My jaw is on the floor, dragged there by equal parts disgust and awe. Disgusted by what I just read, in awe of its dark, twisting brilliance. I went into this story completely unprepared and was taken on a shocking, thrilling ride, spit out the other side transmuted, never to be the same again. And that's exactly how I recommend you approach this novella as well.

How to review RITES OF EXTINCTION without revealing too much of its multilayered magnificence?

It's a tale of loss, obsession, possession, revenge, and madness. It's grief horror, folk horror, cult horror, and psychological horror. It's brutal, disturbing, mind-bending, hilarious, full of turns I didn't expect, and extremely well written - I couldn't put it down and eagerly ate up every word. It's all of these things and still something I can't quite put my finger on. It has a loose, dream-like quality to many of its scenes, where the characters and the reader both become unmoored from time and space. So. Good.

This was my first book by Matt Serafini, and I can't wait to read more of his work! ( )

Creepy and engaging, Matt Serafini's RITES OF EXTINCTION reminded me a great deal of Stephen King back when Stephen King was trying to be H.P. Lovecraft. The ending of this short novel, in particular, is reminiscent of those earlier King days. Serafini is a crafty storyteller, able to guide what begins as a crime novel to a brutally satisfying supernatural conclusion. ( )

A story of revenge that takes. a. turn. Whoa, this story is good. I burned through this novella and it kept me on the edge until the end. I won't give any details as I went into it without even reading the summary. I will tell you that it's not for the faint of heart, as if the cover wasn't a clue. There's tons of stomach turning stuff in here but if that doesn't turn you away, then I would definitely recommend this one. ( )