Synopsis:
On Halloween night, three teenagers pay a visit to the old woman who lives alone in her ramshackle little house in the woods with dozens of cats. The trio had planned on an All Hallows Eve prank before heading to a party. The town of Summerdale has a dark past and Josie Howard knows the true story of Mister Jack. And when she’s done telling her chilling tale of blood and madness, their lives will be forever changed.
Format:
E-book
My Thoughts:
So, I tried to fit in a few Halloween-themed reads right at the end of October, and this was #2. So I picked up a few e-books on a whim (#1 being Johnny Halloween).
Mister Jack is interesting in that it is a story told within a story. The kids of Now are listening to a story of Mister Jack (from Then) as told by the old “witch” whose house local tradition demands be “tricked” each year. Have I lost you with all the bunny ears yet?
No? Good.
Miss Josie is a fun character. She’s old as hell, she’s fiesty, and she’s not interested in taking shit from anyone – suffice to say that I liked her. The kids, I liked who I was supposed to like and didn’t like who I wasn’t supposed to. The teen characters aren’t necessarily flat, but they aren’t the most nuanced folks who have ever been created (but then, not all teens are particularly nuanced, so there’s that).
Anyway, the scene building at Josie’s home is fantastic. I had an easy time picturing the place, and the surrounding landscape, which was really helpful since the overall story as well as the story Josie tells both take place on the property. Overall, I enjoyed this book.
Rating:
This book is a lot of fun, and definitely worth a Halloween read if you’re looking for something you can easily finish in a sitting!
If you want to buy Mister Jack, I believe the only option is to buy it from the Most Biggest Online Evil Retailer in e-book format. I can’t find a copy elsewhere. If you do, please let me know. I don’t love contributing to the Bezos moneypiles, but as a person with a Kindle, I do have to purchase from them (have you ever tried to convert a non-.mobi to .mobi and read it on there? What a fucking nightmare!)
Anyway, you can buy it here.
Mister Jack By Chris Kosarich Horrorgasms Press ASIN: B07JDL8G86 Published: October 12, 2018 E-book 76 Pages
