Title: It Sleeps Below

Author: William F. Gray

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Sleeps-Below-Cosmic-Horror-Novel-ebook/dp/B0G4WX8SF3/

Summary

Dark mystery and Lovecraftian cosmic horror meet in this chilling psychological horror novel from William F. Gray.

The line between real and imaginary is a dark blur.

After thirteen-year-old Samantha Morris almost drowned in her parents’ lake, the nightmares that followed paled in comparison to the real-life horrors of watching her mother descend into madness.

By the end of the summer, Kate Morris disappeared without a trace.

Now an adult, Samantha is faced with another unexpected loss in her partner Ellie as well as the return of the nightmares.

Only now, they’re bleeding into her waking hours, forcing her to question her own sanity, and they’re only getting worse.

As the line between real and imaginary continue to blur, physical manifestations of her dreams beg the question: is she losing her mind like her mother, or is she being targeted by something far more sinister?

Lovecraftian cosmic horror and dark mystery meet to form It Sleeps Below, a horror novel with grief and loss at its black, beating heart. Read if you dare.

My Review

5/5 Stars

At 13 years old, Sam almost drowned in the lake. It was thanks to her mom that she didn’t. But something in the lake changed her, and she disappeared. Years later, Sam still carries the weight of her loss but finds herself facing those wounds all over again when her partner commits suicide. Sam finds herself inexplicably drawn back to the lake where the answers lie but things aren’t as they seem.

It Sleeps Below is very emotionally charged, dealing with themes like parental trauma, grief, addiction, and loss.

Sam was a very 3D character. She’s flawed, there’s no doubt about that, but she also has traits that make her endearing. As the story goes, she slowly learns how to unpack her past pain. It’s messy and ugly, but it feels like a real glimpse into the type of journey that someone must go through to heal from trauma.

The cosmic horror in this book really meshes well with the grief horror aspects, and I loved the way it all came together at the end. If you’re looking for something different, something that will have you in your feels but also leave chills down your spine, you’ll enjoy this one.