The Toll

2.5 stars.

I picked this book up on a whim the month after it came out, and it has been sadly sitting on my shelves since then. I think that all bookworms can attest that they have their fair share of backlog book buys. Anyway, when I saw this audio book added to my library system, I knew that it was time to dive in. I've been intrigued by Cherie Priest's blend of southern gothic and horror for a while. The Toll just seemed like something that would be right in my wheelhouse. A mysterious bridge that appears and then people disappear? A tiny town in the middle of nowhere, with a dark secret? What's not to love?

First off I have to say that if you have a chance to pick this up in audio form, please do it! T. Ryder Smith does such an amazing job of bringing this story to life. Cam's elderly aunts had my heart from the first moment that they stepped onto the page. The book opens on their tiny home, where Cam feels like the walls are closing in around him. Despite his deep love for this adopted family, Cam wonders what is going on beyond his small slice of the world. Nothing happens in his small town. Or does it?

Cherie Priest takes the reader through a twisting mystery that is definitely uncomfortably dark at times. I loved how there is hints at the magic that runs through this town, but nothing is ever hammered down. Instead the reader is taken into that gray area between worlds, where things that we are not meant to see lurk in the darkness. In the case of Titus, and his unfortunate wife, these are hungry things that demand a toll. There is so much atmosphere wrapped up in this book. From the bleakness of the town, to the desperation of the townspeople, and back around to Cam being the one shining light through it all.

My biggest issue with this book was honestly just the pacing. It takes a good while for things to get going well enough for the story to really take off. While I was happy to follow Cam, with his rebellious little personality, it felt like those “creature” horror movies. You know the ones. Where the creature isn't revealed until the very end, and even then only for a few seconds? I will say that The Toll doesn't go that far. The ending of this is actually rather satisfying, if not quite what I expected. Still, I felt like I just wanted a little more forward motion to this story.

I had a blast reading it though, so it gets a solid 3-star rating from me! I'll be over here, eagerly awaiting more.

3 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews

Summary
Titus and Melanie, newly married, are on their way to a camping vacation in the swamp - Titus' idea. But then a trip across a spooky bridge leaves Titus waking up in the middle of the road, and Melanie gone. The locals don't know where she is, but they clearly know something, and it probably has to do with those old ladies on the edge of town.

Review

I've only read one Cherie Priest book before, and I can't say I loved it. This one came out a bit better, though again I really wasn't bowled over.

The base concept of The Toll is a mysterious monster that periodically claims victims. If that sounds like the plot of most every horror movie you've ever scene, well, you won't have any surprises. More to the point for me was that, while the action moves smoothly, this is also a story that could have been told just as effectively in a short story – a novelette at the most; there's nothing about it that required this length.

As noted, Priest's writing is smooth. The characters are engaging and mostly quirky enough to be interesting – though two of the key characters, including the one the story turns out to be about, are never explained. The story moves smoothly, even if it's clear where it's headed from the start. Priest has done a very good job of mixing horror in a backwoods small town with a kind of wry acceptance of modern technology that I think few could have pulled off as well. I just wish the story she chose to tell with it were more interesting. If you want comfortable familiarity with a nice coat of paint on it, this is for you. If you're looking for something more innovative, keep looking.

This one was OK. It took me a while to get through it because I kept putting it down. 🙈 The writing itself was good. 👍 The characters interesting. 👍 The plot was OK, but I wanted more. It was repetitive and felt a little underdeveloped. 👎 So yea, not horrible but also nothing to write home about. 😪