Book Review
Title: The Girl in the Corn by Jason Offutt
Genre: Horror, Fantasy
Rating: 3.75 Stars
The Girl in the Corn wasn’t the type of book I would have picked up based on the synopsis alone but the reviews mentioned it blended classic horror elements with a touch of Norse mythology and I knew I had to pick it up. I can say the reviews were accurate about this blend of genres and it was masterfully done. I found the blend of mythology and horror so reminiscent of classic King but it also combines from elements more commonly found in fantasy novel with an epic quest mixed with the classic fighting between the forces of good and evil. However, unlike fantasy books, The Girl in the Corn is a dark, gritty tale. We are following a young boy named Thomas as he encounters an unusual girl in the corn field near his home and this leads him down a rabbit hole. This experience ends up sending him to mental ward and it only spirals into the bizarre from here but it was so gripping I couldn’t stop reading.
We continue to follow Thomas through his childhood and into his adulthood with the help of the girl from the cornfield as the title suggests. His mission is to find and defeat his dark counterpart, Bobby or the world might be destroyed. The novel itself moves through a variety of time periods often bouncing back and forth in time to follow the characters. We get to know both Thomas and Bobby and we learn that they are magnets that attract the fairy folk but otherwise they are the complete opposites of each other which made both feel similar and yet unique. I loved how the opening of the novel set the tone for these characters as Thomas’ life is easy and pleasant and the broken life of Bobby. That being said I preferred Bobby as a character as Thomas didn’t seem strong enough for me and I didn’t really connect with him or his motivations.
While Bobby and his companion are the stereotypical evil characters always looking for ways of seeking power and to prolong their own existence they seemed to be more grounded and had more substance to them than Thomas. The fairy from the corn field is far more interesting than both of the boys combined because we were left with many unanswered questions about her that we left open for the reader to fill in. There are quite a few twists involving the girl that kept me reading until the very end and I would have liked to have seen more of her world and the background behind it. Her bond with Thomas wasn’t explored that much but what we did see was very interesting because while she seems good there are quite a few warnings about fae sprinkled and repeated throughout like never eating what a fairy gives you.
I have absolutely no complaints about the writing as Offutt used the smallest details to draw you further and further into the story he was weaving and to keep you hooked into the story which show mastery over his writing. The narrative is seamless and really bring fantasy elements to life in the real world giving them a more grounded feel compared to a traditional fantasy novel. However, there are some very dark moments and element so I would recommend checking out the trigger warnings beforehand. While the writing was great, the plot itself seemed to meander a lot and I found myself getting a little bored around the halfway mark even though it did pick up again towards the end of the novel. Overall, the only way I can describe The Girl in the Corn is an action, fantasy novel with some extreme horror elements about the battle of good and evil that moves between two unique worlds. While this isn’t anything ground-breaking for me it was definitely creative and used that creativity to great effect throughout.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
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