Book Review: Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy

 

“Memory is a mansion, and dreams are the spaces between its walls.”

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Mary: An Awakening of Terror is a debut horror novel that follows protagonist Mary Mudgett, a complex, quiet, and unexceptional 49-year-old woman whose primary aim is to be a “good girl” who lives unnoticed and unbothered, immersed in habit and routine. Lately, Mary has been experiencing body aches, night sweats, hot flashes, and mood changes, along with hearing strange voices, feeling violent and frightening urges, and seeing bizarre and horrifying things.

Dismissed as an aging woman with “textbook” concerns surrounding Perimenopause, Mary is soon fired from her job and forced to return to her hometown of Arroyo, Arizona, to care for her ailing Aunt Nadine. Immediately haunted by traumatizing memory fragments, Mary also sees gory, terrifying specters and exhibits strange behaviors reminiscent of a notorious serial killer. And when brutal murders resume, Mary must dig deep in order to find herself, uncover her past, understand her surroundings, and discover the truth.

Filled with lifelike characters, this book is a wild, twisty, grisly, and at times funny ride full of mystery, intrigue, and foreboding. Atmosphere and setting are paramount and masterfully interwoven, with the story’s menacing tone and creepy locale achieved through descriptions of stomach-turning filth, cringe-worthy gore, and blood-soaked history perfectly offset by moments of humor. Centered around Aunt Nadine’s house and the nearby Cross House — the former a filthy, mold-infested abode and the latter a repurposed gothic mansion — the story’s macabre elements combine to make the reader squirm, recoil, and long for a shower.

The storyline is a live wire that moves in shocking directions, keeping the reader guessing and turning pages as it shines a spotlight on misogyny, ageism, and gaslighting. Mary’s concerns, experiences, and viewpoints are constantly belittled and brushed aside, her worth and value defined by age, “usefulness,” and looks (or lack thereof). Aging is a crime viewed with contempt and disgust, and disrespect runs rampant, echoing the not-so-fictional realities women — particularly aging women — face in society. In the eyes of some, to grow old is to commit a sin more repugnant than murder, the irony of which is not lost on the reader as the story advances toward its outright bonkers conclusion.

Full of fantastic gothic elements, this debut is a uniquely terrifying read that gives voice, life, and credence to deeply ingrained societal injustices concerning age and gender. While readers should make sure to check triggers (violence, gore, abuse, mental illness, animal cruelty/death, bullying, misogyny, etc.), Mary is a singular novel that makes this reader incredibly excited for the author’s forthcoming sophomore work, Nestlings.

❤Amanda

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