Book Review | Lamella by Max Halper

Mel is having a good life – or so he thinks. He has a great career, a beautiful home, and a solid relationship with his girlfriend. Until one day, he comes home to a baby he doesn’t know. But no one else thinks anything is wrong. He knows there must be an explanation but he can’t seem to figure out what’s happening. Finding the truth will lead him down a rabbit hole that will upend his life.

I followed her gaze and saw there, swathed in the dark pits of the blankets, something like a face – furrowed as if in some great reluctance, pale like blank paper. I laughed somewhat incredulously, not getting the joke. The face rippled and knotted, the blankets stirred. 

Lamella is a beautiful, unsettling horror. Mel comes home and finds that he suddenly has a baby he’s never seen before. She’s not an ordinary baby either, with her unnatural features and rapid growth. But Mel’s girlfriend is acting like nothing is wrong, treating the baby as if she’s been there all along. The entire thing feels like a nightmare and it gets even stranger from then on. On top of that, Mel is facing difficulties at work. He suspects one of his students submitted a plagiarised paper but the student accuses him of being biased. This adds to Mel’s shaky mental state and the possibility that he might be an unreliable narrator.

I saw a warning that this book might be painful for people with trypophobia and decided to ignore it, jokes on me! Because the scenes with the baby are really uncomfortable to read and made my skin crawl. In fact, the entire book is unnerving because it feels like a Twilight Zone episode where someone walks into their home and realises something has changed, yet everyone else acts like everything is normal. The psychological torment is actually scarier than any supernatural threat. I was impressed at how well the writing conveys that off-kilter feeling with such vivid and engaging descriptions.

A lot happens in a short span of time and the book constantly keeps me guessing. The ending is pretty vague. I can’t say I fully understand the story but to me, it’s about aging and adulthood and the importance of appreciating the present moment. I believe Mel’s struggles reflect his anxieties about not being good enough as a partner and perhaps his fear of the future. But there’s so much to unpack here and I feel like a second read might be warranted!

If you love horror with a touch of weirdness, Lamella is a gem that you don’t want to miss.

I received a copy from the publisher for review purposes.

About the author: Max Halper

Photo by Jr Korpa