Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Book Review: Things Slip Through

"...I think a door of some kind was opened in there. Not all the way, just a crack. And I think something slipped through into our world..." Gavin (Things Slip Through)

And with that simple, introductory quote, I bring you my review of author Kevin Lucia's first book: a short story collection titled Things Slip Through.

Before I delve into my review of the book, a bit of history:

I "met" the author Kevin Lucia about seven years ago. I say "met" because we've never been in each other's company. Back then he was doing weekly book reviews for the local Press & Sun Bulletin and I, being naive and young and dumb, self-published a work that I queried him through e-mail to review. While he was more than accommodating, thankfully that review never took shape.

What did happen though was a thread of e-mails between Kevin and I and another local writer about getting a writer's group together. We were all just starting out (and by starting out I don't mean we had all just begun writing but writing with serious goals in mind) and very hungry - hungry to write and hungry for peer review. For reasons I cannot fathom we were unable to get together and make a group work. It's too bad really, in hindsight.

Through reading blogs and following Facebook/Twitter/website updates over the years, I was able to "keep in touch" with Kevin. I read about his progress; saw that he was getting short stories published here and there in collections and online; his most recent being a serial novella (And I Watered It With Tears) in the first issues (and Volume 1 bound collection) of LampLight magazine, as well as a story ("On A Midnight Black Chessie") in an anthology titled For The Night Is Dark, to name a few.

In November of 2012, Kevin made the announcement that he was tapped to have his first collection published. This collection of short stories (without a title at the time) would be bound and released by Crystal Lake Publishing in late 2013. The cool twist on the project was that this was no ordinary collection he was putting out. The individual stories (some previously published), while able to stand on their own, would link up with a central storyline prominent through the book.

Very cool.

It was quite refreshing to see a different take on the short story collection, which offers little variety in terms of presentation.

Over time, Kevin released the collection's title - Things Slip Through - followed by the amazing cover art by artist Ben Baldwin, which appears further along in this entry.

But even more than the artwork, the big sell came with the back cover blurb:

Welcome to Clifton Heights, New York, an average Adirondack town, and nice enough in its own right. Except after dark, under the pale light of the moon. Or on a road out of town that never ends, or in an old house on the edge of town with a will of its own.

Maybe you shouldn't have left the interstate, my friend. But you saw our sign, turned down our road, figuring on a short stay. And maybe it will be.

Or maybe you'll never leave.

While you're here, pay a visit to The Skylark Diner. Pull up a chair and I'll tell you about our town. It's nice enough, honestly. Except after dark. Or on cold winter days when you're all alone...

Having been born, raised. and a continued citizen of Binghamton, N.Y. (known for where Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone, went to school and grew up, who based many of his stories in Binghamton), it's not hard for me to imagine the oddities of a quiet small town. I live in a place where, when traveling the roads by night, or the highway overlooking the valley in the early dark of morning, or wandering around under the bleak grey skies that dominate the year, it's not hard to look around and wonder what secrets, what unusual things are out there, tucked away in any house, lurking in the fog, or hiding in the shadows before the daybreak chases them away.

After hearing and seeing all that was being put out ahead of the release, I was excited for Kevin and couldn't wait to get a copy of his book - adding Things Slip Through to the list of titles I wanted to get through by the end of the year.

Which leads me to my review.


First things first, you can tell a great deal of care went into this collection. For starters, the cover art. Artist Ben Baldwin (whose other works can be seen on his website and at Crystal Lake's website) has created an image that is flat out gorgeous and haunting. Honestly, the cover is something you need to see in your hands to truly appreciate. The picture above is amazing, but doesn't do Baldwin's work (or Kevin's for that matter - whose words enhance the image) justice.

Now for the plot that links the stories. (I should mention here that the details I discuss may be considered "spoilery". While my aim is not to reveal everything about the book, I may give you more details than you're willing to know if you've just started or have yet to read it. So, to be safe, read the book then come back.)

Things begins with main character Chris, the new town sheriff of Clifton Heights, who one night confronts a small group of his friends regarding mysterious disappearances and...happenings...within the town limits. Being that these friends have always been local, Chris believes they know more than he does regarding these mysteries and resolves to get answers. Taken up on the offer to openly discuss any and all details, Chris and one of this friends, Gavin, head off to The Skylark Diner - a local establishment open 24 hours that allows them the time and the quiet (not the mention the fuel by way of diner food) to get through a night of disturbing town history.

This is where the meat and potatoes of the collection - the stories - come into play. A neat storytelling device, the stories are actual stories in the context of the book - written by Gavin himself, who was once a published author before...succumbing to difficulties. As it happens, Gavin shares his handwritten tales with Chris, who reads them when we do.

Right off the bat I was hooked. Lucia jumps right into the story. There's no prologue or lengthy opening chapter that describes how these characters have met, gotten along, attended the same get-togethers and such - you learn these details through the progression of the book. The writing is sparse and effective. Where many genre writers, like Stephen King, can get bogged down writing forever in exposition (I swear I stopped reading Lisey's Story because the novel becomes page after page and so on of regurgitated material and back-story he already explained. Twice.), Lucia cuts right to the bone. His main character, Chris, is already bothered and frustrated by his lack of town knowledge on the first page, and doesn't waste time letting his friends know about it.

Between each story are moments of reflection and discussion between Chris and Gavin in the diner. Lucia uses these moments of dialogue to give us more information than the stories tend to reveal (like the fate of some of the...characters...after the story's conclusion), but there are also times when Chris and Gavin do a bit of catch-me-up and discuss previous stories like they are making sure the reader is still with them. After finishing the book I asked myself if this could've been avoided, and, really, I suppose not. Not with so many character names and how they intertwine with others throughout the book. The sections with Chris and Gavin are not long - a couple pages at the most - and then we're promptly returned to the meat and potatoes.

As it is with short story collections, readers will have their favorites. I won't get into discussing each tale, but, surprisingly, I found I was drawn more into the tales that focused more on the flawed people in this town ("Lament", "On A Midnight Black Chessie" especially, to name a few) than I was the stories where horror came into play ("The Sliding", "Lonely Places"). This surprises me because I'm very much a fan of the supernatural. Lucia is very good with both types of stories, but I felt more effected when I knew more about the characters and learned of their darker sides. "Lament" is an amazing opening story. It's harsh with its language and brutal and vicious in terms of its events, yet really makes you feel for some of the characters. One story, "Brother's Keeper", is a good mix of both character and horror, and is quite grisly to boot. A little something for everyone.

The ultimate success of Things Slip Through is in its tone. These are some dark stories. And it's a credit to Lucia's talent that Things keeps moving. In his restraint, Lucia keeps us present with the people of his town instead of hammering us with too many thoughts or over-explanation. Writers do tend to be wordy, but Lucia keeps it lean and mean. That speaks of his confidence in his material.

Overall, Things Slip Through makes a great Halloween read. It also serves well any time after dark. Or (as it goes) on cold winter days when you're all alone...

Things Slip Through ships in November.

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