Creature by Hunter Shea is a fantastically creepy read that kept me awake far into the night. Kate is under siege by her own body. Afflicted by lupus and another disorder that causes dangerously loose joints, she spends the majority of her time in excruciating pain. Pain and medicine cause extreme fatigue, resulting in Kate sleeping at the drop of a hat except for the bouts of night-time insomnia). Making matters worse, if she’s not careful her joints pop out, amplifying the pain until they can be popped back in place.

After a particularly horrid treatment regimen, Kate’s husband Andrew books a cottage in the Maine woods for a three month vacation hoping a change of pace will help her. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t improve Kate’s health. Indeed, her ‘bad feels’ are joined by ‘microwave feels’, where her body feels like it’s burning up inside. Add to this the creeping stress of loud noises in the night. When Kate’s brother Ryker comes to visit the creepy activity escalates. A creature is stalking the cabin, a beastie born of pain, and anger. A creature with a unique link to Kate.

I’ve had the pleasure of reading several of Shea’s books thus far. Most fall into the ‘cheesy’ light horror that I love. Creature was a different kettle of fish altogether. I empathised with Kate so much. I suffer from an autoimmune condition myself, and grokked the fatigue, the insidious ever-present pain leaching joy out of life, the plethora of pills to be taken daily. Shea did a marvelous job of getting across just what it’s like to suffer from conditions like these. Likewise, Andrew’s inner conflict and frustration was written with depth and truth. It can be difficult faced with a loved one who suffers from a chronic debilitating illness that can only be managed, not cured.

The creature itself was interesting. Or rather, the circumstances of its creation. I felt it was akin to a tulpa or an egregore, albeit one accidentally created by an unconscious metaphysical Frankenstein. Without clearly delineated instructions regarding protection, the creature acted on its instincts. It could also be personified Shadow aspects, distilled from Kate’s illnesses and her feelings around them, and her inability to function normally. Either way, the creature, and the book itself, is a great metaphor for exactly how monstrous these types of illnesses can be, how they can consume a person, and their caregivers alike. Highly recommended.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.