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The Skillute Cycle #1
Knock Knock
At the center of S.P. Miskowski's novel-length fairy tale are three restless girls, best friends stuck in the backwater of Skillute, Washington in the late 1960s. Their neighbors and families are petty or poor, or both. They warn the girls not to wander into the dense forest. Something evil lurks there, people say. The girls are not convinced. During a playful oath, they wander too far into the woods. Their mistake unleashes a malignant spirit that terrorizes Skillute for the next fifty years.
303 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2011
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1705 people want to read
About the author
S.P. Miskowski
45 books257 followersS.P. Miskowski is a recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships. Her books have received four Shirley Jackson Award nominations and two Bram Stoker Award nominations. Her second novel, I Wish I Was Like You, won This Is Horror Novel of the Year 2017 and the readers' choice Charles Dexter Award from Strange Aeons.
Her stories have been published in Nightmare Magazine, Vastarien, Cosmic Horror Monthly, Supernatural Tales, Black Static, Identity Theory, and numerous anthologies.
She is represented by Danielle Svetcov at Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency.
Author site:
https://spmiskowski.wordpress.com/
Her stories have been published in Nightmare Magazine, Vastarien, Cosmic Horror Monthly, Supernatural Tales, Black Static, Identity Theory, and numerous anthologies.
She is represented by Danielle Svetcov at Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency.
Author site:
https://spmiskowski.wordpress.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
April 10, 2017
As much as there appears to be a horror/weird mini-renaissance taking place over the past several years, I haven't had nearly as much luck with modern novels in the field as I have with short fiction, of which there is almost too much good stuff to keep track. Knock Knock is a major exception. It's not just one of the best horror novels I've read lately, but one of the most terrifying as well.
Considering horror has been my main go-to genre for nearly three decades, it takes a lot these days to actually scare me. It rarely happens anymore, so now I'm satisfied with that eerie frisson that I sometimes get when reality becomes twisted and warped. To make me truly afraid, I need characters that I care about. An author can conjure up the most unthinkable horrors, but if I don't identify with the characters, I'm not scared.
Miskowski made me care about the 3 girls -- who we get to see grow up to become women -- at the center of this story, living in a small rural town in the Pacific Northwest. They're fully developed in a relatively short span. The consequences of a childhood pact they made in the nearby forest (where a witch supposedly lives) stalks them throughout their lives, leading to a number of chilling scenes that made me feel like a kid again. I read almost the entire thing in one all-night binge, and there were a few times where I had to raise my eyes and check my dark room for moving shadows, particularly near my closet door (which was acting especially suspicious throughout my read).
Granted, this sort of thing depends a lot on the reader, as well as the mood of the reader. Had I been reading during the day, I might not have been spooked at all. As it was, during the times I wasn't freaked out, I probably had a big fat grin on my face due to how awesome this book was. Now I'm eager to check out the related novellas that have since come out.
Anyone into urban legends and "small town with dark secrets"-type stories would do well to check out this book. Well done, Ms. Miskowski.
4.5 Stars
Considering horror has been my main go-to genre for nearly three decades, it takes a lot these days to actually scare me. It rarely happens anymore, so now I'm satisfied with that eerie frisson that I sometimes get when reality becomes twisted and warped. To make me truly afraid, I need characters that I care about. An author can conjure up the most unthinkable horrors, but if I don't identify with the characters, I'm not scared.
Miskowski made me care about the 3 girls -- who we get to see grow up to become women -- at the center of this story, living in a small rural town in the Pacific Northwest. They're fully developed in a relatively short span. The consequences of a childhood pact they made in the nearby forest (where a witch supposedly lives) stalks them throughout their lives, leading to a number of chilling scenes that made me feel like a kid again. I read almost the entire thing in one all-night binge, and there were a few times where I had to raise my eyes and check my dark room for moving shadows, particularly near my closet door (which was acting especially suspicious throughout my read).
Granted, this sort of thing depends a lot on the reader, as well as the mood of the reader. Had I been reading during the day, I might not have been spooked at all. As it was, during the times I wasn't freaked out, I probably had a big fat grin on my face due to how awesome this book was. Now I'm eager to check out the related novellas that have since come out.
Anyone into urban legends and "small town with dark secrets"-type stories would do well to check out this book. Well done, Ms. Miskowski.
4.5 Stars
Want to read
November 2, 2018Cover Illustration by Russell Dickerson.
September 26, 2013
I read this book with my Shelfari horror group. I enjoyed it!
Knock Knock is the story of three young girls that brought something to life. Something that will follow them for the rest of their days.
I thought this a well written story with good character development. I got to know the three women rather well over the course of their lives, and I enjoyed that.The pacing was okay- there were a couple of portions that dragged a little bit, but the ending more than made up for the slow spots.
I enjoy not being able to predict the ending of a book and this one ended in a surprising way. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. Recommended for fans of supernatural horror.
Knock Knock is the story of three young girls that brought something to life. Something that will follow them for the rest of their days.
I thought this a well written story with good character development. I got to know the three women rather well over the course of their lives, and I enjoyed that.The pacing was okay- there were a couple of portions that dragged a little bit, but the ending more than made up for the slow spots.
I enjoy not being able to predict the ending of a book and this one ended in a surprising way. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. Recommended for fans of supernatural horror.
May 17, 2019
Spend enough time navigating the waters of horror fiction and you will soon discover for yourself that most coming of age horror features protagonists of the male persuasion. Coming of age is one of my favorite sub-genres; I gobble them all up!
Coming of age centered around anyone *besides* straight, white males are few and far between. So add this one to your TBR! Our story begins deliciously with 3 girls who hate the idea of pregnancy and motherhood so much, they agree to sneak off into the woods and perform a ritual to ward off getting pregnant forever.
The first act of this story is some of the most magnetic, small town drama I have ever read. I was so engrossed in the interwoven stories of each of the three girls, I forgot to wonder about where any of it might be going. S. P. Miskowski's narrative seamlessly tracks all three, main characters through childhood, teenage years and on into womanhood. Each woman is unique and identifiable. Most noticeably to me is the author's ability to explore a variety of personal issues and struggles that the women face and translate them to the readers in a way that feels authentic and intimate. I love how several times I found myself relating to the woman I was reading about. I remember on more than one occasion thinking, "I have felt that exact same way." There were some specifically poignant scenes told with such an unflinching, raw voice-that I felt really moved by the experience.
Almost suddenly, the sinister nature of the plot was revealed and it was TERRIFYING!
From that moment on, this was true, unadulterated horror. I was invested in these women's lives and it was difficult to realize that something evil was at play here and there was really nothing any of them could do about it--no matter how extreme the measures. I don't want to spoil any reader's discovery moments (and there are some good ones here!) so I'll just say that I'm recommending this to horror fans that love the following: Coming of age, occult, small town drama, paranormal/demonic activities <---oh yes.
I fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars but ultimately I had to be honest that there were a few chapters that were a little slow for me. Also I felt like it took awhile to find my footing with the third act but once I made the connection, it was easier to follow.
Also, reviewer sidenote: This is book one of a four book series called, "The Skillute Cycle Series". Skillute is a rural fictional town in the Pacific Northwest. About a month ago I read, THE WORST IS YET TO COME which also is set in Skillute. I loved it so much that when I found out the author has a whole series set in Skillute, I needed it. I will definitely buy the rest of the series and anything else this author writes.
Coming of age centered around anyone *besides* straight, white males are few and far between. So add this one to your TBR! Our story begins deliciously with 3 girls who hate the idea of pregnancy and motherhood so much, they agree to sneak off into the woods and perform a ritual to ward off getting pregnant forever.
The first act of this story is some of the most magnetic, small town drama I have ever read. I was so engrossed in the interwoven stories of each of the three girls, I forgot to wonder about where any of it might be going. S. P. Miskowski's narrative seamlessly tracks all three, main characters through childhood, teenage years and on into womanhood. Each woman is unique and identifiable. Most noticeably to me is the author's ability to explore a variety of personal issues and struggles that the women face and translate them to the readers in a way that feels authentic and intimate. I love how several times I found myself relating to the woman I was reading about. I remember on more than one occasion thinking, "I have felt that exact same way." There were some specifically poignant scenes told with such an unflinching, raw voice-that I felt really moved by the experience.
Almost suddenly, the sinister nature of the plot was revealed and it was TERRIFYING!
From that moment on, this was true, unadulterated horror. I was invested in these women's lives and it was difficult to realize that something evil was at play here and there was really nothing any of them could do about it--no matter how extreme the measures. I don't want to spoil any reader's discovery moments (and there are some good ones here!) so I'll just say that I'm recommending this to horror fans that love the following: Coming of age, occult, small town drama, paranormal/demonic activities <---oh yes.
I fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars but ultimately I had to be honest that there were a few chapters that were a little slow for me. Also I felt like it took awhile to find my footing with the third act but once I made the connection, it was easier to follow.
Also, reviewer sidenote: This is book one of a four book series called, "The Skillute Cycle Series". Skillute is a rural fictional town in the Pacific Northwest. About a month ago I read, THE WORST IS YET TO COME which also is set in Skillute. I loved it so much that when I found out the author has a whole series set in Skillute, I needed it. I will definitely buy the rest of the series and anything else this author writes.
April 27, 2022
Eerie tale of three young girls making a blood pact, awakening something sinister and the consequences following them throughout their lives.
March 7, 2012
In Michael Moorcock’s book on Fantasy, Wizardry & Wild Romance, there is a chapter devoted to the geography of Fantasy, its foundational importance to casting its spell. If such a book were written on Horror, what makes it tick, etc., a similar chapter would certainly be called for. In S.P. Miskowski’s remarkable first novel, Knock, Knock, the geography of the Pacific Northwest, with its dark woods, small and dying towns, and its attendant folklore, is prominent. Miskowski’s creation, Skillute, Washington, is not unlike King’s Derry, or Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County, but there are also hints of Hawthorne and Flannery O’Connor. Miskowski is as American (in the literary sense) a Horror writer as you’ll find.
The story starts out in the late sixties, coming forward to the present day. It centers of a childhood oath, made in the woods, by three girls, Ethel, Beverly, and Marietta, and the dark consequences that follow. The dark consequences are not so much rooted in the oath or spell (Marietta is something of an apprentice witch for her aunt), but in the location – a patch of haunted woods – where the oath takes place. It seems the woods contain a story about a ghostly phantom, “Miss Knocks,” who will get you “with her long, long arms.” It’s the kind of boogeyman story that exists just about everywhere. (We had one such story in Northern Virginia, about a murderous guy named “Stumpy,” who ran around on his hands, with a knife clinched between his teeth. Then there was the Bunny Man…)
As spooky silly as such stories are, they can often contain a kernel of truth. In “Miss Knocks” case, it’s more than a kernel. What unfolds is a generational story (with one flashback to the origins of “Miss Knocks”) that spans over 50 years. Miskowski, in very clean, tight prose accurately shows the cultural changes impacting this small logging community, while never losing track of her characters (and I found myself liking most of these characters, even the annoying ones.) There’s murder and mayhem and supernatural revenge, but blended in such a way that there were times I wondered if this story was more along the lines of a modern day fairy tale. Whatever the case, it can be humorous but also horrific. The ending, involving a character I particularly liked, was sad, but from a writing point of view, accomplished. Miskowski is no sentimentalist, and she knew a tragic circle had to be closed. All in all, this is a first novel that doesn’t seem like a first novel. Highly recommended.
[Note: If you’re lucky enough to have read, and liked, any of the novels by the late Michael McDowell (The Amulet, Cold Moon Over Babylon, or The Elementals), Miskowski is a writer you need to check out.]
The story starts out in the late sixties, coming forward to the present day. It centers of a childhood oath, made in the woods, by three girls, Ethel, Beverly, and Marietta, and the dark consequences that follow. The dark consequences are not so much rooted in the oath or spell (Marietta is something of an apprentice witch for her aunt), but in the location – a patch of haunted woods – where the oath takes place. It seems the woods contain a story about a ghostly phantom, “Miss Knocks,” who will get you “with her long, long arms.” It’s the kind of boogeyman story that exists just about everywhere. (We had one such story in Northern Virginia, about a murderous guy named “Stumpy,” who ran around on his hands, with a knife clinched between his teeth. Then there was the Bunny Man…)
As spooky silly as such stories are, they can often contain a kernel of truth. In “Miss Knocks” case, it’s more than a kernel. What unfolds is a generational story (with one flashback to the origins of “Miss Knocks”) that spans over 50 years. Miskowski, in very clean, tight prose accurately shows the cultural changes impacting this small logging community, while never losing track of her characters (and I found myself liking most of these characters, even the annoying ones.) There’s murder and mayhem and supernatural revenge, but blended in such a way that there were times I wondered if this story was more along the lines of a modern day fairy tale. Whatever the case, it can be humorous but also horrific. The ending, involving a character I particularly liked, was sad, but from a writing point of view, accomplished. Miskowski is no sentimentalist, and she knew a tragic circle had to be closed. All in all, this is a first novel that doesn’t seem like a first novel. Highly recommended.
[Note: If you’re lucky enough to have read, and liked, any of the novels by the late Michael McDowell (The Amulet, Cold Moon Over Babylon, or The Elementals), Miskowski is a writer you need to check out.]
May 3, 2020
5/3/20
I upped this review to five stars. This book is really creepy, and it really stayed in my mind.
7/25/18
I've just been meaning to add, I love the idea, in this book, of doing a spell but having it backfire, having the spell be powerful, effective, but do the opposite of what the spell caster wanted. Because isn't magic a mystery? Also, this book has (obviously) been on my mind three weeks later. This is significant.
7/01/18
Very creepy, at times suspenseful and even scary. So much like 1970s horror (the theme of evil births), and I guess conscious of this, given the occurrence, in this novel, of seeing Alien in the theater (in general, the evil births in 70s horror spring from the deep cultural anxiety of birth control pills and abortion, but also the influence of Rosemary's Baby - this isn't really the anxiety of Alien, though it is certainly about evil and unnatural births). I really appreciated how this book is about females.
I upped this review to five stars. This book is really creepy, and it really stayed in my mind.
7/25/18
I've just been meaning to add, I love the idea, in this book, of doing a spell but having it backfire, having the spell be powerful, effective, but do the opposite of what the spell caster wanted. Because isn't magic a mystery? Also, this book has (obviously) been on my mind three weeks later. This is significant.
7/01/18
Very creepy, at times suspenseful and even scary. So much like 1970s horror (the theme of evil births), and I guess conscious of this, given the occurrence, in this novel, of seeing Alien in the theater (in general, the evil births in 70s horror spring from the deep cultural anxiety of birth control pills and abortion, but also the influence of Rosemary's Baby - this isn't really the anxiety of Alien, though it is certainly about evil and unnatural births). I really appreciated how this book is about females.
September 26, 2013
3.5, rounded up to 4 stars.
The concept revolves around three girls who make a pact in the woods one day....and the repercussions that follow throughout their lives. I felt the novel was very original, and had some genuinely creepy moments. The individual characters were well defined, and the story well paced. Because of these factors, I felt that I should round my rating up....the only reason for my 3.5 instead of an outright 4, is that there were times when I felt the story dragged on a bit, and that there were too many areas added in that weren't really necessary for the progression of the novel. Overall, a very worthwhile read.
Recommended.
The concept revolves around three girls who make a pact in the woods one day....and the repercussions that follow throughout their lives. I felt the novel was very original, and had some genuinely creepy moments. The individual characters were well defined, and the story well paced. Because of these factors, I felt that I should round my rating up....the only reason for my 3.5 instead of an outright 4, is that there were times when I felt the story dragged on a bit, and that there were too many areas added in that weren't really necessary for the progression of the novel. Overall, a very worthwhile read.
Recommended.
December 24, 2013
What an incredible book. From the awesomely creepy cover art down to the very last page. I'm so impressed, I read this in more or less one sitting, because this really isn't a sort of book one puts down. The writing is phenomenal, particularly for a debut novel, particularly for a genre novel. This book featured some of the most nuanced, well developed and realistic female characters I've ever read, some of the best character writing in general. The opposite of chick lit. This is about three young girls who make a pact in the woods and the ramifications of that single act throughout their entire lives. At its heart this is a story about motherhood, which personally I always found to be a horrifying concept and this book goes a long way to reinforce that opinion. It reads like southern gothic, much reminiscent of Elizabeth Massie's work, but it's actually set in the Pacific Northwest. Apparently poverty and white trashiness aren't southern specific, but Miskowski captures rural living so vividly, it's practically three dimensional. This is a really well crafted multilayered character strong literary novel with some seriously eerie and occasionally terrifying horror elements. I'm not surprised this was shortlisted for an award, I'm only surprised it didn't win. But this book certainly heralds the arrival of a major talent on the scene. Oh, that could have been...oh well, didn't even make a single knock knock joke in the entire review. Shocks. Quite possibly odd choice for the Christmas eve. day, but certainly time well spent. But seriously, read this book. Its what literary horror is meant to be. Highly recommended.
May 18, 2022
Story 5/5
Narration 5/5
Knock Knock by S.P. Miskowski is a good horror story.
The characters development is good, the story is suspenseful and well written.
I recommend it!
Narration 5/5
Knock Knock by S.P. Miskowski is a good horror story.
The characters development is good, the story is suspenseful and well written.
I recommend it!
June 9, 2020
3.5
This book was not what I expected. It starts out as a group of friends make a pact in the woods of their Washington small town that will haunt them well into adulthood. I am on the record of enjoying stories that explore characters through a long stretch of time, especially focusing on consequences of actions and how their lives play out. My one issue would be the pacing, I wish there had been more creepy moments in the in-between years instead of them being concentrated to the beginning and end of the book. I enjoyed the girls' friendship with each other and how that evolved through their adult lives. I am excited to continue on with the next book in the Skillute Cycle to see what else happens in this Pacific Northwest town.
This book was not what I expected. It starts out as a group of friends make a pact in the woods of their Washington small town that will haunt them well into adulthood. I am on the record of enjoying stories that explore characters through a long stretch of time, especially focusing on consequences of actions and how their lives play out. My one issue would be the pacing, I wish there had been more creepy moments in the in-between years instead of them being concentrated to the beginning and end of the book. I enjoyed the girls' friendship with each other and how that evolved through their adult lives. I am excited to continue on with the next book in the Skillute Cycle to see what else happens in this Pacific Northwest town.
October 25, 2016
An unsettling exploration of how sometimes wicked things linger.
March 3, 2017
An engaging work of horror in a small town setting, written in a style I grew up reading. A slow burner with an ending that eludes to more good stuff in the remaining 3 books in the series, which I will surely be reading. My only small complaint here is that the during the first portion of the book the pacing was a bit slow at times, but this did make sense in the whole picture as part of building the story.
January 26, 2016
KNOCK KNOCK harks back to the glory days of Stephen King and Dean Koontz - playing on childhood wishes gone bad and what happens when innocence and ignorance tangle with the great dark forces surrounding us.
Filled with intensely creepy moments that will tingle your spine and give you shivers, KNOCK KNOCK takes you on an epic tri-part journey crossing generations of a myth come to horrible life, of a vengeful dark spirit that will do whatever it takes to survive.
Written masterfully by renowned author S.P. Miskowski, this novel is a cornerstone of the new horror infiltrating the market from fine smaller presses like Omnium Gatherum. KNOCK KNOCK is a full-blown fright-fest, graphic and evil, playful and at times touching, but always fearful, always wide-eyed and nervous, always wishing for you not to open that door when you hear the tapping.
But of course we do just that, and are thankful for it.
Filled with intensely creepy moments that will tingle your spine and give you shivers, KNOCK KNOCK takes you on an epic tri-part journey crossing generations of a myth come to horrible life, of a vengeful dark spirit that will do whatever it takes to survive.
Written masterfully by renowned author S.P. Miskowski, this novel is a cornerstone of the new horror infiltrating the market from fine smaller presses like Omnium Gatherum. KNOCK KNOCK is a full-blown fright-fest, graphic and evil, playful and at times touching, but always fearful, always wide-eyed and nervous, always wishing for you not to open that door when you hear the tapping.
But of course we do just that, and are thankful for it.
June 1, 2023
I increased my star rating on this book from 4 to 5 after reading the other books in the cycle. The whole is stronger than the sum of its parts, and I would definitely recommend continuing on with Delphine Dodd if you liked Knock Knock. Here's a link to the short review I wrote after finishing the final book. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
October 4, 2019
I thought this was going to be a slow-burn, creepy horror, but it turned out it was just slow.
It starts off OK, with a few spooky moments gradually building tension, but it never gets beyond tension building.
By the final third I was skimming, and the new characters that were introduced were so unlikeable and dull that I didn't care at all what happened to them.
I finished with a feeling of being conned - like I'd been reading a shaggy-dog horror. The prose style is never better than r/nosleep: flat and amateurish. Perhaps it could've been improved with a good editor?
It starts off OK, with a few spooky moments gradually building tension, but it never gets beyond tension building.
By the final third I was skimming, and the new characters that were introduced were so unlikeable and dull that I didn't care at all what happened to them.
I finished with a feeling of being conned - like I'd been reading a shaggy-dog horror. The prose style is never better than r/nosleep: flat and amateurish. Perhaps it could've been improved with a good editor?
July 16, 2023
Three young girls grow up in the backwoods of Washington state and inadvertently release an evil spirit into their lives.
April 16, 2012
Angel's Adjectives: Hoary and honest
KNOCK KNOCK comes off the pages with all the menace of an old cautionary tale that has yet to be watered down for a modern, more tender culture. There's nothing tender about Miskowski's treatment of her characters. With bald honesty, she paints a picture of rural America that leaves you shivering. I hesitate to call any of her characters heroes. They are, rather, antiheroes, examples to future generations--who probably won't do anything differently either--of curious, careless children who go too deep into the woods to ever find their way out again.
There's a classic atmosphere to this horror novel. It reads more like Stephen King than Charlaine Harris and has none of the trappings or traps of recent horror. No vampires, no werewolves. No sweet romance. The relationships detailed in Knock Knock are hard, cold, and as disconcerting as a nosebleed--each irrevocably warped by its brush with the darkness in the woods.
The plot itself sneaks up on you while you're distracted by the lives of the three core characters. Before you know it, the evil has reared its head, and the story has twisted again.
I found myself overcome with nostalgia while reading KNOCK KNOCK. Its style took me back to a time when I was first discovering horror and devouring it as wholly as I could. For me, it was the equivalent an old music box tune that brings back memories of fear--fear inspired long ago by a haunting presence I thought was gone for good. And yet, there it was again.
I savored it all.
I loved this book.
KNOCK KNOCK comes off the pages with all the menace of an old cautionary tale that has yet to be watered down for a modern, more tender culture. There's nothing tender about Miskowski's treatment of her characters. With bald honesty, she paints a picture of rural America that leaves you shivering. I hesitate to call any of her characters heroes. They are, rather, antiheroes, examples to future generations--who probably won't do anything differently either--of curious, careless children who go too deep into the woods to ever find their way out again.
There's a classic atmosphere to this horror novel. It reads more like Stephen King than Charlaine Harris and has none of the trappings or traps of recent horror. No vampires, no werewolves. No sweet romance. The relationships detailed in Knock Knock are hard, cold, and as disconcerting as a nosebleed--each irrevocably warped by its brush with the darkness in the woods.
The plot itself sneaks up on you while you're distracted by the lives of the three core characters. Before you know it, the evil has reared its head, and the story has twisted again.
I found myself overcome with nostalgia while reading KNOCK KNOCK. Its style took me back to a time when I was first discovering horror and devouring it as wholly as I could. For me, it was the equivalent an old music box tune that brings back memories of fear--fear inspired long ago by a haunting presence I thought was gone for good. And yet, there it was again.
I savored it all.
I loved this book.
December 9, 2016
This book reminded me of old-school Stephen King, specifically I.T. which strangely enough I'm currently re-reading! It's a story that spans generations and really encapsulates the lives of the main characters and S.P. Miskowski's brilliant writing really brings them to life.
The story is compelling and masterfully written, the creeping unease and horror builds up to an absolutely fantastic ending.
I'm now going to go and buy the rest of the Skillute cycle as I'm eager for more!
The story is compelling and masterfully written, the creeping unease and horror builds up to an absolutely fantastic ending.
I'm now going to go and buy the rest of the Skillute cycle as I'm eager for more!
January 13, 2013
Knock Knock, a novel by S. P. Miskowski, follows a trio of girls, from the town of Skillute in western Washington state. We're introduced to Marietta, Ethel and Beverley at age eleven, follow their lives as they grow up to womanhood, see their connections to each other evolve and shift as the events of life and adulthood affect them individually and together. The girls hear horrible rumors of what happens to women who become pregnant, and resolve that this will never happen to them.
Marietta lives with her aunt Delphine, who is something like the town mystic, herbalist and fortune-teller, and has an idea of a spell the girls might perform in order to ensure they're never burdened with motherhood. They find a remote, seemingly spot in the woods to perform the ritual, despite Skillute area legend that "Miss Knocks" lives in the forest and will chase children and possibly snatch them away. The discovery of strange bones half-buried in the wild, combined with the tales of Miss Knocks, leaves the girls more frightened of the woods and their own weird, occult-like ritual, than of the fear of eventual pregnancy which drove them out there in the first place.
All three girls remember that day. The memories have a different effect on each, with the passing of time. Miskowski examines the way fear of legends affects the living, not only in terms of the actual manifest "powers" of the force of legend, but also by the way our fear shifts us, opens us up to risks, and closes off possibilities.
We revisit the trio as they age, learn more about their family backgrounds, and see how they fit into their community. The familiarity of the settings and seeming normalcy of the characters heighten the effect of disquiet and strangeness when horrific elements intrude. Miskowski's strength is in the naturalistic depiction of characters and real-life events and settings, which is not to say she lacks skill in depicting the horrific or supernatural elements. It's that vibrantly lifelike sense of observing real human beings as their lives pass from the normal to the strange that heightens the effect of fear and unease when it occurs.
Knock Knock creeps up on the reader slowly, without flashy effects or a fast pace. I was won over by Miskowski's believable characters, and the realistic depiction of a supernatural intrusion into small town life. Miskowski has announced a forthcoming series of novellas based on this place and set of characters, the first of which is Delphine Dodd. The darkly effective creepiness Knock Knock is enough to make me want to see what more she does with the Skillute milieu. Recommended, especially for readers who favor suspenseful, slow-building psychological horror.
Marietta lives with her aunt Delphine, who is something like the town mystic, herbalist and fortune-teller, and has an idea of a spell the girls might perform in order to ensure they're never burdened with motherhood. They find a remote, seemingly spot in the woods to perform the ritual, despite Skillute area legend that "Miss Knocks" lives in the forest and will chase children and possibly snatch them away. The discovery of strange bones half-buried in the wild, combined with the tales of Miss Knocks, leaves the girls more frightened of the woods and their own weird, occult-like ritual, than of the fear of eventual pregnancy which drove them out there in the first place.
All three girls remember that day. The memories have a different effect on each, with the passing of time. Miskowski examines the way fear of legends affects the living, not only in terms of the actual manifest "powers" of the force of legend, but also by the way our fear shifts us, opens us up to risks, and closes off possibilities.
We revisit the trio as they age, learn more about their family backgrounds, and see how they fit into their community. The familiarity of the settings and seeming normalcy of the characters heighten the effect of disquiet and strangeness when horrific elements intrude. Miskowski's strength is in the naturalistic depiction of characters and real-life events and settings, which is not to say she lacks skill in depicting the horrific or supernatural elements. It's that vibrantly lifelike sense of observing real human beings as their lives pass from the normal to the strange that heightens the effect of fear and unease when it occurs.
Knock Knock creeps up on the reader slowly, without flashy effects or a fast pace. I was won over by Miskowski's believable characters, and the realistic depiction of a supernatural intrusion into small town life. Miskowski has announced a forthcoming series of novellas based on this place and set of characters, the first of which is Delphine Dodd. The darkly effective creepiness Knock Knock is enough to make me want to see what more she does with the Skillute milieu. Recommended, especially for readers who favor suspenseful, slow-building psychological horror.
November 5, 2012
I first came across the author S.P. Miskowski when I read her really rather excellent short story A.G.A. in an issue of Supernatural Tales. So I thought I'd try her novel Knock Knock, particularly as it seems to be doing rather well for itself, getting nominated for the Shirley Jackson award and everything.
Knock Knock uses a familiar horror novel device - that of setting a novel firmly in one small, American town and telling of an evil that affects multiple generations in that town. In this case the setting is Skillute, a backwater American logging town, and the novel begins in the Sixties and progresses to the modern day. Miskowski uses this setting to great advantage, both as a realistic backdrop and as a place where it seems quite natural tall tales and superstitions would spring up. The story tells of three female friends from Skillute, and how a childhood pandering to one of these local superstitions brings an old evil back... I mention they are all female purely because this seems to me a novel very much written from a female, feminist perspective - ideas about women, pregnancy, and children drive the plot, although that's not to say there aren't some sharply drawn male characters too. In this sense it's quite original, and it gives the book an structural and thematic coherence that underpins the disturbing and grotesque events brought about by the girls unintentionally awakening an evil spirit.
This is a slow-burn novel, with the significance of certain events at the start of the book not being entirely clear. In this way the tense, oppressive atmosphere builds - Miskowski is great at generating eerie imagery, particularly when describing the woods and forest around Skillute. When the scares come, she can do more with a single, stark line than most authors can in pages and pages of poorly written gore.
If I had one issue with this book, it was the nagging feeling that all of the character's actions didn't matter that much in the end - that the disturbing events of the book were preordained no matter what they did, and that they were just caught up in it all with no agency or control. (I think this is a perfectly legitimate way to approach a short story, but maybe for a novel some sense that the characters actions might affect the outcome is needed.) A minor gripe, but there we are. Knock Knock is certainly worth reading and certainly worth the acclaim it seems to be getting. Even better, I see that S.P. Miskowski is also to release a series of novellas set in the same town, with the first, Delphine Dodd, available now. As I mentioned, one of the great things about Knock Knock is it's setting, so I'll certainly be keen to see what other dark tales are being told there...
Knock Knock uses a familiar horror novel device - that of setting a novel firmly in one small, American town and telling of an evil that affects multiple generations in that town. In this case the setting is Skillute, a backwater American logging town, and the novel begins in the Sixties and progresses to the modern day. Miskowski uses this setting to great advantage, both as a realistic backdrop and as a place where it seems quite natural tall tales and superstitions would spring up. The story tells of three female friends from Skillute, and how a childhood pandering to one of these local superstitions brings an old evil back... I mention they are all female purely because this seems to me a novel very much written from a female, feminist perspective - ideas about women, pregnancy, and children drive the plot, although that's not to say there aren't some sharply drawn male characters too. In this sense it's quite original, and it gives the book an structural and thematic coherence that underpins the disturbing and grotesque events brought about by the girls unintentionally awakening an evil spirit.
This is a slow-burn novel, with the significance of certain events at the start of the book not being entirely clear. In this way the tense, oppressive atmosphere builds - Miskowski is great at generating eerie imagery, particularly when describing the woods and forest around Skillute. When the scares come, she can do more with a single, stark line than most authors can in pages and pages of poorly written gore.
If I had one issue with this book, it was the nagging feeling that all of the character's actions didn't matter that much in the end - that the disturbing events of the book were preordained no matter what they did, and that they were just caught up in it all with no agency or control. (I think this is a perfectly legitimate way to approach a short story, but maybe for a novel some sense that the characters actions might affect the outcome is needed.) A minor gripe, but there we are. Knock Knock is certainly worth reading and certainly worth the acclaim it seems to be getting. Even better, I see that S.P. Miskowski is also to release a series of novellas set in the same town, with the first, Delphine Dodd, available now. As I mentioned, one of the great things about Knock Knock is it's setting, so I'll certainly be keen to see what other dark tales are being told there...
June 4, 2012
I have a sense of unfairness while reviewing Knock, Knock as I read it on the heels of a far deeper novel and the prose here pales in comparison. I'll be as objective as possible, while being subjective as necessary.
Fantasy/Horror, with no other pretensions. The scene is an impoverished town in northwest USA, near Seattle, but the ambiance could just have easily been anywhere Appalachian or backwater, Deliverance banjo dueling Tennessee. After awhile, those kind of towns are difficult to find interesting. Does hillbilly witch lore exist in the northwest? It would feel more authentic if the ritual details sprung from an American Indian heritage. In any case, additional details of the spells, herbs, and superstitions would have helped deepen the effect. But I digress. Desperation. Poverty. Accents. Lack of education. Got it.
Placement of the story during a time of transition when witchcraft is essentially dying out is interesting. The generational baton was passed to Marietta, and rejected. In fact, her family's magic appeared no stronger than snake oil, at which point I wondered whether the novel would go the way of Witches on the Road Tonight, where the witch lore was revealed to be mere superstition and stage shows. Miskowski, however, toys with the idea a bit before whipping off the veil and revealing that the evil in her novel is quite real. By this time, the lone witch is over her head and the final battle fulfills the promise that was fumbled in Witches on the Road Tonight. Like The Exorcist, we are left with the chilling thought that upcoming generations have no protection against evil entities with a maniacal desire for life. All that, and murdered children, babies, and puppies. How could I not care? 3.5 stars.
Perhaps it was the writing. While adequate, and edited---nothing magical. Far too many repetitious phrases used to describe certain characters or situations. I winced and wished Miskowski would had reached more often for a thesaurus. That is the unfair part. I've allowed previously read novels to hinder my enjoyment of this one. Still, Knock, Knock is a worthwhile read for witch lore horror fans.
Fantasy/Horror, with no other pretensions. The scene is an impoverished town in northwest USA, near Seattle, but the ambiance could just have easily been anywhere Appalachian or backwater, Deliverance banjo dueling Tennessee. After awhile, those kind of towns are difficult to find interesting. Does hillbilly witch lore exist in the northwest? It would feel more authentic if the ritual details sprung from an American Indian heritage. In any case, additional details of the spells, herbs, and superstitions would have helped deepen the effect. But I digress. Desperation. Poverty. Accents. Lack of education. Got it.
Placement of the story during a time of transition when witchcraft is essentially dying out is interesting. The generational baton was passed to Marietta, and rejected. In fact, her family's magic appeared no stronger than snake oil, at which point I wondered whether the novel would go the way of Witches on the Road Tonight, where the witch lore was revealed to be mere superstition and stage shows. Miskowski, however, toys with the idea a bit before whipping off the veil and revealing that the evil in her novel is quite real. By this time, the lone witch is over her head and the final battle fulfills the promise that was fumbled in Witches on the Road Tonight. Like The Exorcist, we are left with the chilling thought that upcoming generations have no protection against evil entities with a maniacal desire for life. All that, and murdered children, babies, and puppies. How could I not care? 3.5 stars.
Perhaps it was the writing. While adequate, and edited---nothing magical. Far too many repetitious phrases used to describe certain characters or situations. I winced and wished Miskowski would had reached more often for a thesaurus. That is the unfair part. I've allowed previously read novels to hinder my enjoyment of this one. Still, Knock, Knock is a worthwhile read for witch lore horror fans.
March 28, 2012
Knock, Knock by S.P. Miskowski is a fascinating tale of what not to do and the consequences not only for you, but for others nearby.
Three young girls decide to perform an ancient ritual against the advice of one who knows better. They go to the center of an old wood and make their blood pact calling up 50 years of terror.
Fact of the matter is that Knock, Knock frightened me as few horror stories do anymore. It has a strong psychological affect on you and you find yourself jumping at what used to be normal noises. Now they are harbingers of the evil coming for you.
The author has done a wonderful job with her first novel and should have a promising career scaring the pants off readers.
Knock, Knock by S.P. Miskowski is available as paperback or Kindle. Get it!
Addendum. Boy is my face red! I apologize to the author for calling her a him!
Of course as far as the story goes, doesn't matter, it's damn good no matter what.
Three young girls decide to perform an ancient ritual against the advice of one who knows better. They go to the center of an old wood and make their blood pact calling up 50 years of terror.
Fact of the matter is that Knock, Knock frightened me as few horror stories do anymore. It has a strong psychological affect on you and you find yourself jumping at what used to be normal noises. Now they are harbingers of the evil coming for you.
The author has done a wonderful job with her first novel and should have a promising career scaring the pants off readers.
Knock, Knock by S.P. Miskowski is available as paperback or Kindle. Get it!
Addendum. Boy is my face red! I apologize to the author for calling her a him!
Of course as far as the story goes, doesn't matter, it's damn good no matter what.
October 28, 2012
My first thought after delving into Miskowski's "Knock Knock" was: This is modern Americana worthy of the name.
A significant piece of literature almost biographic in the revelation of its characters, and utterly engaging in its portrayal of a "small town mythology", the lure of "Knock Knock" is irresistible (and does not leave the reader unrewarded). But make no mistake, this is horror. . .and it is this undercurrent of the supernatural that weaves and binds Ethel, Beverly, and Marietta (the novel's titular characters) to the unnerving geography, and shadowed history of Skillute.
This is, at its heart, a story about the web that connects us all, to each other, to our past, to our future. Disturbances on those threads ripple, vibrate, and affect. . .so it is in life, so it is in art.
A significant piece of literature almost biographic in the revelation of its characters, and utterly engaging in its portrayal of a "small town mythology", the lure of "Knock Knock" is irresistible (and does not leave the reader unrewarded). But make no mistake, this is horror. . .and it is this undercurrent of the supernatural that weaves and binds Ethel, Beverly, and Marietta (the novel's titular characters) to the unnerving geography, and shadowed history of Skillute.
This is, at its heart, a story about the web that connects us all, to each other, to our past, to our future. Disturbances on those threads ripple, vibrate, and affect. . .so it is in life, so it is in art.
September 12, 2020
Like Micheal McDowell and Gillian Flynn had a spooky rural Northwest Territory baby and I mean that as the highest praise. A great feminist horror novel, and unusual tale of an evil curse, and a portrait of sickly mothers fearing the things their daughters become. Really enjoyed this one even if it got a little samey by the end.
March 9, 2012
Tour de Force. Gripping suspense with an edge of your seat build. Strong character development.
September 21, 2020
Seemed like a supernatural Bad Seed. So I found it disappointing. By the end I shrugged, I had lost interest.
September 2, 2022
I could read coming-of-age horror stories forever and ever. There is something about them that always speaks to me and I just get lost in the stories. S.P. Miskowski gives us something that I do not see as much as I want to (although I am seeing it more than before): a coming-of-age story that is not about a group of boys. I want to read EVERYONE'S stories. And in KNOCK KNOCK we get to see the journey of three girls who make a pact in the woods as kids and how that one night changes their lives forever. There's a mix of supernatural and small town generational drama at play. And if you know me, then you know I also very much dig small town vibes. I think coming-of-age works even best when it's in a small town. Miskowski really gives her all with these characters and arcs, never holding back, and giving me a look into girls and women that I have not read before. A few scenes seriously irked me, and not in an over-the-top, outlandish gruesome kind of way, but in this cold and creepy way that definitely caused the hairs on my arm to stand up. I read this in two sittings because I couldn't stop - I just cozied up on the couch, safe under my blanket with my coffee, and learned all I could about these girls in a Pacific Northwest town, a night they had in their youth, the women they would become, and everything in between. Can't wait to check out more of Miskowski's stories!
June 11, 2023
2,5 sterren, Horror zou ik het niet noemen
December 16, 2021
Boring
I was going to give no stars but the parts of the books I was waiting for aka the mess you up horror was good. It wasn't mess you up for life scary like advertised but it was okay. I would of liked more concise writing. Maybe that's not the word but something clear and easy to understand. Eventhough we have seen the monster several times it was all so vague I'm still not 100% sure of what it was.
I was going to give no stars but the parts of the books I was waiting for aka the mess you up horror was good. It wasn't mess you up for life scary like advertised but it was okay. I would of liked more concise writing. Maybe that's not the word but something clear and easy to understand. Eventhough we have seen the monster several times it was all so vague I'm still not 100% sure of what it was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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