Lurk

Title: Lurk
Author: Adam Vine
Publication date: 10/25/2016
Publisher: Lilydog Books
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Amazon blurb
I opened a hole, I opened a hole...

College student Drew Brady never wanted the power to spy on his friends. But late one night, he finds a box of old Polaroids buried under his house that can change to show him whatever he desires, and Drew finds himself with the power to watch the people around him without them ever knowing.

Yet as Drew falls deeper into the rabbit hole of jealousy and despair, he begins having strange visions of the students who lived at the house twenty years ago and the gruesome fates they met after moving out. He finds evidence of a stalker who may be living on the property. The line between reality and nightmare blurs. Drew realizes there is something under the house that is manipulating him through the pictures, an eldritch, not-quite-dead thing that will drive him to do unspeakable evil if he doesn't look away...

My Review
You know those dreams that seem frighteningly realistic and intense? The ones where you wake up and for a second or two you’re not quite sure if it was real? And depending on the nature of the events in the dream, you have a momentary feeling of disappointment, relief or maybe a little of both. That’s what this book feels like.

The entire story is told from the point of view of the main character Drew who is also the narrator. Even he admits to being unsure if the events he’s experiencing are actually happening or if he’s going crazy. Because he doubts his own sanity, he doesn’t reveal any of his experiences to his roommates or friends. However, he does reveal that he’s had mental health issues in the past combined with severe self loathing about his weight and personal appearance. Throughout the increasingly bizarre incidents, he also struggles to hide the emotional anguish of watching the platonic friend he secretly loves become intimate with his best friend from childhood.

The pacing was a bit slow, but the dialogue and interaction between the characters felt especially authentic, which helped provide a perfect counter balance to the almost dreamy quality of the paranormal events. Drew becomes increasingly disoriented and paranoid as the plot progresses leaving the reader to interpret if his perception is being influenced by actual supernatural events or if it’s the result of some combination of mental issues and drug/alcohol abuse.

As the story eventually quickens, there’s an extensive section exploring the complex backstory related to the paranormal circumstances which is a bit hard to follow but not enough to derail the overall plot. The author also throws in a few twists at the end for a surprising (if somewhat disappointing) finish. On the whole however, Lurk was an enjoyable, easy read with just enough suspense and plot twists to keep things interesting.

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