The Murders of Molly Southbourne

What. Just. Happened?! I love a horror book that sticks with the reader long after the final page and The Murders of Molly Southbourne does just that. Dark and twisted, this fast pace novella drips with blood while tapping into the basic questions of human morality. The opening scene suggests the book will contain gore, but it doesn’t. Despite the ample murders, the blood serves a purpose and it reads more clinical than slasher. I found myself more interested with Molly’s emotional state than the actual murders of her doppelgangers. She’s a psychological enigma, a woman forced to come face-to-face with literally the worst version of herself. As she matures from childhood to adulthood, she goes through relatable teenage angst and rebellion, but she learns that she can’t outrun her demons. The only way to survive is to accept her fate and fight for her life. At the heart of the story is a tale of humanity. A story about parents doing their best to protect their daughter by teaching her how to butcher a body. A daughter doing her best to carve a place for herself in the world while simultaneously murdering, dismembering, and disposing the remains of her doubles. A typical and yet not typical coming-of-age story that leaves your mind frazzled and stomach twisted in knots. The only aspect of this book I disliked was the ending. It’s part of a series, so I’m willing to hold my breath and see how the next book progresses, but it seemed to speed through important scenes while leaving a sour taste in my mouth. I wished it was longer and more time was given to the characters storylines at the end, but the final page left enough intrigue to make me want to read more from this author. It’s a story that stuck with me into the night and through the next morning. I’m sure I’ll be mulling it over for days to come. I also discovered this novella is being made into a movie, which I really hope happens. Seeing Molly and her evil doppelgangers battle for survival on the big screen will no doubt be eerie and chilling. There’s a self-harming scene, so beware, but overall, I highly recommend this story to anyone interested in psychological horror. Four stars.