The Fall of Sunset Cove
by J. Brugman
Content Notes
The book deals heavily with themes of death, grief, loss, abuse, trauma, mental health, violence, justice and revenge – particularly among women and people of color. There are many scenes of violence and gore.
Notably, there are two brief mentions of child sexual assault that occurred in the past in relation to the events in the book – one in flashback and one in the aftermath. There are also mentions of rape, the graphic depiction of a potential hate crime and cannibalism.
Excerpt
Sam took a deep breath and with her nail pierced the folded reality just above her head. Exhaling, she dragged her finger down and grabbed the delicate edges. Then she pulled with her will, not her hands. The opening hiccuped and she ducked through to the forest on the other side.
The tear closed behind her and she did a little dance of triumph.
This forest, nestled in the mountains above Sunset Cove, had felt enchanted before The Fog. It was a popular, local hiking spot. The trail head was less than one hundred yards from a high school parking lot. A charming stream ran between the high school and the path that wound its way deep into the redwood forest. Sam had spent many Sunday afternoons wandering these trails – exchanging her deepest, darkest secrets with her friends. This place always felt nice. After The Fog, it still felt welcoming, like the kind of forest a little girl in a fairytale would run away to only to be taken in and cared for by fairies or gnomes or bears.
Sam knew what she was about to stop would have changed that. It would have wounded this innocent place.
Reviews
“Wow, such a great book. Not normally a genre I pick but I stumbled on it and gave it a shot. The writing is amazing and the story grabbed me immediately.”
“It’s like Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy meets The Stand meets American Gods. Horror novel with a surprisingly uplifting ending.”
About the Book
My 2020, like most people’s 2020, was a top tier shit show. My mom, who was my first and most prolific abuser, died. My brother was diagnosed with brain cancer a week after her death and he almost died. I had to shelter in place at a friend's house while we were having a very responsible outdoor social distancing game day because of an active shooter. My town caught on fire and I had to evacuate for 10 days. I got a flat tire on Christmas Eve. That last one felt personal – after the rest of the year’s events.
The Fall of Sunset Cove was born as a place to put my grief, my anger and to explore what it means to lose everything.
Who are you when no one’s looking? Who are you when you have power and no consequences? Who do you choose to be when the things that once defined you are gone?
We spend so much time worshipping the light that we forget we were created in the dark. That our trauma, our fear, the things we hide in the darkness are the structure that hold up our days.
This isn’t a story about bringing truths to light. This is a story about walking into the darkness and finding magic there.
Blessings of Death and Darkness upon you.
-J. Brugman