Tag: woom

By B. MURACA

Hello my fellow book addicts!  Reading is a wonderful activity that all should enjoy.  Especially children…but not this book.  Woom, by horror, indie master Duncan Ralston, has proved once again why it is important to not ignore those who are self-published.  Woom is a perfect example, as it is a gut-stabbing, mind-melting, gagging into the garbage can from shock brand of horror. While extreme messed-up horror is not always for this reader personally, cheers to Ralston for once again giving those looking to be scared into an early grave (or at least a traumatic coma) a treat.

The setting, as one could tell from the cover, is at a dark, and worn-down motel.  One of those places someone would pass in their neighborhood and wonder, why the hell is there a motel in my town?  There are probably nothing but drug addicts, hookers, and psychopaths living there; and one would be correct. One of the stories told within these pages involved a certain medical procedure done in the most controversial way possible.  

The main character, Angel, was introduced and comes across sociopathic, giving the vibe that if anyone else enters this room, they may not make it out alive.  Well, in comes Shyla, a prostitute (serial killer vibes and sex workers, what could possibly go wrong?).  Ralston hid the overall motive and what the story was leading up to very well. Angel has brought Shyla here to expose the truth about the motel, and how it has impacted his life through the different stories that have happened there. Perhaps Shyla, being obese, and working in such a demented field dragging her life through random hookups with unpalatable people, was someone Angel thought would understand the darkness of his obsessions with the motel and the trauma that drives him to the actions he does. Living her life may have put her through a similar level of pain that Angel believes she can relate to. However, being stuck in a worn-down place with a man like that, no one could be sure how the story would unfold.

The hundreds of other reviews one could find online will all state as well this is NOT a story for those with weak stomachs. I found myself gagging and trying to get to a garbage can before ruining the rug. I was not going to read this book at first since I thought it reached too deep into a repulsive territory of horror, but when I found out a mother’s reading club took it on as a dare, I figured what the hell? Boy oh boy, one might think that is where Mr. Ralston belongs after writing this book. However, because this book and the author have received so much hate online, I feel the need to remind everyone that this is FICTION. Mr. Ralston is not writing about twisted ideas to brainwash the population into attacking certain people. Woom is an extreme horror novel that was meant to entertain and try to push the readers to their limits on how much they can take from horror; the same when a writer tries to up the shock value in their stories, that is all Ralston has done here. If one is mad about that, then this book was not for you. Just like David Chappelle’s comedy routine offending some people, just move on if you have distaste for it. It it not real, it is entertainment to show the world through a different pair of eyes, and one’s actual anger should be saved for real-life Neo-Nazis or someone calling you one all because you eat meat (yes, a vegetarian once compared me to a Nazi for enjoying a burger, to which I added bacon on it in front of them). My point is that although I was gagging from the graphic descriptions, this was still a very well-written literary tale. Ralston is someone who knows how to create real characters with emotions and backgrounds, and on some level we probably all felt as distant from society as Angel and Shyla have. Hopefully we’re not doing horrible things in bathtubs as well, but for a character-driven story this was well-done.

If one is into horror films such as A Serbian Film or the Terrifier movies, which also included the same graphic scenes of mutilation and sexual violence, this book is something to challenge oneself.

Grab a copy here, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! https://www.amazon.com/Woom-Extreme-Psychological-Horror-Novel-ebook/dp/B075H3MRQ6