Review | Remains by Andrew Cull

After the murder of her son, Alex, Lucy Campbell struggles to cope until she checks herself into a psychiatric hospital. Six months later, she leaves to follow the whispers that are calling for her, right to the abandoned house where her son died. But she is not alone. In the house, there are traces. Is it the remains of whatever is left of her son, or something else? Something worse?

No one talked openly about the space , the empty corner of Lucy Campbell’s room. The way it would draw your attention, like a stranger quietly whispering your name. The way it was filled with a cold that felt as if it moved over you, pulling the warmth from your body, like someone pulling in a breath before a scream.

Remains is an absolutely devastating read. It’s about a woman, Lucy, whose son was murdered and she returns to the house where it happened. Strange things occur and she’s convinced it’s her son’s ghost contacting her. I don’t do well with stories about child deaths so this was hard to read at times. The writing is sharp and doesn’t shy away from gruesome descriptions of the aftermath. I’m not a fan of gore so the level of violence had me cringing. It works though, in the context of the story. The brutality is necessary to show the effects of Alex’s death on Lucy and how much her grief has broken her.

The supporting characters are Lucy’s estranged husband, Matt, and her doctor at the psychiatric hospital, Doctor Bachman. They both play vital parts in showing Lucy’s deteriorating mental state as they try to pull her back from the deep end. I did wish we get more scenes with Alex beyond just his death. I also wanted more information as to why he died. The answer given is solid but I wouldn’t mind exploration on that matter.

Besides the horror of a loss of a child, this book is also a showcase of a haunted house horror. It has some truly scary moments! Scenes where Lucy is alone in the house, seeing and hearing things really had me creeped out. I was both surprised and moved at the ending. But this is not an easy read so I would recommend going ahead only if you’re fine with the subject matter.

Remains is a fantastic horror story about memories, grief and holding on to something that is lost. This is one of my favourite reads of the year.

Note: contains scenes of child death and graphic violence

About the author: Andrew Cull

Photo by Josh Olalde