Voodoo Child: A Southern Gothic Horror Novel

 “The gun fires once.

Screams of pain.

A second shot rings out.

Blood everywhere.

The buzzing of flies.

Those dead eyes.”

– Thomas Gloom, Voodoo Child

🐍I received an e-ARC of this story in exchange for a fair review. Voodoo Child (2021) will release on 31st May!🐍

Thomas Gloom is another author I’ve had the joy of meeting and connecting with through Instagram’s fantastic writing community, and I’ve also had the privilege of reading this story at various stages of completion, so it is great to be reading and reviewing the finished book here and now. Voodoo Child is his latest release and the first one I’ve read so far, a book dripping in Southern atmosphere that intertwines a story of family and loss with dark horror through, as the title suggests, elements of voodoo beliefs.

Voodoo Child follows high school senior Finn Marshall, who has had a difficult time processing his grief following the death of his father. He also learns that his closest friend Kendrick, who also acted as a guardian from the bullies at school, is moving far across the country. Inevitably, the bullying does indeed resume, and whilst fleeing from one such conflict, Finn has a chance encounter with a woman named Mama Caplata, a voodoo practitioner who runs her own shop in a nearby part of town. Despite knowing little of the art of voodoo and being a non-believer, Finn decides to place a curse upon all those who have wronged him – and soon finds himself having to face the dire consequences of his decision.

As a British guy, North America has always fascinated me for its cultural diversity and the ‘melting pot’ nature of many of its states, and in few places is this more applicable than Louisiana. This story is steeped in the atmosphere and beliefs of that place, evoking an almost palpable sense of location and a powerful Southern Gothic vibe that drips from every page. Thomas’s writing is great at capturing this, and is also highly readable too.

I don’t know the author’s exact background but throughout this book, it feels like he knows this setting very well – the people and places depicted herein feel authentic. I got the impression that the author had also thoroughly researched the voodoo elements of the story – from the beliefs and rituals through to the mystical loa, and the unique attributes associated with them. I know a bit about Baron Samedi myself from personal interest, and it really felt like Thomas had made an effort to present the figure as accurate to the many legends and stories as he could.

Family also plays a large role in Voodoo Child’s narrative, and this lends real heart to the book. From the very beginning, it is clear that Finn is extremely close to his mother Janet, especially after the passing of his father, Guy, and I thought the relationship between these three characters was worked into the story effectively. There is also an interesting subplot involving the school’s counsellor Jake Simmons, who is romantically involved with Finn’s mother. Throughout the story he is someone Finn can depend on, and I felt the way that he gradually fills the void left by Guy’s passing was both realistic and poignant.

Ultimately, it is this emotional core which is the book’s greatest strength, elevating the entertaining story of voodoo curses and giving it a sincerely heartfelt punch. The characters are well-written and easy to empathise with, particularly in regards to protagonist Finn, and the way the pent-up aggression and heartbreak he feels leads him down the dark path of curses and revenge. In this manner, the story feels as much about coming to terms with one’s own personal demons – with loss and confronting the unavoidable grief it brings – as it is about supernatural vengeance, and the book has real resonance as a result.

VERDICT: Voodoo Child is an engaging read, infused with a potent Louisiana atmosphere and some terrific scenes of grisly horror. The author takes some challenging issues – such as bullying, loss, and the emotional trauma both of those things inevitably cause – and weaves a compelling story that combines these tough themes with the classic depictions of voodoo.

It’s a ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from this reviewer. I also want to say a humongous thank you to Thomas Gloom for providing the ARC and giving me the chance to read and review it early.