Book review by Corey
Leech
Leech is set in an isolated chateau where a doctor has died under strange circumstances, and the replacement sent to investigate isn’t exactly human in the usual sense. The story follows a parasitic medical intelligence that has spread itself through generations of doctors, and it quickly becomes clear that something else inside the house may be just as dangerous.
The concept alone was enough to make me want to pick this up, and I liked how weird and uncomfortable the book was willing to get. The gothic setting, body horror, and mystery all work together really well, although the writing can be dense and the point of view takes a little time to get used to. There were a few stretches where I wanted things to move a little faster, but the atmosphere and the strange ideas kept me invested.
The Goods
- Really original central concept
- Strong gothic atmosphere
- The body horror is genuinely creepy
- Interesting ideas about identity and control
- The setting feels cold and isolated
The Bads
- The writing can be dense
- The point of view takes time to adjust to
- Some sections move slowly
- A few ideas are intentionally confusing
- Not an easy casual read
My Recommendation
This is a good fit if you like gothic horror, strange science fiction, and books that make you work a little to understand what’s going on. I liked that the story explored identity, medicine, and control through such a bizarre main character instead of giving you something familiar. If you enjoy body horror, isolated settings, unsettling mysteries, and fiction that gets weirder the deeper you go, Leech is definitely worth trying.
