Epeolatry Book Review: The Face You Wear by Faith Pierce
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Title: The Face You Wear
Author: Faith Pierce
Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing
Genre: Horror/Mystery
Release Date: 12th August, 2022
Synopsis: Jana overcame a bleak, poverty-stricken childhood to achieve her version of the American dream. She has her own home, a successful career, and a new husband who offers everything she hoped for in a normal life. However, her tight grasp on stability begins to slip when she starts having disturbing dreams about her husband Michael. A figure in the bedroom doorway watching her sleep, night-time conversations Michael claims never happened, someone lying beside her at night when Michael later says he wasn’t there. Old anxieties and paranoia begin to surface as Jana becomes increasingly desperate to discover if the true threat is her mind, her husband, or something darker.
Jana and her husband, Mike, are recently married and happily in love, until strange occurrences around the house begin to fracture their homelife. Jana starts catching her husband watching her sleep and acting aggressive, but when she confronts him, he denies it.
Jana’s fear and uncertainty transcend the page and leave the reader lost in doubt. The scenes with her husband are tense and unnerving. My particular favourite occurs mid-way through the book when Jana, unable to sleep, ventures out to their shed to craft furniture. The detail and love she pours into her work is beautifully written, and it strongly contrasts with her walk through the dark night.
Unfortunately, repetition and long periods of inaction bog down these moments. A lot of the book is spent on how Jana readily accepts her husband’s explanation that she is dreaming, despite her misgivings. I would have preferred a bit more action on Jana’s part, or a bit more variety in the strange encounters. However, the ending does bring everything together and provides some of the most unsettling moments of all.
/5
- About the Author
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Melody lives in Ontario, Canada and writes short, dark fiction. She has been published in several anthologies and online publications. In university, she studied Ancient Greek and Roman Studies and often infuses her work with elements of Greek mythology. She also loves reading, embroidery, and martial arts. You can follow her homepage at: https://www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com/
Homepage: https://www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com/MelodyEMcintyre.com
Twitter: @evamarie41.
