Cats of the Pacific Northwest: Novella Review
Hello, dear reader!
How is your boiling hot summer going? I’ve definitely not been enjoying the absurd heat.
I think this novella I reviewed will be good for some chills. Now with that segue, onwards!
The Author
J.W. Donley is a Pacific Northwest horror author whose fiction has appeared in Howls from Hell (his story “The Pigeon Lied” was one of my favourite of the bunch!) and Dim Shores Presents: Volume 2. I actually got to meet him at Stokercon! I have known Donley for quite a while online and he was just as friendly and nice as he is online.
I also managed to snag a copy of Cats of the Pacific Northwest and have him sign it!
Growing up he enjoyed R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps books. Later he discovered Mark Danielewski’s House of Leaves and authors like Clive Barker and Laird Barron. In July 2021 J.W. published Cats of the Pacific Northwest, a horror chapbook available from your favorite booksellers. — Donley’s website
Besides his fiction writing, Donley also provides publishing services like cover design, book formatting, and more. You can find him on his website, on Twitter, or on Instagram.
The Novella
When Emma suggests a backpacking trip out on the Olympic Penninsula, David jumps at the opportunity to demonstrate his worth. But, once they get out into the wilderness, they are quickly lost. Now they are out of food and beginning to starve, when a strange couple of cats cross their path. — Cats of the Pacific Northwest Amazon page
The Review
"This dark, contemporary fairy tale weaves together Hansel and Gretel, The Blair Witch Project, and Get Out, and to create an unsettling, moving, and haunting story."
—Richard Thomas, author of Disintegration, and Breaker
Populated with cool illustrations, Cats of the Pacific Northwest is a punchy novella that has a heavy grim fairy tale feel. Despite the shorter length, the story is fully fleshed out and the suspense is killer. Fast-paced and with heavy atmosphere, this tale will leave you breathless.
The length of Cats of the Pacific Northwest makes it perfect for a beach read, on your lunch break, or when you want something spooky to read without a time commitment.
So if you like fairy tale aesthetics, the vibe of The Blair Witch Project, or are just looking for a suspenseful, chilling piece of short fiction: check out Cats the of Pacific Northwest.
8/10
x PLM
