Flashback: The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

I’ve been on a great streak of spooky/creepy/thrilling books lately but short on time to squeal about them. Here’s one that I think about constantly and still infiltrates my dreams.

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I have absolutely fallen in love with this author’s books. They are this fantastic blend of horror, humor, and incredibly relatable characters. I loved the Hollow Places and couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Twisted Ones.

In The Twisted Ones, Melissa, who always goes by Mouse, is asked by her ailing father to help get her recently deceased grandmother’s house read for sale. What seems like a simple task quickly becomes overwhelming when Mouse discovers her grandmother was actually a hoarder. Piles of junk weave in and out of newspaper towers and the stench of mice and insects nearly cause Mouse to walk away and forget about any potential money from the sale. But Mouse knows her dad’s health isn’t good enough to take on this task, so she does her best to get started. As Mouse spends time in town buying supplies and hanging out at a coffee shop for the wifi and great drinks, she finds that she isn’t the only person who believed her grandmother to a terrible, horrible person. Dislike of her grandmother was a common theme amongst her neighbors and it became more and more puzzling why her step-grandfather every married her.

While cleaning out her step-grandfather’s room, she discovered that Frederick Cotgrave was obsessed with the idea that his wife had stolen and hidden a green book that belonged to him. Uncovering a typewritten manuscript, Mouse discovers that Cotgrave was convinced that there were creatures that lived in the woods and they were out to get him.

Cotgrave wasn’t wrong. As Mouse investigates further into what she believes are delusions of an unwell man, Mouse discovers that there are places within the woods that lead to dark, and terrifying lands full of the Twisted Ones. After her beloved dog Bongo goes missing in the woods, Mouse must save him from whatever fate the Twisted Ones have planned for him.

SPOILER

The dog lives.

I love how T. Kingfisher is able to write a horrifying novel that is also hilarious. There is the perfect balance of both in the two novels I have read and it’s just so well done. Again, my favorite trope of a book within a book plays out. Cotgrave describes in his journal a manuscript he wrote based on his memory of the Green Book that was given to him by a friend. Within that book is a story of a young woman who discovers small creatures that live in the woods and the journeys they go on together. By trade, Mouse is an editor and the way that she picks apart Cotgrave’s writing was so funny juxtaposed against the horrors he described in his writing. As Mouse uncovers more and more about the Twisted Ones, and her experiences become more and more unworldly, she is still cleaning out her grandmother’s house and describing what a horrible person she had been while throwing out multiple microwaves. The humor is very dark, and I loved it.

Kingfisher is able to create horror stories that are so close to reality that the terror level goes up with each page. Like in The Hollow Places, the threat to Mouse and Bongo is very close to home. It’s literally in their backyard and can attack at any time. Mouse is in a new area without any friends or family close and knows that it’s incredibly unlikely that anyone would ever believe her story. She doesn’t know if she believes her story. And worst yet, her dog goes missing! This book is so stressful and engrossing that it was one sitting read for me. If you love horror that contains more suspense, mystery, and fear of the unknown, as opposed to blood, torture and gore, this is a great book for you.

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