The Undoing by Averil Dean / Reviewed by Will Lasley
Killer Nashville Book of the Day
Find The Undoing on Killer Nashville's affiliate, Amazon.com*
Averil Dean
The Undoing by Averil Dean
Reviewed by Will Lasley
The book opens with a suicide.
I’m not even going to bother with a clever intro and lead-in; I’m just gonna go ahead and say it. The book opens with a suicide. From the victim’s point of view. That’s the type of story you’re in for with Averil Dean’s The Undoing. And frankly, that’s all you need to know. That, alone, will tell you whether or not you will like this book. I’d much rather let you learn the story as you go, as I did, which makes for a much better experience.
This story is very emotionally cold, even to a point where the reader can begin to feel physically chilly, and I really liked that about it. Dean has created a stingingly cynical environment that is befitting of such a dark story. Friendships unravel, sick sexual taboos are broken, trust is betrayed, and bodies add up. Anything could happen. And the Memento-style storytelling, in which we learn events in reverse order, sets up many opportunities for twists and turns. The Undoing is that rare thriller that gives the reader a truly uncomfortable experience, and I mean that in the best way possible.
MATURE CONTENT WARNING:This story does contain instances of emotionally charged violence and perverse sexual encounters.
Will “Savage” Lasley is a writer and self-described horror junkie who simply loves a good story. He’s also met Bruce Campbell, so there’s that.
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