Confusing structure and odd language leads to inability to engage.

Sam Rebelein’s horror debut, Edenville, promises a disturbing plot that is told with humor. The language used is definitely not humorous, or else I didn’t understand the jokes. I was expecting for this book to have a similar tone as another recent debut, The September House by Carissa Orlando. While The September House is a five star read, I really struggled to become invested in the plot of this book. The writing style is strange and the structure is very confusing. I really tried to connect with the protagonists, but the language used is borderline offensive.

I really am sorry to say that I couldn’t finish this book. I just made it to 10% before I gave up. Unfortunately, I might not be the right reader for this book. It might be better suited for those who enjoy quirky horror/sci-fi plots.

2/5 stars

Publication date: 10/3/23

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for the ARC of Edenville in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know why but I just couldn't get into this one. I struggled for over 3 months to get through it. I hated Cam, and began to hate Quinn for being with him. I didn't understand what was going on half the time and kept re-reading the description thinking I missed something crucial to the story. I thought maybe it was just me being a mood reader, but 3 months? That's a long mood.
I saw people on GR have enjoyed it, so I want to comment on some things I did like. I loved the ghost watching over the bar where Quinn worked. And I loved the atmospheric descriptions of the small upstate NY towns.

The cover of Edenville is what initially drew me in and along with the first chapter where we are introduced to Cam's weird nightmare, I really thought this book was going to be for me. While I did enjoy the wierdness of the plot I didn't really like Cam, I did like Quinn who at least when the haunting, and oddness was making itself known was like hey we should definitely book it back home. She at least was seeing things for what they were, and not burying he head in the sand.
I also didn't really like how much time we spent with the faculty members that were in the thick of whats happening in this town. However I really enjoyed the ending, things really took off and I was glued to the pages to see how it was all going to play out.

Horror and humor but it wasn't for me. Rebelein has created an atmospheric small town and some intriguing characters but I got lost in the plot and the wordiness. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. While I DNF, I'll bet horror fans will welcome this.

“The Shattered Man with wild hair you better run avoid his stare. If you see him you are through. Cuz chances are? He already has seen YOU. “

Oh man this was creepy. In the beginning I was like, what the heck is going on? But I had to keep reading. And once I got halfway through the book, I was super invested in finding out what happened.
This is perfect for spooky season. It’s creepy, gory, gross, wild and quite honestly really weird. 😂
It’s a blend of horror, science fiction and even throws comedy in there. The author does a great job at vividly describing the scenes. Looking for a disturbing read? Check out Edenville!

EDENVILLE!!! This grounded, cosmic horror moves at the pace of an action movie. Non-stop, never boring, and self aware. Has quickly become my favorite horror novel this year.

The gummerfolk, the shattered man, blood curse, and a toxic relationship. Two people clearly not the best choice to save the world. Believable couple trapped in a relationship of convenience. Also, Jopp Yennigen is awesome.

Great pacing, Good writing. One hundred percent intense and fun. Would highly recommend.

Cam is so excited for his first novel, The Shattered Man, to come out, but it doesn’t receive the praise he is expecting. When he gets an offer to be a writer in residence at a college upstate, he thinks his luck has changed. However, things are not as they seem in Edenville.

I think this one had promise, but I didn’t really connect with the characters. I didn’t find myself invested in Cam or Quinn, which makes books with horror harder to enjoy. Others who do connect with them will probably enjoy it more!

I had higher hopes for this book but was drastically let down.
This book seemed very unfocused and was so hard for me to power through and finish, There is so much weirdness in this book and a lot of it is unexplained. Definitely wasn't my cup of tea

This was so not what I was expecting. This is a super creepy book with twist and turns I hadn’t anticipated.

Cam, author of a mediocrely received horror novel, The Shattered Man, is trying to find inspiration to write a second book. When he gets invited to come to Edenville College as a writer in residence, he jumps at the chance, even though Quinn, his girlfriend, has her doubts.

Making a decision to leave if things get weird, the two head to the picturesque town to start his work. The town, though, isn’t what it seems and the residents hold deep dark secrets.

This book didn’t fully grip me until halfway into it. It wasn’t a pacing issue, because the writing and the flow of the story are great. It was the vision I had for the events taking place… I was confused as to where it was going. Once it became clear, the rest of the book flew by at a nail biting pace. There is a bit of an unreliable narrator element to this that made the book for me! I didn’t know who to trust and what to expect.

All in all, this was a really cool horror novel that will make your stomach churn. Fantastic!

<b>Praise to the Mind!</b>

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect. Academic horror? Maybe a cult? I definitely wasn't expecting this mashup of multiple horror subgenres. Creatures, cults, cosmic, even some body horror, at least to me.

I had a hard time really getting hooked into this one. I'm not really sure why. It's well written, and the elements should be over the top and ridiculous, but the author makes it all work.

I really loved the way the characters approached everything happening, saying they weren't going to be like characters in a horror movie. Even if things play out differently in the end, the way a lot of their choices were framed was refreshing and smart.

I also loved that once everything started going off the rails, simple ideas and tropes were turned on their heads. I want to give an example, but I try to stay away from spoilers in my reviews, so you'll just have to message me if you want to talk about it!

I enjoyed this book. Maybe not as much as some others that I've read recently, but I definitely think that's more about me as a reader. It's well written with interesting ideas, and is definitely worth the read. Go check it out!

This was a unique and entertaining story! I highly recommend this book and author. I enjoyed the writing style and was thoroughly entertained throughout the whole book.

Please note that I did not finish this book. I won’t leave my review publicly, as I don’t want to mar its average rating when I failed to see it through. I will share some of my thoughts, based on what I did read:

I don’t think it’s fair to compare Edenville to the works of Paul Tremblay and Stephen Graham Jones, as the synopsis does. This suggested to me that Edenville would be more of a literary horror, with lyrical prose and thought provoking content. Admittedly, I’ve only read one SGJ book, but I know it was meaningful, and Tremblay always hits the right note for me. The comparison led me to expect something much different here. I did not feel this was a well-written piece and, while I can’t speak for how it ends, I was not under the impression that something profound would actually take place.

I was almost immediately turned off by Cam’s characterization. This is the second time this month that I’ve run into a story that presents a male as a jerk who is supposedly, at his core, really a good guy. I’m not a fan of that particular presentation. I mean, he was a jerk. Why couldn’t it just be left at that? I could have lived with the author knowingly presenting the character as a giant ass without suggesting he had redeeming qualities.

I know the synopsis has “body horror” in bold print so I’ve no right to complain about the gore level here. I just wish it had been balanced out with a better story. It’s easier to overlook elements that have every right to be there, even when I don’t care for them, when I’ve entered into something deeply immersive that almost makes me forget all of the grossness I’m digesting.

The story also did not offer the smoothest delivery. As I’ve already noted, I don’t think the writing itself was exceptional. Perhaps the author was trying to accomplish something that did hit a literary note with the book’s choppiness, but he was not successful.

From what I did read, I felt this was a rather original take on the traditional haunting story. Perhaps less particular readers will find all that they are looking for here.

I am immensely grateful to William Morrow and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

This one sounded like it had so much promise, but it was a HARD nope for me. The writing and character work were not at all to my taste, and the weird gender issues were...a massive problem for me. (To me, this read as very dudebro writing, sexist and weird, as others have also noted.)

When I first read the synopsis of Edenville I immediately knew I would love it. I'm a sucker for mysterious small towns, and the residents of Edenville do not disappoint. There's no lack of unease, whether it's the odd faculty at the college, or the weird old ladies running all the businesses in town.

I do have to admit that the first few pages almost made me quit the book, but that's only because the mere mention of bodily fluids grosses me out beyond measure. There's a lot I can stomach, but apparently "eye jizz" isn't it. But I did soldier on, and I loved the story in the end.

None of the characters were overly likable, but that isn't always needed for a successful horror book. In return, the world-building and fine details of Edenville kept me happy until the end. There's nothing better than a good "blood curse".

The cover is what drew me to read Edenville. 🌻

I loved the synopsis - it seemed like a good premise for a horror story, but maybe there were too many parts to keep up with? It got a bit weird.

Cam's book isn't doing well, and yet he's invited to become a university's Writer in Residence. His gf, Quinn doesn't want to return, but the town doesn't let you stay gone. The bits between Cam and Quinn were alright aside from Quinn seems like a tough girl from the get-go, so why the hell does she go? She should have "Icahbod" herself out before she even left.

The parts about the faculty were alright, too. Syd and her arm. Madeline and her "feelings."

Where it gets weird is the tapestry, the wood, Jopp Yennigan, the old ladies.The bleeder idea was pretty cool.

The very end was my favorite! (No spoilers, but heck, yes!)

I will definitely keep an eye out for this author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the early read!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to preview this manuscript, which is set for publication on October 3rd. However, I DNF'd at 30%, and my rating is based on that portion. This line was the final straw - er, eye-roll: “She tried four more flavors before buying a cup of Birthday Cake. She sat by the bay window and looked out at the clouds. She felt like she wanted to put a gun in her mouth, she was so fuckin content.”
Anyways, the style is trying to be camp slasher (I think?) but is too ponderous and plodding. Rebelein over-explains the tedious actions of our protagonists, who are frankly too dull to care about. The writing is clunky and Rebelein over-uses made up adjectives like “splinterous.” I agree with other reviewers who detect (how to put this generously...) *clumsy* treatment of women's internal experiences and motives in the book. Take this morsel: "She didn't particularly like old ladies. The ones in Leaden Hollow tended to leer at her through their car windows as they drove by. They picked at her hair and told her they wanted to bo bottle her youth, drink it all up. They told her she'd have nice babies. They treated her like an object, which Quinn understood - they'd been treated like objects themselves. But still." Rebelein simply does not have the skill to grapple with these topics, as amply illustrated by other excerpts posted by readers.

…in short, a trial to read and I was relieved to put it aside!

"Edenville" by Sam Rebelein is a deliciously chilling debut that seamlessly blends horror, humor, and an uncanny sense of unease. Campbell P. Marion, a struggling writer, seizes the opportunity of a writer-in-residence position at Edenville College, hoping it'll rejuvenate his career. As he and his girlfriend Quinn step into the seemingly idyllic town, they're quickly enveloped by a sense of impending dread. Rebelein masterfully constructs a narrative that subverts expectations, expertly weaving urban legends, cosmic horror, and the murky underbelly of academia into a tale that's both unnerving and captivating. With sharp wit and evocative prose, "Edenville" explores the shadows that lie beneath picturesque facades, delivering an unsettling yet irresistible experience for horror aficionados.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read rage and review this arc which is tentatively scheduled to release Oct 3, 2023.

Yeahhhhh no. This was full of weird misogynistic things and was clunky. Extremely slow paced. The blurb doesn’t even describe the book accurately. And again the way make authors describe women? It’s a hard pass for me. I throughly did not enjoy a moment. It was a struggle and I do not feel like I should have even wasted my time.

Please have a woman re-edit this book do the icky misogynist stuff can be removed.

Starts off promising but falls apart a bit for me. This is still an amazing debut and I'd be very interested at seeing where Rebelein goes from here in future novels.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for supplying Sam Rebelein's 'Edenville' for review.

The blurb refers to Stephen Graham Jones and I can see how that connection could easily be made with the Jade Daniels/The Indian Lake Trilogy where the whole meta living inside a slasher film thing is played out wonderfully clearly. It starts off as a key theme in 'Edenville' and is clever for a while but fades as the novel progresses and it becomes pure Lovecraftian cosmic horror.

A y0ung but not especially happy couple are lured from hipster Brooklyn to an upstate NY college town even though they know that all the tropes and signs that they've come to know through the movies they watch and the books they read (and write) are telling them not to.

They find themselves ensconced in eons-long interactions between characters and their acolytes and their attempts to extricate themselves and others from these cosmically horrific situations.

It's confusing at times and probably didn't need all of the cosmic background but the two main characters, especially Quinn are good and there's some good humor sprinkled throughout.

Go Crows!