Review of The Middle Reaches (Episodes 1-8)

[ALICE VIEIRA]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Middle Reaches (Episodes 1-8)" by L. Andrew Cooper.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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You know the sort of book that makes you feel uncomfortable in a good way? And that’s how I felt reading The Middle Reaches. At first, I didn't know what to think, but the further I read, the deeper I got into this bizarre and dark universe L. Andrew Cooper created.
The story revolves around five friends who, after a reunion at their high school, begin to have strange dreams that are linked to a classmate who went missing many years before. It sounds like an old Mystery chestnut, but the way Cooper takes this premise and runs with it makes it sing. He toys with what’s real and what’s a hallucination, keeping you—like the characters—wondering if everything is really happening or if it’s all one mutual hallucination.
The characters are reallywell-developed. They each share their own traumas and motivations, and you can feel their past weighing on them in their dialogues and actions. That makes the story all the more weighty because you actually care about these people, even when they do stupid things. Ambrose and Celia, in particular, struck me as they have depth that is gradually teasing out.

The book has a thick, even stifling atmosphere. A few descriptions really gave me chills, particularly of the characters inside the so-called “Middle Reaches.” Cooper knows how to evoke a sense of psychological horror without resorting to cliche or cheap scares. And the most terrifying thing is not even the monsters — it’s the sense that the characters are losing themselves.
If you’re into stories that please withyour head and linger long after you’ve turned the final page, I can recommend The Middle Reaches without reservation. Not a light read, but it is engaging and one of a kind. You bet I’ll be reading the next versions to find out how far this insanity goes.

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The Middle Reaches (Episodes 1-8)
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