ARC Review: “Division X” by Ryan August Hill

“Division X” by Ryan August Hill

Publishing Date: October 20, 2022

Genre: Horror, Fiction

Page Length: 363 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

Twenty-four years old, no job, and kicked out by her parents, Randi Matheson is living at her aunt and uncle’s trying her hardest to complete a novel she can’t seem to start when a carnivorous monster interrupts her middling life on a full moon night. Attacked during an ordinary family dinner, Randi’s relatives are murdered, and she is bitten by the beast. Surviving the slaughter, Randi returns home to her distressed family only to become a monster herself under the next full moon. Nearly devouring her younger brother, she is stopped by the intervention of Division X, a company devoted to the killing and capture of paranormal threats. She awakens in a containment cell the next morning to be given an ultimatum… work for them as a new weapon in the fight against evil or be dissected. A cure to her lycanthropy is promised along the way, and with real motivation to stay alive, Randi pushes herself to the brink to return to her normal life. Small town horrors lie in wait with even smaller heroes to stand against them. Can Randi save them and herself, or will everything crumble to the wills of evil?

Review:

With the stylings of an 80’s style horror film Division X, follows the story of Randi who lives a normal life until a deadly werewolf attack. Still trying to cope with her new life, she has been dragged into the world of the supernatural at Division X a mysterious company, and tries to navigate each new small-town paranormal case that comes her way.

I enjoyed the retro feel of this novel and its callbacks to themes with 80s-themed slasher films and other sub-genres of horror. It is, however, very gory, so if you’re sensitive to that aspect of horror readers will want to take some caution. While the situations are action-packed and sometimes deadly for the Division X crew that they take on the book takes on a lighter tone with its dialogue and characters. While I feel the main characters Randi falls a bit flat at times, her other co-workers at the company and her family back at home have some great banter and comedic timing. It’s the awkward moments or heavy sarcasm at the most inopportune times that help to keep the reader immersed in the story. Their teamwork and commentary on cases kept me entertained.

The novel itself is set up into smaller sections and each section brings a brand new case for Division X. Though this book is meant to be a series, I felt the way the sections of each case and the overall storyline felt a bit disjointed and at times the story was hard to follow. Some of the parts were jumbled or didn’t feel like they fit into the overall plot. I did appreciate the variety of supernatural cases the teams take on, but I felt more interested in all of the other characters instead of the main lead.

Still a good recommended read or readers that are looking for a spooky horror novel with lots of action.

Final Verdict: