Bumpy Oak Books

**I was provided with an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

3 stars

Jonathan Maberry’s newest work, Ink, is a supernatural horror story that surrounds something strange happening in Pine Deep, PA. Pine Deep has always been a strange town with weird things happening. But now, people in the town are finding that their tattoos are fading along with all their memories surrounding the tattoos. Readers follow a cast of characters, including the villainous Lord of the Flies, through their experiences.

First and foremost, I am a fan of Maberry’s writing style. He was able to write in a way that was raw but beautiful and had a way of cutting deep. That being said, he also had the skill to write as a detached observer for certain scenes, which made perfect sense in context. I really admire the range of his skill, and will note that this is the first of Maberry’s works I have read, though I have many others on my TBR.

That being said, this story was absolutely a slow build. The background information and general tattoo-stealing was still happening deep into the novel. Most of the action really took place in the last 20% of the work, and I likely would have DNFed if I didn’t have an ARC due to sheer dislike of pacing. Everything resolved in a way that was fine, but my aggravation at the pace is what gathered this work a low 3 star despite the enjoyment of concept and writing style.

I am absolutely interested in reading more from Maberry, and might be more inclined to read his young adult works in search of pacing that is more my speed.