I’ll get straight to what I liked about this book, the time and energy Shea put into building character. Or, as some writing gurus will tell you, write what you know, and in Shea's own words, elements of this story are very personal.

It's a slow development of character for a good two thirds of the story. The creature in question doesn’t rear its ugly head until the bitter end, but that’s okay. The story isn’t really about the creature itself, but about the creature as a manifestation brought on by the everyday horrors of living with a brutal and uncompromising disease. Literally.

Kate is the one who lives in pain every day of her life. Her husband Andrew loves her and just wants her to be well, but her ever constant care wears on him as well. So they take a trip to the wilds of Maine, hoping to enjoy nature and some alone time for healing.

But the disease isn’t forgiving, and the creature in question is eventually drawn to it.

I’m not going to give away any more spoilers than that. The slow development of the plot to get to the final moments of horror is essential in this story (in my opinion). So, stick with it.

I’m glad I did.