The Secret Life of Souls

by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee

[leahrosereads]

What an incredible story. Seriously, I'm going to suggest you read up on the synopsis, but this story follows the Cross family, in all their fucked up glory. Well, it's mostly the parents that are messed up, and these kids and this dog deserved so much better.

Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee have created something really special here. The story, not only incredibly well written, doesn't sacrifice anything to make a certain part of this book better. The characters are so complete and dynamic, they felt so real. It's part of what makes this story so horrific/terrifying at times. The premise is raw and real and I believed everything I was reading.

This story could be someone's actual life, and, that's when I know a story is really and truly fantastic. When there are elements that are so real that they come off the page as their own spectral version of the characters and life they're portraying and it guts me.

That's what this story did. It ripped my heart right apart and put it back together, adding in some of these characters, who I know will stay with me for a very long time. From pace and plot, characters and dialogue, this story had it all in spades.


I regret that this is my first Jack Ketchum, and that I didn't have a chance to discover him while he was alive, but I know this isn't the last time I'll be in his world and with his words. But I know my heart will probably break all over when I have no more stories of his to read.