Dream Woods by Patrick Lacey

Horror is one of those genres that never really feels mainstream. More than any other book genre, I struggle to hear about horror and most recommendations that I do hear about are not big sellers. Dream Woods is the perfect example of the kind of gems that you can find simply by browsing through Kindle books and I am so glad I stumbled across it.

Dream Woods is a story about Vincent, an ageing rock star who sees a billboard advertising a theme park from his childhood. Dream Woods is a kind of Disneyland knockoff and though it closed down mysteriously several years ago, it appears to have reopened. He decides it is the perfect way to save his crumbling family as his wife is on the brink of leaving him and one of his kids struggles from life-threatening diabetes which puts a strain on all of them. When they arrive at the park, weird stuff starts happening and it becomes pure horror from there.

I LOVED the writing style of this book. Lacey perfectly sews the horror into the story, beginning with subtle, creepy images before developing it into full-blown horror. The park works by targeting each of the family members separately in different ways which leads to some really great moments of psychological creepiness. Too often horror can be over the top or comical and there is true skill here in the way it builds up an atmosphere. Even the overt stuff is done incredibly well and I was completely hypnotised and drawn in. It morphed into a kind of horror that I am not normally a fan of but in this instance, it was done so well and fit with the story that I enjoyed every minute of it.

I was also very impressed with the characters. These tend to be weak in most horror stories since they don't have to be strong for the plot or scary elements to work. Lacey manages to create a whole family of interesting people who actually feel like real people and who I became invested in. The husband/wife relationship was done excellently and fueled the horror rather than distracted from it. The sibling dynamic was similarly believable and a key part of the plot. It's so refreshing to read in the horror genre and it helped the subtle, psychological elements of the book along well.

Overall, this is a brilliant read for fans of old school horror. Horror things set at theme parks are a particular favourite of mine and I'm pleased the setting was used so well here. My only criticism was that I wanted more of this book, more of the creepy mascot and the lore behind it. I would genuinely read multiple books set in this world and I wanted to know every creepy thing that had ever happened here. If you like atmospheric horror with strong characters and interesting story, I could not recommend this more. It definitely deserves more attention.

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