A review by ravensandlace
Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie

4.0

Title: Episode Thirteen
Author: Craig DiLouie
Genre: Horror
Format: own paperback book
Series: NA
Star Rating: 4 stars

tw: death (viewing of a body), sickness, child death, bodily fluids, mentions of drug use, guns, murder, mention of suicide, unethical human experiments, child abuse, alcohol, car accident, drunk driving, self-cannibalism

So, I had this book on my tbr for a while but I figured I would wait for when it was spooky season to read it since it would fit the spooky vibes. I saw that my friend wanted to read it, as it was part of a book club she belonged to, but she was nervous about how spooky it would be. I offered to read it for her since I am a horror girly. She bought it for me (if you are reading, hi my friend!) and so I read it for her. 

This was a pretty cool book! It’s a found footage horror book which I know sounds kind of odd. The story is told through blog posts, raw footage, emails, texts, etc. It made the book a bit spookier because you never truly knew what was happening because you had to rely on people filming or writing it down. And half the time, you couldn’t trust what those people were saying. 

There are five main characters: Matt, Kevin, Jess, Claire, and Jake. Each character kind of fit the typical characters you see in found footage horror movies. Matt is the leader. Claire is his wife and the skeptic. Kevin is the ex-cop and wild card. Jess is an actress and isn’t quite sure if she believes in the stuff. Jake is the camera guy and is just along for the ride. While they were typical horror characters, I enjoyed every one of them. They each brought something to the table.

 You can tell, even with the way the book is written, that there is an underlying sense of dread. You know the minute this group pulls up to the house and begins preliminary investigations, that this house is more than it seems. It waits for them to get comfy before it pulls the rug out from under them. That’s what this book does best. It’s a slow build for sure, but it’s worth the wait. 

I do have one complaint and it’s pretty teeny tiny and that’s why I rated this book four stars instead of the full five, but to me, the ending felt a little rushed and unrealistic. I can hear you all saying already “But Lacy, it’s about a paranormal investigation of a house, of course, it’s unrealistic!” First off, I believe in ghosts so do with that information what you will. And second, some things happened at the end that made it go from a simple paranormal investigation to something just a bit too much and just seemed so off. 

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book! It restored my love of horror and the found footage genre, which is one of my favorite genres, despite the rap it has. When it’s done well, like with this book or with movies like Grave Encounters, it can be a masterpiece. Overall, if you are looking for a perfect book for the upcoming spooky season, this is the book for you.