I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Children of Red Peak by Craig DiLouie Published by Redhook on November 17 2020
Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: DiLouie explores the emotional aftermath of surviving a doomsday cult in his latest, a dark and atmospheric tale steeped in mystery.
The Children of Red Peak is my third Craig DiLouie book, and once again I’m in awe of his storytelling skills and the way he is able to evoke emotions. DiLouie tends to choose dark topics for his stories—racism, war and now cults—and his books are not always easy to read, but each one has been a powerful experience for me, and his latest is no exception. And while Our War is still my favorite of his books that I’ve read, I thought The Children of Red Peak was a solid story with plenty of emotional impact.
DiLouie alternates between the past and the present and tells the story of a group of children—now adults—who were the only survivors of a doomsday cult called the Family of the Living Spirit. Back in 2005, Deacon, Beth, Angela, David and Emily managed to escape that horrifying night when over a hundred cult members died. Despite a bloody crime scene, none of the bodies were ever found, and the infamous event is now referred to as the Medford Mystery.
Now fifteen years later, the survivors find themselves together again under unfortunate circumstances. Emily has committed suicide, and the other four are attending her funeral. This fateful meeting triggers horrifying memories and emotions, as Deacon, Beth, Angela and David are faced with the biggest mystery from their past: what actually happened that last night on Red Peak? With the anniversary date of the event approaching, the four must come to terms with their feelings about the cult by confronting their past one final time.
I’ve always been fascinated with cults, and I have vague memories from childhood of some of the more infamous ones. I remember the Jonestown Massacre and how shocked I was that something like that could even happen. DiLouie bases his story on cults like that one, giving the Family a charismatic leader named Jeremiah Peale who convinces his followers that only by dying can they hope to escape the coming apocalypse. The most horrific part of all this, at least for me, was that so many children were involved in his scheme, forced into it by their parents and brainwashed to believe that death was the way to salvation. DiLouie’s most emotional scenes were the ones when the bad shit is going down and the kids suddenly realize that they are actually going to die. It would have been heartbreaking enough without children involved, but adding them to the mix made it nearly unbearable.
Overall, I really loved the structure and the author’s decision to use a dual timeline to tell his story. We get to see the effects of childhood trauma and how each survivor has been able to move forward with their lives—or not, in some cases. Beth seems to be the most settled, and has become a successful clinical psychologist. Her personal life is neat and tidy, at least on the outside, but we later learn that Beth is not doing well at all emotionally, and has suppressed her memories of the final night at Red Peak. Over the course of the story, her weaknesses are revealed little by little. David is the only one who is married with children, his family acting as an anchor of sorts and allowing him the semblance of a normal life. David has dealt with his trauma by becoming an “exit counselor,” someone who tries to get cult members to leave their cults before it’s too late. His job is hard and emotional, but it makes him feel like he’s helping others, the sort of help he wasn’t able to get himself.
Then there’s Deacon, who hasn’t really grown up at all. He fronts a rock band called Cats are Sad, which seems to be on the brink of success, but Emily’s suicide changes his focus. Deacon feels compelled to write a concept album with fellow band member Laurie about his experiences in the cult, but the emotions it stirs up make him question everything he’s doing. The fourth surviving member, David’s older sister Angela, decides that the only way to put the past to rest is to revisit Red Peak on the day of the fifteenth anniversary, and the others reluctantly agree to join her. I loved that all four adults are dealing with the aftermath of their experience in different ways, which all seemed on point and believable.
Interspersed among the chapters that take place in the present, DiLouie slowly reveals how these characters came to be part of the Family of the Living Spirit, the idyllic beginnings when the Family lived on a remote farm in central California, growing their own crops and raising livestock for food, the carefree days when the children of the group were free to wander the land and form bonds with each other. The author drops hints about the impending horror to come—hard labor, starvation and even mutilations—but the reader doesn’t get the full story until much later in the book.
And this might be a good time to throw in a couple of trigger warnings, although you’ve probably already guessed what they are. The “mutilation” teaser obviously comes into play near the end, as well as murder, withholding food and drink (especially upsetting with the children), and forced suicide. DiLouie packs a lot of action and pain into the final chapters of his story, and he even suggests a supernatural reason for the disappearance of all the bodies. But it isn’t until the four survivors make the fateful trek back to Red Peak that we finally get some answers about what happened. I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending, to be honest. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but it was DiLouie’s trademark emotional gut punch, and even if it was a bit over the top, it certainly made an impact on me.
I do have one issue that might be fixed in the final book as I write this review, but I want to mention it anyway. Obviously DiLouie wrote his story before Covid, hence the present day setting in 2020. However, I have to admit the “2020” chapters felt awkward to me, knowing that the 2020 I was reading about wasn’t the 2020 we’re all experiencing today. I did read an ARC, however, and it’s possible the dates were changed in the final edition. Writing this has made me realize that Covid has forever changed the way we think about 2020 (and probably 2021), and that writers are going to have to decide whether or not to set their books during this time period. I guess that’s a topic for another blog post, but I had to mention it because it did affect my reading experience. (Update: I just confirmed that the date was changed for the final book.)
Craig DiLouie’s books always give me plenty to think about, and I’m still mulling over the events of The Children of Red Peak, days after I finished reading it. Readers who aren’t afraid to dive deep into the realities of cults will most likely find this book both fascinating and terrifying.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
I love reading about cults, they’re super fascinating but they also give me the chills. I’m actually really intriguing by this book now so might have to keep my eye out for it next time I’m book shopping!
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…#NonfictionNovember — Be The Expert
I hope you get the chance to read it!
Great review! It helped me revisit the conflicting emotions I felt while I read, and I agree with you when you say that this is the kind of book that still preys on your mind for some time after you closed it. The dichotomy between the idyllic setting of the group’s first dwelling and the horrible conditions at Red Peak is truly heart-wrenching…
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…BATTLESTAR GALACTICA REWATCH: Season 2 (2005) – #SciFiMonth
It was scary just how quickly it turned from idyllic to horrific…
This sounds exactly like my kind of thing! Great review, I’m totally loving that cover!
Thanks! The cover really fits the story, I have to say.
Cults are scary as heck, to think people’s minds can get so messed up en masse. I think this would be a gut-twisting read. Great review!
Priscilla Bettis recently posted…2020 NaNoWriMo Update
It was gut twisting! I felt so bad for the kids:-(
I have read Dilouie. I loved his book, but I recently read a book about cults, and I’m not sure if I can handle another one, even if it is from a talented author. Thanks for sharing, Tammy.
Debjani recently posted…The Lost Village by Daniela Sacerdoti – Review | Bookouture Books on Tour
I know what you mean. I think we need to read about cults in small doses…
Wonderful review. I also remember when Jonestown happened and how unreal it was to me at the time that such a thing could happen. You’ve really captured the impact of the book so well. (Funny about the 2020 issue — I must have had a copy that was already corrected.) I didn’t love the ending, but as a whole, the book has stayed with me and had such a strong emotional impact. I think I’ve read the same 3 of his books as you have, and they’re all excellent. (I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the catalyst for Our War lately…)
I still think about Our War! Such an emotional story…
Fantastic review!
I never thought about the 2020 date being an issue, but now that you mention I’m happy to know the date was changed.
Yeah, it just felt weird every time I started one of those chapters.
I’ve been planning to start this one (hopefully) soon, so glad to hear you liked it! I am super intrigued by the cult aspect, and I’m curious to see how the dual timeline plays out. Can’t wait to start this one–and I think I’m glad they change the date, also!
The date was really bugging me, but I had a feeling the publishers would want to change it:-)
This sounds like a book I’d enjoy, cults fascinate me.
Heather recently posted…Book Review | The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
Me too, I can’t imagine ever being the type of person who would join one, but I can’t help but want to learn more about them.
Sounds kind of interesting!
It was interesting, but scary too!
His books sound very powerful and moving and I suspect I’d really enjoy them. But they seem the sort that might be better if I”m in the right mood for them, which hasn’t been lately. However, I bought a copy of Our War based on your review and keep looking forward to one day reading it when the mood seems right. And I can’t get over the cover for The Children of Red Peak, I really like it.
Oh cool, that makes me happy to hear you bought a book because of my review. Our War is one of those books you should be in the mood for, but I absolutely loved it. And yes, the cover of Red Peak is so cool!
Makes me so excited to start this!
I’m curious to see what you think:-)
Wow, this sounds fantastic. I don’t know what it is about cults, but I’m always drawn to books that explore them.
Cults are one of those things that are so out there, you can’t help but be fascinated:-)
OK I don’t really read horror. But the cover is gorgeous and just the kind I love.
I love the cover, and it actually is perfect for this book.
Excellent! I’m not usually in the mood for these type of books but for some reason I really want to read this one haha. I haven’t read anything by DiLouie but this sounds like a fine place for me to start. I’m glad you noted the date is changed. While I was reading that paragraph, I wondered if they would change the year in future editions haha. Having 2020 certainly would have dated the book prematurely.
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I recommend this, it’s very dark but so interesting.
I haven’t thought before about the 2020 as the setting of a book (and ok, I didn’t even realize it could have been a problem until now but I read mostly fantasy and now I am dedicating myself to sci-fi so I tend to “live in my own world”, so to speak) and the problems that it could create, but you really have a point! Thanks for sharing it!
And the review was really intriguing. I think I would try to read this one,because you can be very convincing!
Thanks Susy, he’s such a good writer, as long as you don’t mind some dark subject matter.
I feel like a lot of books that have parts set in 2020 are going to feel really strange reading going forward… I feel that way watching tv sometimes now (why aren’t they wearing masks???).
Glad that you liked this so much. I keep seeing so much praise for this author but haven’t gotten to any of his books yet–want to check some of his work out at some point. 🙂
I’ve been wondering how authors will handle the whole 2020 thing, unless Covid is part of their story…
A wonderful review, as ever, Tammy:). Though this isn’t one I’d pick up in a hurry – it sounds like an entertaining impactful read. Glad you enjoyed it!
I really liked the look of this one but didn’t request it because I was so swamped.
Lynn