Epeolatry Book Review: Unknowing, I Sink by Timothy G. Huguenin

For those of you who found a summer job, you loved in your teenage years, well done, treasure those memories, and count yourself lucky. Mine was washing the dishes at a local pub. Bad memories, but I remind myself that I learnt from it and grew. I had this hope for Julian, the protagonist from Unknowing, I Sink, as he began his new summer job cleaning Mr. V’s mansion. Huguenin’s novella follows Julian as he tackles the strangeness of Mr. V’s behaviour and the peculiarities of Mr. V’s grotesque appearance.

Unfortunately, after reading the first chapter, other things required my attention, and I had to pause, but I never forgot Mr V’s haunting first impression. The strong imagery of a half-naked, elderly man with a swollen belly who can’t eat anything but eggs due to his abnormal condition continued to echo in my mind. It was almost a relief to return so I could investigate the odd scenario further. 

Mr. V’s impression was imprinted further by how affected Julian was. Julian is up for the challenge of cleaning Mr. V’s mansion because he is focused on earning a lot of money to buy a car to impress a girl, but he astounds me with the lengths he will go to. He sticks to Mr. V’s rule of no phones allowed, obeys Mr. V’s ever-watching cameras around the mansion, and holds his tongue when bizarre things happen. 

Mr. V takes a shine to the fifteen-year-old, and desires to take him under his wing, prolonging the cleaning job for longer, which Julian is happy to accept as the money is very good, especially for a cleaning job, but little by little, Julian changes. His mind becomes hazy, and he loses time and blanks on remembering important things. It doesn’t help that Mr. V has a habit of ranting about arcane topics, adding to his mysterious aura as to what manner of creature he was, for he was certainly no ordinary human.

Unknowing, I Sink has a disastrous and very weird ending for Julian. Though it is a compelling and gripping ending, it is also quick, and I had to reread it to try and fathom what was happening. I almost feel that there needs to be a sequel or even a prequel to try and provide the reader with more interesting details about Mr. V because there are so many references as to who or what he is, but it is never confirmed towards a single concept.

Overall, this abject horror is a short read but full of dread from the get-go. I was hooked by its foul smells, its obscurity, and its eeriness. I feel it has highlighted a notion that has become well known in recent times; a job shouldn’t mean your life. Unknowing, I Sink, will haunt me now, especially when I go to future job interviews.

/5

Available from Amazon.