Blanky - Kealon Patrick Burke

Subhuman (A Unit 51 Novel) - Michael McBride

Steve doesn't think his life can get any worse. His nine-month-old baby girl mysteriously dies in her crib. His grief stricken wife, Lexi, can't bear to be around Steve and the house where their daughter died. So, she moves back in with her parents, leaving Steve all alone to face the misery by himself. Then the mysterious baby blanket shows up out of the blue. Where did that come from? Didn't that become lost when they were clearing their daughter's room of all the belongings? What is going on? Are we starting to see a man's frayed ends of sanity?

 

 

Blanky is a boot kick to the solar plexus as the reader sucks wind, trying to find respite from Steve's all-encompassing world of grief. The thought of losing your only child, just as their life got started, is a parent's worst nightmare. To have to go through that grief alone would be hell on earth. Burke doesn't let up. He provides what looks like an escape hatch for our protagonist and then promptly smashes his fingers with the lid when he tries to use it as an exit. Another thing that I'm impressed with is Kealon's word choice throughout the story. He flexes his wordsmith muscle without coming across as frivolous or arrogant. A dark, disturbing story that was perfect with Halloween around the corner.

 

 

 

5 Hidden Baby Teeth out of 5

 

 

You can also follow my reviews at the following links:

 

 

https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com

 

http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com

 

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5919799-ken-mckinley