A non-spoiler review of “Ravenous Things” by Derrick Chow.
Disclaimers:
This’ an unsolicited review of an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of “Ravenous Things,” in exchange for an unbiased review.
Content Warning: This blog post discusses death and mental health struggles related to grief.
Welcome to Conductor Pat’s Perspective. Today we’re looking at Derrick Chow’s debut novel, “Ravenous Things.”
About the Author
Derrick Chow is a writer, comic creator, and illustrator.
His debut prose novel, Ravenous Things, comes out July 2022 from Disney-Hyperion. It is a middle-grade horror about grief, friendship, and the horrors lurking in the wild, uncharted subway tunnels beneath Toronto.
His comic short stories have been featured in several anthologies, including Shout Out (TO Comix Press) and Rainbow Reflections: Body Image Comics For Queer Men (Ad Astra Comix).
His illustrations have been published in many newspapers and magazines, including The Literary Review of Canada, This Magazine, and The Toronto Star.
-From Author's website.
How far would you go to meet a loved one you’d lost? Reggie Wong, a twelve year old with “a quick temper that’s always getting him into trouble at school,” according to the back of the book, finds out.
Reggie, who lives in Toronto, lost his father and his mother has become a shut-in, which adds to Reggie’s angst and frustration. He meets the Conductor, a mysterious flute wielding character who promises him a chance to meet his father by going on a mysterious subway train.
Reggie takes the chance, and finds out (as with many things) that his dream, come to life, is not as good as it seems. And it is really a nightmare…
Reggie meets Chantal, who the book’s back cover describes as “an annoyingly peppy girl obsessed with lists and psychiatry.” Reggie teams up with her and Gareth, his “archnemesis and bully since the fourth grade,” to escape. The trio return to the world above flipped upside down, with rats having taken over, they are truly on their own. Their families turn against them, and they have only each other. Together the trio must fight the Conductor to return their world to normal and get their living loved ones back.
“Ravenous Things” is a reimagining of the pied piper, and Chow leans into his inspiration. The Conductor is the pied piper, and the rats are his “minions,” though their relationship is very different from the original story. I’ll let you read the story to find out how, though I’ll add I like the take Chow gives the story, which leans into the horror theme of the novel.
Our main characters, Reggie, Chantal and Gareth are all dealing with personal struggles related to grief. As is revealed on the back of the cover, (and early in the book) all of the children (including Chantal and Gareth) have lost a loved one.
What makes the characters stand out is that they process their loss in different ways, on the spectrum from healthy to unhealthy. All of the characters’ reactions feel realistic and unique for their personalities. Reggie, Chantal and Gareth all process their grief while running for their lives. Not exactly the best time to be processing, though the characters grow and persevere on their adventure.
I really love this book. I related to the characters, in particular Reggie’s anger issues and struggles with middle grade/tween life. Chantal is also relatable with her constant journaling and second-guessing herself.
I’m not a horror fan, (I got squeamish watching the made for TV adaptation of Stephen King’s “It”). I decided to give “Ravenous Things” a try because of the premise, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Chow leans into the horror elements and takes you on the nail-biting journey into danger the characters go through.
If you’re a fan of the movie Coraline, you’ll enjoy “Ravenous Things.” Both stories play with their tone while pushing the boundaries of what gore and scares they can fit into the age range. And “Ravenous Things” pulls this off excellently.
If you enjoy horror stories or are like me (a dabbler) then you’ll enjoy “Ravenous Things.” You can find it in stores on July 26th and online at stores like Bookshop. (If you buy books online, I highly recommend Bookshop because they support local bookstores. Please note the link is not an affiliated link).
If you'd like to learn more about Derek Chow, visit his website, www.derrickchow.ca
Have you read Ravenous Things? What horror books do you enjoy? Let me know in the comments on here, or on social media. Thanks for reading.
Sources:
"About Me & Press Kit." Derek Chow. Accessed 23 July, 2022.
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