After I finished reading Jack & Jill by Kealan Patrick Burke, I tweeted:
I always feel so conflicted when I finish a story by @KealanBurke. I love the writing and the stories and want to recommend them to all the horror lovers in my life, but the looks I get as soon as I start describing the plots… They are so dark, but so good. And so well written.
And I meant every word of that. This is the fourth story by Kealan Patrick Burke that I’ve read in the last year and once again, I’m left a little speechless, a little amazed, and a little like I need a shower (I mean that last part as a compliment.) It also left me stoked to find and read another of his works.
Gillian is a wife and mother who, at the point we meet her in the story, is struggling. Her marriage and family life are on the rocks because some childhood trauma has reared it’s ugly head in the form of recurring nightmares and hallucinations. [I guess now is as good of a time as any to note a content warning: this book dives into some really dark themes, and Gillian’s trauma includes the childhood death of a sibling and sexual abuse of minors. So, head’s up there.] Her husband is having a hard time coping with her and her relationships with her children have become strained.
Through recollections of Gillian’s dreams – that feature a recurring creepy villain – and the current timeline, Jack & Jill weaves a tale around Gillian trying to find some closure to her childhood trauma while finding herself getting sucked back in, reliving moments while trying to put them to rest. As she moves through her journey, readers witness the crumbling of her familial bonds and a descent into what might either be madness or clarity or, perhaps, a bit of both.
As I am beginning to come to expect with Burke’s work, this novella reads like a masterclass in relationship dynamics and atmosphere. The tension between Gillian and her family members is palpable and uncomfortable. In some scenes you feel like a fly stuck in the flypaper, wishing you could leave the awkward situation, yet unable to look away. But, despite the intentional discomfort, Gillian and her experiences feel realistic and visceral.
For fear of being spoilery, I won’t go into much detail about where the story goes from there, but I have to make mention that the ending of this story came together incredibly well. I dare say, for this story, it was perfect. It was satisfying in way that the ending of The Last House on The Left was satisfying. It made me laugh at one (probably thoroughly inappropriate) moment that still lives in my head rent-free. And it left me with the kind of questions I want to be left with at the end of a horror piece — specifically, how reliable is this narrator?
So do I recommend this book to other horror fans? Absolutely. As far as horror goes, Burke shares a top spot with the greats. His storytelling is gripping (this isn’t the first of his works I’ve read in a single sitting), the worlds he builds are engaging, and his characters are deeply flawed, but still so very human. While Burke utilizes some supernatural horror throughout the story, he also doesn’t shy away from how horrific humans can be and the results are impactful. They sit with you long after the cover of the book has been closed.
As far as subject matter/content, proceed at your own risk. But if you enjoy dark horror, Kealan Patrick Burke is an author worth checking out and Jack & Jill is a prime example of his craft.
