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Misfits
During the height of the 90s grunge era, five high school friends living on the fringe are driven to the breaking point. When one of their friends is brutally raped by a drunk townie, they decide to take matters into their own hands.
Deep in the woods of Milbury, Connecticut, there lives the legend of the Melon Heads, a race of creatures that shun human interaction and prey on those who dare to wander down Dracula Drive. Maybe this night, one band of misfits can help the other. Or maybe some legends are meant to be feared for a reason.
Deep in the woods of Milbury, Connecticut, there lives the legend of the Melon Heads, a race of creatures that shun human interaction and prey on those who dare to wander down Dracula Drive. Maybe this night, one band of misfits can help the other. Or maybe some legends are meant to be feared for a reason.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2020
10 people are currently reading
749 people want to read
About the author
Hunter Shea
66 books1,009 followersHunter Shea is the author of over 25 books, with a specialization in cryptozoological horror that includes The Jersey Devil, The Dover Demon, Loch Ness Revenge and many others. As part of the new horror line at Flame Tree Press, his novel Creature has gained critical acclaim. His novel, The Montauk Monster, was named one of the best reads of the summer by Publishers Weekly. A trip to the International Cryptozoology Museum will find several of his cryptid books among the fascinating displays. Living in a true haunted house inspired his Jessica Backman: Death in the Afterlife series (Forest of Shadows, Sinister Entity and Island of the Forbidden). In 2011, he was selected to be a part of the launch of Samhain Publishing’s new horror line alongside legendary author Ramsey Campbell. When he’s not writing thrillers and horror, he also spins tall tales for middle grade readers on Amazon’s highly regarded Rapids reading app.
An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II.
A lifetime New Yorker, Hunter is supported by his loving wife and two beautiful daughters. When he’s not studying up on cryptozoology, he’s an avid explorer of the unknown, having spent a night alone on the Queen Mary, searching for the Warren’s famous White Lady of the Union Cemetery and other mysterious places.
You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com.
An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II.
A lifetime New Yorker, Hunter is supported by his loving wife and two beautiful daughters. When he’s not studying up on cryptozoology, he’s an avid explorer of the unknown, having spent a night alone on the Queen Mary, searching for the Warren’s famous White Lady of the Union Cemetery and other mysterious places.
You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
April 1, 2020
***My thanks to Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and Hunter Shea for this ARC. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.***
This was a great story.
Who doesn't know how it feels to be the misfit?
Even in adulthood, my dark sense of humor makes me feel so lonely sometimes. You know what reaction I got when I the car dealer showed me the trunk and I made the comment:
"Wow, big enough to hold two bodies!"
Hint: He didn't even smile...
But this story is about a group of five friends - misfits, stoners and kids who didn't have an easy life - who didn't conform and fit into the mold society expected from them.
Mick, Marnie, Chuck, Heidi and Vent are a group of friends whose bonds are stronger than sharing some weed and the occasional alcoholic beverage. While they are shunned by the popular kid, they show a maturity beyond their years when they accept one another exactly as they are, and as a group they function well.
But, as the end of their school career approaches, their lives will be ripped to shreds when a violent act pushes them toward revenge rather than justice.
They will soon learn that there is always a price to pay, regardless of whether the cost is understood or not.
Bring on the Melon Heads - who are very much real and not just a myth created to scare kids.
There will be blood.
Not everyone will survive.
Okay, there are some things that this author did very well. It mostly takes place during the early 90's - and I could relate because I was about the same age at that time. While people like Vanilla Ice impressed the hell out of my best friend, I could never get into it. I liked it heavier. And even though I didn't go full grunge, it was mostly the music I listened to at that time. (I have to remind you that Ozzy was still banned from my country and he had just come onto my radar, which influenced me greatly - I was never a metal-head, either, but I found myself somewhere in between.)
Shea managed to take me back there with this story. He captures a feeling of a world changing around us when we are just beginning to discover some hard and painful truths about real life.
Having said that, though, I also have to point out that the first third of this book created a little too much atmosphere - it felt overwritten and made it feel much longer than it actually is. I must add that it was not done to the point of making me want to quit the story, and I am very glad about that, because the story was really great. The last 30% of the story was perfectly paced.
And I loved that ending, even though I have to wonder if it will be mainstream enough for the masses. In my opinion, it couldn't have ended better.
If I had to give you a feel for this one, it might be a little THE HILLS HAVE EYES meets something like CHASING GHOSTS by Glenn Rolfe, with the children just a little older but not yet adults.
I recommend this to horror fans in general - it is not extreme but it does pack a punch.
This was a great story.
Who doesn't know how it feels to be the misfit?
Even in adulthood, my dark sense of humor makes me feel so lonely sometimes. You know what reaction I got when I the car dealer showed me the trunk and I made the comment:
"Wow, big enough to hold two bodies!"
Hint: He didn't even smile...
But this story is about a group of five friends - misfits, stoners and kids who didn't have an easy life - who didn't conform and fit into the mold society expected from them.
Mick, Marnie, Chuck, Heidi and Vent are a group of friends whose bonds are stronger than sharing some weed and the occasional alcoholic beverage. While they are shunned by the popular kid, they show a maturity beyond their years when they accept one another exactly as they are, and as a group they function well.
But, as the end of their school career approaches, their lives will be ripped to shreds when a violent act pushes them toward revenge rather than justice.
They will soon learn that there is always a price to pay, regardless of whether the cost is understood or not.
Bring on the Melon Heads - who are very much real and not just a myth created to scare kids.
There will be blood.
Not everyone will survive.
Okay, there are some things that this author did very well. It mostly takes place during the early 90's - and I could relate because I was about the same age at that time. While people like Vanilla Ice impressed the hell out of my best friend, I could never get into it. I liked it heavier. And even though I didn't go full grunge, it was mostly the music I listened to at that time. (I have to remind you that Ozzy was still banned from my country and he had just come onto my radar, which influenced me greatly - I was never a metal-head, either, but I found myself somewhere in between.)
Shea managed to take me back there with this story. He captures a feeling of a world changing around us when we are just beginning to discover some hard and painful truths about real life.
Having said that, though, I also have to point out that the first third of this book created a little too much atmosphere - it felt overwritten and made it feel much longer than it actually is. I must add that it was not done to the point of making me want to quit the story, and I am very glad about that, because the story was really great. The last 30% of the story was perfectly paced.
And I loved that ending, even though I have to wonder if it will be mainstream enough for the masses. In my opinion, it couldn't have ended better.
If I had to give you a feel for this one, it might be a little THE HILLS HAVE EYES meets something like CHASING GHOSTS by Glenn Rolfe, with the children just a little older but not yet adults.
I recommend this to horror fans in general - it is not extreme but it does pack a punch.
December 11, 2025
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Misfits is a dank, gruesome tale, set in 1990s-Milbury, Connecticut. It follows five teens, Mick, Marnie, Vent, Chuck and Heidi, as they discover some urban legends are true and very deadly.
The friends are misfits, stoners, living on the edge of society, but luckily, they have each other and actually have a super tight-knit group.
One night, Heidi and Marnie decide to head to a local bar that is known to serve minors. They have no idea that choice will change their lives forever.
They're just looking to have a few drinks, listen to music, blow off some steam and maybe flirt with some guys.
When Marnie sees her ex-boyfriend's father there, she doesn't think too much of it.
It's strange he goes to a place frequented by people so young, but he's harmless, or so she believes.
When he follows her out to the alley, she quickly realizes her assessment was wrong.
He brutally beats and rapes her. Ultimately, leaving her bleeding out on the ground like a piece of roadkill.
By the time Heidi discovers her friend's battered body, Marnie is barely alive. Heidi manages to get her out of there and to their friends for help.
Marnie refuses to tell authorities, or seek treatment, even though it is clear she is severely injured.
The rest of the group agrees to go along with Marnie's wishes. The last thing they want is for her to have to tell what happened if she's not comfortable doing so.
They know who did it. Marnie remembers and told them. She wants him to pay, as does everyone else in the group.
They are sick of taking everyone's shit. It's time for some vengeance. Even in her weakened state, Marnie is beyond ready to fight back.
The group hatches a plan to use the Melon Heads, a terrifying local legend, to make the rapist-POS pay. Mick insists he knows of a way to find the group of mutant cannibals, but is it legit?
From there stuff really gets crazy, but truly, this entire book is intense and I'll say it, gross.
There were so many moments when I literally exclaimed, ewww, while reading. I can't even tell you how many times.
Gruesome, disgusting descriptions and imagery pepper these pages. It was so fun!
I loved the way Shea formed the entire story around a local legend. Those scary stories we all hear as kids, how many of them are actually real?
There was a lot of action here as well, but some things were tough to read. I would definitely tread with caution if rape, sexual assault, or severe violence on page is triggering for you.
For me, although certain scenes were uncomfortable, they made sense in the overall narrative. It's gory, fierce, violent as hell; in short, a complete bloody mess.
That's what we're here for. If you are looking for a brutal way to enter the spooky season, look no further. Misfits is it!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Flame Tree Press, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.
I had such a fun time reading this. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way. Now Melon Heads are a new personal terror. Add them to the list!
Misfits is a dank, gruesome tale, set in 1990s-Milbury, Connecticut. It follows five teens, Mick, Marnie, Vent, Chuck and Heidi, as they discover some urban legends are true and very deadly.
The friends are misfits, stoners, living on the edge of society, but luckily, they have each other and actually have a super tight-knit group.
One night, Heidi and Marnie decide to head to a local bar that is known to serve minors. They have no idea that choice will change their lives forever.
They're just looking to have a few drinks, listen to music, blow off some steam and maybe flirt with some guys.
When Marnie sees her ex-boyfriend's father there, she doesn't think too much of it.
It's strange he goes to a place frequented by people so young, but he's harmless, or so she believes.
When he follows her out to the alley, she quickly realizes her assessment was wrong.
He brutally beats and rapes her. Ultimately, leaving her bleeding out on the ground like a piece of roadkill.
By the time Heidi discovers her friend's battered body, Marnie is barely alive. Heidi manages to get her out of there and to their friends for help.
Marnie refuses to tell authorities, or seek treatment, even though it is clear she is severely injured.
The rest of the group agrees to go along with Marnie's wishes. The last thing they want is for her to have to tell what happened if she's not comfortable doing so.
They know who did it. Marnie remembers and told them. She wants him to pay, as does everyone else in the group.
They are sick of taking everyone's shit. It's time for some vengeance. Even in her weakened state, Marnie is beyond ready to fight back.
The group hatches a plan to use the Melon Heads, a terrifying local legend, to make the rapist-POS pay. Mick insists he knows of a way to find the group of mutant cannibals, but is it legit?
From there stuff really gets crazy, but truly, this entire book is intense and I'll say it, gross.
There were so many moments when I literally exclaimed, ewww, while reading. I can't even tell you how many times.
Gruesome, disgusting descriptions and imagery pepper these pages. It was so fun!
I loved the way Shea formed the entire story around a local legend. Those scary stories we all hear as kids, how many of them are actually real?
There was a lot of action here as well, but some things were tough to read. I would definitely tread with caution if rape, sexual assault, or severe violence on page is triggering for you.
For me, although certain scenes were uncomfortable, they made sense in the overall narrative. It's gory, fierce, violent as hell; in short, a complete bloody mess.
That's what we're here for. If you are looking for a brutal way to enter the spooky season, look no further. Misfits is it!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Flame Tree Press, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.
I had such a fun time reading this. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way. Now Melon Heads are a new personal terror. Add them to the list!
January 15, 2025
This was a tough read initially, as I felt there were too many similar characters, and everything was a little jumbled. However, Hunter Shea really came through and really did a good job differentiating each person and making you interesting in their plights, both personally and dealing with the melon heads. They were all on equal grounds, which I thought was an interesting approach, avoiding the normal horror tropes, i.e. athlete, rich kid, nerd, popular girl, underprivileged all making up an unlikely ragtag group. Now the creatures were really interesting. I enjoyed the hierarchy of their people, as well as the fact they all appeared differently than one another, and seemed to be more cerebral than you would initially give them credit for. The ending was not what I imagined, but was satisfied in the conclusion. There was plenty of blood and gore along the way, and an ample amount of humor in this fast-paced story. I had flashbacks of Return of the Living Dead Part II at times, and would highly recommend this for anyone in the mood for a solid creature feature. This is only my second outing with Hunter Shea, but won't be my last!
September 8, 2020
Happy Publication Day!
September 8, 2020
The year is 1993 and right in the middle of the grunge era where 5 teenagers bond together in their own unique friendship since they didn't quite fit in with the standards and styles of the other kids at school. One night their friend Marnie is brutally attacked and they know they must seek revenge on their own for this horrific crime. Almost every small town has a creepy legend of sorts maybe a haunted house or a Stickman legend or even vampire and werewolves who live in the woods to prey on the innocent victims who dare try to search for them to find out if the legends are true or false. Well, their town has a legend too The Melon Heads who live deep in the woods on Dracula Drive (not the real street name). Marnie and Mick believe in this legend while the other three know it's a silly, unbelievable myth that is meant to scare children to keep them from playing in or near the woods, but this is how they plan to take out their vengeance on Marnie's attacker. What a crazy and senseless plan they set in motion never realizing there could be irreversible consequences and that sometimes scary legends are there for a reason and will become their worst living nightmare. Yikes!
This was was another amazingly frightening book by Hunter Shea and is not for any timid or weak stomached readers. The first chapter grabbs you and won't let go. The writing is spot-on and captures the essence of the era and the struggles that each teen was dealing with in their personal lives and with their parents. The story is fun and horrific all at one time. I just loved this book and couldn't get enough and can't wait to read another horror novel by Hunter Shea. Warning: extreme violence, language, gore, graphic sexual scenes etc. Everything one could want in a really good horror book.
I want to thank the publisher 'Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful horror book and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I highly recommend this thrilling and creepy horror book to readers and have given a rating of 5 Horrific 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
September 8, 2020
The year is 1993 and right in the middle of the grunge era where 5 teenagers bond together in their own unique friendship since they didn't quite fit in with the standards and styles of the other kids at school. One night their friend Marnie is brutally attacked and they know they must seek revenge on their own for this horrific crime. Almost every small town has a creepy legend of sorts maybe a haunted house or a Stickman legend or even vampire and werewolves who live in the woods to prey on the innocent victims who dare try to search for them to find out if the legends are true or false. Well, their town has a legend too The Melon Heads who live deep in the woods on Dracula Drive (not the real street name). Marnie and Mick believe in this legend while the other three know it's a silly, unbelievable myth that is meant to scare children to keep them from playing in or near the woods, but this is how they plan to take out their vengeance on Marnie's attacker. What a crazy and senseless plan they set in motion never realizing there could be irreversible consequences and that sometimes scary legends are there for a reason and will become their worst living nightmare. Yikes!
This was was another amazingly frightening book by Hunter Shea and is not for any timid or weak stomached readers. The first chapter grabbs you and won't let go. The writing is spot-on and captures the essence of the era and the struggles that each teen was dealing with in their personal lives and with their parents. The story is fun and horrific all at one time. I just loved this book and couldn't get enough and can't wait to read another horror novel by Hunter Shea. Warning: extreme violence, language, gore, graphic sexual scenes etc. Everything one could want in a really good horror book.
I want to thank the publisher 'Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful horror book and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I highly recommend this thrilling and creepy horror book to readers and have given a rating of 5 Horrific 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
March 23, 2021
Happy Publication Day!
September 8, 2020
The year is 1993 and right in the middle of the grunge era where 5 teenagers bond together in their own unique friendship since they didn't quite fit in with the standards and styles of the other kids at school. One night their friend Marnie is brutally attacked and they know they must seek revenge on their own for this horrific crime. Almost every small town has a creepy legend of sorts maybe a haunted house or a Stickman legend or even vampire and werewolves who live in the woods to prey on the innocent victims who dare try to search for them to find out if the legends are true or false. Well, their town has a legend too The Melon Heads who live deep in the woods on Dracula Drive (not the real street name). Marnie and Mick believe in this legend while the other three know it's a silly, unbelievable myth that is meant to scare children to keep them from playing in or near the woods, but this is how they plan to take out their vengeance on Marnie's attacker. What a crazy and senseless plan they set in motion never realizing there could be irreversible consequences and that sometimes scary legends are there for a reason and will become their worst living nightmare. Yikes!
This was was another amazingly frightening book by Hunter Shea and is not for any timid or weak stomached readers. The first chapter grabbs you and won't let go. The writing is spot-on and captures the essence of the era and the struggles that each teen was dealing with in their personal lives and with their parents. The story is fun and horrific all at one time. I just loved this book and couldn't get enough and can't wait to read another horror novel by Hunter Shea. Warning: extreme violence, language, gore, graphic sexual scenes etc. Everything one could want in a really good horror book.
I want to thank the publisher 'Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful horror book and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I highly recommend this thrilling and creepy horror book to readers and have given a rating of 5 Horrific 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
September 8, 2020
The year is 1993 and right in the middle of the grunge era where 5 teenagers bond together in their own unique friendship since they didn't quite fit in with the standards and styles of the other kids at school. One night their friend Marnie is brutally attacked and they know they must seek revenge on their own for this horrific crime. Almost every small town has a creepy legend of sorts maybe a haunted house or a Stickman legend or even vampire and werewolves who live in the woods to prey on the innocent victims who dare try to search for them to find out if the legends are true or false. Well, their town has a legend too The Melon Heads who live deep in the woods on Dracula Drive (not the real street name). Marnie and Mick believe in this legend while the other three know it's a silly, unbelievable myth that is meant to scare children to keep them from playing in or near the woods, but this is how they plan to take out their vengeance on Marnie's attacker. What a crazy and senseless plan they set in motion never realizing there could be irreversible consequences and that sometimes scary legends are there for a reason and will become their worst living nightmare. Yikes!
This was was another amazingly frightening book by Hunter Shea and is not for any timid or weak stomached readers. The first chapter grabbs you and won't let go. The writing is spot-on and captures the essence of the era and the struggles that each teen was dealing with in their personal lives and with their parents. The story is fun and horrific all at one time. I just loved this book and couldn't get enough and can't wait to read another horror novel by Hunter Shea. Warning: extreme violence, language, gore, graphic sexual scenes etc. Everything one could want in a really good horror book.
I want to thank the publisher 'Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful horror book and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I highly recommend this thrilling and creepy horror book to readers and have given a rating of 5 Horrific 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
September 9, 2020
MISFITS, by Hunter Shea, is a coming-of-age horror novel that takes place in the 1990's. As with many of Shea's books, this one takes a legend--that of the Melon Heads--and turns it into reality. Every town has it's rumored "haunted area", and in Milbury, CT it was the large expanse of woods off a rutted road, nicknamed "Dracula Drive".
". . . There were no vampires on Dracula Drive. No, something far worse . . ."
A group of the town's "misfits"--Mick, Vent, Marnie, Chuck, and Heidi--half-believe the legends. When one is brutally attacked, they decide to take matters into their own hands, knowing that there would be no justice for the likes of them otherwise.
". . . their parents were losers and their children were doomed to be even worse losers. Why treat them like regular people who mattered? . . . "
The most impressive part of this novel, to me, was the absolute perfection of the characterization, and the way the five friends went so well together. You can't pick your real family, but these teens certainly managed to make one of their own.
". . . For whatever reason, despite their sometimes wild differences, they just clicked . . . five salmon who preferred to swim downstream."
All of the 90's references, from clothing to music and vehicles, brought a strong sense of nostalgia. I felt as though I had been mentally transported to that time, along with the characters. There is a realism in this novel that many authors fall short of. Every decision made, every action taken, every horror encountered, felt entirely believable in context.
". . . Which tells me there was something out there. Something that everything else was afraid of."
While the Melon Heads--a band of deformed humanlike-creatures--was not a group I was previously familiar with, by the time the book was finished they felt as familiar to me as legends of Bigfoot and the Jersey Devil. All of the actions and subsequent reactions had a ring of truth to them all. To be able to suspend disbelief and just go with the flow of a story is a great treat that every reader seeks.
". . . guilt was more powerful than any theology."
I won't spoil anything with particulars, other than this book was one you won't want to tear yourself away from. It was both original and "familiar"--at least to those of us who grew up in the 1990's. The characters were ALL integral to the story, and the ease with which they fit together couldn't have been portrayed any more poignantly.
The ending . . . I'll leave it at "this is one I never saw coming".
Highly recommended.
". . . There were no vampires on Dracula Drive. No, something far worse . . ."
A group of the town's "misfits"--Mick, Vent, Marnie, Chuck, and Heidi--half-believe the legends. When one is brutally attacked, they decide to take matters into their own hands, knowing that there would be no justice for the likes of them otherwise.
". . . their parents were losers and their children were doomed to be even worse losers. Why treat them like regular people who mattered? . . . "
The most impressive part of this novel, to me, was the absolute perfection of the characterization, and the way the five friends went so well together. You can't pick your real family, but these teens certainly managed to make one of their own.
". . . For whatever reason, despite their sometimes wild differences, they just clicked . . . five salmon who preferred to swim downstream."
All of the 90's references, from clothing to music and vehicles, brought a strong sense of nostalgia. I felt as though I had been mentally transported to that time, along with the characters. There is a realism in this novel that many authors fall short of. Every decision made, every action taken, every horror encountered, felt entirely believable in context.
". . . Which tells me there was something out there. Something that everything else was afraid of."
While the Melon Heads--a band of deformed humanlike-creatures--was not a group I was previously familiar with, by the time the book was finished they felt as familiar to me as legends of Bigfoot and the Jersey Devil. All of the actions and subsequent reactions had a ring of truth to them all. To be able to suspend disbelief and just go with the flow of a story is a great treat that every reader seeks.
". . . guilt was more powerful than any theology."
I won't spoil anything with particulars, other than this book was one you won't want to tear yourself away from. It was both original and "familiar"--at least to those of us who grew up in the 1990's. The characters were ALL integral to the story, and the ease with which they fit together couldn't have been portrayed any more poignantly.
The ending . . . I'll leave it at "this is one I never saw coming".
Highly recommended.
July 8, 2025
What Will You Find Down Dracula Drive?
A small backstory:
In the backwoods of Milbury, Connecticut, five friends (Marnie, Chuck, Vent, Mick and Heidi) just feel that they do not fit in which it seems that they are outcasts. When Marnie gets raped in a back alley one night the friends go on revenge quest to find out who did it as they decide instead of taking the matters into their own hands they will turn over the culprit to the legendary Melon Heads who live deep in the backwoods out on Dracula Drive as though they have heard the legends they don't really know if it is true so they want to test their theory.
When they get out there and hang around for awhile they wish that they had never entered the woods as when the forest comes alive with deformed creatures is when the friends realize that sometimes legends are true! Now that the friends have disturbed the peace of the creatures there truly is no escape as now they are on the creatures radar as they try to leave Dracula Drive!
So what are the Melon Heads? Do the friends escape the clutches of the creatures? Who survives and who dies? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
Thoughts:
This story was a twisted ride of horror and gore as legends come to life within this book! As always, author Hunter Shea brings the creatures to life within the pages and making you feel that you are right there experiencing what the characters are experiencing. This story was an edge of your seat horror thriller that kept me going at full steam the more I became involved with the story!
As with some other books by this author when the bodies start to pile up you know that you better prepare yourself for a bloody good time as when the blood starts to fly you better be in possession of a gore suit as you will need it! Giving this book five "Creature Feature" stars!
A small backstory:
In the backwoods of Milbury, Connecticut, five friends (Marnie, Chuck, Vent, Mick and Heidi) just feel that they do not fit in which it seems that they are outcasts. When Marnie gets raped in a back alley one night the friends go on revenge quest to find out who did it as they decide instead of taking the matters into their own hands they will turn over the culprit to the legendary Melon Heads who live deep in the backwoods out on Dracula Drive as though they have heard the legends they don't really know if it is true so they want to test their theory.
When they get out there and hang around for awhile they wish that they had never entered the woods as when the forest comes alive with deformed creatures is when the friends realize that sometimes legends are true! Now that the friends have disturbed the peace of the creatures there truly is no escape as now they are on the creatures radar as they try to leave Dracula Drive!
So what are the Melon Heads? Do the friends escape the clutches of the creatures? Who survives and who dies? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
Thoughts:
This story was a twisted ride of horror and gore as legends come to life within this book! As always, author Hunter Shea brings the creatures to life within the pages and making you feel that you are right there experiencing what the characters are experiencing. This story was an edge of your seat horror thriller that kept me going at full steam the more I became involved with the story!
As with some other books by this author when the bodies start to pile up you know that you better prepare yourself for a bloody good time as when the blood starts to fly you better be in possession of a gore suit as you will need it! Giving this book five "Creature Feature" stars!
September 16, 2020
The opening scene from this book is not one soon to be forgotten!
The story quickly moves on from there though, and leaves the reader wondering what bearing it has on the main story. A brutal rape occurs in the small town of Milbury, CT. and so begins this tale of revenge, rumors and more brutality in the form of truth. Marnie survives the rape and beating; saved by her group of friends. Once she admits what happened and who did it, the group join together to avenge her. It's all downhill from there. Will their group be able to put right what happened to Marnie? You'll have to read this to find out!
MISFITS is not what I expected from Hunter Shea. To be honest, I was thinking about some kind of weird monsters. The way this tale twisted is so much fun for the reader, I'm not going to say exactly who the villains were. I'll just say once you find out, it's terribly difficult to pull yourself away from this book.
It did take a big longer than normal for the action to get going here, but I think that's because we needed a bit of background on the characters. Also, it's a weird thing, but I didn't really connect with any of the characters here except for Mick. He was a bit of a loner, and a misfit, (the whole group was really), but most of the others had some type of outside support. Mick was truly alone.
Overall, this was a fast and fun read, which is typical of Hunter Shea. I had a great time with MISFITS and if this sounds up your alley, you will likely have a great time as well!
Recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2FCFbct
*Thanks to Flame Tree Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
The story quickly moves on from there though, and leaves the reader wondering what bearing it has on the main story. A brutal rape occurs in the small town of Milbury, CT. and so begins this tale of revenge, rumors and more brutality in the form of truth. Marnie survives the rape and beating; saved by her group of friends. Once she admits what happened and who did it, the group join together to avenge her. It's all downhill from there. Will their group be able to put right what happened to Marnie? You'll have to read this to find out!
MISFITS is not what I expected from Hunter Shea. To be honest, I was thinking about some kind of weird monsters. The way this tale twisted is so much fun for the reader, I'm not going to say exactly who the villains were. I'll just say once you find out, it's terribly difficult to pull yourself away from this book.
It did take a big longer than normal for the action to get going here, but I think that's because we needed a bit of background on the characters. Also, it's a weird thing, but I didn't really connect with any of the characters here except for Mick. He was a bit of a loner, and a misfit, (the whole group was really), but most of the others had some type of outside support. Mick was truly alone.
Overall, this was a fast and fun read, which is typical of Hunter Shea. I had a great time with MISFITS and if this sounds up your alley, you will likely have a great time as well!
Recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2FCFbct
*Thanks to Flame Tree Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
July 15, 2020
My review of MISFITS can be found at High Fever Books.
I can always count on Hunter Shea to deliver a fun creature-feature romp, and while I enjoyed Misfits a great deal I'm not sure I can use the word "fun" to describe it. I honestly wasn't expecting just how dark and brutal this book was going to get, and Shea lets his inner-Jack Ketchum out to play. Over the course of this story, Shea becomes completely unchained, delivering what might be his bleakest, darkest work to date. This ain't no Mail Order Massacres or Megalodon in Paradise, so brace yourselves!
Misfits is built on the urban legend of the Melon Heads, a group of disgustingly deformed inbred cannibals with oversized bumpy heads living in the woods of Michigan, Ohio, and Connecticut. It's this latter state where Misfits is set, in the small town of Milbury, where all the local kids know to stay away from the woods at the end of Dracula Drive (not the street's real name, of course, but the euphemistic nickname the kids have given it), even if they don't necessarily believe what lurks deep within the trees.
Mick and Marnie believe, though. These high schoolers have seen the Melon Heads, or at least something approximating them fleeting through the brush, just out of sight. After Marnie is brutally raped by her ex-boyfriend's father, she and Mick are hungry for revenge and, with their friends, concoct a plan to take Mr. Dunwoody deep into the woods and offer him to the creatures living there. It's a simple, diabolical plan. It's also the start of a very long, very violent nightmare for these kids.
With his latest, Shea takes us back to the early 90s, capturing the grunge aesthetic of the decade wonderfully. It's all flannel shirts, beat-up leather jackets, torn jeans, and backwoods bloodshed set to a soundtrack by Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots, as witnessed through a thick fog of weed smoke. (It's also a bit scary to realize that in another decade or so, if not sooner, we'll be rife with coming of age horror stories set in freaking 2000 to help make me feel even older and decrepit.) Our band of stoners find out way more about the Melon Heads than they had ever bargained for, and that knowledge comes with a heavy price.
Misfits grows more oppressive by the page as our delinquent protags are hunted and subjected to unimaginable horrors. Shea goes there, subjecting both his characters and his readers to some twisted, unsettling scenarios, made all the worse by the simple fact that I actually liked most of these kids. I will admit, it took some time for me to warm up to Mick, whose introduction did little to bring me to his side. When we first meet him, we're given a portrait of somebody who is little more than a bully, shooting his best friend with a BB gun because he thinks it funny and because he's angry at the world. After only a few pages of getting to know this guy, I was ready for him to meet the Melon Heads and get what's coming to him. But a funny thing happened along the way. I got to know Mick better, got a better understanding of his situation and why his friends actually suffer his foolishness, and I wanted to see him win. I also got to know his friends, which made some of Shea's cold-blooded gut punches all the harder to handle.
And Shea doesn't pull his punches in this one. There are a pair of rape scenes in Misfits which might be pretty difficult for some to read. I did appreciate, though, that Marnie isn't a wilting flower. Although she was terribly victimized, her rape does not ultimately strip her of her agency, and she grapples with the fallout as best as she can. She's a strong young woman, and even beset by the physical and mental trauma of her ordeal, she keeps fighting and is able to target her anger and desire for revenge, without sacrificing her basic goodness despite the darkness surrounding her. Writ large, there is some interesting subtext here about how the rape of a young woman threatens the safety of an entire community, and how a thirst for revenge is not so easily slaked. I know there's an over-reliance in popular media of having women raped or fridged in order to motivate the menfolk to save the day, but Shea puts a nice little spin on that by having Marnie commandeer this scenario, acting as the driving force for vengeance against her rapist and instigating Mick into action. What follows is a series of unforeseen consequences that spiral out of that inciting rape, and Shea leads us into some very tight, pitch-black corridors.
Misfits may not have been the fun romp in the woods I was expecting, but it is definitively a Hunter Shea story, and might be the darkest, meanest book of his I've read yet, delivering a terrifying take on the Melon Heads. He takes the serious-as-a-heart-attack stylings he's been developing of late with Creature and We Are Always Watching, and rolls that attitude up with the hardcore monster horror he's best known for. It's bleak, it's oppressive, and it's damn good. Just don't wander into these woods expecting a good time.
I can always count on Hunter Shea to deliver a fun creature-feature romp, and while I enjoyed Misfits a great deal I'm not sure I can use the word "fun" to describe it. I honestly wasn't expecting just how dark and brutal this book was going to get, and Shea lets his inner-Jack Ketchum out to play. Over the course of this story, Shea becomes completely unchained, delivering what might be his bleakest, darkest work to date. This ain't no Mail Order Massacres or Megalodon in Paradise, so brace yourselves!
Misfits is built on the urban legend of the Melon Heads, a group of disgustingly deformed inbred cannibals with oversized bumpy heads living in the woods of Michigan, Ohio, and Connecticut. It's this latter state where Misfits is set, in the small town of Milbury, where all the local kids know to stay away from the woods at the end of Dracula Drive (not the street's real name, of course, but the euphemistic nickname the kids have given it), even if they don't necessarily believe what lurks deep within the trees.
Mick and Marnie believe, though. These high schoolers have seen the Melon Heads, or at least something approximating them fleeting through the brush, just out of sight. After Marnie is brutally raped by her ex-boyfriend's father, she and Mick are hungry for revenge and, with their friends, concoct a plan to take Mr. Dunwoody deep into the woods and offer him to the creatures living there. It's a simple, diabolical plan. It's also the start of a very long, very violent nightmare for these kids.
With his latest, Shea takes us back to the early 90s, capturing the grunge aesthetic of the decade wonderfully. It's all flannel shirts, beat-up leather jackets, torn jeans, and backwoods bloodshed set to a soundtrack by Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots, as witnessed through a thick fog of weed smoke. (It's also a bit scary to realize that in another decade or so, if not sooner, we'll be rife with coming of age horror stories set in freaking 2000 to help make me feel even older and decrepit.) Our band of stoners find out way more about the Melon Heads than they had ever bargained for, and that knowledge comes with a heavy price.
Misfits grows more oppressive by the page as our delinquent protags are hunted and subjected to unimaginable horrors. Shea goes there, subjecting both his characters and his readers to some twisted, unsettling scenarios, made all the worse by the simple fact that I actually liked most of these kids. I will admit, it took some time for me to warm up to Mick, whose introduction did little to bring me to his side. When we first meet him, we're given a portrait of somebody who is little more than a bully, shooting his best friend with a BB gun because he thinks it funny and because he's angry at the world. After only a few pages of getting to know this guy, I was ready for him to meet the Melon Heads and get what's coming to him. But a funny thing happened along the way. I got to know Mick better, got a better understanding of his situation and why his friends actually suffer his foolishness, and I wanted to see him win. I also got to know his friends, which made some of Shea's cold-blooded gut punches all the harder to handle.
And Shea doesn't pull his punches in this one. There are a pair of rape scenes in Misfits which might be pretty difficult for some to read. I did appreciate, though, that Marnie isn't a wilting flower. Although she was terribly victimized, her rape does not ultimately strip her of her agency, and she grapples with the fallout as best as she can. She's a strong young woman, and even beset by the physical and mental trauma of her ordeal, she keeps fighting and is able to target her anger and desire for revenge, without sacrificing her basic goodness despite the darkness surrounding her. Writ large, there is some interesting subtext here about how the rape of a young woman threatens the safety of an entire community, and how a thirst for revenge is not so easily slaked. I know there's an over-reliance in popular media of having women raped or fridged in order to motivate the menfolk to save the day, but Shea puts a nice little spin on that by having Marnie commandeer this scenario, acting as the driving force for vengeance against her rapist and instigating Mick into action. What follows is a series of unforeseen consequences that spiral out of that inciting rape, and Shea leads us into some very tight, pitch-black corridors.
Misfits may not have been the fun romp in the woods I was expecting, but it is definitively a Hunter Shea story, and might be the darkest, meanest book of his I've read yet, delivering a terrifying take on the Melon Heads. He takes the serious-as-a-heart-attack stylings he's been developing of late with Creature and We Are Always Watching, and rolls that attitude up with the hardcore monster horror he's best known for. It's bleak, it's oppressive, and it's damn good. Just don't wander into these woods expecting a good time.
September 23, 2023
This is a good, traditional horror novel set in Connecticut in 1993. It's about a group of five high school stoner/grunge friends who resolve to get revenge for the brutal rape one of them has suffered. They become the target of a local tribe of Melon Heads, cannibalistic cryptids who've haunted the locale for generations. There are some quick flashes of clever humor interspersed with gory violence and the characters are quite well and sympathetically developed. It's a fast-paced and action-packed story, as one would expect from Shea, though the twist at the end seemed just a little on the weak side to me. There are a couple of continuity problems a closer edit should have fixed (they're passing around a flask on page 180 that contains Bailey's "bitter hot booze" but it's schnapps on page 182, for example), but it's altogether a creepy and captivating read.
August 15, 2020
You know how it feels when you discover the urban legend that terrified you as a child is actually real? Mick, Marnie, Chuck, Heidi and Vent do. Everyone who lives in Milbury, Connecticut know better than to step foot on Dracula Drive.
I’m always wary of how sexual assault is going to be portrayed within horror. It’s certainly not sugar coated in Misfits so this could easily trigger some readers. However, while the physical and psychological impacts of this trauma are undeniable, the character whose assault becomes the catalyst for everything that comes later is portrayed as resilient.
Usually I cheer on the squishy demise of horror characters. Sure, there were a few lambs to the slaughter whose bloodshed felt like poetic justice, but I really liked the five stoners and was invested in their survival. They quickly became real to me and the fact that they were all underdogs endeared them to me as much as their friendship and individual personalities.
Prior to this book I’d never heard the Melon Head urban legend and spent an embarrassing amount of time thinking that was the name of a band from my childhood. Over halfway through the book I finally enlisted Google’s help. They were Blind Melon, not Melon Head, dufus!
This was definitely not the B grade horror I had hoped for. It was actually better. It’s probably going to take me a while to forgive the author for the way the story unfolded for one of my favourite characters but kudos to them for making me care that much about someone I only met this week.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read this book.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
Dare to walk,After one of them is brutally raped, they all want payback. It’s time to find out if Melon Heads are simply the stuff of legends or if there really are cannibals living in the forest. It’s going to get bloody!
Down Dracula Drive,
In day or night,
You won’t survive.
They wait in trees,
And hide below,
Hungry for people,
Too blind to know.
“What do we have to lose … besides everything?”This book was a lot darker than I was expecting. With sexual assault as the precursor for all of the bloody, bone crunching, insides are now your outsides action, I was initially torn. If I didn’t already have some trust in its author I probably wouldn’t have even attempted this book.
I’m always wary of how sexual assault is going to be portrayed within horror. It’s certainly not sugar coated in Misfits so this could easily trigger some readers. However, while the physical and psychological impacts of this trauma are undeniable, the character whose assault becomes the catalyst for everything that comes later is portrayed as resilient.
Usually I cheer on the squishy demise of horror characters. Sure, there were a few lambs to the slaughter whose bloodshed felt like poetic justice, but I really liked the five stoners and was invested in their survival. They quickly became real to me and the fact that they were all underdogs endeared them to me as much as their friendship and individual personalities.
“Aw, you called me a freak. That’s the nicest thing you ever said to me.”I had planned on cheering on any Melon Head eviscerations or limb extractions I witnessed. Unexpectedly, my curiosity overrode my bloodlust. I wanted to spend time with them to learn more about their history and way of life.
Prior to this book I’d never heard the Melon Head urban legend and spent an embarrassing amount of time thinking that was the name of a band from my childhood. Over halfway through the book I finally enlisted Google’s help. They were Blind Melon, not Melon Head, dufus!
This was definitely not the B grade horror I had hoped for. It was actually better. It’s probably going to take me a while to forgive the author for the way the story unfolded for one of my favourite characters but kudos to them for making me care that much about someone I only met this week.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of.”Content warnings include .
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read this book.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
April 20, 2020
Five teens, bonded together by their outcast status, believe their lives are hard enough, just getting by in a small town.
When one of their own is brutally raped, they know there is no one to turn to for justice.....that there can only be vengeance, and that must be by their own hands.....or does it?
Small towns have secrets.
Down a dirt road at the edge of town, lies the forest.
And those that dwell there.
Creatures who would willingly accept an offering of a human life....because everything needs to eat.
The perfect act of retribution....that goes horribly off the rails, unleashing a ravening horde upon their homes. A relentless evil that only they can stop...,.if they are willing to accept the price.
Shea has written another fast paced cryptid creature feature that will please horror fans across the boards.
Highly recommended.
This was an eArc from Netgalley and Flame Tree Press
When one of their own is brutally raped, they know there is no one to turn to for justice.....that there can only be vengeance, and that must be by their own hands.....or does it?
Small towns have secrets.
Down a dirt road at the edge of town, lies the forest.
And those that dwell there.
Creatures who would willingly accept an offering of a human life....because everything needs to eat.
The perfect act of retribution....that goes horribly off the rails, unleashing a ravening horde upon their homes. A relentless evil that only they can stop...,.if they are willing to accept the price.
Shea has written another fast paced cryptid creature feature that will please horror fans across the boards.
Highly recommended.
This was an eArc from Netgalley and Flame Tree Press
September 8, 2020
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
Hunter Shea is on a roll.
He’s found a stride and while always a prolific writer, the last little bit just feels like a groove has been found and he’s gleefully releasing new books.
Recently, we’ve seen the arrival of the devastating ‘Creature’ and the throw-back fun of ‘Slash.’
Now, along comes ‘Misfits,’ a book loosely based on an old urban legend.
What I liked: If the opening chapter doesn’t hook you, then this book isn’t for you. There’s a street, Dracula Street, where kids don’t play. Things live in the bushes around it.
Chapter one is a sacrificial chapter to show you just how horrible these things are. Told with a flare that would be usually saved for a horror movie, we get an early emotional punch before Shea moves us to the ’90s and we get introduced to a ragtag bunch of outcasts.
Shea has a way of keeping tension high, even with some mundane moments, but much like renting a B movie years ago, I kept waiting for the kills.
What I didn’t like: The previous line sums it up for me. I found I never connected with any of the characters to a degree that I really rooted or cared for them. I kept waiting for the kills to come and didn’t really care who was reduced to a bloody pulp.
Why you should buy this: Hunter is delivering some great horror for fans both old and new. This one never eases up and as the story unfolds, Hunter infuses this with some great nostalgia.
Overall, this was a really fun story, and the author afterword was great. Fans of Shea could definitely give this a go.
Hunter Shea is on a roll.
He’s found a stride and while always a prolific writer, the last little bit just feels like a groove has been found and he’s gleefully releasing new books.
Recently, we’ve seen the arrival of the devastating ‘Creature’ and the throw-back fun of ‘Slash.’
Now, along comes ‘Misfits,’ a book loosely based on an old urban legend.
What I liked: If the opening chapter doesn’t hook you, then this book isn’t for you. There’s a street, Dracula Street, where kids don’t play. Things live in the bushes around it.
Chapter one is a sacrificial chapter to show you just how horrible these things are. Told with a flare that would be usually saved for a horror movie, we get an early emotional punch before Shea moves us to the ’90s and we get introduced to a ragtag bunch of outcasts.
Shea has a way of keeping tension high, even with some mundane moments, but much like renting a B movie years ago, I kept waiting for the kills.
What I didn’t like: The previous line sums it up for me. I found I never connected with any of the characters to a degree that I really rooted or cared for them. I kept waiting for the kills to come and didn’t really care who was reduced to a bloody pulp.
Why you should buy this: Hunter is delivering some great horror for fans both old and new. This one never eases up and as the story unfolds, Hunter infuses this with some great nostalgia.
Overall, this was a really fun story, and the author afterword was great. Fans of Shea could definitely give this a go.
April 15, 2020
Rule of life #435:
Maybe, just maybe, don’t upset the mutant creatures that live in the woods.
Just don’t.
Now, our group of friends don’t intend to anger the mutants. They’re just looking for a little well-deserved vengeance. But does anything ever go right when you venture into that spot in the woods where legends just may be real?
Misfits is a whole lot of fun. However, there’s a ton of heartbreak mixed in with the fun. Much of what happens is spurred on by an act of brutality and the author doesn’t shy away from the horror of that moment.
Stepping away from that moment, it’s obvious that Shea had fun writing this – and you find yourself enjoying the ride. It’s fast, furious, and violent – and I loved what he did with the end of it all.
A highly entertaining read and not to be missed!
*ARC via Net Galley
Maybe, just maybe, don’t upset the mutant creatures that live in the woods.
Just don’t.
Now, our group of friends don’t intend to anger the mutants. They’re just looking for a little well-deserved vengeance. But does anything ever go right when you venture into that spot in the woods where legends just may be real?
Misfits is a whole lot of fun. However, there’s a ton of heartbreak mixed in with the fun. Much of what happens is spurred on by an act of brutality and the author doesn’t shy away from the horror of that moment.
Stepping away from that moment, it’s obvious that Shea had fun writing this – and you find yourself enjoying the ride. It’s fast, furious, and violent – and I loved what he did with the end of it all.
A highly entertaining read and not to be missed!
*ARC via Net Galley
July 22, 2020
Well this was a blast. Gory, funny, even moving in parts, this is my third or fourth Hunter Shea book and he never disappoints.
Set in the 90s, it’s the story of fiver stoner/grunge friends. Coming from dysfunctional families they are outsiders in their own little town. A town that has its own skeletons and myths, namely The Melon Heads, a group of apparently mythical creatures who’s stories have scared kids for generations.
When an unprovoked savage attack happens to one of our five outside of a bar(a brutal rape to be precise) one of the group says he has a friend who lives out in the woods alone who is in contact with The Melon Heads and they should find the culprit and bring him to feed to the Melon Heads!
The rest of the group are extremely sceptical but go along with the plan.
All hell ensues for the rest of the book(in the best possible way). There are several set pieces that are fantastically written. Tension, violence, graphic graphic violence' it has your adrenaline racing reading it.
This book is extremely gory but it is so much fun to read. It’s constantly on a knife edge of over the top violence and black humour and melodrama and personal issues and relationships. It zips along nicely and as usual with Shea, doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.
Shea comes across as an extremely enthusiastic writer if that makes sense. There’s an energy and vibrancy to his books that makes them impossible for me not to enjoy.
The story is a bit bonkers, the main characters vary from very well written to a little one dimensional but it’s just hard not to enjoy the ride with Shea. He tells great stories. I’m yet to be disappointed by him.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and Hunter Shea for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Set in the 90s, it’s the story of fiver stoner/grunge friends. Coming from dysfunctional families they are outsiders in their own little town. A town that has its own skeletons and myths, namely The Melon Heads, a group of apparently mythical creatures who’s stories have scared kids for generations.
When an unprovoked savage attack happens to one of our five outside of a bar(a brutal rape to be precise) one of the group says he has a friend who lives out in the woods alone who is in contact with The Melon Heads and they should find the culprit and bring him to feed to the Melon Heads!
The rest of the group are extremely sceptical but go along with the plan.
All hell ensues for the rest of the book(in the best possible way). There are several set pieces that are fantastically written. Tension, violence, graphic graphic violence' it has your adrenaline racing reading it.
This book is extremely gory but it is so much fun to read. It’s constantly on a knife edge of over the top violence and black humour and melodrama and personal issues and relationships. It zips along nicely and as usual with Shea, doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.
Shea comes across as an extremely enthusiastic writer if that makes sense. There’s an energy and vibrancy to his books that makes them impossible for me not to enjoy.
The story is a bit bonkers, the main characters vary from very well written to a little one dimensional but it’s just hard not to enjoy the ride with Shea. He tells great stories. I’m yet to be disappointed by him.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and Hunter Shea for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2020
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook ARC from the author, publisher, and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
When Marnie gets brutally raped, her friends all vow revenge. It is only when they take their revenge on the one responsible that their own nightmare begins when they unleash an unspeakable evil into their town. Can they stop it in time? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty creepy and disturbing horror novel. This is also my second novel by author Hunter Shea. Reading this book I was on an adrenaline-fueled rollercoaster which didn't end until I finished the book. If you are a horror fan, definitely check it out but be warned as this book contains a rape scene, tons of gore and violence. If this stuff easily disturbs you, be sure to skip this book.
Be sure to check this book out when it officially releases to bookstores and wherever books and ebooks are sold online on September 8, 2020.
When Marnie gets brutally raped, her friends all vow revenge. It is only when they take their revenge on the one responsible that their own nightmare begins when they unleash an unspeakable evil into their town. Can they stop it in time? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty creepy and disturbing horror novel. This is also my second novel by author Hunter Shea. Reading this book I was on an adrenaline-fueled rollercoaster which didn't end until I finished the book. If you are a horror fan, definitely check it out but be warned as this book contains a rape scene, tons of gore and violence. If this stuff easily disturbs you, be sure to skip this book.
Be sure to check this book out when it officially releases to bookstores and wherever books and ebooks are sold online on September 8, 2020.
September 12, 2020
misfits
/ˈmɪsfɪt/
noun
a person whose behaviour or attitude sets them apart from others in an uncomfortably conspicuous way: “a motley collection of social misfits”
The definition behind the word is a whole spectrum of meanings. What is your definition of normal and do you fit nicely inside it. I would probably class myself as a bit of a misfit, I don’t follow the crowd, I don’t follow trends and I’m a massive geek.
This is a story about a group of five friends, those who have never fitted in, who have never fitted into that perfect mould that society has deemed, normal. The stoners, the kids with traumatic childhoods and those who are tired of being kicked around. They are different, but does that necessarily mean that they are wrong or evil?
Chuck, Marnie, Mick, Heidi and Vent are our merry band of unlikely heroes. They are mature, they know how to support each other through the hard times. Its more than nipping down the park and swigging on cider and smoking weed. There’s an admirable comradery between them all. They accept each other, warts and all. There’s no judgement and they’ve got each other’s backs.
I’m sure at some point in all our lives we have felt like a misfit. Do we try and fight against it or just go with the flow. Hunter Shea has created a brutal tale of shifting change. A violent act changes the potential outcome of how their school career would end. Revenge is the only motive that pulses through their veins. It takes root and imprisons them until they act upon it. They need to put the universe to rights. What happens when they do? What’s lurking just beneath the surface, an old wives tale about a hideous being…
Misfits has a chilling narrative that is the supreme standard that Hunter Shea excels at. Its written to such an extent that we are given a screenshot into the characters thoughts. Sometimes we are given insight but sometimes it’s a bleak place to be. This is humanity – we try to hide the deepest part of us, a black veil if you will. However, sometimes, a glimpse is given and what happens when its finally out in the open?
Misfits is the perfect read for spooky season and I recommend every Halloween/horror fan add this to their TBR.
/ˈmɪsfɪt/
noun
a person whose behaviour or attitude sets them apart from others in an uncomfortably conspicuous way: “a motley collection of social misfits”
The definition behind the word is a whole spectrum of meanings. What is your definition of normal and do you fit nicely inside it. I would probably class myself as a bit of a misfit, I don’t follow the crowd, I don’t follow trends and I’m a massive geek.
This is a story about a group of five friends, those who have never fitted in, who have never fitted into that perfect mould that society has deemed, normal. The stoners, the kids with traumatic childhoods and those who are tired of being kicked around. They are different, but does that necessarily mean that they are wrong or evil?
Chuck, Marnie, Mick, Heidi and Vent are our merry band of unlikely heroes. They are mature, they know how to support each other through the hard times. Its more than nipping down the park and swigging on cider and smoking weed. There’s an admirable comradery between them all. They accept each other, warts and all. There’s no judgement and they’ve got each other’s backs.
I’m sure at some point in all our lives we have felt like a misfit. Do we try and fight against it or just go with the flow. Hunter Shea has created a brutal tale of shifting change. A violent act changes the potential outcome of how their school career would end. Revenge is the only motive that pulses through their veins. It takes root and imprisons them until they act upon it. They need to put the universe to rights. What happens when they do? What’s lurking just beneath the surface, an old wives tale about a hideous being…
Misfits has a chilling narrative that is the supreme standard that Hunter Shea excels at. Its written to such an extent that we are given a screenshot into the characters thoughts. Sometimes we are given insight but sometimes it’s a bleak place to be. This is humanity – we try to hide the deepest part of us, a black veil if you will. However, sometimes, a glimpse is given and what happens when its finally out in the open?
Misfits is the perfect read for spooky season and I recommend every Halloween/horror fan add this to their TBR.
August 10, 2020
I usually shy away from comparing one author to another but what is most on my mind is that this has some similarities to a few Edward Lee books I've read, except that Misfits is 100 times more terrifying and 100 times less nauseating than those. It also has realistic characters that I actually cared about. I mean seriously I want these people to be OK! I loved everything about this book, from the time period, to the deep and abiding friendships among these 5 high school age kids who would literally lay down their lives for each other if necessary. I suppose that is exactly why they find themselves on a ghastly collision course with horror on Dracula Drive.
"Dare to walk down Dracula Drive,
In day or night, you won't survive.
They wait in trees and hide below,
Hungry for people too blind to know."
I do not scare easily, but from the first mere glimpse of Dracula Drive at the beginning of the book I had the most eerie feeling like someone just walked over my grave. As the story went on I was almost afraid to turn the page, but before I knew it I was reading faster and faster almost like I needed to escape the book before the melon heads could get me.
I received an advance copy for review.
"Dare to walk down Dracula Drive,
In day or night, you won't survive.
They wait in trees and hide below,
Hungry for people too blind to know."
I do not scare easily, but from the first mere glimpse of Dracula Drive at the beginning of the book I had the most eerie feeling like someone just walked over my grave. As the story went on I was almost afraid to turn the page, but before I knew it I was reading faster and faster almost like I needed to escape the book before the melon heads could get me.
I received an advance copy for review.
September 29, 2023
This is a good teens versus monsters story with some flaws. It's the 90's, grunge is popular, and five pothead losers in a small town worry about high school ending and what to do with their lives. But then one of them is attacked by her ex-boyfriends dad, her friends embark on a plan of revenge by invoking the local cryptid to eat him. It turns out not only are the legends real, but dozens of misshapen, goblin-like humanoid creatures called "melon heads". One of the teens accidentally kills a melon head in a fight and incurs their wrath, leading to a series of violent encounters as the monsters hunt them down.
There's a lot to like, it's well-written, the action is punchy and there's a fair amount of blood. But about halfway into the book, it starts to become repetitive. It's a very slasher structure: monster attack, running away, smoking pot and talking about how life sucks, monster attack, etc. This is a two-hundred-page book with an extra hundred pages. Maybe if there were more characters it would be less obvious. But there's just no real reason for me to like any of them. You're going to smoke pot and THEN fight monsters? It ends with a sizable battle at least.
There's a lot to like, it's well-written, the action is punchy and there's a fair amount of blood. But about halfway into the book, it starts to become repetitive. It's a very slasher structure: monster attack, running away, smoking pot and talking about how life sucks, monster attack, etc. This is a two-hundred-page book with an extra hundred pages. Maybe if there were more characters it would be less obvious. But there's just no real reason for me to like any of them. You're going to smoke pot and THEN fight monsters? It ends with a sizable battle at least.
August 6, 2021
This is why I don't go in the woods. This is why I don't let people I know take me to the woods.
If you enjoy going outside I wouldn't suggest picking this one up because, now I have added melon heads to my list of things to be scared of.
Hunter did amazing as always with this book. The characters are likeable, the deaths gruesome, and it builds enough anxiety to make you nervous.
If you enjoy hills have eyes or wrong turn movies I bet you would love this.
If you enjoy going outside I wouldn't suggest picking this one up because, now I have added melon heads to my list of things to be scared of.
Hunter did amazing as always with this book. The characters are likeable, the deaths gruesome, and it builds enough anxiety to make you nervous.
If you enjoy hills have eyes or wrong turn movies I bet you would love this.
December 9, 2020
Review to come
August 17, 2020
After a teenage girl is raped, her friends decide on their own justice for the middle-aged rapist. They drag him out to Dracula Drive where the Melon Heads live. The Melon Heads have long been an urban legend told to the kids of town - a band of mutants that feast on anything and anyone that crosses their path. But Mick and Marnie know the truth. They know there is a man who lives in a cabin in the woods who helps out the Melon Heads, and who can help the teens get swift justice. Unfortunately, the kids disobey the rules and accidentally kill one of the Melon Heads. Now the band of feral mutants are out to get them - and no one close to them is safe.
Count on Hunter Shea to make that seemingly deserted area of suburbia suddenly terrifying. I love a good urban legend, and this is one. The Melon Heads are society's cast offs - years ago, children born deformed were taken out to the woods and left. Only instead of them dying, they lived and multiplied. Staying to they part of the woods, only kids dared to venture close as part of a dare. But the legends are real and don't piss off the Melon Heads - they are stealthy and savage.
This has to be one of the more brutal Shea books I've read starting off with a vicious rape and following it up later with some nasty death scenes. Not quite one of his creature features - I mean the Melon Heads are human, kind of - but every bit as entertaining as them.
Count on Hunter Shea to make that seemingly deserted area of suburbia suddenly terrifying. I love a good urban legend, and this is one. The Melon Heads are society's cast offs - years ago, children born deformed were taken out to the woods and left. Only instead of them dying, they lived and multiplied. Staying to they part of the woods, only kids dared to venture close as part of a dare. But the legends are real and don't piss off the Melon Heads - they are stealthy and savage.
This has to be one of the more brutal Shea books I've read starting off with a vicious rape and following it up later with some nasty death scenes. Not quite one of his creature features - I mean the Melon Heads are human, kind of - but every bit as entertaining as them.
September 15, 2020
It's 1993 hair metal is dead, replaced by grunge the country is coming out of a recession and our president took us to war in the middle east. No wonder why there are disaffected youth everywhere.
Five friends since childhood in their senior year, part of the burnout crowd are just trying figure things out as they rapidly reach adulthood.
When one of them is violently assaulted and left for dead they decide to take the law into their own hands. This group of misfits are going to let another group of misfits take care of it. The melonheads an urban legend come to life, but as all best laid plans things go horribly wrong.
Hunter has done it again, he paints a picture of a small town with a well drawn group of disparate characters. the story is fast paced, well balanced and with ending that you wont forget.
Five friends since childhood in their senior year, part of the burnout crowd are just trying figure things out as they rapidly reach adulthood.
When one of them is violently assaulted and left for dead they decide to take the law into their own hands. This group of misfits are going to let another group of misfits take care of it. The melonheads an urban legend come to life, but as all best laid plans things go horribly wrong.
Hunter has done it again, he paints a picture of a small town with a well drawn group of disparate characters. the story is fast paced, well balanced and with ending that you wont forget.
September 3, 2020
Maybe you don't generally believe in "urban legends," or myths, or fantasy. Try MISFITS: see if it doesn't make a believer out of you. From Chapter 1, MISFITS absolutely terrified me. I'm not reassured living surrounded by woods, either, but as demonstrated in this novel, "Monsters" come out to play in communities, too--not only in dense forest.
MISFITS is really brutal; in fact, I'd label this extreme horror. There's also sexual violence, child/adolescent abuse, sociopathy, bullying, poetic justice, strong undiluted friendship, "first love," xenophobia, and a gore level over the top. Nonetheless, and despite the also-over-the-top fear factor [could I take any more?], I loved it. I will reread it, after the shock wears off.
MISFITS is really brutal; in fact, I'd label this extreme horror. There's also sexual violence, child/adolescent abuse, sociopathy, bullying, poetic justice, strong undiluted friendship, "first love," xenophobia, and a gore level over the top. Nonetheless, and despite the also-over-the-top fear factor [could I take any more?], I loved it. I will reread it, after the shock wears off.
April 27, 2020
ARC received from Net Galley and Flame Tree Press.
Opinions are my own.
What can I say about Hunter Shea...he writes great monster stories. Fast-paced fun and fairly quick read, Mistfits delivers. Reminiscent of a Creepypasta it’s an entertaining and enjoyable story. I love the 90’s throwback. Brings back a lot of memories. Unlike a lot of stories involving kids, while the situations are extraordinary, the kids are own stories are pretty believable. Misfits and outcasts for one reason or another, we all know someone who fits these characters. Overall enjoyable and highly recommended.
Opinions are my own.
What can I say about Hunter Shea...he writes great monster stories. Fast-paced fun and fairly quick read, Mistfits delivers. Reminiscent of a Creepypasta it’s an entertaining and enjoyable story. I love the 90’s throwback. Brings back a lot of memories. Unlike a lot of stories involving kids, while the situations are extraordinary, the kids are own stories are pretty believable. Misfits and outcasts for one reason or another, we all know someone who fits these characters. Overall enjoyable and highly recommended.
September 20, 2020
3 and 1/2 Stars
I had fun with this one. I just wish I had more fun. The main problem is that I barely connected with these characters. The story is fine and the violence is major and Shea does know how to write a clear line but I sometimes wish he would take more time on characterization so when the blood hits the fan you really are affected by what happens to his fictitious people. As is I can only enjoy MISFITS to a certain degree and recommend it only if you are up for a quick mindless read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.
I had fun with this one. I just wish I had more fun. The main problem is that I barely connected with these characters. The story is fine and the violence is major and Shea does know how to write a clear line but I sometimes wish he would take more time on characterization so when the blood hits the fan you really are affected by what happens to his fictitious people. As is I can only enjoy MISFITS to a certain degree and recommend it only if you are up for a quick mindless read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.
August 26, 2020
Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #FlameTreePress for an advanced readers copy of #Misfits. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this book. The characters felt real and the story was spooky! The only drawback was I would have liked to see more about how the big heads came to be.
I would recommend this book to any scary story lovers aged 13 and up.
I enjoyed this book. The characters felt real and the story was spooky! The only drawback was I would have liked to see more about how the big heads came to be.
I would recommend this book to any scary story lovers aged 13 and up.
August 22, 2020
5/5
This year, I finally got around to reading some Hunter Shea. I started with Creature, which I had a personal connection with, thanks to the lead character suffering from Ehlers Danlos Disease like myself. I loved that book and was spurred to read more of Shea. Though I wasn’t as enthralled with the title I followed it up with (Slash), I had learned I liked Shea’s writing and wanted to continue exploring his worlds.
Enter Misfits. When I heard about it dealing in Melon Heads, I figured I was getting into some sort of a story about a town suddenly flooded by deformed monstrosities too hungry to hide in the woods any longer. Though that didn’t end up being the plot here, I still had the right idea of what to expect (more or less) from the Melon Heads. They’re ugly inbreds that have no problem eating people.
As fun as my story prediction could have been, I’m glad Shea had a different idea for this. What I imagined would have been on the level of Slash - a creature feature of just gruesome murder. Honestly, I’m not much for that. So to learn that Shea had a more intelligent design for Misfits was a happy discovery. Here’s your synopsis:
“During the height of the 90s grunge era, five high school friends living on the fringe are driven to the breaking point. When one of their friends is brutally raped by a drunk townie, they decide to take matters into their own hands. Deep in the woods of Milbury, Connecticut, there lives the legend of the Melon Heads, a race of creatures that shun human interaction and prey on those who dare to wander down Dracula Drive. Maybe this night, one band of misfits can help the other. Or maybe some legends are meant to be feared for a reason.”
The way the story begins is rough, as to be expected. But it also gives the book an immediate emotional leverage on the reader, similar to the way I connected with Creature. It is in these designs that Shea shows his powerful force in fiction, blurring the lines of what is possible and what’s imaginary, all while keeping that ardent passion alive. You immediately care about these characters - this group of misfit stoner kids - and what they are willing to do to protect and avenge their friend. Then there’s the unexpected humanity of the Melon Heads to take into consideration; though violent cannibals, they have a fierce protection and loyalty to their own, finding ways to use us in their secretive survival. I can’t go into detail on that remark, but trust me when I say these aren’t one-dimensional monsters at play. Though simpleminded, they’re also intelligent in a guerrilla-warfare sort of way.
I found that I loved this book from the prologue and onward. During those final fifty or so pages, I kept trying to guess how Shea would conclude things - I just couldn’t figure it out! I was betting on Shea to surprise me, and luckily he did not disappoint. The ending is unexpected and oddly charming in a horrific sort of way. And possibly best of all, it leaves a sequel invitation. Shea even promises more to come in his Acknowledgments. You can count me in!
Misfits is as wild and gruesome as it is emotionally turbulent and deeply satisfying. It sinks its claws into you right from the start and never lets go!
Review by Aiden Merchant - This book was provided as a paperback (via Smith Publicity) by the publisher for review consideration.
www.aidenmerchant.com (Also on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon)
contact@aidenmerchant.com (Message for review consideration)
This year, I finally got around to reading some Hunter Shea. I started with Creature, which I had a personal connection with, thanks to the lead character suffering from Ehlers Danlos Disease like myself. I loved that book and was spurred to read more of Shea. Though I wasn’t as enthralled with the title I followed it up with (Slash), I had learned I liked Shea’s writing and wanted to continue exploring his worlds.
Enter Misfits. When I heard about it dealing in Melon Heads, I figured I was getting into some sort of a story about a town suddenly flooded by deformed monstrosities too hungry to hide in the woods any longer. Though that didn’t end up being the plot here, I still had the right idea of what to expect (more or less) from the Melon Heads. They’re ugly inbreds that have no problem eating people.
As fun as my story prediction could have been, I’m glad Shea had a different idea for this. What I imagined would have been on the level of Slash - a creature feature of just gruesome murder. Honestly, I’m not much for that. So to learn that Shea had a more intelligent design for Misfits was a happy discovery. Here’s your synopsis:
“During the height of the 90s grunge era, five high school friends living on the fringe are driven to the breaking point. When one of their friends is brutally raped by a drunk townie, they decide to take matters into their own hands. Deep in the woods of Milbury, Connecticut, there lives the legend of the Melon Heads, a race of creatures that shun human interaction and prey on those who dare to wander down Dracula Drive. Maybe this night, one band of misfits can help the other. Or maybe some legends are meant to be feared for a reason.”
The way the story begins is rough, as to be expected. But it also gives the book an immediate emotional leverage on the reader, similar to the way I connected with Creature. It is in these designs that Shea shows his powerful force in fiction, blurring the lines of what is possible and what’s imaginary, all while keeping that ardent passion alive. You immediately care about these characters - this group of misfit stoner kids - and what they are willing to do to protect and avenge their friend. Then there’s the unexpected humanity of the Melon Heads to take into consideration; though violent cannibals, they have a fierce protection and loyalty to their own, finding ways to use us in their secretive survival. I can’t go into detail on that remark, but trust me when I say these aren’t one-dimensional monsters at play. Though simpleminded, they’re also intelligent in a guerrilla-warfare sort of way.
I found that I loved this book from the prologue and onward. During those final fifty or so pages, I kept trying to guess how Shea would conclude things - I just couldn’t figure it out! I was betting on Shea to surprise me, and luckily he did not disappoint. The ending is unexpected and oddly charming in a horrific sort of way. And possibly best of all, it leaves a sequel invitation. Shea even promises more to come in his Acknowledgments. You can count me in!
Misfits is as wild and gruesome as it is emotionally turbulent and deeply satisfying. It sinks its claws into you right from the start and never lets go!
Review by Aiden Merchant - This book was provided as a paperback (via Smith Publicity) by the publisher for review consideration.
www.aidenmerchant.com (Also on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon)
contact@aidenmerchant.com (Message for review consideration)
September 13, 2020
Every town has a creepy legend...a beast at the lake, a creature in the woods, a witch in The One House nobody will walk past.... And every town has that group of fringe kids....the group at the back of every school photo shoot....or just missing from the yearbook entirely. In the 90s grunge era, Milbury, Connecticut is no different.
Local lore tells the tale of the Melon Heads.....walk down Dracula Drive after dark, and they might get you. And 5 kids in the fringe group....broken homes, stoners....Misfits. When one of them is raped, the close-knit group plots revenge. But revenge sometimes comes at a great price.....
This book is creepy....and really gross in places. But Hunter Shea managed to creep me out once again! He's scared me with giant rats, funky fungus and various other monsters....why not forest dwelling melon heads!
Readers who enjoy campy creepy horror will love this book....just don't eat while you read. There are some gross parts...ha ha!
Loved this one! I can't wait to see what Hunter Shea is gonna scare me with next!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
Local lore tells the tale of the Melon Heads.....walk down Dracula Drive after dark, and they might get you. And 5 kids in the fringe group....broken homes, stoners....Misfits. When one of them is raped, the close-knit group plots revenge. But revenge sometimes comes at a great price.....
This book is creepy....and really gross in places. But Hunter Shea managed to creep me out once again! He's scared me with giant rats, funky fungus and various other monsters....why not forest dwelling melon heads!
Readers who enjoy campy creepy horror will love this book....just don't eat while you read. There are some gross parts...ha ha!
Loved this one! I can't wait to see what Hunter Shea is gonna scare me with next!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
September 3, 2020
Well, if you're looking for flowery prose and romantic ghosts and crumbling castles, this is not the horror for you. If, however, you want an in-your-face, action packed, blood and gore, filth and fear piece of creeptastic terror, look no further.
The five protagonists of this book were all well fleshed out, and I think probably every reader could relate to at least one of them. The Melon Heads are horrifyingly grotesque and VICIOUS.
The setting merges a dark and terrible forest with the seemingly safe and sound world of suburbia, and when those two worlds collide, watch out!
If you want to be scared and also maybe want to throw up in your mouth a little, grab a copy of Hunter Shea's Misfits.
I received a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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The five protagonists of this book were all well fleshed out, and I think probably every reader could relate to at least one of them. The Melon Heads are horrifyingly grotesque and VICIOUS.
The setting merges a dark and terrible forest with the seemingly safe and sound world of suburbia, and when those two worlds collide, watch out!
If you want to be scared and also maybe want to throw up in your mouth a little, grab a copy of Hunter Shea's Misfits.
I received a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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