This one didn’t really hook me I found some parts repetititve so I struggled to complete it at time overall it was ok but not for me
Rating ⭐️⭐️

The book has a fascinating premise but fell short in many ways, making it difficult to overlook. I don't want to get too detailed because I'd like to avoid spoilers, so I apologize for being vague.
Some major positives to the book:
- The premise is genuinely really cool!
- I loved the gore descriptions.
- A lot of the scenes felt like something I'd see in some of my favorite slasher movies.
- This is a small thing but I just really love the cover of the book. It really stands out against a lot of modern horror covers you see.

Unfortunately, there were a few things that made it difficult for me to finish this book.
- There were instances where I felt that plot points were being over-explained.
- Some scenes were quite repetitive, especially towards the middle.
- I noticed a few typos and missing words here and there.
- The majority of the characters all share an affinity for alcohol, many to the point of alcoholism. Maybe this was done on purpose but it made it hard for me to differentiate characters.

Definitely a unique horror story, but at times a little bit too repetititve for me. I liked the characters and the ending was pretty good, too.

4.5 rounded up
Great horror story, very atmospheric and creepy. Read in less than 2 days to find out what happened. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

YES. I didn't know if I'd like this but I kept reading. And man oh man. I love this book. Putting it down was impossible. I may or may not went to bed at 3am when I finished it.

"The Horror at Pleasant Brook" by Kevin Lucia is a horror novel that had me hooked from the start. Set in a small town, it's filled with unsettling events and eerie themes that kept me on the edge of my seat. I have to admit, Lucia's ability to create such a creepy atmosphere added to the overall sense of dread and suspense. The atmosphere is almost grungy and authentic. The characters also felt real and authentic, and their emotions were raw and gritty.
I will say that I did find the plot's pacing a bit slow at times, but the way everything unfolded was worth the wait. As a horror enthusiast, I truly enjoyed the atmospheric and suspenseful nature of the tale.
Thank you for allowing me to read this ARC!

“The Horror at Pleasant Brook” by Kevin Lucia is a trope-filled, small-town horror with plenty of gore.

Pleasant Brook is a hamlet in the Adirondacks with a constable and a few businesses. Only a handful of people have ever left the small town, and when they do, they tend to return. When one of these wayward residents comes back to find a creepy mask in an abandoned house, quiet life in the small town quickly unravels. Fighting the slowly growing evil is a teenager who conveniently knows a lot about horror plots, the town librarian, and the constable. To the reader, it is obvious this force is woefully inadequate, and we must wonder if Pleasant Brook can be saved at all.

This book took me a long time to finish. I had a hard time getting back into it every time I picked it up. I enjoyed the construction of the evil. It was an interesting take on a new monster, integrating Celtic mythology and maybe a little alien invasion. My main complaint is the same as a few of the other reviewers: A new character is introduced in a chapter, lots of backstory on them, and they die by the end of that chapter. Each victim has the same description of their attacker, the same sensory experience, and a similar death. These chapters were very formulaic, and when you started one, you knew exactly how it was going to end. That took some of the excitement out of the narrative for me. Though filled with classic tropes I love in this type of story (the rag-tag band fighting the evil, the small-town feel, the stereotyped characters), they weren’t carried through to the end. The main drunk that joins the rag-tag team for a while, for instance, doesn’t get to make it to the end for his redemption. He’s sober from the beginning, never backtracks, and never has to prove himself to the rest of the team.

Reading Kevin Lucia's "The Horror at Pleasant Brook" taught me something about crafting horror novels, so I can still recommend it to readers who are interested in a deep-dive into the genre and its tropes. I received it from NetGalley.

This book was really fun to read. There were lots of different characters, we get glimpses into the loves of at least 15 different people. There’s many unlikeable characters, but several lovable ones.

It has a slasher plot, with supernatural antagonist at its core. The Horror at Pleasant Brook set in a sleepy little town, during the COVID outbreak where everyone is still under a lock down, mask mandates, and online schooling alternatives.

The town sherif is a Lesbian, the library is Non-binary, and the main character Scott is a closeted 14 year old, so needless to say the cast is diverse which I really appreciate. There’s two recovering alcoholics who are so wonderful. Julie is a stripper, and the other is Marty, farmer who picks up odd jobs and lives in a barn, and is a super sweetheart.

The author choose Samhain as the villain, when that’s just a really strange choice since in reality Samhain is a pagan/ Celtic celebration. Part of me cringes at that because it’s something I openly celebrate, however since almost all of the characters are Christian it makes sense that the most popular Pagan holiday would be personified and demonized. We obviously haven’t gotten over the satanic panic of the 1980s in this novel.

In a lot of ways this book is character driven, and plot is predictable, but it’s a pretty fun horror novel to get through. Check trigger warnings because it is NOT a light hearted read.

I really loved the dark, creepy atmosphere of this novel. This is the perfect spooky Halloween book. I was impressed by Kevin Lucia’s ability to paint a picture of a quaint small town that has been completely overrun with evil and terror. This book had very strong non-binary and LGBTQ main characters which was so wonderful and refreshing to read. The ending was extremely suspenseful and had a lot of unexpected moments for me. Highly recommend to any old school horror fan!

𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄.
𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲!

It's the second half of October 2022 and Constable Grace Matthews of Pleasant Brook is trying her best not to die… of boredom.
2.5+ Years of Covid rules and a (quite) conservative Hometown have left their marks on our 'Lady of the Law'.
Thanks to a big Spike in numbers the town is back to remote schooling and mostly home-office.

But there's something in the Air, something is back after a deep slumber.
It has arrived to wreak havoc on this sleepy, tiny Town.
(Halloween is on its way, and so is the Evil.)

Grace and a few select others will have to take a Stand, they will have to put up a fight, or die trying. Even though they do not know what they are dealing with.
The Constable and her little group of social outcasts are fighting their way through this Plague, which has befallen Pleasant Brook.

Thr Group around Constable Matthews is made out of the town librarian Sage Hunter, horror-loving teen Scott Carter, 'factotum' Marty Crenshaw and stripper Julie Lomax.
After sightings of masked people, crazy folks maybe intent on scaring everyone for the lulz, and people disappearing Grace knows she has to squash this nonsense asap.

Will our small town Heroes be able to stop whatever there is, stalking through the dark of this idyllic Town in the Adirondack Mountains?
Why are people starting to play with these Masks? Is it the next 'Scary Clown' thing like a few years ago?

¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦

This was a fun and gory ride through Hell.
With lots of Blood, Intestines, puss-like Ichor, rotten Flesh!
You name it, we got it…

Death everywhere!
[(I felt as if the author said to himself, F*ck it, let's sprinkle that Sh*te everywhere) the more, the better …and I loved that!]

The Constable was a tough, lesbian Hero I fell in love with just the tiniest bit… I mean, it was inevitable! *Oups*
Her group of 'Imperfect Ones' of the Town, set on saving the World as we know it? I really loved this Idea, even though it's not a new one itself this made the bunch around Grace even more likable.

The Story was well written, I loved the details and the Author gave me just right amount of description regarding the charackters, Pleasant Brook as well as the action loaded scenes.

I also enjoyed the pop culture references from horror movies to books. From Stoker, King & Co.
It felt as if the Author was a few times just one step away from breaking the fourth Wall in this Book!
Well done!

I would like to add more to this review, but I am kind of afraid of spoiling YOU, dear Reader.
This gets a well deserved 5 Star Rating from me.

𝑴𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒈𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓, 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔/𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬/𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒇𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍!

The Horror at Pleasant Brook has some serious gore and nice buildup in its first half, setting the stage for a slow zombie (-like) apocalypse. However, a few things detracted from the strength of the story and writing. The introduction of a character just to see them die at the end of the chapter is fine, but it was repeated so often that after a few chapters like that, I didn't care about newly introduced characters at all. The portrayal of the small town in the Adirondacks felt accurate--I don't live that far away--but it seemed like every adult was an addict or alcoholic. That's a pretty heinous stereotype to reinforce, at least in my opinion.

I really enjoyed the horror-trope commentary from Scott, the teenage protagonist. That moved the plot along, and in places helped avoid exposition. There are moments of Stephen King-level weirdness and development of Scott, so for that, I kept reading and overall enjoyed the book. One other strength Lucia has is great representation of gender and sexuality diversity. The reversal of the Bury Your Queers trope wasn't self-congratulatory, even when the characters comment on it. That was refreshing!

Thank you to the author and netgalley for a chance to review this book.

This was a great read. it was a wonderful terrifying tale of horror. i felt like i was reading an old classic paperback. the cover is also incredible. the descriptions in the book were incredibly detailed. if you're into horror i highly suggest this book. it should check off quite a few boxes for fans of the genre.

In the quiet town of Pleasant Brook, Lisa Owen's desperation led to a terrifying chain of events. Consumed by pain, loneliness, and the loss of her dreams, she unwittingly unleashed an ancient evil lying dormant in her old house. The catalyst was Bobby Lee Haskel, who donned a cursed mask, transforming him into something malevolent. Soon, ominous figures wearing repulsive masks appeared, and the town's residents started disappearing.

Amidst the chaos, a horror-obsessed teenager and the town's constable discovered the chilling truth. However, they may be running out of time to save Pleasant Brook and themselves from a fate worse than death.

"The Horror at Pleasant Brook" delivers a blood-soaked, gory, and suspenseful experience, boasting a diverse cast of characters and shocking twists. The chilling writing will keep you on edge, jumping at shadows and flinching at every unexpected sound. This book begs to be adapted into a movie, even though the grisly scenes might force you to avert your eyes. It's an unbelievably crazy and fear-inducing tale, as something sinister takes over the town, leaving a permanent mark on readers' psyches.

While you may enjoy reading about creatures taking control, this nightmarish scenario is precisely what terrifies you the most. Zombies, aliens, and the idea of hive mentality haunt your thoughts, and this book vividly explores such fears with its descriptive and haunting scenes. Let's hope that such nightmare-inducing subjects remain confined to the realm of fiction. Prepare for more sleepless nights, thanks to this nightmare fuel!

Thank you NetGalley and Crystal Lake Publishing for the opportunity to read and review The Horror at Pleasant Brook. All opinions are my own.

A small group of diverse individuals in a small town is all that stands in the way of an ancient evil that must be defeated. This book reads like watching a horror movie. Small town is stalked by masked individuals/creatures/who knows? Their only desire is to consume. Now that's some scary stuff. One of the lead characters, Scott, is a young teen boy who knows his way around horror movies and books. This helps with combating the horror that has set upon their town. How can this cast of characters fight against this ancient, unstoppable evil that is permeating every inch of their town? Looks like you'll need to purchase The Horror at Pleasant Brook when it comes out on October 13, 2023 to find out. If you like your horror extreme (gory, gross, etc.) this one is for you. Perfect timing for a great Halloween read.

The quantity of gore and unsuspecting horror was absolutely enthralling. It had me on the edge of my proverbial seat the entire time. It felt like pure slasher carnage at times and my immediate thought was “this would be such a fun movie” and I stand by that. It’s essentially dark creatures taking over everything with a hive like mind that completely sends shivers down your spine.

I enjoyed our main character Grace and her hunt for the truth. It’s all happening around Halloween which really makes the story. It was wonderfully diverse and the side characters just as enjoyable. If masks creep you out, this might not be for you!

Pleasant Brook is a sleepy town in the Adirondack region, too small to even have a sheriff. Instead they have Constable Grace Matthews. Grace knows this town in and out and is more than well equipped to handle Pleasant Brook until a supernatural force takes over. What if Samhain was more than a day of worship? What if it was a force of its own with the ability to create an army of drones all through the power of just one mask? With each kill, another body joins the hive. In true horror fashion a band of outsiders decide to take their stand to stop this force before there is no one left to do it.
In my opinion, this book is damn near perfect and is getting a five star review. The characters are well developed and represent a multitudes of different lifestyles. The pacing of this novel definitely made me fall victim to “just one more chapter” I would love to see this turned into a movie because it’s what us horror fans live for!!!!! My only real complaint is how heavy Lucia leaned on the pandemic. I didn’t count but the word COVID occurred in the book in nearly every chapter.

The Horror at Pleasant Brook follows residents of the town of Pleasant Brook around Halloween-time. A seemingly old and sinister force begins to take over the town a couple of years after a wife ritualistically murders her husband- but not before he takes her down with him. As townspeople continue to fall to the creepy, mask-clad entities that take over, things begin to go downhill very quickly.

Unfortunately, despite its unique premise the only thing I really felt the story excelled at was its violence and gore. If you like a violent slasher-type story, this is probably right up your alley.

The narrative had virtually no progression within the first half of the book, as we have alternating chapters of main character story, and then random townsperson with a lengthy backstory- about their parentage, schooling, hobbies, work life, etc.- who is only introduced to be killed off by the end of the chapter. This pattern repeats well into the halfway mark of the book. Once we get that shift into more action, the story still seems to stall and trip over itself. A lot of moving the narrative forward occurs in "this character just knew" type scenarios, or in a primary character having an extensive knowledge or horror movies.

The prose itself is incredibly redundant- especially in the virtually identical description of the mask worn by the antagonists from character to character, which quickly became ineffective because I'd read it so many times. A lot of things are meticulously explained and described, but not in a way that adds anything of substance to the story, and makes it feel tedious to read. I think a lot of the book could do with some more editing in this regard.

I didn't particularly care about any of the characters; almost all of them felt very cookie cutter and had no development throughout the duration of the story. I can't think of a single character other than the teenage boy that wasn't a recovering alcoholic or current addict/person with a drinking problem.

If this hadn't been a NetGalley book, I likely would have DNF'd around 30%.

I had a lot of fun with this book. It opens with the horror and action while maintaining that pace throughout the story. The author managed to purposely capture the feel of a small-town especially as those places were during 2020. The characters all felt like actual people and represented so many different types. It was refreshing seeing some characters be LGBTQ+ and it was treated as just a part of who they are. Positive representation that does not feel like a try-hard attempt to be inclusive.

The story also shows that the author is a fan of the horror genre. One of the characters is a fan of horror media so a lot of his thoughts mention horror projects known in pop culture. It's always nice seeing little touches like that because the characters end up coming alive more with those type of details. Plus any horror fan reading this gets the fun of either knowing the reference or finding something new to watch if they look up what the reference is.

If you like a horror book that moves at a fast pace, without feeling rushed, this is a great choice. You find yourself caring for the characters and being interested knowing about the townspeople. You will find yourself in shock, and feeling sad, at multiple characters' deaths. I always consider it a good thing if a horror book or movie has you feeling sadness over a character's death.

I had to DNF at 35%. The opening pages grabbed me but I find myself not wanting to keep reading. I find it's really dragging. And the slow infestation that's taking over the town is too slow for me. Thanks for the opportunity to read this arc!

The Horror At Pleasant Brook is an exciting new tale of bloody madness running rampant in a small town. i really appreciated how Lucia took existing Druid lore and combined it with familiar horror legends without the story sinking into tired cliches. The characters were fresh and felt authentic and more importantly, the dialogue rang true.
i really loved this book. The pages flowed as the story haunted my dreams. i rarely give a book five stars, but The Horror at Pleasant Brook has earned it.
Highly recommended.