Book review by Corey
The Loop
The Loop follows Lucy and her friends in the small Oregon town of Turner Falls, where something has gone very wrong with the local teenagers. After a violent incident at school, the strange behaviour starts spreading, and Lucy realizes the rich tech families in town may be connected to whatever is happening.
The book mixes body horror, science fiction, conspiracy, and dark humour in a really wild way. Once the story gets moving, it turns into a violent survival nightmare, but Lucy and her friends give it enough heart that it never feels like gore for the sake of gore.
The Goods
- Great mix of horror and science fiction
- Lucy is a strong main character
- Very fast once the chaos starts
- The conspiracy angle is fun
- Dark humour helps balance the violence
The Bads
- Very graphic in places
- The plot can get confusing
- Some explanations come late
- A few characters feel over-the-top
- The ending will not work for everyone
My Recommendation
This is a great fit for readers who like body horror, biotech conspiracies, and stories where a small town completely falls apart over the course of one terrible night. The Loop gets very violent and strange, but the friendship between Lucy and the other kids keeps it from becoming empty shock value. If you like horror with Stranger Things energy, corporate experiments gone wrong, and a lot more gore than you would expect, this one is a very fun ride.
