3 out of 4 stars
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Beware fellow readers! There are no happy endings ahead. You, The People will take you to the dark side and immerse you in a world filled with humans getting what they deserve. With five gruesome short stories, this read is swift and brutal in its execution.
Pablo Digenio crafts a masterful piece of horror by introducing a cast of monsters that are very human. Sure, there are a few seriously creepy beasties scurrying around the pages, but the true heinous monsters are the humans in these short stories. It served to make the tales he wove creepier because most readers will be able to relate to these characters. Unchecked ambition, laziness, procrastination – the list goes on. Everyone will find something in You, The People that will have them shifting uncomfortably while glancing around nervously.
You, The People was written with a flair for the noir genre, something that was echoed by the brilliant illustrations that accompanied each short story. The author wrote the scenes with stabs of colour that highlighted the cruelty and gruesome scenes, ensuring an immersive read. Every scene was also a crazy mix of epic detail and indifference to the horrific things that were happening. It was brutal and exactly what every great horror should be.
I also applaud Pablo Digenio for his unapologetic writing. Every character and chapter have a theme, and the author doesn’t shy away from what he is trying to portray. The violence is gruesome, and the consequences are severe. The horror genre has been filled with many books that want to appeal to the masses. The author of You, The People knows the audience he wants to attract, and he sticks with it. I also loved the seamless transition between the short stories. Each story’s lead character is vastly different from the rest and Pablo Digenio’s ability to create them all so unique – each with a different tone and feel – was bordering on creepy. That’s a good thing, I swear.
The only problem I found with You, The People were a few minor grammar errors, and sentences that were written awkwardly. Some sentences were stretched out to their limits and created for a bit of a stumbling read. While they might not be considered technically incorrect, I believe a professional editor would have shuffled the sentences around to increase the readability.
This might be redundant but just as a small disclaimer, this book is for those 16 or above. There is a great deal of gore and a few extremely disturbing scenes that make this a big ‘NO’ for younger readers.
I rate You, The People 3 out of 4 stars. A round of professional editing will clean up a truly eerie and imaginative horror. I would recommend this read to those that are looking for a gruesome, unique and noir-style horror book that doesn’t hold back on the gory details.
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You, The People
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