Book Review: Deprivation by Roy Freirich

This was an odd book – disconcerting and eerie, with a constant edgy feeling that you were waiting for The Big Reveal, and then when it finally came, it felt more than a little anti-climactic… It shouldn’t have – the suspense felt nail-bitingly real and the gritty sand-in-your-eyes feeling of being so far beyond over-tired was marvelously depicted, but somehow this one never felt quite like it figured out what book it wanted to be. Was it horror? Was it supernatural? Was it about man’s inhumanity? Was it about family – those we make and those we choose? It was an odd but well-crafted read, if that makes any sense, and in the end I think it was about a lot of those things – and maybe that’s the issue…

It reminded me of Insomnia (the 2002 movie with Robin Williams and Al Pacino) in its ability to actually make you feel the mind-altering, hallucinogenic, zombie-state of over-the-edge sleeplessness. The stories feel blurry and off, which suits them perfectly, but leaves an unfinished, meandering, off-putting taste in your mouth while reading. It works on that level beautifully – the evocative gut-feeling was definitely there in this one – but left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied narrative-wise. It started with a deliciously slow build – but then stayed that slow for what felt like forever. Again, it works conceptually, but makes for a bit of a slog as a readable story. Then when things finally came to a head they felt rushed and hurried along, like we went from a coma to a fever dream in the snap of fingers. It was jarring and felt just a little off, hence the three stars.

I can’t say I liked it, per se – but I never even considered not finishing it, which says a lot more than three stars implies. Give it a go for yourself – Freirich is great at evoking a mood, and despite my back-and-forth review, I’m intrigued enough by that to give him another go in the future…

Thanks to the publisher, Meerkat Press, for my obligation-free review copy.