A Thoroughly Modern Ghost Story
What does it mean to be haunted nowadays? Virtually every culture in human history has a mythology concerning some incarnation of life after death. Stories about ghosts, spirits, demons and devils…they are as prevalent as any religion on earth. We have long been fascinated by the idea of otherworldly forces reaching out from beyond the veil, mysterious, often malevolent, and an ever present cultural touchstone that remains a staple in our modern media. But how do these myths and superstitions manifest in the age of the internet and smart phones and skepticism as the default setting for most normal people? Gus Moreno’s modern horror novel delves into that question in a book that is undeniably unsettling and uniquely captivating. Using the all too real set up, This Thing Between Us hits the ground running by plunging the reader into the midst of a survivors struggle to cope with his wife’s untimely and gruesome passing. Our protagonist and point of view character is Thiago, an underachieving, second generation immigrant who lives his life perpetually as an outsider. He is a non-Spanish speaking Mexican who’s never quite fit in anywhere and never been able to make things in his life quite come together. Through a series of semi-secondary point of view flashbacks, we come to understand that the only thing in his life that truly seems to grant him some sense of belonging is his relationship to his now deceased wife, Vera. Interlaced between the current events of Thiago dealing with the fall out of Vera’s death, the retroactive unfolding and dissection of the relationship between them is truly one of the highlights of the novel. It builds in the reader a strong sense of connection with the couple and helps deepen the dread one feels as Moreno allows the events leading to her death to be revealed.
If there is going to be a universally agreed upon truth concerning this book, it will be that it showcases Moreno’s knack for building tension. By opening with the immediate revelation that Vera is dead, but then slowly dolling out the details for an extended period of time, Moreno draws the reader into every detail of the haunting the couple experiences. His writing is visceral and often deeply unsettling, hitting all the right notes to summon goosebumps and chills. The supernatural experiences that the couple suffer through are subtle, occurring in ways that are easily dismissed or explained away by as technology troubles. There is a running theme through the novel of the modern versus the traditional, the enlightenment of today’s culture against the wisdom of the old ways. Thiago and Vera are a thoroughly modern couple, repeatedly eschewing the advice of their elders and embracing the trappings of modern society. This theme is reinforced again and again throughout the book, with the clear indication that the couple’s desire to cling to modernity heavily contributes to their eventual downfall. Knowing what’s coming, the reader is practically begging them to take the occurrences more seriously, to keep their guard up against the inevitable fate. As these occurrences continue to build in severity the couple eventually comes to terms with what is happening to them, but it is too little too late, leaving Thiago full of regret and desperate to escape the reality of his present.
It is at this point that the novel takes a turn. It can be more or less split into two distinct sections; the first consists of Thiago recounting the events that lead to Vera’s death and dealing with the immediate ramifications while the second is concerned with his attempt to live in a world without her and come to terms with the entity that has been haunting them. The world around our protagonist conspires to use the tragedy for it’s own ends, attempting to politicize her death and co-opting her memory while ignoring the person she actually was. Moreno expertly continues to keep the tension wound tight throughout most of the back half of the novel, elevating the sense of dread as the presence that haunts Thiago becomes more tangible and malevolent. It delves further into our protagonists head, letting the reader experience his torment firsthand. No matter how far her tries to escape, his guilt and remorse deepen, threatening to overcome him and providing fuel for the entity that is haunting him. Moreno communicates his protagonists grief and the struggles in a way that is so captivating and personal, it highlights that his greatest strength as an author is a unique gift for conveying human emotion. Without doubt, it is the single most remarkable part of the novel.
Unfortunately, as the story progresses and Thiago’s grip on the real world becomes more tenuous, so does the novel begin to lose some of its focus. The entity that has haunted him throughout the pages causes prolonged visions and we, as the reader, are treated to a series of jaunts into the ethereal. These are interesting and raise questions concerning our relationships to these tales of haunting and possessions, but the plot becomes somewhat muddled as it delves into the realms of encroaching madness. While Moreno does provide a definitive ending to the story, there are aspects that leave the reader wanting. As a new author, one might say he overreached with his attempt at the more esoteric aspects of the genre, especially in consideration of the incredibly strong set up which was so well grounded in both the physical and the emotional. While the last bit by no means ruins the book, it definitely is a weaker finish to what had been a very strong story. In the end, what Moreno has accomplished is no mean feat. He had developed a thoroughly modern ghost story, one which blends the elements of the past with our modern sensibilities and lifestyles nearly seamlessly. He has masterfully presented a truly dark examination of grief, regret, survivor’s guilt, and the failings of modern society, one which undoubtedly haunt the minds of his readers every time they reach to turn on their smart devices or wake in the middle of the night.
Recommended for genre fans and those interested – 7/10
