Returning from a graveyard shift at a local diner, struggling actress Jess finds a young boy hiding in the bushes near her apartment. After the boy’s father shows up in a rage looking for him, Jess and the boy run for their lives in search of safety.

There is a moment early on that makes you believe this book is going to be gimmicky and pop-culture obsessed, like a weird horror novel written by Ernest Cline, but it’s only used to establish a baseline for a character’s specific powers (or curse). From there on out, it’s pedal to the metal with increasingly imaginative and horrifying scenes. To his credit, I thought Cassidy filled this book with tremendous characters. I really bought into the relationship between Jess and the boy, and there is almost nothing I enjoy more than a good open road/chase story; especially when the pursuer is something as horrific as what Cassidy has created. The peripheral characters along the road did a fantastic job building out the world surrounding the novel’s core protagonists.

It’s not hard to see Stephen King’s influence all over this one (King himself recommended it and is also writing the intro to Cassidy’s upcoming short story collection), so it’s a good bet to say if you enjoy King’s stuff, you’ll love this. I’ll leave you with this – there is a moment near the climax of the story that is so mind-meltingly horrifying that I was left with my jaw hanging open. I hope that isn’t too hyperbolic but I wanted to applaud it. Just great stuff overall.