscapes and powerful emotions, as the characters grapple with their pasts and seek redemption. Coney's evocative prose beautifully captures the essence of nature, immersing readers in a world filled with both danger and wonder. The characters' struggles and triumphs resonate deeply, making this book a poignant reflection on the healing power of the wild. "Wild Spaces" is a must-read for anyone who craves adventure, introspection, and a connection with the natural world.

Lesson of the story, always trust your dog’s instincts.

A close relationship with a dog and possible sea monsters all in a horror setting. I’M IN! I am fascinated with all things sea related, probably because I have severe motion sickness that makes it very hard for me to actually spend time on the ocean. So this one was a grab mainly because of the cover. For once it was the right call.

This is a tight little novella of 128 pages. The horror is not gorey until the end, instead we live in a family that is slowly falling apart, a family that we never learn a name for anyone except the dog, Teach. A family with a legacy that is only hinted at until it becomes a legacy that can’t be overlooked.

This is a true piece of horror, the foreshadowing is excellent, there is no wasted word or scenes and the ending is just horrifying enough to be perfect. This is true horror so don’t expect your favorites to come through it unscathed or even alive.

Teach, a mutt that finds this boy and becomes his constant companion is perfect. From the way Coney describes him sleeping, to the looks in his eyes or the way he cuddles the boy at night. This is one of the most perfectly written dogs in literature I’ve read in a while. (A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher is another). So good, so real, so heartbreaking.

Loved this little book, enough that a hard copy will enter my horror collection when it comes out in a few weeks.

This was a nice short read, reminiscent of Neil Gaiman's YA books. I really enjoyed it, but don't want to say too much because I don't want to give any spoilers!

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this. Like that's most of what I have to say. The prose was so crisp, the pacing so tense that I had to put it down to pace around a fair bit, and the feel of everything in it was so tangible. I didn't love the ending— parts of it felt like the weakest part of the book, but overall it was such a tightly constructed piece of storytelling that I didn't really mind since the ending was still so deeply effective. Just a master class in what novellas can do, really.

Source: DRC via NetGalley (Tor Publishing Group, TorDotCom) in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: August 1, 2023
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

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Why did I choose to read this book?

I am always on the lookout for a story that can make decent use of Lovecraftian horror elements. Many writers avoid them altogether because of the extremely racist and unsavory nature of Lovecraft, and honestly I get it. But wouldn’t it be nice to make something beautiful out of the sludge and then rub it in his face from beyond the grave?

What is this book about?

This book is about family. I finished the story yesterday and I’m glad I sat with it for a bit because at first blush I thought it might be about coming of age and inheriting the tendencies of your ancestors against your will. This morning I woke up and realized it was about family and who you decide to label your family. If you’ve been reading my reviews for a while, you know that I love a story about found family – where your blood relatives are shit but you build a family from the people who you love and who support you and that’s stronger than blood.

This story is about what happens if you allow your family by blood to eclipse everyone else.

What is notable about this story?

This book is very very very short. I wasn’t paying attention when I requested it on NetGalley but it’s only 122 pages or so. This is a good thing, because the story is fucking brutal. I don’t know if I would want to read any more of that kind of trauma. It’s short, terrifying, and then it ends and you’ll be left staring at the acknowledgements page thinking “the fuck did I just read???”

For a story that is so aggressively scary and, at the end, violent, it was not gory. I appreciated that the author kept their descriptions of the horror very dry and to the point. It did not give me nightmares for this reason, and I am thankful.

The thoughts that the main character has about their changing body and the changing relationships around him are well written. What he is becoming isn’t totally within his grasp to understand and no one ever even tries to explain it to him despite his grandfather horning his way into their lives and knowing all about it, and his mother who had to grow up with it and knows what living around that kind of person is like. He’s left to handle it all on his own and even at the end I don’t think he really understands himself. This surrender to inevitability without a fight is everyone’s downfall.

Was anything not so great?

This is a spoiler, but I ALWAYS give this spoiler because I would want to know. There is a very good dog that stands by the boy’s side through the whole book and he dies defending the boy. It happens right at the end, and because the author is dry with their descriptions it didn’t hurt as much as it might have otherwise. More than anything it made me mad, but for the boy in the story. I wanted him to get revenge. The dog’s death is an honorable one, but allowing good dogs to die in your stories is always going to earn a “not so great” from me.

What’s the verdict?

3 stars on Goodreads because (1) the dog dies, (2) it was too short, and (3) overall it was a fast parable about familial support and rejection that was pretty good. Oh yes, and it has some sea monsters in it. If you’d like to see for yourself, the shortness of the tale means it’s pretty cheap to pick up in ebook format. Let me know what you think!

A tense and tightly-paced novella that I really enjoyed! It follows a boy and his family (mother, father, dog) and what secrets are revealed when his mysterious grandfather moves himself in. I liked being in the viewpoint of the boy, who observes enough things to let the reader in on the creeping horror, but that he himself doesn't necessarily pick up on. I always like books that involve a naturalist, so the father's job was intriguing to me (tell me more about the mussels!).

I think the big horror reveal was a little breakneck, and I do almost wish this had more pages. I think dog lovers will enjoy this as well.

A boy's life is changed when his grandfather comes to stay with his family. As he tries to understand the tensions that have arisen between his parents and grandfather, he's also feeling changes arising within himself.

My interest was piqued by the comparisons to Boy's Life and H.P. Lovecraft, and it certainly had elements of them both. The first line was great, and then I spent half of this novella wondering when the monster would show up. Until that point, I couldn't quite figure out what was going on, whether this would be dystopian or zombies - I mean, it's rather obvious with the cover what kind of monster it was, but the events of the novel were so subtle I had a hard time seeing where it was going. The writing itself was lovely and I think I'm just one of those readers that needs to be hit over the head with the symbolism to really get it.

An unexpected and beautiful discovery -- a worthy successor to the Bradburyian/King-ian horror-bildungsroman of yore, Coney takes such time and delicate care with this book, moving the story from bucolic happiness to confusing strangeness to, yes, outright terror in the end. Not unlike the experience of growing up, no? There is also a Very Good Dog! A Very Scary Elder! A Very Big Storm! It's perfect, everything about it is perfect.

Wild Spaces offers an engrossing exploration of childhood, filled with both innocence and the harsh realities of life. The protagonist, an eleven-year-old boy, steals your heart as he navigates the complex world around him, continually seeking his mother's approval. His loyal canine companion, Teach, adds a poignant touch to the narrative, even though his eventual passing tugs at your heartstrings.

One of the main strengths of this book lies in the robust coming-of-age aspect, flawlessly portrayed through the eyes of a young boy. While the story's length might leave some readers yearning for more, the author has masterfully painted a comprehensive picture of the characters and their environment within the confines of a short story.

The sudden arrival of the boy's estranged grandfather introduces an intriguing element of mystery and tension. The uncovering of hidden family secrets and the subsequent impact on the child's life adds depth to the narrative, making the story a compelling read.

Overall, Wild Spaces is a beautifully woven tale that artfully depicts the complexities of childhood, familial relationships, and the pain of loss. The story's rich characters and skillful world-building will leave you wanting more, making it a memorable reading experience.

Wonderful, so emotional and deep, especially for such a short book. Amazing writing, complex characters. Recommended to everyone, regardless of what genre they like. Just perfect.

Love this book. It is short but will knock you out. It's very emotional to me and I am still thinking about it. I can't wait for more by this wonderful author

Five stars for writing and story, but one for killing the dog. I’m so angry about the dog that I’m just not able to say anything else. I’ll check out other books by the writer as long as they don’t include pets.

For a short novella, this packs a punch. It feels like it's either an anti-hero, hero, or villain's origin story. I'm here for it.

Synopsis: A boy lives an idyllic life with his mom, his dad and his dog Teach on the beach in South Carolina. It's filled with adventures and field trips, and each character is distinct. Their relationships are webs of love.

One day his grandfather shows up. Teach doesn't like him. The boy's mother fades a bit, and things don't add up. There's a monstrous secret kept between father and daughter, and the collateral damage shakes the boy's world.

Review: The writing here is sumptuous. I could feel the swampiness of the beach and the wind of the storm. It's a story about family, secrets, loss, and transformation.

I would gladly read more in this world and with these characters. It's difficult to build setting, worlds, characters, and relationships and SL Coney does just that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review Wild Spaces.

Such an excellent short novel I read on a flight. Beautiful use of language and the building of tension and dread was great. I loved it so much I felt a little let down when the end came on rather quickly.

Wild Spaces was engrossing, intriguing, and upsetting. I don't typically like short stories, bit this one grabbed my attention from the go.