My Two Cents: CRULUS by Llrâc Nôdbé

I've been wanting to read "Crulus" by author Llrâc Nôdbé (pronounced "Lark Nod-bee") for a long time. I've seen nothing but good reviews from other readers, and I mean, come on, look at that phenomenal cover by Wendy Saber-Core. I had pretty high expectations going into it, which usually means I'm setting myself up for disappointment. I am pleased to report that was not the case with "Crulus."

In "Crulus," young Dylan Wolfendale lives in the hamlet of Newport, South Wales. His is a fairly mundane life: hanging out with his best friend Mark, dodging run-ins with bullies at school, pining after his lovely classmate Emily, and coping with a difficult home life. His father is terminally ill, his mother struggling with alcoholism, and his older brother is always on his case. Complicating matters is the fact that Dylan is able to hear the voices of the dead. Usually this is a talent that helps comfort the boy, as he frequents a local cemetery to speak with the spirits of his dead grandparents. However, he begins seeing strange things unexpectedly as well, including shadowy figures lurking in that same cemetery, and reanimated corpses that chase him. And when more dead bodies begin appearing throughout town, murdered in vile and vicious ways, it becomes a race against time as Dylan struggles to find out what these malevolent spirits want from him and his friends.

Nôdbé is Welsh, and the story is interspersed with slang from his home country. As an American reader, however, I didn't find this off-putting or confusing at all. Even though he provides a handy glossary at the end of the book for translation, I was able to glean the inferences in the story without it, thanks in no large part to Nôdbé's talent as a writer and his engaging narrative style.

I've read comparisons between this book and "Stranger Things," and "Crulus" definitely taps into that same, comfortable wellspring of nostalgia as the Netflix series. You feel like Dylan, for all his other worldly gifts, is a normal, everyday kid, along with his friends. As things go from bad to worse for them, you can't help but worry, especially as Nôdbé makes it clear there's no plot armor here, no one who's safe from potential calamity.

"Crulus" is an entertaining ride, filled with surprising turns and unforgettable characters. Dylan makes for a socially awkward, but still lovable hero, while the rest of the cast delivers warmth, humor, and just the right touch of horror to the tale. The titular entity, as it turns out, has a bone to pick, and it's willing to scour the ends of the earth to claim the vengeance for which it's so bloodthirsty. As the body count rises, so too does the terror, and the final, culminating reveal is an unexpected twist you won't see coming.

"Crulus" is available here.