Bruises On a Butterfly by Chad Lutzke
Reviewed by Anthony Servante
A young boy runs away from his abusive home to live in the fort he's built in the middle of a Michigan cornfield. But when a cosmic discovery late one night warps reality into a mutating nightmare, it's up to loyal friends to fix what they can… and bury what they can't.
A dark coming-of-age tale that melds Colour Out of Space with Stand By Me.
Review:
In this seemingly predictable coming-of-age tale, the narrative takes a sudden turn into science fiction that leads into some wicked body horror while staying true to the drama of the plot. There is so much to like about this story, it's hard for me to pinpoint that one element that makes it work. It's a conglomeration of horror and family conflicts, mystery and fantasy. I can understand how multiple readings may help to uncover multiple meanings. Emotional at its core, but thought-provoking in its design. Awesome, in the true sense of the word, is a description that can only scratch the surface of this novella. One can only recommend that readers dive into this story without reading reviews and embrace the experience in a one-sitting read. When you strip away the horror from this book, you're left with a good drama, and that's what good horror does, even as it scares the crap out of you. Chad Lutzke has added a new page to the book of Horror. I look forward to reading more from him.
