Genre: Horror
Length: 282 Pages
Publisher: FLAME TREE PRESS
Release date: September 8, 2020
Synopsis: During the height of the 90s grunge era, five high school friends living on the fringe are driven to the breaking point. When one of their friends is brutally raped by a drunk townie, they decide to take matters into their own hands. Deep in the woods of Milbury, Connecticut, there lives the legend of the Melon Heads, a race of creatures that shun human interaction and prey on those who dare to wander down Dracula Drive. Maybe this night, one band of misfits can help the other. Or maybe some legends are meant to be feared for a reason.
Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review
Well, Misfits had me cringing a lot, there was no shortage of horror here, and I enjoyed this latest release by Hunter Shea. He’s on my list of go to authors I can count on to write a great story. I’d never heard of the Melon Heads, which happens a lot with the monsters and cryptids that Hunter Shea writes about. I’m always happily surprised when I find he has another creature waiting for me. This book wasn’t the usual cryptid story I was expecting, it was far darker, it was very brutal, and left me well shaken.
Misfits will give you a good scare and send chills down your spine. I quickly became attached to this group of stoners, essentially outsiders, and definitely not the ‘in crowd’. Hunter wastes no time in getting right to it with Marnie suffering from a sexual assault. She turns to her friends for comfort and support. All they want is some justice and revenge for Marnie. This sets a series of dominoes in motion that leads to one of the more horrible endings I can remember from Hunter Shea.
As our cast of misfits reach the point of no return in exacting their revenge, they realize it’s a choice they wish they hadn’t made. Hunter, as usual, created images that are burned in my brain while describing the Melon Heads, especially their leader. I’ll never think about ketchup and Play-Doh again, thanks for that! Misfits has a ton of suspense, horror, emotion and nasty double crosses that I didn’t see coming. I believe Misfits is one of the darkest horror stories I’ve read from Hunter Shea. If you’re brave, give it a go, and watch out for those sneaky Melon Heads.
Hunter Shea, Biography-
Hunter Shea is the product of a childhood weened on The Night Stalker, The Twilight Zone and In Search Of. He doesn’t just write about the paranormal – he actively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experiences them for himself.
Publishers Weekly named THE MONTAUK MONSTER one of the best reads of the summer in 2014, and his follow up novel, HELL HOLE, was named best horror novel of the year on several prestigious horror sites. Cemetery Dance had this to say about his apocalyptic thriller, TORTURES OF THE DAMNED – “A terrifying read that left me wanting more. I absolutely devoured this book!”
Hunter is an amateur cryptozoologist, having written wild, fictional tales about Bigfoot, The Montauk Monster, The Dover Demon and many new creatures to come. Copies of his books, The Montauk Monster and The Dover Demon, are currently on display in the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, ME.
He wrote his first novel with the express desire to work only with editor Don D’Auria at Dorchester (Leisure Horror). He submitted his novel to Don and only Don, unagented, placed on the slush pile. He is proof that dedicated writers can be rescued from no man’s land. He now works with Don, along with several other agents and publishers, having published over ten books in just four years.
Hunter is proud to be be one half of the Monster Men video podcast, along with his partner in crime, Jack Campisi. It is one of the most watched horror video podcasts in the world. Monster Men is a light-hearted approach to dark subjects. Hunter and Jack explore real life hauntings, monsters, movies, books and everything under the horror sun. They often interview authors, crytid and ghost hunters, directors and anyone else living in the horror lane.
Living with his wonderful family and two cats, he’s happy to be close enough to New York City to get Gray’s Papaya hot dogs when the craving hits. His daughters have also gotten the horror bug, assisting him with research, story ideas and illustrations that can be seen in magazines such as Dark Dossier.
You can follow his travails at http://www.huntershea.com
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