Samanthas

by Jacob Steven Mohr

Gifted burnout and wannabe gumshoe Finn Bracken exists on the margins of high school society, ghostwriting essays for whoever will pay while neglecting his own academics.

But when a regular client vanishes, it coincides with the arrival of three mysterious and near-identical foreign exchange students, all coincidentally named ‘Samantha.’

Drawn into a spiraling mystery by the missing boy’s haughty girlfriend, Finn finds himself matching wits and wills with a terror from beyond the stars, one that preys on lonely young men with an all-consuming lust for life and flesh.

Hardcover

Expected publication January 19, 2027

About the author

Jacob Steven Mohr does not believe in human consciousness; his works emerge as though from the ether, fully formed and fully ominous. Selections of these can be observed in Cosmic Horror Monthly, Shortwave Magazine, Chthonic Matter Quarterly, Weird Horror Magazine, and The Best Horror of the Year Vol. 15. He exists in Columbus OH. Follow him everywhere @jacobstevenmohr.

Reviews

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely had a blast reading this, breezing right on through it.

Samanthas is a novella and there are three additional short stories: Empty Shells on a Cold Shore, Who Has to Know?, and The You Inside of Me.

Samanthans is a crazy story! We are introduced to the Samanthas in this story. The Samanthas are three sisters who are new to town. They are gorgeous, but awkward. Friendly, but devious.

The character development is great in this novella. I was a cheerleader for the main character. Hoping he would be safe, even though there were some close calls worrying if he would make it to the end of the story. The ending was a complete surprise.

The scenes were easy to visualize. I never had any problems seeing where the characters were standing or the dreariness of a scene. Mohr definitely did a great job with describing the scenes.

The three short story reviews:

Empty Shells on a Cold Shore:
A team of people work and watch baby turtles hatch. The descriptions of the location/island really sets the scene. Told from the perspective of a first person point of view, we visualize what is going to happen through a different set of eyes.

Who Has To Know?:
While at a bachelor party, three girls show up, which it is assumed they are sexy dancers, since it is a bachelor party. It takes a turn for the worse when it is revealed they are actually the Samanthas. Once again, the sisters are at it. I liked the smooth writing in this story. It was a fast read that was well edited.

The You Inside of Me:
Samantha feels regret over the death of one of the victims. She releases him because of the contrition. Samantha ends up at a carnival and finds someone to be her next victim. This story rounds out the whole book of Samanthas. It’s a darker story compared to the other three stories. I think this one is my favorite.

Each of these stories bring together a world of the Samanthas. The journeys they take, the people they meet, and the attention they crave.

I really enjoyed these stories. A novel idea with a blend of science fiction and horror.
I recommend this story for those that like science fiction, horror, body horror, and small town horrors. I will say even though the characters are high school kids, it does not present that way at all. This is definitely an adult horror book. This book belongs on the bookshelf.

My favorite quote: “The night is an ocean. And the earth is a shore.”

[Jes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samanthas is an excellent high school horror that plays with familiar territory without belaboring old tropes. It feels fresh and fun, until the characters themselves realize it is not fun at all anymore.
Mohr's writing is as dynamic and engaging as ever, and his detailed images lend to the character voices rather than clogging the narrative. My personal favorite image was of the swim team on the gym bleachers like a colony of seals holding court atop their rock.
The characters and their relationships feel rich and complex, and Mohr doesn't slow us down with details that don't matter. We get the shape of past conflicts without having to know the details. Mohr has aptly dodged tired bullying tropes and instead presents teens with all their complexities and insecurities.
If there was one thing I craved a little more of, it would be leaning in a bit more to the detective story. For the reader, there is no whodunnit, just watching the main character discover the horror. I would have loved a bit more mystery.

I was grateful to receive an advanced galley of this book to review!

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting horror novel. The concept of Samanthas was very unique to me personally. It combines supernatural horror and mystery to create this story. We have our triplets the Samanthas who seem a bit off. Especially since they have the same name. Caleb, who happens to be the star swimmer, goes missing. His seemingly girlfriend Enid recruits Finn to help investigate his sudden disappearance. Finn is great at paying attention to smaller details and notices strange things with the triplets. There were some moments where Finn had me stressing. He kept hiding important information from Enid and leaving her out of decisions that impacted her as well. He should’ve trusted and confided in her more often. This story is sort of like your typical teenage slasher, but different. I enjoyed it a lot honestly. The characters and world building is very well written and the pacing is consistent throughout. There wasn’t a moment where I was bored or confused. 
I did receive an arc from the author. This is my honest review.

[Donna Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love body horror that spins my head around! Throw in cosmic horror that emerges from the depths to swallow teens whole, and you can't get more perfect. In the vein of Betty Rocksteady, Jacob Steven Mohr will twist your mind with his descriptions, leaving you utterly disoriented, slightly nauseous, and desperate for more.