Once you open a horror book, you expect many things like creatures, humans, and other inventions of the mind to be narrated about, and not something as normal and inconspicuous as a tree, and that is something interesting. Think about it for a second: when was the last time you read a book about a tree? And to make it even more interesting, when was the last time you read a horror book about a tree?! What can a tree do? It can’t move, right? Right? Well… this book will have you looking twice at every tree.
What’s so special about this “magic” tree? Well, it seems that it has a particular type of magic, or intent, that was twisted, or misunderstood for a long time and that is about to bring a whole lot of consequences to those who live around it, or simply have the misfortune to cross its path. Nice!
The narrative of the book is sharp, with an edge to it that makes you “get into” the characters moods and understand the atmosphere of the town around that tree. As you read you can sense a disturbance in the air, something off, which drags you deeper into the book.
The main character, the human main character, Declan, a self-serving and self-centred man, is annoying, despicable, and yet, interesting in an odd way. When the author adds Luke, a meek willed man, more of him is revealed through contrast and self-reflection. There is no way to favour Declan in your graces, yet we follow him throughout the book because it seems that he is in the middle of everything, although he should be the one keeping people safe and being trustworthy. A bad influence and a bad person, or a necessary evil in the midst of this cursed town?
Colin Leonard creates tension in the book with his gruff, and at times impolite, narrative as he forces your imagination to run wild with subtle insinuations and the manipulation of the scenery. It’s just… creepy. Think about it this way: imagine if someone made you feel all edgy and mad about one thing, and then, used that same anger to distract you while he creeps behind you and spooks you. This is one of the great things about Colin Leonard’s narrative.
Another narrative trick that the author uses to creep you is a quick or gradual reading atmosphere change using scenery, something that will glue you to the pages.
There are scenes where Colin Leonard uses animals in a way that brings the hairs on your neck up with terror and anxiety, as the author gradually increases the intensity of these scenes, ha! Horror readers will love them.
Brutal scenes will come out of nowhere, grab you (and the characters) in ways you least expect and with each scene of death and murder, you will be searching for a pattern, something connecting these acts of brutality, gleeful rage and twisted justice. Did they, the characters, do something bad? Some characters, yes, but others no. Maybe these creatures of the tree just want to end the misery of some while taking their revenge on the town? Maybe, you will see.
One thing I loved about this book is that, without having to say much, the author keeps you asking “why is this happening?”, “why are these things happening?”, “why are they being tortured and haunted?” and you keep reading and losing yourself in the book searching for the answers. Nice!
Is Country Roads by Colin Leonard just annoyance, horror and hard narrative ? No, not at all, there’s dark humour as well, and some very funny remarks spread around the book, like these ones:
“He wasn’t good-looking. He knew that and didn’t try to fool himself that it was any different, afflicted with a small chin and a nose that could have been crafted by a glass blower with hiccups”
“The boy was twitching hyperactively, as if a sugar bomb had gone off in his head. “I know this must be awful for you,” Sophie went on. “You can leave Willy with me. I’ll mind him while Luke goes with you.” Denise glared warily at her, as if this were a trap of some sort. Then she knelt down in front of her son. “Is this upsetting you, Willy? Are you ok?” The boy’s eyes couldn’t focus on his mother, they kept darting around like their sockets wouldn’t be able to contain them for much longer.”
There are many lessons one can learn while reading this book, as it sheds lights on how a bad friend can ruin you, how old stories aren’t just stories and how much being good at your job will actually save lives.
Indifference is a common “sin” here, and you at times will wish that the characters helped themselves and did something, instead of just being passive and observing their own demise, but once you think about it, this is how people react when scared or in shock, so it resembles reality a lot.
Country Roads by Colin Leonard is a good book in terms of terror, but we never get to see why it actually started and why did one of the characters that said that it was using them was using them for. It just… continues into the distance, and we ask: Why? Will it have a second book? It’s unlikely. So, if you are looking for a book with pure, senseless horror, and you don’t mind much about the plot per se, then grab Country Roads by Colin Leonard, as it delivers the chills, the creepy, the blood and the thrills for all those that love a good horror book.
Pros:
- Great, original narrative that doesn’t care at all
- Impressive control of scenery and reading moods
- Colourful characters that will excite and test your emotions and nerves
- Horror scenes that are gruesome
- A punchy reading experience
Cons:
- We never get to know certain things behind the events
Scribble's Worth 
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