Knock, knock, knock, one, two, three! Kitty come and play with me! . . . It was supposed to be one of those harmless sleepover games girls play, and yet the morning after, one of them was gone. Twenty-three years later, the four who remained have built their complicated lives, but they’ve not forgotten the missing, and the missing has not forgotten them. When their own children begin experiencing disturbances, four estranged friends must face the secrets they’ve kept, because anyone who plays dark games should be prepared to accept dark consequences.
Dark bleatings, my wonderful tribe. Gosh, I love you guys. At the time of writing this, I might have had a wine. Just one, mind you, but those that know me know that I never drink (didn’t even drink at my own wedding, my dudes) because it gives me migraines. So, naturally, as someone who drinks alcohol maybe once a year, it hits me pretty hard. I don’t know why I’m telling you this… maybe the wine is making me do it.
Anyway, listen up. I’m here today to go on about another novel from S.Q. McGrath, one of my brand new very favourite authors. She’s one of those rare authors whose entire back catalogue I bought after reading just one book (it was The Women in the Woods, for those of you wondering what started the obsession). But I digress.
(Read S.Q. McGrath)
Anyway again, four teenage girls are responsible (not on purpose) for something pretty unfortunate, and years later, this delicious circular narrative comes back to bite them when they’re grown up with daughters of their own. Their kids, unfortunately, after all these years, are now bearing the consequences of their mistake.
Something I’ve noticed that McGrath is absolutely the boss of is weaving in details that come back later in a meaningful way. And yes, I know, this is the standard technique of set up and pay off, but what I’m getting at is that she does it so well I hardly ever notice I’m being set up. She is a Jedi Knight of this technique, a master. A Yoda. She’s also absolutely brilliant when she blends the past with the present and mixes things up by using different narrative styles.
And my favourite – my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE – thing about her stories is that she is not afraid to completely destroy you. I read so much horror, both mainstream and indie, in a vast array of subgenres, and in my experience, despite the fact that I’m reading horror, the majority of the time, things ultimately go well for the characters we like. McGrath, on the other hand, never seems to be afraid oh shit my wine’s already gone to just let the story go where it feels it naturally should. She will make you afraid for several hundred pages and then still pull the rug out from under you if it serves the story, and I love it. After reading several of her works now, I’ve come to expect this from her, and it adds an extra level of scare for me right from the first chapter because I never know if she’s going to rip my heart out.
Kitty is a twisty turny tale that will spook you, punch you in the guts, and it’ll do it with an eloquent flair. I’d recommend it general horror fans. If you’d like to get your copy or check out the author, there are some links below for you:
Bleeeeat!
Happy Goat Horror 
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