Spider By Janelle Schiecke
Blurb:
Jenna is in her early thirties with a stable job, and hopes of a promotion are on the horizon. Life has had its ups and downs, but for the most part it’s been smooth sailing.
Until it starts.
She begins experiencing a symptom most of us will experience at least once in our lifetime. It’s very common, so no immediate sign for alarm. Jenna’s friends also reassure her that there’s nothing to worry about, which provides some relief.
In Jenna’s case, however, there is very much cause for alarm. Her reality begins to spin out of control, and she’s left grasping for answers as her condition keeps... growing... worse.
Would you like to learn another fact about Jenna? She hates spiders.
Sanity is not the only thing unraveling in her life, for something sinister is creeping beneath the layers.
And this something is threatening her survival.
Review:
Reading Schiecke's horror novellas is always a fun surprise. Each story she has released covers a different horror subgenre. For this, I went in completely blind. With the title, you obviously know spiders are involved, but I was curious how these 8-legged crawlers would be depicted. This was a quick yet gross read.
In Spider, we follow Jenna, a woman in her thirties who is recently single and determined to get the coveted promotion at her work. I found her to be incredibly relatable with the choices she makes. I also appreciated how her arachnophobia was not crippling. I think most people have some fear of spiders, even if it's a minor one, so she was someone I could identify with. Relatability goes a long way with the story because the events that occur in this book could happen to anyone. This is a terrifying thought!
The story is set in a small town in Ohio. It's funny that, with all the body horror that occurs, the town feels warm and safe, like Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls). Honestly, this is another element that adds to the unease: everything seems normal, but Jenna is acting a little strange. With the opening chapter, there is an inkling that science has gone awry, and somehow Jenna is now a victim of it.
I won't get into spoilers since some of the ghastly scenes are part of the fun. However, the freaky things Jenna notices about her body slowly build up. At the beginning, it seems minor to shrug off. She has a nagging feeling that something is wrong, and WebMD isn't helping. Who hasn't gone down that downward spiral?
Then, more things happen, which lead Jenna's imagination to places that just don't seem possible (Google confirmed it, so I must be overreacting, right?). The steady increase of unnerving things builds up until you reach the climax. It will leave you saying "Ew, ew, ew!!!" and make you think twice when you see a spider dangling down from the ceiling. You never know, what happened in Ohio with Jenna could happen to you.
For those looking for a bite-sized horror starring creepy crawlies, I recommend you check this out.
This novella is currently set to be released on March 10th.
