There is one question which is prevalent throughout Within.
Is this a dream?
At times it's difficult to tell as Keith Deininger's latest novel effectively blurs the line between reality and dreams.
Within is told in a first person narrative, by a number of principal characters. There's Colin (the young artist who comes to town wanting to make a name for himself), Zach (a young boy with an eerie connection to the mansion next door), Lauren ( who receives a mysterious invite to one of the mansion's frequent parties), Maddy ( a young artist and roommate of Colin) and Klimt (the mansion's elusive current resident). Despite all the disparate points of view, the writer still manages to create a strong cohesive story.
It took a bit of time to become familiar with each of the characters, but by then I was totally immersed in a story which revealed it's secrets carefully, and became increasingly creepy.
In addition to the creep factor, there was a good deal of sex and violence. All driven by the story which added to, rather than distracted from, it's overall effectiveness.
At the center of the tale is the Upshaw mansion, although there hadn't been an Upshaw living in Mesa Rapids in several decades. Is it the house itself that's causing the weird events all over town or is it Harold Klimt, it's new tenant which has people in town acting strangely--more foolhardy, more excitable than usual?
If you're looking for a story with a happy ending, keep looking. Within is brutal with it's characters and if you're fortunate enough to survive, it's not "happily ever after."
Within is available for pre-order now through Amazon.com from Darkfuse publishers. The release date is May 5th, 2015. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you'll be able to read this one at no additional charge once it's published.
Definitely recommended.
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