So good. So unnerving, and truly horrifying. Sara Gran’s novella does not overstay its welcome, but boy, does it get under you skin. This ended up being an exemplary horror story that wa over too quick, but damn if it didn’t unnerve me throughout.

Told from the first person narrative, we are in Amanda’s mind throughout the story, and the shiftts in personality as she struggles with demonic possession feels like a horrifying reality. The narrative moves along at breakneck speed, often revisiting a demonic possession quiz that serves to heighten the tension of the story as we realize that not only is Amanda is dire danger, it becomes incredibly apparent that there may be no hope.

There are noises around the apartment, there is increasing friction between her and her partner Ed, and then tthere are the dreams, that are plaguing her. She is increasingly visited by someone (thing?) that may have been a ‘childhood friend.’

The narrative moves along incredibly fast, and things progress horrifically and dangerously for Amanda. She suffers blackouts, there is unexplained episodes of violence, and shifts in personality.

Gran makes this story so incredibly engaging, and grounded in reality that it makes it even more horrifying. It’s all so real that as terrible things atart to happen, we react as Amanda does. It can’t be anything exttremely unusual, but then even she realizes she’s not acting normally, she’s hurting people, including Ed, and she’s not who she once was.

Gran tells her story effectively, and stripped down to it essentials, which makes it all the more horrifying as we see what is happening to Amanda and the efforts she makes to herself.

Despite retreading familiar ground the story is horrifying in its execution. We’ve read and seen demonic possession stories before, but this is the first time, that I can reall, that we are given a front seat to a terrifying event that we can only imagine, and dread the actual occurrence of.

And speaking of, that’s something that is hinted at as the narrative progresses, these demons could already be everywhere, possessing countless people.

Grn’s tale is expertly told, and the personality shifts, which are detectable throughout are truly unnerving. The ending is stunning, the notes from the editors at the end are troubling, and leaves us wondering how many otthers are out there suffering from the same affliction Amanda is.

With one story Gran has won me over, and I can’t wait to discover what else she’s got out there.