The Cycle

by John Wayne Comunale

Beth is ready to move out and be on her own when she suddenly inherits a house from her Aunt Agnes who she’s only met once. Her mother is vague about the relationship the sisters had but decides to let Beth move into the house alone. It starts with bad dreams and mild auditory hallucinations. Then, the hallucinations become more than auditory. Something is happening to Beth and she believes the explanation lays in the cryptic journals she finds in the house. Meanwhile she’s yet to go in the basement and the forest is closing in around her. She thought she was ready to be on her own. She thought her mother supported her. She thought her Aunt was dead.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Witches

136 pages, Paperback

Published January 4, 2020

Reviews

[Vicki Herbert - Vacation until Jan 2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Birth, Restoration, Power...

THE CYCLE by John Wayne Comunale

No spoilers. 2 stars. This author has written some very good stories, but this story was uninspired and pedestrian...

Beth and her mother, Beatrix, have lately
been at odds with each other. Beatrix wants Beth to leave home and learn to take care of herself...

The problem is solved when...

Aunt Agnes died, and Beth inherited Agnes' generational home in a forest...

The old house was quaint and less scary up close than it appeared from the bottom of the driveway...

Until inside...

Beth found old leather journals in the study, and the front door looked larger than it should have been...

And she hadn't even explored the sinister basement yet...

Adding to all that...

The surrounding trees seemed to be moving closer to the house, and an unholy shriek occasionally came from the woods...

Then...

Beth began seeing a tall, murky, and looming figure in the doorway of the study...

And blackbirds kamikazed into the windows...

Beth recalled an overheard conversation that her mother and Aunt Agnes had before Agnes died: birth, restoration, power...

This was a totally predictable story that really didn't get going until 70% into the book. Many things remained unexplained by the story's end.

A big problem for me was that most of the story took place in the heads of the characters, and I wanted a little more action to keep the boredom as well as a headache away.

Summing up: Not one of this author's best efforts

[Russell Holbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this one I knew I had to pick it up. And it didn't disappoint! Another fine entry into the John Wayne Comunale cannon, this author just seems to keep getting better with each book. This is surreal, atmospheric horror with a claustrophobic atmosphere that squeezes tighter and tighter just like the thick forest that surrounds the tiny house that serves as the book's central location. I've only read a bit of old-school, occult and folk horror, but to me this book leans in that direction. I really enjoyed the characters here. They were strange and they did strange things and the book kept twisting and circling around in ways that I wasn't expecting, all quietly building to a wonderfully awful conclusion. Definitely check this out if you're into weird, occult horror! :)

[Horror Bookworm Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cycle by John Wayne Comunale is a tale of a unique inheritance handed over to a loner and outcast of all social circles. The outcome of this legacy is written with overtones of fear-induced claustrophobic, and surreal images that only John Wayne is capable of stirring in the mind of the reader. Mentally prepare yourself for startling “just got real” moments throughout the book, resulting in a one of a kind read.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me say, I was all set to love this book, but for me it just fell short. I love witch tales, however, this one just did nothing for me personally. Personally felt it was predictable in a lot of ways.

[Josh Hitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Wayne's books are always a fun time, but this one is different than most of his. This is a slow burn, very effectively done. Beth is a young, sheltered woman who moves into her dead aunt's house to be on her own for the first time in her 23 years. Her mom didn't want anything to do with the inheritance, so Beth took the opportunity to start growing up finally. However, strange things are happening to her, strange visions, no sounds coming from the forest around the cottage, and the trees seem to be coming ever so closer to the place. She thinks she may just be losing it, but there is a reason for her to be here.

Highly recommended, John Wayne never disappoints, and this just shows how truly a good writer he is. He does the slow burn so well, knowing when to heighten the suspense to get the most from small things.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this better than "As Seen on TV." It has a slow build, however, great atmosphere, and a great theme (also, great cover art). I definitely didn't expect the ending! I like that it doesn't have much pretense. It's pretty matter of fact, and I think that's the most haunting aspect of it. Death, destruction, betrayal, it's all pretty straightforward, blunt. It's definitely a thought-provoking story, and I will be thinking on this one for a bit.

[Maddy (maddys_needful_reads)]

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book. There were a lot of grammar issues throughout, and the writing veered on telling rather than showing. The narrative was filled with unnecessary details, and I think it would have been much more effective as a short story (though I could have used more details about Beth's personality, because she was a bit of a Mary Sue).

I appear to be in the minority, though, because I've seen mostly positive reviews.

[Ayden Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a total cover buy for me. I have read nothing else by this author nor heard anything about his works. I liked the cover and the synopsis and thought I’d give it a try. I’m so glad I did. .
.
Beth’s aunt Agnes passes away. Beth didn’t know much about her aunt but she did leave a house in her inheritance. The house is left to anyone in the family that would take it. Beth gladly accepts because she is eager to gain her independence and get out of her mother’s house. After moving into the house, Beth begins having weird dreams and visual hallucinations. Is it all in her head? The atmosphere of this book is eerie. The woods around the lonesome house and the silence at night has you screaming “run!”. Beth can’t hear our screams. I love reading those books where the character gets a bad feeling and just keeps going in denial while you know this is not going to end well! .
.
.
Side note: do yourself a favor and do not read the synopsis for this book. I feel like the last two sentences in the synopsis could have been taken out and would have added more surprise to the book. I think that was a missed opportunity there. Needless to say I knew what was coming but the author still executed the anxiety and scare factor well. This was a slow creepy book that has you nose diving into a window waiting for the crash. I got Rob Zombie vibes off this book and I loved it! .

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent book by John Wayne Comunale! The Cycle tells the story of Beth, who moves into her deceased aunt's house and quickly begins to experience unnerving phenomena, such as strange dreams, the basement door opening on its own, and a slow encroachment of the surrounding forrest onto the property. The most unnerving phenomena, to me at least, is a dark figure she sees lurking in the shadows. Beth's encounters with this figure were the most spine-tingling parts of the book, particularly when we eventually get a full description of its appearance.

The Cycle is a fast paced, page turning read. It does slow down a little bit towards the end where we get some back story into the events of the novel. This could have messed up the pacing, but in Comunale's hands it provides interesting additional information while building up tension in regards to Beth's fate as the reader realizes the stakes.

Comunale is an excellent writer of bloody and suspenseful horror, and I look forward to reading many more of his books.

[Veronica Hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by John Wayne Comunale and I can definitely say I will be reading more! I loved this book and his writing style so much. Once I started reading it was hard to put it down, and the ending did not disappoint. Creepy, catches you off guard, and memorable; this book was paced perfectly and left me wanting more.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a rollercoaster ride! I went into this book pretty blind and I am very happy with every bit of it. The Cycle follows Beth as she inherits her Aunt Agnes' home after her death. The blessing that Beth thinks she received is full of secrets, creepy noise, and scary basements. This book gave me "The Bird Eater" (Ania Ahlborn) vibes mixed with the young adult thriller "And The Trees Crept In" (Dawn Kurtagich). And the ending..... dark and twisted and just why I love Grindhouse Press books.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting novella wherein, a young woman, Beth is given her mother's recently inherited house. Beth moves in and begins having strange dreams and hallucinations...or are they? Highly recommended

[Bryan Davenport · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story about a girl who inherits a house in the woods. The house was the home to her aunt a witch and her mom has issues with the aunt but the story leaves you to believe that maybe the house is dangerous and something is in the basement and the mom knows but isn’t telling. That’s where it Dallas apart because what mother would put their child in danger. The buildup is solid and fun but the last quarter of the book falls down into the basement and can’t pull it self together. Making the ending predictable and forced. I would have loved to see Beth find her own power and kill and burn everything around her but the ending just burns in a fire…so much that I have to change my rating from 3 stars to 2 stars

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The descriptions in this book were well done, and the author does a great job of developing Beth as a character. By the end, I felt extremely moved by her situation.

My critique would be that the exposition dump at the end sort of killed the momentum for me. It was great context information, but getting it another way that flowed better and was spread out in the story would have been preferable.

Overall, I thought it was an interesting plot that left me with some questions that I would love to see answered in a follow up. I would gladly pick up another book by this author. Hope to see you at Monstermania again!

[Mindy Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

a young woman moves into her recently deceased aunt's secluded home and her mom is very weird about it and upsetting shit starts happening immediately etc. i wanted to like this so bad, mostly because the cover is delicious, but it didn't do much for me at all. it had that thing going on where the female protag is just very, very obviously written by a dude and it was a little icky for me at times. the plot was so-so - some decent creepiness & dread but generally predictable, and the protag and her mom both felt super inconsistent as far as personality and actions. bummer. 2/5.

[Julie Furlong · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first John Wayne read and wow it packed a punch in just 123 pages!! The less you know about this book, the better. So, I really can’t give anything away, other than the main character moving into her aunt Agnes’ home after she passed away and all kinds of chaos awaits. The last 20 pages were a punch in the gut!

I am going to read more Comunale books for sure. I enjoyed every minute of this novella!

[Dezeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story was fine, but like other reviews say, the exposition dump at the end was very jarring. Descriptions were wonderfully written, but this story missed the mark for me. Beth wasn't a very likable character in my opinion, but besides that it was a fine story and I still enjoyed reading it.

[Charlotte Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story! It was really suspenseful the whole way through. Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.

TW: there is a rape scene, it's not graphic and you can pretty much see it coming. There are a few pretty gory deaths and it has a tragic ending.

[Lance Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one. It had a great slow build to it and stuck the landing.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining! I love JWC books

[Jessica Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors stand caught my eye at Monster Mania, and it was definitely a good pick. Read in one sitting, spooky with witchcraft and violence. I plan on reading more from the author.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. JWC writes very interesting books that are very unique.

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by John Wayne Comunale but definitely won’t be my last. This was a quick, creepy story that I was able to finish in one sitting.

[Emy Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read. The author is very descriptive and creative in his writing, and the twist caught me off-guard.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long build up, but overall a pretty good story.

[Lauren Fitch]

DNF
33%

[Tony Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? Another winner from JWC! This one is a bit different though, and not as far into the bizarro realm as some of his others. Witchery abounds in this well written, well paced story of family magic in The Cycle. Highly recommend!

[Milwaukee Buresss · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Wayne slashed it again with another fun to read and twistingly weird horror tale. It's like Goosebumps for adults! This tale about witchery and an interesting cabin in the woods, all the fun things!

[Peter Topside · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very generic witch story. Not that I thought it was poorly done, but it was very basic lore. And there were many parts that felt rushed and underdeveloped. Most notably was the relationship between our lead, Beth, and her mom. That should have the main focus of the story, and really deserved to be in the spotlight for majority of the book. And that would have benefitted everything substantially, especially as a lead-in to Beth taking ownership of her Aunt Agnes' home, post-mortem, and all the things that followed. But a predominant portion of the story leaned on spooky occurrences and visions in the house, and you could basically tell where it was all headed. Again, I didn't dislike the story, but it offered nothing ground-breaking or innovative to the horror genre. Fans of witch stories may or may not like it. Again, my uncertainty, as compared to other similar concepts, stems from this not having enough development and background to make it feel complete.