by Mark Scioneaux & Dane Hatchell
94 Pages
Published by Evil Jester Press, October 15, 2013
Genre: Horror
Reviewed by Teresa P.
As blood stains the sugar white sands of Pensacola Beach, mysterious disappearances plague the area. But this doesn't stop a group of high school seniors from having one last blowout at an exclusive beach mansion before graduation. But Mandy, the party's host, has plans of her own.
With a special friend, a massive bull shark she befriended as a child, Mandy plans to work through her teen angst the only way she knows how: with the help of massive jaws and an insatiable appetite for human flesh!
Were you one of the ‘cool’ kids in high school, or were you the wallflower type? Either way, you’ll find a character to identify with in this book. We are introduced, one by one, to a small group of rag-tag teenagers representing as much diversity as The Breakfast Club. Picture 7 teens, without parental supervision, attending the best weekend long, beach house graduation party, replete with booze and first class amenities. Now throw in a dash of serial killing, a pinch of man-eating shark, and an awesomely thorough back story and you’ve got Slipway Grey. While the plot seems a little, well, cheesy, there is actually great depth to this short book. At a slim 94 pages, our authors manage to allow the reader to contemplate teenage angst again; to ‘relive’ their younger selves (without the crazy ever-changing femme fatale sex-crazed murderer and giant killer shark with psychic abilities, of course). This book manages to be the perfect read for so many reasons- the brevity of a one-sit reading, the depth of a serious literary novel, and the camp tuned to ‘11’- how can it get better than that? The characters are lovable (or despicable, depending on who we are talking about), and, while you can see certain elements that the authors purposefully foreshadowed coming from a mile away (i.e., Mandy’s ‘feeding ritual’ for Grey), this book is just flat out fun! The backstory (and I guess also ‘forestory,’ as of the end) really leaves an impact on the reader. You’ll find yourself kinda falling for the ‘bad guy’ because of what we see them go through. The real genius in this book however, shows in the flawlessly segued 3 (count ‘em!) plot twists! I will admit that I did not see any of them coming! That is what really made this book so exciting. Don’t you just love those books that make you grin like a dummy, and close it with a warm, happy, goofy feeling? This book will do that. You need to read it! Otherwise Grey will get ya!
For being so short, I really had a lot of WOW! moments while reading. As I’ve mentioned before, the twist endings had my head spinning in such a glorious way! I’m smiling just thinking about the campy, corny nature of the story while writing this. The last quarter of the book was the best for me. One of the best scenes was when Glenn stumbled into something resembling Buffalo Bill’s dressing room. And from there, the ending ensues. I simply can’t get over how great the end is! Yeah, you definitely have to read this one! As a matter of fact, Slipway Grey is available for free through Amazon Prime Lender’s Library. What are you waiting for? Get it already! Plus, it only takes an hour or so to read, and it’s funny, and silly, and cheesy, and all those great things a book can be. Do yourself a favor and read it already!
Ever since my encounter with Cannibal Fat Camp, I have been chomping at the bit for another shot at Mark Scioneaux’s genius. For Cannibal Fat Camp, he paired up with David C. Hayes & Sean Ferrari; in Slipway Grey, he has teamed up with Dane T. Hatchell. I highly recommend both, and am so happy to have stumbled across this little gem. On a cold winter’s night, it swept me to Pensacola, and a nice, sunny, weekend’s worth of murder and mayhem. It was nice. “Come on, let’s swim. Follow me.”
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