Malignant Summer: Tim Meyer
Reviewed By Yvonne Miller
Well fucking hello! Malignant Summer is not your typical coming of age story, it is a coming of age tale on crack, and you’re going to want to shoot this up, pronto. I’m a sucker for this type of story mainly due to the many threads of relationships that teens develop on their journey to adulthood. There are secrets at every corner and they soon develop into a great big, Skyrim-like spider web. This book will swallow you up, nothing else will grasp your attention whilst reading it, the only sound in the background will be the ticking clock counting down to the next unbelievable twist. The book ticks every box and did I mention the cover? It is fire.
This is the IT for a new generation, but imagine it being more refined and flawless than the Stephen King classic. Tim Meyer has earned his stripes, he’s taking his place at the table, and boy does he plan to feast on the adoration.
Malignant Summer focuses on Doug Simms and his two best friends. They are taking part in the traditional scavenger hunt. Nothing goes to plan, and lives will be forever altered. It’s 1998 in Hooperstown, NJ. I loved all the throwback mentions to a time that I loved, it was simple and creative and brought the fuzzy feeling of nostalgia back to the forefront. Meyer excels in creating a supernatural threat whilst keeping the very real feelings of fear and friendship at the pinnacle of the story. He is walking a tightrope of sorcery and does it with ease.
That prologue. The perfect Kickstarter to a tome that has now got pride of place on my bookshelf. This is the kind of story that the term “goosebumps” was invented for. This is the kind of story that fandoms start over. This is the kind of story that becomes a favourite, the world over. I’ve read this book twice now, letting its magic settle over my soul, and twice is most definitely a charm.
Malignant Summer is only as strong as its characters. They come to life through intelligent and purposeful dialogue. We get to know their fears and hopes for the future, their nuances, and sometimes, traumatic backgrounds. Life is not full of butterflies and rainbows and Meyer perfects this.
Not only has Meyer injected a supernatural cause to events but he’s even thrown in my other favourite horror sub-genre, disaster, caused by a human hand. The nuclear plant. There is so much to unpack and explore from this 600-page monster but it is so worth the cerebral investment. You need to trust Meyer, trust his vision, he doesn’t steer you wrong. He wraps his story up in a toxic mist of emotions but you will get through to the other side with maybe only a few extra scars.
Malignant Summer is an original and high-concept horror that will bewilder and lead to a mind-bending trip. From the opening chapter, Meyer sets an ominous tone that is cold and heavy with tension and anticipation. Move over King, there is a new boy in town!
Malignant Summer
It’s 1998 in Hooperstown, New Jersey and people are getting sick. Some citizens blame the local chemical plant. A select few believe something far more terrifying is responsible, a dreadful force that causes nightmarish visions and aberrant illnesses. Bad things are blooming in Hooperstown, and the stench of death is growing stronger…
Standing on the edge of summer break after the longest last day of eighth grade ever, Doug Simms and his two best friends join a group of older kids for an all-night scavenger hunt. It’s supposed to be a celebration, an evening of fun and freedom. But what happens that night will change their summer in the darkest ways imaginable. And not just their summer…but their entire lives.
MALIGNANT SUMMER is a coming-of-age epic where innocence is lost and the path through adolescence is painful. Where dreamscapes merge with reality. Where love seems possible, and the best season feels like it can last forever.
You can buy Malignant Summer from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Yvonne Miller
Well, what can I say about myself? I’m a 33-year-old married woman and mum to 3 crazy boys, aged 13,6 and 4. My eldest has a genetic condition that causes a visual impairment so as you can imagine life can be very chaotic and provides many challenges along the way but I would 100% never change any of them. They fulfil my life beyond measure.
I adore books – I adore shouting about books! I’m a reviewer of mainly horror and dark fantasy. Whether that’s featuring werewolves, evil creatures or the depravity of humanity, I will read them all.
You can follow Yvonne on Twitter: @coycaterpillar
Please visit Yvonne’s Official Website: www.thecoycaterpillarreads.blog
Leave a Reply