Written by Ken Brosky
Some books are easier to review than others, but What Doesn’t Kill You, by Ken Brosky, isn’t one of them. It’s now been a little over twenty-four hours since I finished reading the book, and I’m still finding myself at a loss as to what to say about it. It isn’t that there’s little to talk about; the opposite is true. While regular readers are no doubt sick of me mentioning that I aim to avoid spoilers in my reviews, it’s particularly pertinent for certain books. This is perhaps no truer for any book that I’ve reviewed than it is for What Doesn’t Kill You. As much as I would love to spend this review discussing the book and its inner workings, it’s a conversation best had between people who have read the book and can offer their own opinions. With the book not releasing until September, it appears I have quite the wait.
The blurb describes What Doesn’t Kill You as “part creature-feature, part survival story,” which is an apt description. However, it neglects to mention it’s a literary tale that plays with narrative devices. It mentions Val, Danny and a mysterious woman, but neglects all those other characters in the book, and how it proves to be a character study for so many of them. What Doesn’t Kill You is indeed a creature horror, but it is also so much more.
The above isn’t to undercut the importance of the novel’s horror. What Doesn’t Kill You’s horror works exceedingly well. The threat is uniquely presented, so much so that I won’t even hint at what it is during this review. While it features many of the tropes that horror fans will enjoy, it presents many of these with a new spin. The horror is a slow burn, creeping through the novel’s pages as the situation escalates, through which Brosky expertly builds tension. The story features plenty of twists and turns, few of them obvious, and all of them reeling the reader deeper into the story.
At 274 pages (with the same estimated page count on Kindle), What Doesn’t Kill You isn’t a particularly long book, but the author has crammed a lot into its pages. This isn’t a case of it feeling rushed because there’s too much story to fit into the book; it’s due to a carefully written story that uses its space incredibly judicially. Horror isn’t a genre known for its plots; it’s all about the scares. While the novel’s plot isn’t particularly complex, it is far more coherent than many of its creature horror contemporaries. It isn’t a story that gets its characters together with a thin excuse to have them trapped with whoever or whatever is trying to kill them; it builds in logical steps that feel as reasoned as a story of its ilk can. The plot moves magnificently as Brosky moves all the chess pieces like a grandmaster.
As important as the horror is to the book, its characters are equally so. What Doesn’t Kill You is filled with wonderful characters who feel entirely realistic and fleshed out, even when they don’t have much space dedicated to them. While I would certainly recommend the novel to horror fans, I won’t hesitate to recommend it to readers who aren’t—as long as they enjoy reading character pieces. These characters are entirely human; flawed in all the ways we, ourselves, are—and, in the case of some characters, in the ways most of us aren’t. Not a single character feels like they’re included to pad out the story or in service of the plot; each one has a role to play in the narrative, and each one is engrossing to read about. Outside of the story’s events, these characters all have their lives, their needs and wants, and their strengths and weaknesses. That the book can convey so much about these characters—of which there aren’t a small number—while balancing it with the plot and horror elements, is a testament to its strength.
While Val and Danny are the two main characters in the novel, they are not the sole point of view characters. Many characters provide their perspective throughout the book, with each chapter honing in on one character’s point of view. At no point does following them feel confusing; the stories and perspectives flow together wonderfully. Brosky uses this device for one of the book’s more literary aspects, which—once again—I won’t spoil. In doing so, he not only does something I’ve only occasionally seen in books, he does so with possibly the greatest effect.
If you’re the type of reader who baulks at the idea of literary fiction for the connotations of pretension it elicits, you need not worry. While the author uses clever literary devices, none of it feels pretentious or overused, and at no point does it obscure the story. What Doesn’t Kill You is not a book that delights in confusing its reader; it ensures the reader can follow along, immersed in the story. The author uses short, sharp sentences throughout the book, which convey all the necessary information while adding some great splashes of colour to the world and events. As a result, the prose feels rhythmic as it explores the characters, the horror, and the town of Seven Sisters (a location which is a character in and of itself). Despite the number of characters in the book, dialogue is used sparingly. When characters speak, it is with intention, rather than filling in space.
At every turn, What Doesn’t Kill You amazes. Whether it’s the horror, the characters, the story, the prose or the book’s use of literary devices, Brosky has put his storytelling mastery on display. If you’re a fan of horror, you should read the book. If you’re a fan of engaging characters, you should read the book. If you’re a fan of literary fiction, you should read the book. From beginning to end, it’s wonderful: this is my first Ken Brosky book, but it won’t be my last.
Favourite Passage
Tiffany Olson knows she’s failed. She knows she’ll have to confess to Father George. She knows, worst of all, that he’ll forgive her and let her stay.
But she’ll fail again. That’s the only constant in her life. Has been for nearly six years.
What Doesn’t Kill You, Chapter 11: “Cast-Offs”
What Doesn’t Kill You was provided by the author for the purpose of an honest review.
What Doesn’t Kill You will be available in paperback from retailers, including—but not limited to—Amazon, and Kindle, exclusive to Amazon, from 5 September 2023.
Note: I do not post scores for reviews on this website, but do post them on my Amazon and Goodreads reviews:
- Amazon – To be posted upon the book’s release
- Goodreads
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What Doesn’t Kill You
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