Patricia Wants to Cuddle: Book Review
It’s October, which means it’s time to highlight horror/thrillers! I don’t read a lot of horror, but this one was recommended to me in a class, covers multiple elements that I love to read, and was the perfect spooky book to start while camping.
If you’re anything like me and watch reality TV but constantly think about how much producers interfere with and create the narrative and treat these shows like a guilty pleasure, the first half of this book will carry you through until the horror hits. Samantha Allen does a great job of making unlikable characters in the form of the handful of final contestants and the love interest in the Bachelor-esque reality show. She also nails the derisive, better-than-you crew member stuck wrangling the contestants. Amid the interpersonal conflict of fighting for—or waiting out—a man, the book includes forum feeds and blog posts of fans and a many-year-old mystery, which amplifies the tension. I love how she builds interest so that even though you know something is going on, you are forced to get to know the reality stars as the underlying drama builds. This makes the action and horror hit harder.
Again, it’s the perfect book to start while camping in the woods, but as someone who doesn’t sleep well after reading horror, I would avoid reading the second half at home with lockable windows and doors. And as a warning, there is gore; it’s described as horror for a reason.
If you are still on the fence, here’s what convinced me. This book has bigfoot and lesbians. It’s not a secret that the big bad of this book is bigfoot, and as someone who lives in the PNW, I always love a good bigfoot story and have a lifelong interest in cryptids, so this element was definitely a draw for me. Also, the setting of a small island in Washington makes for the perfect backdrop. In addition, as a queer person, there are lesbians in this book, and that was enough knowledge to get me invested. All you need to know can be encapsulated by the shelf talker I wrote for a bookstore: Dating reality TV show. Bigfoot. Lesbians.
Published May 30, 2023 by Zando Projects
