The thing I find so intriguing about Josh Malerman's writing is that you never know where he will take you. I was first an artist and came to writing much later in life, so this story hit home for me. It didn't quite hit it out of the park, like his previous novel did. Hoo boy, that was a fun read. Pictures of You was a little slow in the action, but it is there. Like oil paint, it is rich and layered and takes time to finish.
Pictures of You is more of a psychological horror. There are no weird monsters (unless you put Helen there) or supernatural entities. There are just two people on vacation in a small lakeside Michigan village who get the attention of the wrong people. A night of fun becomes a night of terror when one wakes up in their hotel room, and the other is gone. The night before is fuzzy, and we are brought along as witnesses for what is next. It is slow and there is little actual violence. It is much more cerebral. Great concept, and I loved the end story. I just wished the writer had pushed this story a little harder.
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
