KIN

It is refreshing to find a book that comes highly touted, and then actually delivers.Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke had me from the moment a traumatized Claire Lambert staggers out of Alabama woodland, permanently disfigured by the atrocities inflicted upon her, scarred mentally and physically by the brutality she has endured and witnessed. Even in such a fragile state, clinging to life carries its own cost, Claire's fractured mind haunted by survivor's guilt as she considers the horrors meted upon her now dead friends.But it is fair to say that Claire Lambert is a survivor.There is violence in Kin, and there is certainly plenty of dread, particularly once we are introduced to those perpetrators of that initial violence. Momma-in-Bed is the matriarch of that brutal redneck clan. A whale-mass of stinking flesh, Momma-in-Bed is the real leader of the family, although Papa-in-Gray enforces her will with wanton cruelty, and a rod of iron. There are none willing to go up against Papa.Kin delivers in spades, but let's be clear here, this is not your typical redneck-cannibal-holocaust.Despite its unsettling subject matter, at its heart Kin remains a story about people. It is about those affected by a singular dreadful event. To all intents and purpose Kin is a drama, but let me say this; it is a character driven piece that delivers with writing of the finest quality.The author explores how those decisions we make - sometimes in a rash spur of the moment - they have a lasting effect on our future, and how that future - and the lives of others - can be forever colored by those moments from our past. Kealan Burke spins a spider-web of tension and intrigue, casting out the strands of Claire's dilemma, ensnaring an ensemble of characters burdened by the trauma of that one dreadful event, before drawing them towards violent resolution.Kin is the best book I've read in 2017, and in my top favorite reads of all time. Seriously, if you enjoy horror, do yourself a favor and read this book.

I started with Sour Candy for Kealan Patrick Burke, which was a totally different (and totally awesome) type of horror story. This book is naaaaaaasty and not what I would normally choose to read, but the story was great and well-woven together, plus the writing was wonderful. Particularly enjoyed the narrative structure and the way it felt like going into a different (and horrible) world every time you jump back to the world's most horrid family.

Not for the faint hearted Kin is an emotional gut wrenching ride into the minds of the abused, those seeking retribution and a cannibalistic redneck family that hunt and kill people.You won't find more of a hard hitting, brutal and compelling opening than the image of Claire, severely tortured both mentally and physically, running for her life, running from the Merrill clan.Claire and her three friends were hiking through the backwoods town of Elkwood when they were stalked and attacked by the Merrill family, a twisted family driven by God to hunt and kill men. A truly terrifying experience that will change her life forever.The first third of the book deals with the escape, those who aid and the Merrill family cleaning house. Multiple POV characters are used which enhances the all-round foreboding feeling as we see through the eyes of the hunted and the eyes of various members of the killer family. This section is harrowing and disturbing, has the feel of the familiar redneck slasher movies such as Deliverance or Wrong Turn, peppered with shocking violence and malevolence.Kin is not just about the abused, it's also about a family of killers, children bred to kill by parents who in their own right are scary individuals. The mother is bed-ridden referred to as Mama-in-bed and she leaves a big impression, not just on the soiled sheets she never leaves but you can feel the atmosphere of that room, the stink of that room and it stays with you. Papa-in-gray is a predator, his introduction is strung out till last to build the tension, feared by all he is first seen wearing an apron of skin, carrying a severed head and he's the man responsible for this family.Finch is an Iraqi veteran and brother of one of those killed by the Merrill's, when they escape the clutches of the law only he can deliver retribution and revenge will be his.Kin in parts is terrifying and it's one of those books you can't put down, I finished it in just over a day, if you want to read a truly believable and gripping portrayal of evil then I recommend this.