Pearl made me love this book.
No.
Pearl made me *want* to love this book.

Nobody is getting any context, read this surreal masterpiece of horror fiction. ( )

Pearl is the horror novel you never saw coming. Originally released under the title On This Day, the Day of the Pig, this story features the creepiest villain possible for fans of the childhood classic, Charlotte's Web, a pig. Yes, you read that right, the villain/major evil in this story is a pig. And not just any pig, a pig who can control minds.

While this book is no longer available with its original title, it is still a delightfully creepy tale. The book itself is super terrifying and tense, making readers feel like they're on the edge of their seats the entire time. This book, while featuring much of Malerman's signature writing style, also reminded me of Grady Hendrix's 70's/80's style horror novels. This story has multiple POVs (including our lovely porcine demon), which does make it just a tad confusing. Having only read bits and pieces of his full-length works, and short stories from Malerman, I definitely think that I prefer his short stories.
Trigger Warnings: Blood, gore, and more

Overall rating: 2.5/5 (rounded to 2)

Pearl will be available for purchase on October 12th. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available to buy. Also, be sure to check out Josh Malerman's website!
I was lucky enough to be able to read this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own. ( )