What do you think?
Rate this book
Plague of Gulls
Stephen Gregory uses the medieval castle and town walls of Caernarfon as the backdrop for his latest dark and disturbing novel.
When David Kewish suffers an excruciating accident on his eighteenth birthday, the whole of his summer is blighted... and when a fledgling black-backed gull comes tapping at his front door in the middle of the night, and the town is besieged by flocks of gulls, it is this bird which fuels the tension of the story and increases the friction between the characters.
When David Kewish suffers an excruciating accident on his eighteenth birthday, the whole of his summer is blighted... and when a fledgling black-backed gull comes tapping at his front door in the middle of the night, and the town is besieged by flocks of gulls, it is this bird which fuels the tension of the story and increases the friction between the characters.
258 pages, Hardcover
First published January 28, 2015
7 people are currently reading
1632 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Gregory
20 books92 followersStephen Gregory (b. 1952) was born in Derby, England, and earned a degree in law from the University of London. He worked as a teacher for ten years in various places, including Wales, Algeria, and Sudan, before moving to the mountains of Snowdonia in Wales to write his first novel, The Cormorant (1986), which won Britain’s prestigious Somerset Maugham Award and drew comparisons to Poe. The book was also adapted for film as a BBC production starring Ralph Fiennes. Two more novels, both set in Wales, followed: The Woodwitch (1988) and The Blood of Angels (1994). After the publication of The Blood of Angels, he worked in Hollywood for a year with Oscar-winning director William Friedkin (The Exorcist). More recently, he has published The Perils and Dangers of this Night (2008), and his new novel, The Waking That Kills, will be published in late 2013.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 25, 2018
It is my personal belief that Stephen Gregory must suffer, to some extent, from Ornithophobia - the abnormal and irrational fear of birds - and is using his highly skilled writing abilities to ‘work out’ these issues.
I first came to this belief after reading, what I believe was Mr. Gregory’s first book titled “The Cormorant” (1986). If the reader has not encountered that book then the problem needs to be immediately fixed. Then, years later I ran across “Wakening the Crow” (2014). When speaking of the crow we are told it was “a raggedy skeletal wretch of a bird, and it refuses to leave. It infiltrates their lives.”
Now we are presented with a “Plague of Gulls“(originally published 2015/2016 in ‘e’ format). This particular version of the story is a hardcover presented by the U.K. outfit PS Publishing, a nice production. The tale revolves around a teenager named David Kewish who has not lived under the best of circumstances. Early in his life his father commits suicide by driving into a quarry. David was in attendance. His mother takes up with a screwy guy name Kenny, who wants to be the best ‘Air Guitarist’ in Wales. Kenny has no real employment; he leads ‘Ghost Tours’ through a nearby castle. Kenny also sleep walks at night and pisses into random closets, making the house reek of urine, David’s mother, a nurse, takes off for Mogadishu or Somalia or somewhere.
Life is sad and lonely for David until he is adopted by a baby seagull who moves into his room. In fact the small Welch village is over run by seagulls. One of David’s friends wants him to name the gull Daphne (a reference to Daphne du Maurier authors of the story “The Birds” (the Hitchcock film)). Soon strange deaths begin to occur around David.
The book is not bright and cheery. The gloom and isolation become palpable. Mr. Gregory is expert in conveying this story of loss without redemption. And he keeps you reading, while managing to intersperse some darkly tinted sly humor where it is least expected. Perhaps Mr. Gregory was pecked by the stork when he was being delivered and he is working out his issues in these works of horror literature.
This hardcover is numbered 68 of 200 copies produced and is signed by Stephen Gregory.
I first came to this belief after reading, what I believe was Mr. Gregory’s first book titled “The Cormorant” (1986). If the reader has not encountered that book then the problem needs to be immediately fixed. Then, years later I ran across “Wakening the Crow” (2014). When speaking of the crow we are told it was “a raggedy skeletal wretch of a bird, and it refuses to leave. It infiltrates their lives.”
Now we are presented with a “Plague of Gulls“(originally published 2015/2016 in ‘e’ format). This particular version of the story is a hardcover presented by the U.K. outfit PS Publishing, a nice production. The tale revolves around a teenager named David Kewish who has not lived under the best of circumstances. Early in his life his father commits suicide by driving into a quarry. David was in attendance. His mother takes up with a screwy guy name Kenny, who wants to be the best ‘Air Guitarist’ in Wales. Kenny has no real employment; he leads ‘Ghost Tours’ through a nearby castle. Kenny also sleep walks at night and pisses into random closets, making the house reek of urine, David’s mother, a nurse, takes off for Mogadishu or Somalia or somewhere.
Life is sad and lonely for David until he is adopted by a baby seagull who moves into his room. In fact the small Welch village is over run by seagulls. One of David’s friends wants him to name the gull Daphne (a reference to Daphne du Maurier authors of the story “The Birds” (the Hitchcock film)). Soon strange deaths begin to occur around David.
The book is not bright and cheery. The gloom and isolation become palpable. Mr. Gregory is expert in conveying this story of loss without redemption. And he keeps you reading, while managing to intersperse some darkly tinted sly humor where it is least expected. Perhaps Mr. Gregory was pecked by the stork when he was being delivered and he is working out his issues in these works of horror literature.
This hardcover is numbered 68 of 200 copies produced and is signed by Stephen Gregory.
February 23, 2015
4.5 stars!
Yesterday the fourth and final stave of Plague of Gulls was released. Unfortunately, I was so tired I didn't get to read it until today. I finished the book just now, and I'm a little stunned. So much happened in the last two staves of this book, it was crazy! I never saw any of it coming and I love when that happens. Now, I can add this book to my list of favorites, which already includes a couple of Mr. Gregory's books.
This reading experiment by The Pigeonhole was a big success as far as I'm concerned. Delayed gratification is sometimes difficult and it was hard to wait for each stave to be released. If I had my druthers, I would have sat my butt down and read this story all in one sitting. I will admit though, that the waiting increased my anticipation and whetted my appetite.
As I mentioned in previous posts, certain parts of the website become available as staves are released. This time it was a story from a young woman that was attacked by a gull trying to get her pasties. (Apparently, this is a food from across the pond that looks like a Hot Pocket, not the items that women wear, as it means here.) I've also previously mentioned that there is a discussion board there. This past week, Mr. Gregory himself showed up and I thought that was super cool.
All that's left in this experiment is to see how The Pigeonhole charges for the book. (It was very inexpensive, at only .85 USD for each stave, and there is no charge until you've received all 4 staves. However, you do have to give a credit card number to subscribe.) I can't see anything going wrong with that-it's all very straightforward .
I'm looking forward to doing this again in the future, depending on the books and/or authors available. It was a lot of fun, made even more pleasurable by the fact that the book was superb. Thanks to The Pigeonhole and to Mr. Gregory for the opportunity to experience something new in the world of reading.
Yesterday the fourth and final stave of Plague of Gulls was released. Unfortunately, I was so tired I didn't get to read it until today. I finished the book just now, and I'm a little stunned. So much happened in the last two staves of this book, it was crazy! I never saw any of it coming and I love when that happens. Now, I can add this book to my list of favorites, which already includes a couple of Mr. Gregory's books.
This reading experiment by The Pigeonhole was a big success as far as I'm concerned. Delayed gratification is sometimes difficult and it was hard to wait for each stave to be released. If I had my druthers, I would have sat my butt down and read this story all in one sitting. I will admit though, that the waiting increased my anticipation and whetted my appetite.
As I mentioned in previous posts, certain parts of the website become available as staves are released. This time it was a story from a young woman that was attacked by a gull trying to get her pasties. (Apparently, this is a food from across the pond that looks like a Hot Pocket, not the items that women wear, as it means here.) I've also previously mentioned that there is a discussion board there. This past week, Mr. Gregory himself showed up and I thought that was super cool.
All that's left in this experiment is to see how The Pigeonhole charges for the book. (It was very inexpensive, at only .85 USD for each stave, and there is no charge until you've received all 4 staves. However, you do have to give a credit card number to subscribe.) I can't see anything going wrong with that-it's all very straightforward .
I'm looking forward to doing this again in the future, depending on the books and/or authors available. It was a lot of fun, made even more pleasurable by the fact that the book was superb. Thanks to The Pigeonhole and to Mr. Gregory for the opportunity to experience something new in the world of reading.
November 10, 2021
Thank you to PS Publishing for this beautiful, limited, signed edition of Plague of Gulls in exchange for an honest review.
You know I love good book design. Everything about this edition is perfection. The book's cover art and colors are vintage-goodness. The end pages are deliciously illustrated and colored. Even the size of the book was amazing-it was a hardback, but it didn't feel heavy in my hands when I read it in my bed at night. It's smaller than the average hardback.
ANYHOODLES
It felt so satisfying each and every time I picked up where I left off with this one. It's one of those stories where the narrative is engaging, the story is expertly paced and the characters are interesting-and could do something unexpected at any moment!
(and they do)
The protagonist is a boy on the brink of manhood, I think he's 18. He lives with his stepdad because his father died in a tragic accident and his mother is away in a third world country for some medical charity work. So our young man obviously is struggling through some feelings.
I love how Stephen Gregory took this boy's coming of age story and mixed it with some psychological horror--my favorite combination.
As we watch David Kewish go through some pretty serious events and transitions, we also feel this growing tension building. Each chapter brings the reader closer and closer to a boiling point--that feeling where things can't keep going the way they're going--something has to give.
I could have read this book forever and ever.
The ending, while totally satisfying and wonderful was bittersweet. I'll definitely be looking for more from this talented author.
You know I love good book design. Everything about this edition is perfection. The book's cover art and colors are vintage-goodness. The end pages are deliciously illustrated and colored. Even the size of the book was amazing-it was a hardback, but it didn't feel heavy in my hands when I read it in my bed at night. It's smaller than the average hardback.
ANYHOODLES
It felt so satisfying each and every time I picked up where I left off with this one. It's one of those stories where the narrative is engaging, the story is expertly paced and the characters are interesting-and could do something unexpected at any moment!
(and they do)
The protagonist is a boy on the brink of manhood, I think he's 18. He lives with his stepdad because his father died in a tragic accident and his mother is away in a third world country for some medical charity work. So our young man obviously is struggling through some feelings.
I love how Stephen Gregory took this boy's coming of age story and mixed it with some psychological horror--my favorite combination.
As we watch David Kewish go through some pretty serious events and transitions, we also feel this growing tension building. Each chapter brings the reader closer and closer to a boiling point--that feeling where things can't keep going the way they're going--something has to give.
I could have read this book forever and ever.
The ending, while totally satisfying and wonderful was bittersweet. I'll definitely be looking for more from this talented author.
November 17, 2016
4 1/2 Find this book at The Pigeonhole.com.
If you’re looking for dark fiction that keeps you guessing, Plague of Gulls is a definite recommend. It is filled with upsetting and disturbing turns and nowhere along the way could I anticipate where things were going. I love when that happens and it doesn’t happen nearly enough in my reading life.
I also love a well written sense of creeping dread and writing that can turn the mundane into something just slightly ominous with a turn of phrase and Plague of Gulls captures those feelings perfectly and maintains them throughout the piece. I could not put this one down.
“Kenny watches, the smile like a wound on his mouth.”
So, what’s it about? I’m going to be vague so as not to ruin it. Basically it’s about a young man named David going through an extremely low point in his life. He had visions of a summer filled with music and friendship but because of circumstances, he spends his time mostly alone or at a quarry that hides pain deep within its depths. And then a baby seagull comes into his life and things go from awful to tragically dark. And that’s all I’m giving you.
I despise poor-me types and was a little worried at the beginning that David was going to be one of those oh woe-is-me whiny boys that give Eeyore a run for his money.
Even David admits that he’s not sympathetic but after a few chapters I didn’t find that to be true at all. This kid had been dealt a hand of poo that festered and continued to grow with every move he made and it would’ve been hard for me not to sympathize with him.
It’s creepy, it’s sad and it has moments of unexpected humor but the descriptive prose is what grabbed me and won me over. I can’t wait to read more by this author.
“I wait for the pain to ease. The walls of the castle and the old town lean around the house and smother it with their shadows.”
If you’re looking for dark fiction that keeps you guessing, Plague of Gulls is a definite recommend. It is filled with upsetting and disturbing turns and nowhere along the way could I anticipate where things were going. I love when that happens and it doesn’t happen nearly enough in my reading life.
I also love a well written sense of creeping dread and writing that can turn the mundane into something just slightly ominous with a turn of phrase and Plague of Gulls captures those feelings perfectly and maintains them throughout the piece. I could not put this one down.
“Kenny watches, the smile like a wound on his mouth.”
So, what’s it about? I’m going to be vague so as not to ruin it. Basically it’s about a young man named David going through an extremely low point in his life. He had visions of a summer filled with music and friendship but because of circumstances, he spends his time mostly alone or at a quarry that hides pain deep within its depths. And then a baby seagull comes into his life and things go from awful to tragically dark. And that’s all I’m giving you.
I despise poor-me types and was a little worried at the beginning that David was going to be one of those oh woe-is-me whiny boys that give Eeyore a run for his money.
Even David admits that he’s not sympathetic but after a few chapters I didn’t find that to be true at all. This kid had been dealt a hand of poo that festered and continued to grow with every move he made and it would’ve been hard for me not to sympathize with him.
It’s creepy, it’s sad and it has moments of unexpected humor but the descriptive prose is what grabbed me and won me over. I can’t wait to read more by this author.
“I wait for the pain to ease. The walls of the castle and the old town lean around the house and smother it with their shadows.”
October 3, 2018
PLAGUE OF GULLS, by Stephen Gregory, is the fourth novel I have read by him, to date. Each book I've come across has involved a bird of some sort in the plot, and I've noticed how well these blend into his tales. The connection between these creatures that are still so "mysterious" to man--as opposed to your more "typical" dogs or cats--work so suitably when dealing with psychological horror.
"Only a bird, but a bullying presence in my room. A wild creature, with a gleam in its eyes . . . "
The story begins with David Kewish. The tragedies this eighteen year-old has been through lately would have given even the most unusually optimistic person a reason to be gloomy. His father recently dead, a new stepfather, Kenny, that he has no affection for, and a mother that left them both to do nursing charity work overseas.
". . . the music seemed to curl up and wither and die like Dad had done . . . "
For his eighteenth birthday, David gets himself a new guitar--a passion he used to indulge in before his father passed--and minutes later suffers an especially horrible, grisly accident.
Shortly thereafter, a baby gull--now his gull--takes up residence with him.
". . . It's neither here nor there, but everywhere . . . "
Stephen Gregory masterfully creates characters that instantly feel real to the reader. David is a sulky, morose man at this point, but through the events and thoughts that are described, it becomes easy to see why. In fact, the very idea of his disposition being any other way would come across as unrealistic.
". . . I realize how like him I am, and how silly and stubborn I am too."
The overall tone of this novel is one of loss and changes. Yet Gregory infuses enough comedic moments that it propels the story along in a fluid manner. The comic interludes throughout really emphasize the constant metamorphosis that is taking place not only in David's mind and world, but in the town as a whole. Coincidentally, at the time David's gull "adopts" him, the area is besieged by some unusual and unfortunate events perpetrated by the winged creatures.
". . . Black-backs . . . the biggest and meanest gulls in the world."
". . . The pesky chicks are always hungry, demanding more and more to guzzle into their bulging bellies. Won't they ever be satisfied? . . . "
One of the things I really enjoyed about this story was how well the events related to both our main character, and the mindset of the village, on a larger scale. While the introduction of "his" gull coincides with his own rash of individual bad luck, incidents and depression, the plague of gulls seem to symbolize misfortunes and horrible occurrences, happening to the entire village. This reminded me very much of Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS, to some degree, albeit on a minor scale in comparison.
"The past is a cold place . . . "
Overall, I am extremely impressed with Stephen Gregory's writing style, and how he is able to convey these emotions so fluidly into the reader's imagination. Once I entered the sombre world of David Kewish's changing life, I was instantly captivated by each new page and turn of events. Even with the added comic relief, I'd have to say that this was a mentally "heavy" tale, yet one that I was sorry to have end. This book has that special staying power, and these characters and situations will remain with the reader long after the story is completed.
Highly recommended!
"Only a bird, but a bullying presence in my room. A wild creature, with a gleam in its eyes . . . "
The story begins with David Kewish. The tragedies this eighteen year-old has been through lately would have given even the most unusually optimistic person a reason to be gloomy. His father recently dead, a new stepfather, Kenny, that he has no affection for, and a mother that left them both to do nursing charity work overseas.
". . . the music seemed to curl up and wither and die like Dad had done . . . "
For his eighteenth birthday, David gets himself a new guitar--a passion he used to indulge in before his father passed--and minutes later suffers an especially horrible, grisly accident.
Shortly thereafter, a baby gull--now his gull--takes up residence with him.
". . . It's neither here nor there, but everywhere . . . "
Stephen Gregory masterfully creates characters that instantly feel real to the reader. David is a sulky, morose man at this point, but through the events and thoughts that are described, it becomes easy to see why. In fact, the very idea of his disposition being any other way would come across as unrealistic.
". . . I realize how like him I am, and how silly and stubborn I am too."
The overall tone of this novel is one of loss and changes. Yet Gregory infuses enough comedic moments that it propels the story along in a fluid manner. The comic interludes throughout really emphasize the constant metamorphosis that is taking place not only in David's mind and world, but in the town as a whole. Coincidentally, at the time David's gull "adopts" him, the area is besieged by some unusual and unfortunate events perpetrated by the winged creatures.
". . . Black-backs . . . the biggest and meanest gulls in the world."
". . . The pesky chicks are always hungry, demanding more and more to guzzle into their bulging bellies. Won't they ever be satisfied? . . . "
One of the things I really enjoyed about this story was how well the events related to both our main character, and the mindset of the village, on a larger scale. While the introduction of "his" gull coincides with his own rash of individual bad luck, incidents and depression, the plague of gulls seem to symbolize misfortunes and horrible occurrences, happening to the entire village. This reminded me very much of Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS, to some degree, albeit on a minor scale in comparison.
"The past is a cold place . . . "
Overall, I am extremely impressed with Stephen Gregory's writing style, and how he is able to convey these emotions so fluidly into the reader's imagination. Once I entered the sombre world of David Kewish's changing life, I was instantly captivated by each new page and turn of events. Even with the added comic relief, I'd have to say that this was a mentally "heavy" tale, yet one that I was sorry to have end. This book has that special staying power, and these characters and situations will remain with the reader long after the story is completed.
Highly recommended!
March 10, 2015
Life is harder for the lonely souls in this world. The little things, the small difficulties we all face every day are just a little larger, their impact upon us a little heavier, the ripples spreading wider when your circle is so damn small.
For teenager David Kewish, a minor accident that is so ill timed, it is the definition of cruel....and a single act of compassion towards a young gull are what begin the ripple effect, sending his life into a downward spiral that ends in madness.
This was a stunning tale of dark fiction and psychological horror, at turns subtle, at others jawdropping in intensity.
Stephen Gregory is an author to watch.
Highly recommended for fans of quiet, literary horror.
Special thanks to Anna Jean Hughes and The Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read and review this incredible book.
For teenager David Kewish, a minor accident that is so ill timed, it is the definition of cruel....and a single act of compassion towards a young gull are what begin the ripple effect, sending his life into a downward spiral that ends in madness.
This was a stunning tale of dark fiction and psychological horror, at turns subtle, at others jawdropping in intensity.
Stephen Gregory is an author to watch.
Highly recommended for fans of quiet, literary horror.
Special thanks to Anna Jean Hughes and The Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read and review this incredible book.
October 27, 2018
Wonderfully weird and mad. Unclassifiable, other than to say, it's an excellent novel.
June 13, 2025
Una storia straziante racchiusa in un libro di poche ma intense pagine.
La storia è quella di Dave, un ragazzo in un modo o nell’altro abbandonato e costretto a condividere lo stesso tetto con Kenny, un personaggio che per il protagonista non è altro che un tutore e un male allo stesso tempo.
Ho apprezzato molto la volontà di far permeare i ricordi degli affetti nei gabbiani rappresentati come una enorme minaccia sulla città.
Un po’ meno chiaro mi è rimasto il comportamento della figura “mamma”, un elemento così vicino a Dave, ma anche così lontano: viene spesso richiamata alla memoria, ma sono effettivamente molto poche le scene in cui si vede agire o parlare in prima persona.
È stata una lettura piacevole che mi ha accompagnato a lavoro in questi giorni: sfogliato con i miei tempi, ho amato la scorrevolezza che tuttavia non mi ha spinta a leggere con fretta e avidità.
Uno dei migliori libri che mi è stato regalato.
Grazie Giulia, Alessandro, Sasha.
La storia è quella di Dave, un ragazzo in un modo o nell’altro abbandonato e costretto a condividere lo stesso tetto con Kenny, un personaggio che per il protagonista non è altro che un tutore e un male allo stesso tempo.
Ho apprezzato molto la volontà di far permeare i ricordi degli affetti nei gabbiani rappresentati come una enorme minaccia sulla città.
Un po’ meno chiaro mi è rimasto il comportamento della figura “mamma”, un elemento così vicino a Dave, ma anche così lontano: viene spesso richiamata alla memoria, ma sono effettivamente molto poche le scene in cui si vede agire o parlare in prima persona.
È stata una lettura piacevole che mi ha accompagnato a lavoro in questi giorni: sfogliato con i miei tempi, ho amato la scorrevolezza che tuttavia non mi ha spinta a leggere con fretta e avidità.
Uno dei migliori libri che mi è stato regalato.
Grazie Giulia, Alessandro, Sasha.
March 16, 2022
A somewhat dark but strangely humorous look at a young man coming to terms with the sudden death of his father, abandonment of his mother and that his life is going nowhere. He befriends a seagull but bad things start happening to people around him and the sea gulls seem to be involved. To what extent are they a manifestation of the darkness within himself?
At times a hard to empathise with protagonist but it was made clear that this was intentional. But although I feel I can perceive some of what the author indented to do with this story, it never completely made sense to me and I'm not sure it was entirely effective in whatever it was trying to do.
A good read but not an essential work from this author.
At times a hard to empathise with protagonist but it was made clear that this was intentional. But although I feel I can perceive some of what the author indented to do with this story, it never completely made sense to me and I'm not sure it was entirely effective in whatever it was trying to do.
A good read but not an essential work from this author.
February 20, 2023
An excellent book, psychologically twisted, dark and dreary. Review to come more later - but I didn't understand a few things in it, so I was near a five star rating but it's dialed down a little.
November 26, 2025
Creepy and unsettling and rather believable, maybe? Stephen Gregory writes so amazingly subtle prose, it's so casually masterful. This is another finely crafted tale. Moves between genres, maybe SG is his own genre, like Michael Cisco?, so you're never quite sure what to expect. Plenty of sharp violence, general observations, and questions of sanity here. Hard to put my finger (ha!) on why this works, but few authors spew atmosphere and oddness amidst life's normalcy so well. Another useless review, as always, for a book that deserves much better.
March 19, 2022
“Rumours and whispers and tales about me. About the bird. About me and the bird. A strange summer. People got hurt. Was it one or two? Or three? Who’s counting?”
“I’m so used to the gulls being here a lot of the time, that when they aren’t I wonder what kind of mischief they’re up to. It’s too quiet”
18 y.o David Kewish is not having a great time: His father is dead and his mom has f*cked on off abroad to work (and to get away from his infantile alcoholic-closet-peeing stepfather). He’s also given up playing the guitar as he lost part of his finger in a tragicomic accident involving his drunk stepfather and a door.
Adding insult to injury: David’s well meaning, but kinda stupid, stepfather plays the air guitar..
Even worse; a gull shows up one night, and what ensues is a cross-species & toxic co-dependent friend/frenemyship. Furthermore, David and those around him in the town of Caernarfon become the targets of increasingly horrid gull attacks.
This was masterfully written & I loved it! I can’t help but wonder if there’s an undercurrent hinting at mental illness: The baby gull lives in David’s guitar case. David loved his guitar but had to give it up due to the accident and just lets the gull live there and crap all over it. People regularly tell David that he smells of the bird and rubbish tip (loss of self care due to depression?). The gulls also seem to be inextricably linked to the quarry where David’s (as we learn) father committed suicide in front of him, an act arguably as violent for a young psyche as the outright gull attacks. It’s a clever book and the in-your-face horror mainly shows up in the ending (and what an end it was!).
I’m really grateful that Graham got me this as a gift. If you enjoy the truly strange in your horror, or (like me) love sea gulls and Wales, then this might be a book for you as well. It ended up being an easy 5-star read for me🥰
“I’m so used to the gulls being here a lot of the time, that when they aren’t I wonder what kind of mischief they’re up to. It’s too quiet”
18 y.o David Kewish is not having a great time: His father is dead and his mom has f*cked on off abroad to work (and to get away from his infantile alcoholic-closet-peeing stepfather). He’s also given up playing the guitar as he lost part of his finger in a tragicomic accident involving his drunk stepfather and a door.
Adding insult to injury: David’s well meaning, but kinda stupid, stepfather plays the air guitar..
Even worse; a gull shows up one night, and what ensues is a cross-species & toxic co-dependent friend/frenemyship. Furthermore, David and those around him in the town of Caernarfon become the targets of increasingly horrid gull attacks.
This was masterfully written & I loved it! I can’t help but wonder if there’s an undercurrent hinting at mental illness: The baby gull lives in David’s guitar case. David loved his guitar but had to give it up due to the accident and just lets the gull live there and crap all over it. People regularly tell David that he smells of the bird and rubbish tip (loss of self care due to depression?). The gulls also seem to be inextricably linked to the quarry where David’s (as we learn) father committed suicide in front of him, an act arguably as violent for a young psyche as the outright gull attacks. It’s a clever book and the in-your-face horror mainly shows up in the ending (and what an end it was!).
I’m really grateful that Graham got me this as a gift. If you enjoy the truly strange in your horror, or (like me) love sea gulls and Wales, then this might be a book for you as well. It ended up being an easy 5-star read for me🥰
January 8, 2021
L'adolescenza è una merda. Di gabbiano.
December 30, 2021
Wonderfully weird and unexpected.
March 18, 2025
An eerie and upsetting coming-of-age story. The final few pages will stick with me!
October 28, 2025
100 seagulls v coughing baby
3.5 stars!
3.5 stars!
January 3, 2026
This book didn’t really land for me. Worth a read but nothing memorable.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews