“Fear drives most people...Change. Uncertainty. When known rhythms suddenly shift, it knocks a lot of beliefs out of whack and makes people doubt their faith and beliefs. This is a very unusual time. A frightening time.”

Sean Casey is a struggling comic book artist with enough problems of his own including recurring nightmares from an abduction during his childhood and a germaphobe mother who hates his girlfriend. When naked people start coming out of the woods and onto his property, Sean can’t think of anything to do but help them. When the naked people turn out to be people who have all died, including his own Uncle, Sean still attempts to help any way he can. As the media storm gathers, stories of zombies, dangerous chemicals and possible miracles ensue and the fungus that has helped people come back to life is spreading, helping some and hurting others. Sean is trying to help one of the Spore people, Mindy, get back on her feet; but Sean’s nightmares about his childhood abduction worsen and the killer that kidnapped Sean all those years ago seems to have resurfaced.

I really liked that this is not a typical horror story and definitely not a normal zombie story. The dead are rising, yes, but the method behind the reanimation is discriminatory. The people reanimated by the spores are also not out for your brains, they are just confused and scared. Most of the horror comes from the living who wanted their dead to stay dead and their secrets to stay buried with them. I really liked the spores as a method of the reanimation, adding a science fiction aspect and a bit of a mystery. The addition of the kidnapper’s reappearance adds another dimension. The characters were all well done and I’m glad that the focus was only on a few as opposed to all of the reanimated characters. Sean’s mother Helene was great, although I had guessed one of her secrets a little early. Sean’s girlfriend Mare and Helene’s interactions were awesome. There were a variety of reactions to the Spore people showcased by each character; also the social media coverage was really interesting. Overall, a unique genre-bending horror/science-fiction/mystery read that displays all facets of human nature.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

When Geoff Brown, the publisher of Cohesion press raves about a new work of horror, one that he isn't even responsible for, I tend to pay attention. I'm so glad I did, the end result was getting to read Spore, the new novel by Tamara Jones, a new author for me, but one I hope to revisit soon.

Sean Casey is just an ordinary guy trying to get by as an artist for the Graphic novel Ghoulies. He and his longtime girlfriend, Mare, live in Pinell, Iowa right by the Hobson Holiday Farm. What comes out of the farm on a Sunday morning in July will change their lives forever.

Spore is one of those novels filled with extraordinary circumstances, but with completely believable reactions.

There is so much going on in this story. People long dead, living again. Children being abducted, tortured, and killed The twenty-year-old secret behind most of what is occurring, finally seeing the light of day.

The characters are so well conceived and brought to life brilliantly. Some you can love and want to become friends with, others are so sick you just want to kill them yourself. I particularly liked the fight scene between Mare and Sean's overbearing mother, Helene. Brilliant.

Spore is like a really good B-Movie filled with twists I never saw coming and an unforgettable ending.

Available now in both paperback and as an e-book from Samhaim Horror.

Highly recommended. ( )