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Brain Mold
Like his hometown, Malcolm is dying. Cancer. His passing will be slow and painful -- but the rest of the town is going to die with a smile. From deep within the woods come the spores of an infectious mold. Once breathed in, the body begins to shut down, while leaving the infected in a state of euphoria. Now Malcolm only hopes to survive just one more day, so that he may help keep his friends safe from the growing horde of the laughing damned. Opposing his efforts is the town physician Dr. Avery. Out of his depth, the good doctor turns to cruel methods as a way of saving the healthy from the sick. A battle of power and ideals begins between Malcolm and Dr. Avery as the community they both grew up in descends into madness. . .
- GenresHorror
396 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 31, 2016
Review to come.
April 30, 2014
I read a lot of horror books and one of my favourite sub-genres is the unknown. True, nothing quite beats a serial killer, a rapist or some kind of demented human being for sheer terror but what really scares me is the things that can't be stopped or controlled. You wouldn't want to come face to face with a rapist or serial killer but, if prepared, you would be able to stop them. Then there are the things that live outside the realm of reality...
Step forward Brain Mold, the debut novel from Kyle Warner.
From the outset, the mood is bleak, dreary and depressing, the stuff of true horror. Taking place in a small mountain town that spends the duration of the book battling the elements (snow, blizzards, each other), Brain Mold is the story of a cut-off town that falls victim to an unknown mold. One by one, the inhabitants encounter the mold and when they realise it's behind some of the more gory and graphic deaths committed to a Kindle/page, the shit really hits the fan. The town is dying inside and it starts with its residents. Be warned, this ain't no South Park.
So, the unknown. Subjects such as the apocalypse, infection and mental illness are all touched on in Brain Mold. As the town begins to collapse, and paranoia becomes more dangerous then the mold itself, it's only a matter of time before the town becomes a hell hole of depravity, death and chaos. The real threat here is humanity itself...and that's where the book becomes interesting.
Kyle Warner has a real way with words. From the first page to the last, I couldn't put this book down. As the tension is built on a series of interactions between the residents, several set pieces and glorious, original deaths it reaches breaking point at the three quarter mark. Clichés are shredded immediately. Gone are the cell phone issues that plague horror so badly (the town is a black spot for signal), and so are the stereotypes as each character is given time to prosper, develop and get involved. On occasion, you really feel for the characters when they face mortal peril and it's type of writing that makes a horror ring true. Warner literally creates a whole town of characters who keep the story rolling along nicely.
Unfortunately, it's also this sort of writing that can sometimes backfire. The characters are engaging, relevant and realistic. However, on occasion, you feel like you just want to punch some of the characters in the mouth. This is all well and good because this sort of feeling towards a character commends the author's writing style (and Warner is excellent in this) but you can't help feel that some of the characters were a little bit exaggerated...and it didn't quite ring true. This doesn't detract from the story as a whole, and is a personal opinion really, but I felt some of the characters could have been removed or altered and it would have tightened up the story somewhat.
However, what a great story! I haven't been this hooked on a book for a long time. Any true horror fan deserves to check this out. Kyle Warner has created a vivid, bleak yet entertaining town that stands on par with greats like Derry in IT and Boleta Bay in Funland. You're immersed until the final paragraph. You will be rooting for the characters, good and bad, throughout the tale and when it ends, you will be disappointed it finished. An excellent debut from an author who will go far. I will definitely read more from Kyle Warner.
Step forward Brain Mold, the debut novel from Kyle Warner.
From the outset, the mood is bleak, dreary and depressing, the stuff of true horror. Taking place in a small mountain town that spends the duration of the book battling the elements (snow, blizzards, each other), Brain Mold is the story of a cut-off town that falls victim to an unknown mold. One by one, the inhabitants encounter the mold and when they realise it's behind some of the more gory and graphic deaths committed to a Kindle/page, the shit really hits the fan. The town is dying inside and it starts with its residents. Be warned, this ain't no South Park.
So, the unknown. Subjects such as the apocalypse, infection and mental illness are all touched on in Brain Mold. As the town begins to collapse, and paranoia becomes more dangerous then the mold itself, it's only a matter of time before the town becomes a hell hole of depravity, death and chaos. The real threat here is humanity itself...and that's where the book becomes interesting.
Kyle Warner has a real way with words. From the first page to the last, I couldn't put this book down. As the tension is built on a series of interactions between the residents, several set pieces and glorious, original deaths it reaches breaking point at the three quarter mark. Clichés are shredded immediately. Gone are the cell phone issues that plague horror so badly (the town is a black spot for signal), and so are the stereotypes as each character is given time to prosper, develop and get involved. On occasion, you really feel for the characters when they face mortal peril and it's type of writing that makes a horror ring true. Warner literally creates a whole town of characters who keep the story rolling along nicely.
Unfortunately, it's also this sort of writing that can sometimes backfire. The characters are engaging, relevant and realistic. However, on occasion, you feel like you just want to punch some of the characters in the mouth. This is all well and good because this sort of feeling towards a character commends the author's writing style (and Warner is excellent in this) but you can't help feel that some of the characters were a little bit exaggerated...and it didn't quite ring true. This doesn't detract from the story as a whole, and is a personal opinion really, but I felt some of the characters could have been removed or altered and it would have tightened up the story somewhat.
However, what a great story! I haven't been this hooked on a book for a long time. Any true horror fan deserves to check this out. Kyle Warner has created a vivid, bleak yet entertaining town that stands on par with greats like Derry in IT and Boleta Bay in Funland. You're immersed until the final paragraph. You will be rooting for the characters, good and bad, throughout the tale and when it ends, you will be disappointed it finished. An excellent debut from an author who will go far. I will definitely read more from Kyle Warner.
October 25, 2018
BRAIN MOLD has exactly what it says on the cover, and a little bit more. A sleepy, remote mountain town falls victim to an outbreak of - you guessed it - brain mold that results in a massive amount of gloriously grizzly happenings. Kyle Warner (IN THE SHADOW OF EXTINCTION) brings attention to character dynamics and a thick layer of atmosphere to the proceedings, in a dead-of-winter setting that evokes THE THING. On top of the considerable suspense and compelling drama, there's a welcome element of satirical humor throughout that never detracts from the creepy story. Read it for an enjoyable and original horror romp.
December 1, 2015
Interesting
Not a bad book. The ending was drawn out, I didn't really know which way it was going to go with last four-five chapters being so drawn out. But it ended well and was well written. All around good book.
Not a bad book. The ending was drawn out, I didn't really know which way it was going to go with last four-five chapters being so drawn out. But it ended well and was well written. All around good book.
June 9, 2014
Received this book in a Goodreads giveaway. It was a decent horror novel, a quite gruesome depiction with an original premise.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews