The Barre Incidents

by Lauren Bolger

When Kara's miner father dies of Silicosis, she grapples with the old horror stories in their hometown of Barre, Vermont. Stories she insisted she didn't believe. Like dead miners walking the five miles of road between Hope Cemetery and Rock of Ages quarry to resume their work, making believers of anyone who interrupted their nightly march. A terrifying encounter at the cemetery the night of his burial rips the tarp off old memories she'd suppressed, making it near impossible to believe that her father’s body is at rest.

In her quest to help her father, she learns he cheated death as a teenager, and his closest friend wasn’t so lucky. A regular at the local grill remembers a horrible mechanical being watching them from a tree that night. When cryptids, an interdimensional creature, and an old god creep out of the shadows, Kara knows she’s getting closer to the truth, but the path to her endgame grows treacherous.

The Barre Incidents is Cosmic Horror with Dark Fantasy and Found Footage elements. It’s an exploration of love born under the shadow of grief in a world where horrible and awesome magic are everywhere for those who dare to wrap their hands around it.

Genres: Horror

Paperback

Published October 1, 2025

About the author

Lauren loves Horror. She will talk about music until you make snoring sounds or walk away, and she plays the drums. She lives in a suburb sort of near Chicago with her spouse and two kids. She's also a Chicago chapter member of the Horror Writers Association.

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

I really wanted to love The Barre Incidents. The premise had promise, and I held out hope for as long as I could but eventually, I had to step away. The story felt too disjointed to keep me engaged, and I found myself more frustrated than intrigued.

Bolger’s commitment to layering in weirdness was bold, but it never really found its footing and felt like the plot kept slipping through its own fingers. The structure never quite settled, and the dialogue and character development felt surface-level. It read more like a YA novel than the eerie, slow-burn horror I was hoping for.

I know this book will resonate with readers who enjoy surreal, genre-blurring fiction. It just wasn’t the right fit for me. Sometimes you have to know when to bow out, and for me, this was that moment. And it’s not that the ingredients weren’t intriguing. The town of Barre is allegedly a cryptid magnet, with appearances from Mothman, strange dog people, an ancient tree god, and even a skin-stealing doppleganger of sorts who seems to show up right before all hell breaks loose. But instead of building dread or deepening the mystery, the book kept tossing weirdness at the wall to see what stuck. And for me, not much did.

I wanted eerie. I got erratic. Dropped it like it was hot at page 202, with a sigh and a side-eye.

[Tabatha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how original this story is! While I don’t usually gravitate toward books that include fantasy, the fantastical elements here were incredibly well done. The eerie atmosphere, the blend of grief and otherworldly mystery, and the tension in Barre all pulled me in right away.

Kara is such a compelling character. I could see myself in her at certain points, especially as she wrestled with grief, disbelief, and the unsettling realization that some legends might actually be true. The author does a great job layering emotional depth with haunting visuals and undertones.

It’s dark, strange, and beautifully written! A great read for anyone who loves cosmic horror with heart.

[Horror DNA · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Barre Incidents wastes no time at all getting started. Kara's father has recently passed due to a disease he got from many years working in a rock quarry. After the funeral, she pays a visit to her father's grave with her 'we're just friends' friend, Alec, and the two experience what they believe to be an earthquake. However, no one else in town feels a thing. That's just the beginning of the strange goings-on that are about to drop.

You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Barre Incidents wastes no time at all getting started. Kara's father has recently passed due to a disease he got from many years working in a rock quarry. After the funeral, she pays a visit to her father's grave with her 'we're just friends' friend, Alec, and the two experience what they believe to be an earthquake. However, no one else in town feels a thing. That's just the beginning of the strange goings-on that are about to drop.

You can read my full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Margaret Digiacinto · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. Bolger is a talented writer, and I love the premise of the story. Unfortunately, I think this book needed a lot more editing before going to print. There was a bit too much going on, and I felt that the characters knew an unnatural amount of information about what to do next. Their actions felt driven by the author’s overall goal for the plot rather than organic, believable decisions.

[Jen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I love most about Lauren’s books is the depth of the descriptions in her writing, and the bold choices she takes! She’s not afraid to weave in many different layers to her books, and bring them back together in the end!

[Chris Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strange and hypnotic ride, blending folk horror with dark fantasy that operates under a kind of fever dream logic. Was never sure where this was heading, but I enjoyed the heck out of it. Fun read!

[Sheldon Birnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bolger has done it again!