"Halcyon" by Rio Youers: Review:

“The man with no hands is crying.”

This is one of the books that I picked randomly in a supermarket. I’ve read the blurb, which I found pretty interesting, and decided to give it a chance. Before giving my opinion, let’s find out what the story is about: p

The novel is about Halcyon, an island directed by a certain Mother Moon. Everyone who wants to escape from the horrors of the real world is welcomed there. The rules are simple: no cellphone or any technology devise that will put you in touch with the actual world, and do not tell anyone about Halcyon.

The Lovegrove family are dealing with some major problems. First, their youngest daughter, Edith, starts suffering from night terrors. Her parents will try to help her, but they will find that those night terrors actually happen in the real world.

When the Lovegrove Family suffers a terrible loss, Martin meets a man from Halcyon who will recommend him the island, to get away from all the violence and the tragedy. But, when he goes there, he becomes suspicious of Mother Moon.

This is a 3 stars read for me, why? I found it really difficult to situate myself in the story. It’s a slow burner one, as you discover the Lovegrove family and Halcyon’s story at the same time. It took me 100 pages to finally understand what is really going on. But when I did, it became a page turner! The writing is so good, Rio Youers did an amazing job by using some detailed descriptions to make the story more enjoyable. The tragedy that made Martin go to Halcyon was, I think, the first “Oh shit” moment. The characterization is on point, and I think, one of the most powerful things in this novel is how difficult and complex the characters are. From Edith and her night terrors, to Mother Moon who, by the way, is evil in person, and the story behind the creation of Halcyon, is what makes this story so twisted and dark.

To sum it up, it was a great read, even if I think it's not a thriller. But if you're a fan of sci-fi and horror, this one is for you.