Book Review: DRENCRoM by Hamelin Bird

“What’s meant to be will always find a way.”

📚

DRENCRoM is a recently released horror novella that follows California-based Coda, a young loner estranged from her family and struggling to find herself with only her neighboring tenants for company. Seeking an escape from her mundane existence, Coda purchases the fabled drug drencrom from a mysterious dark web seller. Hoping for an escapist rush that opens her up to “the greater beyond,” Coda instead experiences something very different — a frightening, hallucinatory journey that pushes her sanity to the brink.

This book is a serious trip; it reads like a beautiful, strange, and at times grotesque, nauseating, and funny fever dream that slowly gets its legs before hitting the proverbial gas pedal and rocketing into truly bizarre territory. It goes to mind-bending places in only 133 pages, weaving a narrative that’s equal parts unadorned, in-your-face prose and striking, profound philosophical musing that begs the reader to stop and re-read sentences or entire paragraphs just to marvel at their poetic prowess.

DRENCRoM definitely dares to “go there,” and by “there,” I mean all of the nasty, gruesome, unexpected, “What the hell am I reading?!” places which, when mixed with humorous moments and gorgeous, highly quotable writing, make for a singular experience that’s a ton of fun. Add to that an absolutely spectacular cover and creative layout employing alternating black-and-white text and page colors along with a periodic background motif and you’ve got one unique and impressive work of psychedelic horror.

❤Amanda

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that, if you make a purchase using one of my links, I receive a small compensation to help support the time, work, and cost that go into creating my blog. Purchases made through Bookshop.org also support independent bookstores nationwide. Thank you for reading and supporting Her Infinite Archive!