This was a quick read with a creepy vibe and a good, isolated setting. I enjoyed the dynamic and relationship struggles explored with Holly and Brian.

However I did feel like there was a bit too much going on, between the monster, Kendra's problems, Tanner and whatever he had going on. The time jumps and pov switches left me floundering a bit, and I was left with too many unanswered questions to be completely satisfied with the ending.

✨REVIEW: 4.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
❄️Our Winster Monster by Dennis Mahoney ❄️

🤍synopsis: For the last year, Holly and Brian have been out of sync. Neither can forget what happened that one winter evening; neither can forgive what’s happened since 🫠. Tonight, Holly and Brian race toward Pinebuck, New York, trying to outrun a blizzard on their way to the ski village getaway they hope will save their relationship. But soon they lose control of the car—and then of themselves.

Now Sheriff Kendra Book is getting calls about a couple in trouble—along with reports of a brutal and mysterious creature rampaging through town, leaving a trail of crushed cars, wrecked buildings, and mangled bodies in the snow. 🥶

🤍my opinion: Ok, so the book is not about a “common” monster, but rather about the traumas and problems the couple already had. So for a moment I thought of the Babadook; a monster that feeds on fear, problems and resentments. 👹

I loved the setting because I could imagine the snow, the cold…everything. And that, plus the idea of a monster, was just perfect.🙂‍↕️💕

The idea of exploring the flaws of a relationship in a thriller… yeah, I really liked it. 🫶

And of course, the story has some twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting and the author just did it right.

✨Highly recommended if you✨

🥶Like small town horror.
🥶Like trauma and guilt issues.
🥶Like unexpected serial killers.

I would like to thank @equinoxsociety, @hellshundredbooks and @netgalley for the advanced e-copy. <33

This is a very middle-of-the-road winter-themed horror novel. It teeters into the supernatural but is ultimately a story about PTSD and grief. It's people at the precipice of change.

A couple, who experienced a trauma the year before, go to a small village for a winter retreat. They are pushed off the road by a snow storm and what happens next defies all modern science.

A sheriff who has recently lost her girlfriend and is being pressured by everyone to find another couple who went missing a few months prior.

The town weirdo who runs the snow plow is trolling the streets, while struggling with his own inner demons.

There's something in the woods. Something bigger than a bear or a dog. It's something that explodes at random leaving destruction in its wake.
---
I liked the IDEA of this book, but as my read dates will show - it took A LOT for me to finish this one. I had two 8+ hour flights and I had zero interest in this plot for either. It's a bit of a choppy story, that slowly....very slowly comes together.

I think people will enjoy this, but not so much me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was predictable. It followed a similar pattern as other winter horror novels and didn’t feel unique to me as the reader.

Tag-team monstering?
I couldn’t help but notice that other reviews for this book complained that it was a bit generic, but since I’m new to this sub genre of horror this certainly wasn’t the case for me.
In fact, I thought it was an interesting take on a monster story. Without giving away spoilers - Brian and Holly are a couple at a ‘Marry or split-up’ stage of their relationship who decide to take a winter break in Pinebuck, a seemingly idyllic ski village to figure out if they can save their relationship. However, they don’t even get a chance to sample the local’s hot chocolate ‘n’ marshmallows before their car crashes during a snowstorm and realise that part is the least of their worries!
We learn that they have been involved in a traumatic incident a year earlier which totally shifted the balance in their relationship, but that incident is slowly revealed as the book progresses.
This is a fast-paced book which was doing a great job of holding my attention and keeping me enthralled until the end. The ending was a bit messy and I felt a bit deflated, expecting more.
But overall, a good concept which was reasonably well executed for the most part.

A winter thriller creature feature! Holly and Brian have been having relationship challenges, and they head to a ski resort for one last weekend to try and make it work. However, a huge storm blows in, casting a monstrous light on the couple, the town, and its inhabitants.
I read this in two days—I could not put it down! There is a variety of well-written characters, and the pacing is excellent. I love winter horror, and Mahoney did an excellent job of maintaining the cold, icy, stormy environment. From deep freezes to snow plows to disorientation, the snow storm just kept coming and complimented the turmoil of Holly and Brian. I really enjoyed this novel and will definitely recommend it.

This well-paced wintry thriller offers a unique monster to threaten your idyllic ski vacation. Unfortunately the good pacing and the the inventive monster wasn’t enough to really draw me in. Let me start with what I enjoyed. In many ways this has all of the touchstones of a regular thriller, and so if that comfortable lane works for you then this does provide something a little different. The pacing was good, moving across character POVs at critical times to keep us engaged but not revealing too much, and yet the characters did figure out what was going on before the third act, which I appreciated, from then they had to navigate how to battle the situation, but that’s a lot smarter than the audience knowing what was going on way ahead of the characters and impatiently waiting for them to catch up. There is a critical event that happened in the past and that is revealed through flashback chapters and while I wasn’t particularly overwhelmed by the reveal I did think the structuring and framing was skillfully done. Many of the chapters were very short, and this added to the somewhat frantic tone and the narrative momentum. The monster was inventive, but not entirely surprising. Still, not what is expected in wintry-thriller fare, so that was also appreciated. The small-town, winter-resort setting was fun, and we did get some decent world-building through the characters as they were sketched out. It never really rose to the place of being too important a factor in the story, and there was some reliance on the reader knowing what the vibes of that kind of town were like, but it still provided and enjoyable backdrop for the story.

As for why those things don’t add up to a more glowing review... I didn't feel any investment in the characters. There were a number of ancillary characters in addition to our primary pair, and they all, primary and ancillary characters, felt pretty one-note, not fully realized. There was a good nod at diversity, such as the Black lesbian sheriff of a small town, but instead of any real interest or depth to her character every time we followed her she lamented how her girlfriend left her and she didn’t feel like she was good enough, her identity revolved around that alone and nothing else. Good representation alone isn’t enough to make complicated or engaging characters. It was similar with our main characters, I just didn’t experience them as having much depth, they felt very cut and dry. It was hard to care about their plight when they felt so generic, and so defined by very few things. Also, it was hard to understand why the monster was attacking now. The overall idea of the monster was interesting, and uncommon in these kind of stories, but what was it about this couple visiting this vacation town at this time that catalyzed the attack? It wasn’t clear why this was happening now, of all times, and so it made everything feel disconnected and narratively convenient, instead of meaningful. Additionally the way the monster was defeated just felt way more simplistic than the situation called for, and it felt like it kind of trivialized trauma and PTSD in the process.

There are some interesting ideas that this story is trying to tackle, it is trying to be more than just a simple thriller. It didn’t live up to its ambitions, for me. However, it was still a pleasant read, with very quick pacing, a few unexpectedly violent deaths, and more or less strong and direct writing, with realistic dialogue, throughout.

(Rounded up from 2.5)

I want to thank the author, the publisher Soho Press | Hell's Hundred , and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is definitely in the vein of Paul Tremblay and is very atmospheric. This was a very chilling and sometimes gory book to read that is essentially a race against time. I didn't like Holly and Brian at first but they grew on me and Kendra was my favorite character.

Ideal for the winter months, Dennis Mahoney’s latest plunges its readers further into an icy abyss with each page turned and twist unveiled. Glacial- layered with meditations on trauma, relationships and distance, despite the fact Mahoney quickly dials up the heat with an epic creature feature, “Our Winter Monster,” has an emotional core that will leave you shivering. Tender, baltic, brutal and coming for you January 28th 2025, from Soho Press, this rather cold commentary on what a monster really is, is ideal for curling up and dying with under a blanket this winter.

Holly and Brian’s relationship is in icy territory, if you will, following an incident that left both of them, and the chemistry they once had, shaken. They’re hoping they’ll find the marital glue that they need so desperately in a small B&B in Pinebuck, New York. Determined to get this marriage back on track, it would take a blizzard to keep Holly from her holiday. As if they’re the punchline of some cosmic joke, sure enough, a snowstorm of mythical fury makes quick work of wiping their car off of the road- and Brian is snatched from the passenger seat. As the mysterious creature responsible begins tearing through Pinebuck, the town’s sheriff, Kendra, begins to suspect that the new arrivals are not mere victims.

At its bitter, frosty heart, “Our Winter Monster,” is an exploration of the human condition. Holly and Brian’s tumultuous relationship is painted with unflinching honesty, every interaction steeped in unspoken pain and mounting frustration. The two seem to be mirrors to each other’s misery, with Holly throwing herself almost wholly into her work as a coping mechanism, and Brian almost paralysed with anxiety. Whilst the prospect of the “winter monster,” itself is a scary one, it almost reads more like a natural disaster than a snow-forged freak of nature, a blizzard that is given form by the turmoil and resentment of its victims… hence the title. I can name probably 10 winter-themed isolation horror novels that melt into one big, forgettable puddle, but the complexity of the characters here, including the creature feature, certainly made my trip to Pinebuck memorable.

For all of its emotional depth, this one certainly doesn’t skimp on the utter carnage. The chaos is relentless and gleefully brutal. The snow creature’s rampage is described vividly, Mahoney blessing us with a slew of brutal and inventive kills that made me sit up straighter whilst, simultaneously, frankly delighting me. It’s clear that this author (new to me) also loves a twist, the narrative peppered with surprises (admittedly, some more revelatory than others) which constantly kept me guessing. The prose itself is vivid and cinematic, with every crunch of snow and howl of wind adding to the steadily mounting claustrophobia, and the slow, creeping realization that something is deeply and irrevocably wrong.

Dennis looks at the essence of monstrosity. Is it best encapsulated by the frost-formed creature who lurks in the woodland? Perhaps the guilt and pain that the characters inflict upon one another? The fear that holds us captive when we need it most? A surprisingly complex novel that redefines what it is to shiver, “Our Winter Monster,” is a compelling read that is icily introspective, quietly horrific in some areas, and unapologetically terrifying in others. A novel that demonstrates human fragility, often really quite literally, this one is an existential, explosive, sub-zero symphony of despair, and I look forward to seeing what Dennis Mahoney puts out next!

A dark and mysterious story set perfect for winter. I thought the atmosphere was well done and the characters (if not particularly likeable) were detailed and felt real. I wasn't a huge fan of the structure of the story, but it was a solid read.

Holly and Brian are off to a quaint, secluded village for a fun winter holiday. It doesn’t quite work out. With couples going missing, something evil on the loose, and a plot twist that gave me whiplash, this is a well-written addition to the horror genre!

Thanks so much for granting my wish to read!

A couple navigating troubled waters in their relationships embark on a winter getaway, attempting to repair a widening divide. Their plans are derailed when they encounter a mysterious monster hunting in the snow. As disaster follows them, Holly and Brian must reconcile their differences to pull together and survive.

Mahoney achieves a dark, moody atmosphere smothered in snow and cold. However, the pacing of the novel was hindered by flashbacks to an incident in Holly and Brian's past that is primarily responsible for their relationship woes. The mystery of the snow monster was ultimately not much of a mystery, and the ending, while offering a satisfying resolution, was rather anticlimactic as a result. As protagonist, Holly and Brian were uninteresting, although Cookie and the Sheriff were delightful supporting characters that I would have liked to read more about.

The authors overall idea was decent; however, less characters and exposition would have let the story have more impact. One of the reveals at the end didnt add anything to the story and, honestly, came out of nowhere. The writing was simple and easy to binge, unfortunately, the story didn't meet expectations. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3

Craving an icy cold winter horror story to freeze your blood yet also activate your brain? “Our Winter Monster” caught me off-guard in the best way. It delivers a truly unique story. A number of refreshing, intelligent surprises which kept me thinking long after I finished it. And, dang it, I freakin love horror that steps out of those uniform trope boxes! So much more than a winter creature feature—but don’t worry, it hits every one of those notes too.

There’s dread, anxiety, suspense, cloying fear, fleshed-out characters, complications, sub-plots, twists, oh-no-you-didn’t moments, disasters and, well, horror of course. The author knows when to hit hard, and when to duck the punch and leave you with breathless anticipation for what’s coming next. Zippy pacing, I flew through this book. I had no difficulty with timeline because the flow is smooth and seamless.

The writing is incredibly vivid without being remotely pretentious. Frankly, the writing, is stellar—clean, impactful prose. The descriptions sink you into the bone-chilling freezing atmosphere, figuratively and literally. And, sometimes, leave you suffocating, encased in an ice-tomb. Then whip you back into the blizzard’s raging winds before you realize what’s happening.

A well-executed horror story with multiple themes, substance, and emotions.

5/5

(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
There is something very intriguing about the general idea of this book, the monstrousness and the cold, frozen landscape, but it never really got my whole attention. When I was reading about one character, I was irremediably thinking about the other one; when I was catching up to the Bad Date, I just wanted to read about it, not the days or weeks before. I understand what the book was trying to accomplish, I see the puzzle and I see each piece, but sadly, I did not enjoy the way it was told.

The winter is a monster for Brian and Holly, survivors of a bad thing that happened to them the winter before. They’ve reached bust or boom in their relationship but can’t afford winter sun so a short break in Pinebuck sees them again heading straight into the open maw of another bad thing.
Our Winter Monster offers something different to the horror genre, there’s plenty of gore, bloody scenes, and dark twists but this is a unique story that addresses trauma in an interesting and entertaining way. This is out on January 28 and I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this in advance.

I am very sad to say, this book didn’t work for me. The characters weren’t consistent with their actions or how their qualities were described. The writing was a tad choppy and could use a little more editing. The premise is a solid foundation and could be intriguing, but it didn't flourish properly, in my opinion.

I tried but unfortunately I just was not able to get the groove of this book. The characters were all pretty unlikeable and the jumping point if view just made the whole story hard to follow. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

Take a troubled couple, a snowstorm with a vendetta, and a creature straight out of your worst nightmares, and you’ve got yourself a book that’s equal parts chaos and catharsis. Our Winter Monster doesn’t just test Holly and Brian’s relationship—it pulverizes it under the crushing weight of their secrets, guilt, and…well, something that’s neither human nor forgiving.

The setting: Pinebuck, New York, a picturesque ski town turned survival horror film. The characters: a sheriff haunted by her own losses and a couple who probably should’ve tried therapy before hitting the highway. The vibe: The Shining meets Marriage Story, with a dash of monster movie madness.

What elevates this tale is the way it gnaws at the idea of what we become when we’re desperate to survive—both individually and as a couple. Sure, the pacing can be a little erratic, but the moments of terror and heartbreak hit like a snowplow in a blizzard.

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill monster romp—it’s a frosty cocktail of small-town terror, relationship drama, and a creature that’ll haunt your snowstorm daydreams. This one’s worth the trek through the snow.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for the opportunity to read and review Our Winter Monster prior to publication.

Review of Our Winter Monster by Dennie Mahoney

Dennis Mahoney’s Our Winter Monster delivers a chilling blend of psychological tension and visceral horror, weaving an unsettling tale of survival, guilt, and the thin line between human and beast. Holly and Brian’s strained relationship takes center stage as they confront not only a harrowing snowstorm but a terrifying creature that feels like a reflection of their own fractured bond. Sheriff Kendra Book adds depth and urgency to the narrative, her personal stakes amplifying the dread as the monster’s rampage grows ever closer. Mahoney masterfully balances relentless action with deeply introspective moments, crafting a claustrophobic atmosphere that feels as suffocating as a winter blizzard. With its vivid gore, raw emotional stakes, and a setting that mirrors the characters’ turmoil, Our Winter Monster is an unforgettable exploration of what it means to endure—both the storm outside and the storms within.