Come Forth in Thaw takes the concept of the Japanese Suicide Forest known as Aokigahara, creating a fictional forest in America with the same pull, being a suicidal hotspot.
Rating: 5/5
The Adrienne Forest State Park is one of many beautiful state parks in the White Mountains. It is a popular destination for tourists, painters, hikers and even weddings.
Yet the forest is also a place of great pain and torment, and is an equally popular destination to end your own life.
The only thing young mother Eleanor Jackson has left in her life is her son Alan-a troubled teenager who has gone to the forest to commit the unthinkable.
As Eleanor goes to find him in the forest, she witnesses bizarre and fantastical happenings that try to manipulate and distract her from rescuing her child.
When the sun goes down, the specters of the tormented emerge.
She will come to discover so much more than just her son.
Triggers: suicide, grief, graphic scenes - gore
I received an ARC copy of Come Forth in Thaw from the author in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this one! I can’t wait to read more from you!
Going into this I really didn’t know much. I had only seen the cover and read only one other book from Ducharme. I just knew I had to read this book by its captivating cover. I expected this to be dark and it did not disappoint.
That being said, this is not a book for the light of heart. While Come Forth in Thaw is placed under Fantasy Horror, I would place it as also being a Psychological Horror. As it digs deep into themes of suicide, grief, and despair and showcases it all in a dark but well-written manner.
This is not a book for the light of heart. While Come Forth in Thaw is placed under Fantasy horror, I would place it as also being a psychological horror.
Come Forth in Thaw takes the concept of the Japanese Suicide Forest known as Aokigahara, creating a fictional forest in America with the same pull, being a suicidal hotspot. We follow a mother who travels to the American forest in an attempt to save her son who she believes is about to commit suicide. It’s not until after the mother arrives at the forest that there’s more to the eye than it just being a suicide hotspot. We dive deep into the mental state of those that are driven to these types of places.
This book is a short and quick-paced read. Being just over 100 pages, I read this in just a short couple of hours. I was captivated by our main character. The descriptions were so well written I could easily imagine the horrors within this fictional forest.
I was captivated by our main character. The descriptions were so well written I could easily imagine the horrors within this fictional forest.
I don’t want to go into too much of this one as it is short and I don’t want to risk spoiling any of it. But as I mentioned, I didn’t know what to expect while reading this one. So, as I was reading the events that took place were completely shocking. I felt like a rug was pulled out from under me and my mouth dropped open as I reached the beginning of the second part of the book. For being the dark book that it is, it took an even darker turn that I didn’t think it could take. Saying that I enjoyed reading this just sounds wrong, but I truly appreciate the author’s attempt to break the stigma of these hotspots and shed more light on the reasons and thoughts of those that go to them. It’s displayed in such a gruesome manner while still being respectful.
I thought this was such a wonderfully written book that touches on such serious topics. Be warned though, like I said this is not for the light of heart. It will really get into your head. But I think if you’re into horror especially psychological horror, I highly recommend trying this one!
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