What do you think?
Rate this book
Wild Spaces
A young boy's life is upended after the arrival of his grandfather, who is hiding a terrifying secret in this sweltering southern gothic horror, perfect for fans of Cassandra Khaw and John Langan.
An eleven-year-old boy lives an idyllic childhood exploring the remote coastal plains and wetlands of South Carolina alongside his parents and his dog Teach. But when the boy's eerie and estranged grandfather shows up one day with no warning, cracks begin to form as hidden secrets resurface that his parents refuse to explain.
The longer his grandfather outstays his welcome and the greater the tension between the adults grows, the more the boy feels something within him changing - physically - into something his grandfather welcomes and his mother fears. Something abyssal. Something monstrous.
An eleven-year-old boy lives an idyllic childhood exploring the remote coastal plains and wetlands of South Carolina alongside his parents and his dog Teach. But when the boy's eerie and estranged grandfather shows up one day with no warning, cracks begin to form as hidden secrets resurface that his parents refuse to explain.
The longer his grandfather outstays his welcome and the greater the tension between the adults grows, the more the boy feels something within him changing - physically - into something his grandfather welcomes and his mother fears. Something abyssal. Something monstrous.
119 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2023
56 people are currently reading
13608 people want to read
About the author
S.L. Coney
3 books85 followersS. L. Coney obtained a master's degree in clinical psychology before abandoning academia to pursue writing. In addition to making up stories, they work to help train and place people in tech careers. Shaw has ties to South Carolina, roots in St. Louis, and are still deeply disappointed their fins never grew in. Shaw's work has appeared in St. Louis Noir, Best American Mystery Stories 2017, and Gamut Magazine. Their novella Wild Spaces is forthcoming in August 2023 from Tordotcom Publishing and Titan Books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 556 reviews
August 1, 2023
WILD SPACES by S. L. Coney (debut novel)
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
General Genre: Horror, Dark Fantasy, Cosmic
Subgenre/Themes: Coming-of-Age, Human Monsters, Mystery, Family Drama, Man’s Best Friend
Writing Style: Character-Driven
What You Need to Know: Simply enough, Wild Spaces is the story of an idyllic family living on the coast of South Carolina. An eleven-year-old boy is tenderly, almost magically loved and adored by his parents. One day, the mother’s father shows up unexpectedly for a visit. The boy’s dog, Teach seems hostile toward him and the boy’s parents act guarded. As the visit transitions into an indefinite stay, it’s clear this could change the family dynamic forever. If you want to know if the dog dies in this, you can reach out to me.
My Reading Experience: It has been a while since a book has trainwrecked me quite like this one. I’m thinking back to other times I have experienced that full-body crumpling from overwhelming sadness. It feels like emotional hell; my heart is wrenched, tears streaming down the sides of my face into my hair (I usually read laying down) and that horrible lump in my throat when I try to swallow. Reading becomes labored due to blurry, tear-filled eyes trying to make out the pain-inducing words on the page.
I can think of three times exactly in the last three years where this has happened, WILD SPACES makes four.
So when I say this is a must-read book, I really fucking mean it.
First of all, how dare this book attack me this way!
I was quite literally minding my own business when I got an email from a very prolific editor in the horror industry urging me to read WILD SPACES with an attached early review copy. Considering the source, I did not sleep on it.
This is my first time reading S. L. Coney’s work, but reading the first page felt like coming home. It’s welcoming, like a warm embrace from an old friend at the front door before you’re invited inside for coffee and a good visit. I immediately knew this book was something special.
Friends.
Readers.
I fell in love.
This family opens right up to the reader and shares its most intimate and heartwarming moments with you. Definitely reminiscent of my time with Robert McCammon’s iconic coming-of-age book, Boy’s Life. This gave me those kinds of sweet, nostalgic, feel-good vibes.
And then Grandpa shows up like a scratch in your favorite record.
The way the author signals to the reader that something is not right…well, you’ll see.
And that’s all I can tell you. To expand further on anything that happens in the last 25% of this story is to take away some of the most emotional discoveries I’ve encountered in a good long time.
You’re in for a real treat.
Also, and I never do this, please feel free to message me on social media if you read this book and need to talk about it. I need to talk about it too. I was able to thank the one who gave it to me and blame her for all the hard feelings I was having and she was not sorry. In fact, she was glad she ruined my day and so was I.
Final Recommendation: Fans of epic coming-of-age horror fiction need to buy this book. I’m not suggesting you just buy the eBook or check it out at the library, (which you can totally do if you want to) I’m assuring you that yes, this is a book for your home library. Something you will revisit and recommend to all your friends. I pre-ordered it so fast when I finished and I cannot wait to hold it in my hands. Maybe even hug it a little.
Comps: Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon, The Fisherman by John Langan, The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson, The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
General Genre: Horror, Dark Fantasy, Cosmic
Subgenre/Themes: Coming-of-Age, Human Monsters, Mystery, Family Drama, Man’s Best Friend
Writing Style: Character-Driven
What You Need to Know: Simply enough, Wild Spaces is the story of an idyllic family living on the coast of South Carolina. An eleven-year-old boy is tenderly, almost magically loved and adored by his parents. One day, the mother’s father shows up unexpectedly for a visit. The boy’s dog, Teach seems hostile toward him and the boy’s parents act guarded. As the visit transitions into an indefinite stay, it’s clear this could change the family dynamic forever. If you want to know if the dog dies in this, you can reach out to me.
My Reading Experience: It has been a while since a book has trainwrecked me quite like this one. I’m thinking back to other times I have experienced that full-body crumpling from overwhelming sadness. It feels like emotional hell; my heart is wrenched, tears streaming down the sides of my face into my hair (I usually read laying down) and that horrible lump in my throat when I try to swallow. Reading becomes labored due to blurry, tear-filled eyes trying to make out the pain-inducing words on the page.
I can think of three times exactly in the last three years where this has happened, WILD SPACES makes four.
So when I say this is a must-read book, I really fucking mean it.
First of all, how dare this book attack me this way!
I was quite literally minding my own business when I got an email from a very prolific editor in the horror industry urging me to read WILD SPACES with an attached early review copy. Considering the source, I did not sleep on it.
This is my first time reading S. L. Coney’s work, but reading the first page felt like coming home. It’s welcoming, like a warm embrace from an old friend at the front door before you’re invited inside for coffee and a good visit. I immediately knew this book was something special.
Friends.
Readers.
I fell in love.
This family opens right up to the reader and shares its most intimate and heartwarming moments with you. Definitely reminiscent of my time with Robert McCammon’s iconic coming-of-age book, Boy’s Life. This gave me those kinds of sweet, nostalgic, feel-good vibes.
And then Grandpa shows up like a scratch in your favorite record.
The way the author signals to the reader that something is not right…well, you’ll see.
And that’s all I can tell you. To expand further on anything that happens in the last 25% of this story is to take away some of the most emotional discoveries I’ve encountered in a good long time.
You’re in for a real treat.
Also, and I never do this, please feel free to message me on social media if you read this book and need to talk about it. I need to talk about it too. I was able to thank the one who gave it to me and blame her for all the hard feelings I was having and she was not sorry. In fact, she was glad she ruined my day and so was I.
Final Recommendation: Fans of epic coming-of-age horror fiction need to buy this book. I’m not suggesting you just buy the eBook or check it out at the library, (which you can totally do if you want to) I’m assuring you that yes, this is a book for your home library. Something you will revisit and recommend to all your friends. I pre-ordered it so fast when I finished and I cannot wait to hold it in my hands. Maybe even hug it a little.
Comps: Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon, The Fisherman by John Langan, The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson, The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones
August 4, 2023
Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney is a Coming-of-Age and Lovecraftian Horror Story!
I'm more than a little torn about this novella...
A family of three lives a peaceful and quiet life in the South Carolina coastal wetlands. The eleven-year-old boy is deeply loved by his parents and his dog, Teach means just about everything to him.
Their family life together is almost perfect, until...
The boy's estranged maternal grandfather drops in for an unexpected visit that quickly turns into an indefinite and disruptive stay. Teach senses that something is off about this unwelcome guest, so much so that he growls whenever the grandfather is near the boy.
As the tensions run high between the three adults, the boy feels himself changing into something...different. Something that makes his grandfather smile and his mother afraid...
Wild Spaces is a story that's original, creative, and different. I love the author's evocative writing, the unique characterizations, and the audiobook narrator, Nick Mondelli's clipped narrative and skillful voicing talent. All combined, it's a wonderful package.
Wild Spaces is a novella that feels vague and allusive the further in you travel. The constant movement of the story is towards something unknown and you wonder where the heck it's leading you. The Lovecraftian Horror genre, I never knew had a name, makes my imagination smile and even turn a cartwheel or two.
However, there is one issue that tainted my experience.
Wild Spaces is a story I love listening to and was a winner for me up to the point I describe in the spoiler above. It's why I feel torn about this novella and the only reason for lowering my rating significantly.
3.25⭐rounded down!
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and S.L. Coney for an ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.
I'm more than a little torn about this novella...
A family of three lives a peaceful and quiet life in the South Carolina coastal wetlands. The eleven-year-old boy is deeply loved by his parents and his dog, Teach means just about everything to him.
Their family life together is almost perfect, until...
The boy's estranged maternal grandfather drops in for an unexpected visit that quickly turns into an indefinite and disruptive stay. Teach senses that something is off about this unwelcome guest, so much so that he growls whenever the grandfather is near the boy.
As the tensions run high between the three adults, the boy feels himself changing into something...different. Something that makes his grandfather smile and his mother afraid...
Wild Spaces is a story that's original, creative, and different. I love the author's evocative writing, the unique characterizations, and the audiobook narrator, Nick Mondelli's clipped narrative and skillful voicing talent. All combined, it's a wonderful package.
Wild Spaces is a novella that feels vague and allusive the further in you travel. The constant movement of the story is towards something unknown and you wonder where the heck it's leading you. The Lovecraftian Horror genre, I never knew had a name, makes my imagination smile and even turn a cartwheel or two.
However, there is one issue that tainted my experience.
Wild Spaces is a story I love listening to and was a winner for me up to the point I describe in the spoiler above. It's why I feel torn about this novella and the only reason for lowering my rating significantly.
3.25⭐rounded down!
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and S.L. Coney for an ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.
August 7, 2023
"There are two kinds of family," his father says. "The kind you share genes with, and the kind you welcome into your heart."
An eleven-year-old boy is enjoying a nearly idyllic summer when his mysterious grandfather shows up.
Shadows move in with the grandfather. They trail behind his father like a fetch and nest beneath his mother's eyes. She grows thinner, paler. She stops smiling altogether. His father remains silent, distracted, as his wife slips away.
The old man behaves erratically, and his presence affects everyone in the household.
And the boy realizes, finally, what's wrong with his grandfather's smile. When he's smiling, no one else is.
Soon life seems to be in a downward spiral, and there's almost nothing the boy can do to stop it.
His parents told him his body would change, his interests would change, but no one told him his secrets would change.
The entire family would have been better off had Dad taken his own advice:
". . . just because you're related to someone doesn't mean you have to keep them in your life."
The entire atmosphere of the book bristles with unease, and this is a very disturbing read. Though a child is the main character, this is in no way meant for younger readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for sharing this title.
An eleven-year-old boy is enjoying a nearly idyllic summer when his mysterious grandfather shows up.
Shadows move in with the grandfather. They trail behind his father like a fetch and nest beneath his mother's eyes. She grows thinner, paler. She stops smiling altogether. His father remains silent, distracted, as his wife slips away.
The old man behaves erratically, and his presence affects everyone in the household.
And the boy realizes, finally, what's wrong with his grandfather's smile. When he's smiling, no one else is.
Soon life seems to be in a downward spiral, and there's almost nothing the boy can do to stop it.
His parents told him his body would change, his interests would change, but no one told him his secrets would change.
The entire family would have been better off had Dad taken his own advice:
". . . just because you're related to someone doesn't mean you have to keep them in your life."
The entire atmosphere of the book bristles with unease, and this is a very disturbing read. Though a child is the main character, this is in no way meant for younger readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for sharing this title.
August 30, 2023
Wild Spaces is a must-read for anyone who loves cosmic horror.
March 9, 2024
A boy comes of age in a monstrous way in this dreamlike exploration of puberty, generational trauma, and cyclical patterns of abuse, as the unexpected arrival of his maternal grandfather tears his family apart.
Beautifully written, hazy, strange, and heartbreaking.
Trigger/Content Warnings: death, body horror, animal death, loss of parents, child abuse
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
Thank you to Libra.fm for the ALC.
Beautifully written, hazy, strange, and heartbreaking.
Trigger/Content Warnings: death, body horror, animal death, loss of parents, child abuse
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
Thank you to Libra.fm for the ALC.
November 8, 2023
This was a quick, melancholy, lovecraftian novella.
The characters actions ultimately frustrated me and the conclusion was a bit unsatisfying just based on what I was expecting, but I still recommend it overall!
The characters actions ultimately frustrated me and the conclusion was a bit unsatisfying just based on what I was expecting, but I still recommend it overall!
October 28, 2025
‘Wild Spaces’ is a masterclass in sustained dread, an exploration of cosmic horror that succeeds in making the reader's hair stand on end while simultaneously delivering an emotional sucker punch. From the very first page, the entire narrative is packed with an eerie, Lovecraftian atmosphere. There is a constant, suffocating sense of dread and suspense that keeps you holding your breath. It's the kind of book where you wish for the end just to release the tension, only to realize, when that ending comes, that you should never have wished for it—because what follows is so deeply sad and awful that it leaves you completely gutted.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Coney's storytelling is the choice to never name the characters (except the dog). The main character is simply referred to as ‘the boy,’ and then there’s ‘the boy’s father,’ ‘the boy’s mother,’ and the catalyst for all the change, ‘the boy’s grandfather.’ You’ll feel somewhat strange reading it like this, at least for a while, and in a way you might even think you’ll never connect to this main character. That is a wrong assumption. You will care, you will love the boy, and you will feel everything he feels. But it also serves as a great hint for the fact that our Boy doesn't know much about his mother or grandfather.
The sweetest boy of all, however, is unquestionably Teach. The boy’s dog appears in his life like a goddamn hero, which is exactly what he is. Teach offers a much necessary anchor made of love and loyalty in the swirling chaos.
At its core, this is a coming-of-age novella. The boy is forced to transform, grow up, and adapt to the strange, unspeakable things that begin happening to his otherwise perfect life. This transformation is undeniably triggered by the arrival of his estranged grandfather. Following the visit, the whole family is on edge, tensions grow palpable, and the weirdness begins to seep in.
The horror aspect is almost cosmic in nature, steeped in that familiar Lovecraftian dread which I love – think shifting sea creatures, grotesque transformations, and a relentless sense of something unnatural creeping up your back.
Now, considering the author’s background in psychology, the story begs the question: Is the horror objectively real within the boy’s reality, or is it a psychological coping mechanism for processing the traumatic events that followed the grandfather's entry? This question is enforced even more by the author’s choice to use the 3rd person narration, an omniscient and presumably reliable perspective, detailing the nasty events without shying away from the truth, giving us the full picture of the monstrous nature of the grandfather. Because, with a 1st person narrative, at least, it would be easier to just slap the unreliable label onto the main character and call it a day. There are a lot of questions about his family (from his mother's side), about her barely mentioned brother, Ian, and the mysterious grandfather.
The ending also adds to the aforementioned confusion because we can’t tell for sure what happened to Teach, the dog. The boy sees the cocoon moving, splitting as if it will hatch into something else and it’s ambiguous whether the boy is just seeing things due to his unprocessed trauma of having his family ruined and becoming a monster himself (and because he certainly needs his anchor back into his life to help him move on) or it is all real.
But I digress, and the bottom line is that this book is fantastic. The book nails the horror aspect, it’s graphic, it’s terrifying, it makes your hair stand on end, but underneath all the visceral terror, the reality of the boy’s fate delivers a heartbreaking and tearjerking finale.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Coney's storytelling is the choice to never name the characters (except the dog). The main character is simply referred to as ‘the boy,’ and then there’s ‘the boy’s father,’ ‘the boy’s mother,’ and the catalyst for all the change, ‘the boy’s grandfather.’ You’ll feel somewhat strange reading it like this, at least for a while, and in a way you might even think you’ll never connect to this main character. That is a wrong assumption. You will care, you will love the boy, and you will feel everything he feels. But it also serves as a great hint for the fact that our Boy doesn't know much about his mother or grandfather.
The sweetest boy of all, however, is unquestionably Teach. The boy’s dog appears in his life like a goddamn hero, which is exactly what he is. Teach offers a much necessary anchor made of love and loyalty in the swirling chaos.
At its core, this is a coming-of-age novella. The boy is forced to transform, grow up, and adapt to the strange, unspeakable things that begin happening to his otherwise perfect life. This transformation is undeniably triggered by the arrival of his estranged grandfather. Following the visit, the whole family is on edge, tensions grow palpable, and the weirdness begins to seep in.
The horror aspect is almost cosmic in nature, steeped in that familiar Lovecraftian dread which I love – think shifting sea creatures, grotesque transformations, and a relentless sense of something unnatural creeping up your back.
Now, considering the author’s background in psychology, the story begs the question: Is the horror objectively real within the boy’s reality, or is it a psychological coping mechanism for processing the traumatic events that followed the grandfather's entry? This question is enforced even more by the author’s choice to use the 3rd person narration, an omniscient and presumably reliable perspective, detailing the nasty events without shying away from the truth, giving us the full picture of the monstrous nature of the grandfather. Because, with a 1st person narrative, at least, it would be easier to just slap the unreliable label onto the main character and call it a day. There are a lot of questions about his family (from his mother's side), about her barely mentioned brother, Ian, and the mysterious grandfather.
The ending also adds to the aforementioned confusion because we can’t tell for sure what happened to Teach, the dog. The boy sees the cocoon moving, splitting as if it will hatch into something else and it’s ambiguous whether the boy is just seeing things due to his unprocessed trauma of having his family ruined and becoming a monster himself (and because he certainly needs his anchor back into his life to help him move on) or it is all real.
But I digress, and the bottom line is that this book is fantastic. The book nails the horror aspect, it’s graphic, it’s terrifying, it makes your hair stand on end, but underneath all the visceral terror, the reality of the boy’s fate delivers a heartbreaking and tearjerking finale.
October 5, 2023
Not much to say. Almost everyone I know loved this book, but I was just bored. The writing was fine, but at no point did I really care about what was going on. I continued to the end because I kept hoping for something—anything to happen. Oh, well. Can’t love them all.
July 31, 2023
5/5 stars
“Father was wrong, he tells him. Sometimes, being related is all it takes.”
As I do for any coming of age novel that includes a dog, I tried to steel myself for heartbreak. Yet Wild Spaces still managed to hit me on so many emotional levels that I was absolutely powerless to the aching sense of loneliness it left me with.
Succinct, intimate and yet (dare I say it) cyclopean in scope, this debut novella combines the supernatural horror of Lovecraftian beasts, with the true monsters that live within the ones closest to us.
Wild Spaces tells the story of an eleven-year-old boy living an idyllic childhood exploring the remote coastal plains and wetlands of South Carolina alongside his parents and his dog Teach. That all changes one day when his estranged grandfather, mums dad, shows up and wrenches himself forcefully back into their lives. The longer grandpa outstays his welcome and the greater the tension between the adults grows, the more the boy realizes his granddad hides a monstrous nature beneath his human appearance. Something abyssal from the depth, that threatens to spill through the façade of normalcy and devour the family whole.
Full discretion: I have a strong soft-spot for this highly specific subgenre of coming-of-age-horror, where our child/teen protagonist uses monstrous-imagery and/or paracosm to make sense of an event that is otherwise too traumatic for a child to grasp. It’s a delicate balance to strike, portraying this in a way that is heartfelt and compassionate ánd strikes terror in the reader. Not many authors nail it on the first try, but Coney absolutely did so.
Her character work is perfectly weighed too. At first I struggled with the fact that our protagonist is never called by name, and only referred to as “boy”. It created a sense of distance, that had me worried I wouldn’t be able to feel attached to him. Instead, Coney’s short but striking descriptions of every-day domestic life, perfectly establishes not only “boy”, but his family and their bonds too. In the end, his lack of a name only added to my deep sense of sadness and loneliness when the ending comes around…
Needless to repeat: I highly recommend this novella, especially to fans of Laurel Hightower, Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and maybe even Strange Creatures by Phoebe North. As far as debuts go, this is close to perfection, and I cannot wait to see what this author has in store for us in the future.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Tor and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an (audio)ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
“Father was wrong, he tells him. Sometimes, being related is all it takes.”
As I do for any coming of age novel that includes a dog, I tried to steel myself for heartbreak. Yet Wild Spaces still managed to hit me on so many emotional levels that I was absolutely powerless to the aching sense of loneliness it left me with.
Succinct, intimate and yet (dare I say it) cyclopean in scope, this debut novella combines the supernatural horror of Lovecraftian beasts, with the true monsters that live within the ones closest to us.
Wild Spaces tells the story of an eleven-year-old boy living an idyllic childhood exploring the remote coastal plains and wetlands of South Carolina alongside his parents and his dog Teach. That all changes one day when his estranged grandfather, mums dad, shows up and wrenches himself forcefully back into their lives. The longer grandpa outstays his welcome and the greater the tension between the adults grows, the more the boy realizes his granddad hides a monstrous nature beneath his human appearance. Something abyssal from the depth, that threatens to spill through the façade of normalcy and devour the family whole.
Full discretion: I have a strong soft-spot for this highly specific subgenre of coming-of-age-horror, where our child/teen protagonist uses monstrous-imagery and/or paracosm to make sense of an event that is otherwise too traumatic for a child to grasp. It’s a delicate balance to strike, portraying this in a way that is heartfelt and compassionate ánd strikes terror in the reader. Not many authors nail it on the first try, but Coney absolutely did so.
Her character work is perfectly weighed too. At first I struggled with the fact that our protagonist is never called by name, and only referred to as “boy”. It created a sense of distance, that had me worried I wouldn’t be able to feel attached to him. Instead, Coney’s short but striking descriptions of every-day domestic life, perfectly establishes not only “boy”, but his family and their bonds too. In the end, his lack of a name only added to my deep sense of sadness and loneliness when the ending comes around…
Needless to repeat: I highly recommend this novella, especially to fans of Laurel Hightower, Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and maybe even Strange Creatures by Phoebe North. As far as debuts go, this is close to perfection, and I cannot wait to see what this author has in store for us in the future.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Tor and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an (audio)ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 10, 2024
3 Stars for Wild Spaces (audiobook) by S. L. Coney read by Nick Mondelli.
A young boy’s life is turned upside down when his grandfather turns up.
A young boy’s life is turned upside down when his grandfather turns up.
August 19, 2023
Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Nick Mondelli
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars
Complete audiobook review
Wild Spaces is a novella about an eleven-year-old boy, his family, and their dog, Teach, living in South Carolina. After his estranged grandfather, one day, appears on their doorstep, more and more family secrets emerge. However, this is not all. From family drama, this story takes a turn to a more eerie novel. It slowly turns to cosmic (Lovecraftian) horror.
Beautiful, lyrical prose and very good narration. The prose and style of writing reminded me a little of Lenny by Laura McVeigh, although the genre and the overall theme are very different.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the advance copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars
Complete audiobook review
Wild Spaces is a novella about an eleven-year-old boy, his family, and their dog, Teach, living in South Carolina. After his estranged grandfather, one day, appears on their doorstep, more and more family secrets emerge. However, this is not all. From family drama, this story takes a turn to a more eerie novel. It slowly turns to cosmic (Lovecraftian) horror.
Beautiful, lyrical prose and very good narration. The prose and style of writing reminded me a little of Lenny by Laura McVeigh, although the genre and the overall theme are very different.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the advance copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
July 29, 2023
⭐️ ⭐️
Critical Score: C-
Personal Score: D
Why on earth was this published? It’s from a rather unknown author so it’s swimming against a tough current, it’s incredibly boring, the writing is passable, and the whole story is entirely predictable. This reads like if you took a weak Goosebumps book, surgically removed its twists and turns and jump scares, and gave it a dull literary style.
I feel bad crapping on a debut, but it frustrates me so much to see such an extremely uninteresting novella get published as a standalone $17 paperback. The gatekeepers were glitching on this one. Another talented unpublished author rolls in their grave…
Critical Score: C-
Personal Score: D
Why on earth was this published? It’s from a rather unknown author so it’s swimming against a tough current, it’s incredibly boring, the writing is passable, and the whole story is entirely predictable. This reads like if you took a weak Goosebumps book, surgically removed its twists and turns and jump scares, and gave it a dull literary style.
I feel bad crapping on a debut, but it frustrates me so much to see such an extremely uninteresting novella get published as a standalone $17 paperback. The gatekeepers were glitching on this one. Another talented unpublished author rolls in their grave…
July 27, 2023
3 stars.
I'm not much of a horror fiction enthusiast, but this title intrigued me. It's a very short and very quick read, and the author maintains a pretty decent level of tension and dread for the reader. Not sure if I understood everything going on, but this novella worked well, and I would read more from the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I'm not much of a horror fiction enthusiast, but this title intrigued me. It's a very short and very quick read, and the author maintains a pretty decent level of tension and dread for the reader. Not sure if I understood everything going on, but this novella worked well, and I would read more from the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 4, 2023
An eerily, haunting story about a boy who changes slowly into something his parents fear, and only his grandfather, appearing in his life out of nowhere, might have the answers to what's going on.
The writing style is ethereal, weaving scenes together in almost a dreamlike way. If you're a reader who loves all the vibes, you'll get them here! Coney is great at creating a sense of dread and unease, the perfect tone for this story.
But if you're a reader who hates vague writing, you might have a few issues with this story. Lots of things go unexplained. I'm usually a person who doesn't mind some vagueness, but in this case it felt like the author teased some plot details and never delivered. I think the story would have been more effective if we could have had stronger character interactions and dug more deeply into the backstory and character motivations.
My favorite part of the story was the symbolism and metaphors. It's a Lovecraftian story with a literary feel, a great combination! I love literary horror, and Coney did a great job of discussing themes and ideas in a smart and nuanced way that I find lacking in most horror.
I'd love to read more from this author in the future! I believe this is their first novella and they haven't published a novel yet, so I would love to see what they can do with a longer work.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.
The writing style is ethereal, weaving scenes together in almost a dreamlike way. If you're a reader who loves all the vibes, you'll get them here! Coney is great at creating a sense of dread and unease, the perfect tone for this story.
But if you're a reader who hates vague writing, you might have a few issues with this story. Lots of things go unexplained. I'm usually a person who doesn't mind some vagueness, but in this case it felt like the author teased some plot details and never delivered. I think the story would have been more effective if we could have had stronger character interactions and dug more deeply into the backstory and character motivations.
My favorite part of the story was the symbolism and metaphors. It's a Lovecraftian story with a literary feel, a great combination! I love literary horror, and Coney did a great job of discussing themes and ideas in a smart and nuanced way that I find lacking in most horror.
I'd love to read more from this author in the future! I believe this is their first novella and they haven't published a novel yet, so I would love to see what they can do with a longer work.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.
February 29, 2024
The boy wishes he was like the land, that he could bury his secrets down deep, hide them until millennia later when what is sharp and dangerous about him could be beautiful, too.
This was alright, but not as good as I hoped it would be. Despite how short the audiobook was, I still kept having to re-wind it because my mind would wander; it just wasn't keeping my attention. The writing was lovely at times, and I loved the boy's relationship with his dog Teach, but everything else was a bit bland and the ending just upset me. Spoiler alert:
I'll admit I'm a tough sell with cosmic horror, so someone who enjoys it more might like this better than I did, and I don't regret reading it, but I probably won't be first in line to check out Coney's next release.
Thank you to the publisher and LibroFM for the audio review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Content warnings for:
———
bookstagram | booktok | blog | storygraph
July 26, 2023
The sea always rushes in, greedy for the land. His father says that one day -- a bazillion years ago -- a fish grew legs and walked on the land for the first time. And as funny as he thinks a fish with legs would look, he wonders how the sea felt when her inhabitants started walking away. He wonders if maybe that's why she keeps eating away at the land, trying to take back what it stole.
Wild Spaces is a short book, but it packs quite a resounding gut-punch. This coming-of-age horror novella explores the concepts of familial love and generational trauma in unique, profoundly sad ways, and it's a book I will definitely revisit -- once the hurt from the first read-through has worn off, that is.
The unnamed protagonist is an 11-year-old boy who lives with his parents and dog, Teach, in coastal South Carolina. It's clear that his childhood has been idyllic and full of love, and that he is cherished by his parents. But when his estranged grandfather (his mother's father) arrives suddenly and unexpectedly, the dynamics of his family begin to shift, and the boy and his dog are immediately aware that something is very, very not right with this interloper.
Wild Spaces is at once a coming-of-age story with fantastical horror elements, an ode to the ancient and wild natural world, and a meditation on the bonds of family. It made me feel unsettled, it broke my heart, and it thoroughly impressed me with its unexpected emotional richness. S.L. Coney is a gifted storyteller, evoking an immersive atmosphere and a strong sense of foreboding and wrongness with their prose. Through the use of vibrant metaphors, bittersweet storytelling, and disturbing imagery, Coney shows us unequivocally that sometimes the most frightening monsters are the human ones.
I would recommend this for readers who enjoyed books like Our Wives Under the Sea, The Fisherman, and The Saturday Night Ghost Club. Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.
March 22, 2023
I got approval for this one from Tordotcom today, and it was a quick binge read for me. I am so thankful to all of the lovely people at Tor Publishing Group, S.L. Coney and NetGalley for allowing me access to this coming-of-age, horrifically-told sci-fi novella. Wild Spaces is set to publish on August 1, 2023, and I can't wait for more of yall to check this baby out!
Our 11-year-old main character lives the good life alongside his parents and trusty sidekick dog, Teach (named after his favorite pirate, Blackbeard), in Coastal South Carolina. His father is vastly invested in the biology that their oceanside town offers and regularly takes his family on excursions to investigate its beauty.
One day, the day that set their family's expiration date, the boy's mother's father (his grandfather) comes waltzing up their driveway, looking for a place to crash. Right off the bat, the boy and Teach can sense that something is severely off with this long-lost family member. He's never around during parts of the day and clashes with everything his parents do, not to mention catching his grandfather lurking in on the boy's slumber with empty stares.
Sure enough, the Grandfather IS hiding a deep, dark secret that can only be unearthed in proximity to the tides of the ocean's pull. This secret is genetic and happens within the boy's ever-changing pubescent body. Tentacles and all, the Grandfather and our MC square off, to top it off, as the most effed-up generational trauma ever.
Our 11-year-old main character lives the good life alongside his parents and trusty sidekick dog, Teach (named after his favorite pirate, Blackbeard), in Coastal South Carolina. His father is vastly invested in the biology that their oceanside town offers and regularly takes his family on excursions to investigate its beauty.
One day, the day that set their family's expiration date, the boy's mother's father (his grandfather) comes waltzing up their driveway, looking for a place to crash. Right off the bat, the boy and Teach can sense that something is severely off with this long-lost family member. He's never around during parts of the day and clashes with everything his parents do, not to mention catching his grandfather lurking in on the boy's slumber with empty stares.
Sure enough, the Grandfather IS hiding a deep, dark secret that can only be unearthed in proximity to the tides of the ocean's pull. This secret is genetic and happens within the boy's ever-changing pubescent body. Tentacles and all, the Grandfather and our MC square off, to top it off, as the most effed-up generational trauma ever.
January 2, 2024
Wild Spaces is dark and moody, with monsters creeping up at you and a few gut punchers that will take you by surprise. I enjoyed it, but wished the writing was more showing and less telling, as that was a bit distracting and made it hard to really connect with the story. The premise is great, but I feel like maybe a switch in the narration tone or even POV would have been beneficial.
October 6, 2023
More thoughts here ⬇️
https://youtu.be/lQT991iXITY?si=xt7hp...
https://youtu.be/lQT991iXITY?si=xt7hp...
Read
October 13, 2025Well, that was a smidge weird.
October 23, 2024
La reseña completa en https://inthenevernever.blogspot.com/...
«Y el chico se da cuenta, al fin, del problema con la sonrisa del abuelo. Cuando él sonríe, nadie más lo hace».
¿Qué pasaría si tu idílica vida de la noche a la mañana empieza a cambiar? Si eres un niño de once años que vive muy feliz y tranquilo junto a sus padres y tu perro Teach en un sitio que parece mágico, pero la llegada de tu abuelo hace que todo a tu alrededor comience lentamente a transformarse. Si la presencia del padre de tu madre rompe el equilibrio de tu pequeña familia que de repente se llena de sombras. Si empiezas a cambiar sin que lo puedas evitar. Hoy para el #LeoAutorasOct quiero recomendarles Espacios salvajes, de S. L. Coney. Una novela corta repleta de secretos y de monstruos, aunque quizás no del tipo que están esperando.
«Y el chico se da cuenta, al fin, del problema con la sonrisa del abuelo. Cuando él sonríe, nadie más lo hace».
¿Qué pasaría si tu idílica vida de la noche a la mañana empieza a cambiar? Si eres un niño de once años que vive muy feliz y tranquilo junto a sus padres y tu perro Teach en un sitio que parece mágico, pero la llegada de tu abuelo hace que todo a tu alrededor comience lentamente a transformarse. Si la presencia del padre de tu madre rompe el equilibrio de tu pequeña familia que de repente se llena de sombras. Si empiezas a cambiar sin que lo puedas evitar. Hoy para el #LeoAutorasOct quiero recomendarles Espacios salvajes, de S. L. Coney. Una novela corta repleta de secretos y de monstruos, aunque quizás no del tipo que están esperando.
April 7, 2023
So this little book broke my heart.
The author brings us a disturbing and tightly written novella that meshes coming of age and Lovecraft – and it’s perfect.
Normally, I don’t like: coming of age, Lovecraft, or novellas. (Yes, I know. Yes, I read it anyway.) I loved this. I was engaged from the first page, worried about our little family, completely creeped out by Grandpa and maybe (just maybe), the author might get me reading more books like this.
An excellent story and I’m so glad I read it!
• ARC provided via publisher
The author brings us a disturbing and tightly written novella that meshes coming of age and Lovecraft – and it’s perfect.
Normally, I don’t like: coming of age, Lovecraft, or novellas. (Yes, I know. Yes, I read it anyway.) I loved this. I was engaged from the first page, worried about our little family, completely creeped out by Grandpa and maybe (just maybe), the author might get me reading more books like this.
An excellent story and I’m so glad I read it!
• ARC provided via publisher
July 28, 2023
The nitty-gritty: Dreamy, evocative writing and emotional themes make this an intriguing tale, but I didn't enjoy the ending at all.
Please note, spoilers about the dog ahead.
I’m so sad that I didn’t love this story more. I fully expected it to be a “me” story, especially with so many rave reviews on Goodreads. Unfortunately, there is a completely unnecessary death of a dog, and it just didn’t sit well with me.
The story is fairly simple but deals with some heavy themes. A boy (unnamed) and his parents live a rather idyllic life near the seashore. The boy has a beloved dog named Teach, and the father loves to study the local sea life. Teach is the boy’s constant companion and is very protective of him. One day, their safe, comfortable lives are interrupted by the appearance of the boy’s grandfather. Teach immediately senses something wrong with the man, and the boy’s mother seems scared in his presence. Nevertheless, the grandfather settles in for an extended visit, despite the fact that he isn’t really welcome.
Little by little, the reader comes to realize that things are not quite right with the grandfather. A growing sense of dread permeates the story and eventually builds to a crescendo at the end when the grandfather’s true identity is revealed in a horrific fashion.
There is a lot I loved about Wild Spaces. Coney’s prose is evocative and atmospheric and conveys just enough information to set the tone of the story. If you’re one of those readers who loves reading between the lines and not being hand fed information, you’ll love their writing style. I loved the contrast between the time before the grandfather arrives, and after. Before, the boy and his tight knit family exist in a dreamy, carefree world. There’s a sense of discovery, especially since the father loves the ocean and studying the lifeforms that live there, and that curiosity rubs off on his son. The ocean plays a big part in their lives, since the boy loves pirates and the mother writes stories about them. But the minute the grandfather enters the picture, the tone turns ominous. The mother clearly has a terrible past with her father (it’s not stated, but implied that she was abused) but she’s too polite to ask him to leave. I was surprised just how much tension the author was able to create by inserting this one character into the mix, especially when, for most of the book, he doesn’t really do anything bad.
Coney drops hints about what’s to come. The grandfather says things to the boy like “The sea runs in your veins,” which turns out to have more than one meaning. I also thought the author did a great job with the coming-of-age elements. The boy is eleven, just on the cusp of puberty, and his body is changing, although maybe not in the usual ways.
But let’s talk about poor Teach. There is one scene where Teach rescues the boy from drowning, and you think he died saving him. But no, he didn’t! At this point I thought, great, the dog survives!! But no. Almost at the end of the story, he’s killed by the grandfather, and it just felt like a slap in the face. Teach isn't the only death in the story, but his was definitely the worst. There are some other weird, confusing things that happen at the end that just didn’t make much sense, so overall the ending didn't work for me. I did love the story up until this point, though, and I'm definitely willing to give the author another chance.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
Please note, spoilers about the dog ahead.
I’m so sad that I didn’t love this story more. I fully expected it to be a “me” story, especially with so many rave reviews on Goodreads. Unfortunately, there is a completely unnecessary death of a dog, and it just didn’t sit well with me.
The story is fairly simple but deals with some heavy themes. A boy (unnamed) and his parents live a rather idyllic life near the seashore. The boy has a beloved dog named Teach, and the father loves to study the local sea life. Teach is the boy’s constant companion and is very protective of him. One day, their safe, comfortable lives are interrupted by the appearance of the boy’s grandfather. Teach immediately senses something wrong with the man, and the boy’s mother seems scared in his presence. Nevertheless, the grandfather settles in for an extended visit, despite the fact that he isn’t really welcome.
Little by little, the reader comes to realize that things are not quite right with the grandfather. A growing sense of dread permeates the story and eventually builds to a crescendo at the end when the grandfather’s true identity is revealed in a horrific fashion.
There is a lot I loved about Wild Spaces. Coney’s prose is evocative and atmospheric and conveys just enough information to set the tone of the story. If you’re one of those readers who loves reading between the lines and not being hand fed information, you’ll love their writing style. I loved the contrast between the time before the grandfather arrives, and after. Before, the boy and his tight knit family exist in a dreamy, carefree world. There’s a sense of discovery, especially since the father loves the ocean and studying the lifeforms that live there, and that curiosity rubs off on his son. The ocean plays a big part in their lives, since the boy loves pirates and the mother writes stories about them. But the minute the grandfather enters the picture, the tone turns ominous. The mother clearly has a terrible past with her father (it’s not stated, but implied that she was abused) but she’s too polite to ask him to leave. I was surprised just how much tension the author was able to create by inserting this one character into the mix, especially when, for most of the book, he doesn’t really do anything bad.
Coney drops hints about what’s to come. The grandfather says things to the boy like “The sea runs in your veins,” which turns out to have more than one meaning. I also thought the author did a great job with the coming-of-age elements. The boy is eleven, just on the cusp of puberty, and his body is changing, although maybe not in the usual ways.
But let’s talk about poor Teach. There is one scene where Teach rescues the boy from drowning, and you think he died saving him. But no, he didn’t! At this point I thought, great, the dog survives!! But no. Almost at the end of the story, he’s killed by the grandfather, and it just felt like a slap in the face. Teach isn't the only death in the story, but his was definitely the worst. There are some other weird, confusing things that happen at the end that just didn’t make much sense, so overall the ending didn't work for me. I did love the story up until this point, though, and I'm definitely willing to give the author another chance.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2023
Horror can be synonymous with heartbreak, especially in the hands of S.L. Coney and their debut novella Wild Spaces. Billed as Robert McCammon’s Boy’s Life meets H.P. Lovecraft, readers will experience coming of age in a beautifully horrific way.
“The dog shows up at the mint-green house on the edge of the woods a month before the monster arrives, his coat shiny as a new copper penny.” Simple yet lush, Coney’s opening provides readers the opportunity to settle in and sets the style for the remainder of the book. The boy lives a gentle life with mother and father. The arrival of Teach, the only named character in the book, seems to signal the best summer of his 11 years. Lyrical prose builds a story of learning, love, and family, at least until the arrival of grandfather. Then the boy must navigate new waters and the emerging horror is as insidious as it is fascinating. For grandfather brings secrets and the boy begins to change; nothing and no one is safe.
Coney’s talent for writing is evident as this rich story develops in 128 short pages, set in a microcosm of the South Carolina shore. Readers not only watch but feel right along with the boy as the life he knows is twisted and tangled until he can no longer trust anyone except Teach, not even himself. This book is certainly a bildungsroman as it showcases the boy growing up and, in the realm of cosmic horror, becoming something new and terrifying
Horror, when it demands readers relinquish their hearts, provides a comfort and a pain that can be difficult to describe. Add in the coming-of-age factor and even the most hardened fans will have a difficult time not falling in love with this novella. An excellent debut from S.L Coney requires us to remember that “...we all have doors inside leading to cracked places and wild spaces.”
“The dog shows up at the mint-green house on the edge of the woods a month before the monster arrives, his coat shiny as a new copper penny.” Simple yet lush, Coney’s opening provides readers the opportunity to settle in and sets the style for the remainder of the book. The boy lives a gentle life with mother and father. The arrival of Teach, the only named character in the book, seems to signal the best summer of his 11 years. Lyrical prose builds a story of learning, love, and family, at least until the arrival of grandfather. Then the boy must navigate new waters and the emerging horror is as insidious as it is fascinating. For grandfather brings secrets and the boy begins to change; nothing and no one is safe.
Coney’s talent for writing is evident as this rich story develops in 128 short pages, set in a microcosm of the South Carolina shore. Readers not only watch but feel right along with the boy as the life he knows is twisted and tangled until he can no longer trust anyone except Teach, not even himself. This book is certainly a bildungsroman as it showcases the boy growing up and, in the realm of cosmic horror, becoming something new and terrifying
Horror, when it demands readers relinquish their hearts, provides a comfort and a pain that can be difficult to describe. Add in the coming-of-age factor and even the most hardened fans will have a difficult time not falling in love with this novella. An excellent debut from S.L Coney requires us to remember that “...we all have doors inside leading to cracked places and wild spaces.”
November 16, 2024
Listened to the audiobook during my drive to work and at first—hear me out—I found the narrator’s voice to be 🤷🏻♀️dull BUT not so dull that it distracted from the story.
Then, I realized that the voice and tone were perfect for this story. It’s not meant to be overly theatrical and it lulls you into this dreary mood and smothers you in an overbearing atmosphere of ‘something-isn’t-right’ and ‘it’s-not-going-to-end-well’.
Really, there is just no escape from the misery in this book. The author also has a talent for sneaking lil nuggets of ‘WAIT WTF’ and not looking back.
Ultimately, this book crushed my soul and left me feeling so totally lost—in the best way possible 👀 I’m still thinking over my rating because I’m not sure if I’m feeling 5 stars but it’s no less than 4.
Then, I realized that the voice and tone were perfect for this story. It’s not meant to be overly theatrical and it lulls you into this dreary mood and smothers you in an overbearing atmosphere of ‘something-isn’t-right’ and ‘it’s-not-going-to-end-well’.
Really, there is just no escape from the misery in this book. The author also has a talent for sneaking lil nuggets of ‘WAIT WTF’ and not looking back.
Ultimately, this book crushed my soul and left me feeling so totally lost—in the best way possible 👀 I’m still thinking over my rating because I’m not sure if I’m feeling 5 stars but it’s no less than 4.
August 28, 2024
There’s nothing worse than forced art. The author should be banned from pencils and word processors.
February 14, 2025
CN. Abusive, Neglectful Family, Bereavement, Body Horror, Pet Death
I've been really struggling with my physical reading again, especially since breaking my glasses, but this was a perfectly short and bittersweet book with which to break the duck.
There's something strange and wonderful about this book. I absolutely adored it and think it's going on my vaunted Uniquely Exquisite shelf, but I also recognise it isn't perfect, but that doesn't matter because the writing is divine and heartbreaking.
Many families contain monsters, sometimes it's more literal.
This is a fascinating approach to eldritch horror and its ties to the alien, unknowable cosmic space that is the sea. But there is something more tragically gothic and moving about the breaking down of this happy family than the insensitive ravings of the racist who founded the conceit.
It's rare to follow the story of a young boy told in such a way as to feel at once fantastical and emotionally grounded, genuinely conveying the feelings of being a child in an alien world of adults who can change so entirely to become strangers in a way that captures that youthful essence, but tells it with an adult's emotional understanding of the maelstrom of adolescence. Which is a confused and fancy way of saying there's nothing childish about the fidelity with which the child protagonist's experience is artfully written.
There's something so visceral and tangible about the writing and the way the cold distance, confusion, and hurt are conjured that truly hit home for me, as someone with narcissistic, emotionally abusive parents it took me way to long to cut off. This really hit different for me and I absolutely loved it.
I recently read In Ascension by Martin MacInnes and said it would make a perfect double feature with the sublime Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. I'm adding this to make it a triple decker of stark, breathtaking beauty. Personally, I would make this the third part of the bill, after Armfield's gorgeous lonely and MacInnes' sublime epic.
My one criticism would be that the end comes rather abruptly and without much run off, but I do wonder if there is further story to be told.
***
Adored this.
More when I have more brain.
I've been really struggling with my physical reading again, especially since breaking my glasses, but this was a perfectly short and bittersweet book with which to break the duck.
There's something strange and wonderful about this book. I absolutely adored it and think it's going on my vaunted Uniquely Exquisite shelf, but I also recognise it isn't perfect, but that doesn't matter because the writing is divine and heartbreaking.
Many families contain monsters, sometimes it's more literal.
This is a fascinating approach to eldritch horror and its ties to the alien, unknowable cosmic space that is the sea. But there is something more tragically gothic and moving about the breaking down of this happy family than the insensitive ravings of the racist who founded the conceit.
It's rare to follow the story of a young boy told in such a way as to feel at once fantastical and emotionally grounded, genuinely conveying the feelings of being a child in an alien world of adults who can change so entirely to become strangers in a way that captures that youthful essence, but tells it with an adult's emotional understanding of the maelstrom of adolescence. Which is a confused and fancy way of saying there's nothing childish about the fidelity with which the child protagonist's experience is artfully written.
There's something so visceral and tangible about the writing and the way the cold distance, confusion, and hurt are conjured that truly hit home for me, as someone with narcissistic, emotionally abusive parents it took me way to long to cut off. This really hit different for me and I absolutely loved it.
I recently read In Ascension by Martin MacInnes and said it would make a perfect double feature with the sublime Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. I'm adding this to make it a triple decker of stark, breathtaking beauty. Personally, I would make this the third part of the bill, after Armfield's gorgeous lonely and MacInnes' sublime epic.
My one criticism would be that the end comes rather abruptly and without much run off, but I do wonder if there is further story to be told.
***
Adored this.
More when I have more brain.
March 30, 2024
I recently read a news article in Locus magazine on the 2023 nominees for the Phillip K. Dick Award which focuses on genre fiction originally published in paperback. I picked three of the nominees to read, based on the synopsis which grabbed my attention. I was unfamiliar with S. L. Coney before this.
Here's the most important thing to say about this: S.L. Coney is a promising new writer with a lot of potential, and I will most likely seek out whatever they write after WILD SPACES, if only to make up my mind. Perhaps the synopsis and early reviews/blurbs raised my expectations beyond what this quick reading novella could deliver to me. Also, the comparisons to renowned authors like Robert McCammon and H.P. Lovecraft, while somewhat appropriate, also led to expectations that were not met.
Page 32: "The sea always rushes in, greedy for the land. His father says that one day -- a bazillion years ago -- a fish grew legs and walked on land for the first time. And as funny as he thinks a fish with legs would look, he wonders how the sea felt when her inhabitants started walking away. He wonders if maybe that's why she keeps eating away at the land, trying to take back what it stole."
There are several memorable passages like that one. However, if only there were more and I felt a consistent voice throughout the story I might have rated this higher.
The foreshadowing in the early chapters allowed me to figure out the ending too early, and that made the emotional moments less heart-breaking or heart-warming for me.
But, based on this novella I definitely want to revisit S. L. Coney. If you're looking to discover new promising writers, this short novella may reward you without sacrificing much of your reading time. This could easily be read at one sitting.
Here's the most important thing to say about this: S.L. Coney is a promising new writer with a lot of potential, and I will most likely seek out whatever they write after WILD SPACES, if only to make up my mind. Perhaps the synopsis and early reviews/blurbs raised my expectations beyond what this quick reading novella could deliver to me. Also, the comparisons to renowned authors like Robert McCammon and H.P. Lovecraft, while somewhat appropriate, also led to expectations that were not met.
Page 32: "The sea always rushes in, greedy for the land. His father says that one day -- a bazillion years ago -- a fish grew legs and walked on land for the first time. And as funny as he thinks a fish with legs would look, he wonders how the sea felt when her inhabitants started walking away. He wonders if maybe that's why she keeps eating away at the land, trying to take back what it stole."
There are several memorable passages like that one. However, if only there were more and I felt a consistent voice throughout the story I might have rated this higher.
The foreshadowing in the early chapters allowed me to figure out the ending too early, and that made the emotional moments less heart-breaking or heart-warming for me.
But, based on this novella I definitely want to revisit S. L. Coney. If you're looking to discover new promising writers, this short novella may reward you without sacrificing much of your reading time. This could easily be read at one sitting.
January 17, 2024
Coming of age story whose plain language and sentences from a child's perspective makes the horrors that exist between the lines that much more terrifying. Very effective, understated horror.
July 17, 2025
‘Some monsters are real after all.’
This is a gorgeously written, heartbreaking, grotesque coming-of-age story that ends with a supernatural metamorphosis, a discordant cosmic jellied horror. It’s also a fascinating family study, a textbook definition of dysfunctional. Ray Bradbury haunts this work; Robert McCammon sings in these horrifying pages. The writing is lyrical, the story impossible to turn away from. Wild Spaces deserves to be read.
This is a gorgeously written, heartbreaking, grotesque coming-of-age story that ends with a supernatural metamorphosis, a discordant cosmic jellied horror. It’s also a fascinating family study, a textbook definition of dysfunctional. Ray Bradbury haunts this work; Robert McCammon sings in these horrifying pages. The writing is lyrical, the story impossible to turn away from. Wild Spaces deserves to be read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 556 reviews