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“The Hand That Feeds,” written by Michael W. Garza is an eerie book that plays with readers’ imaginations by developing a story about a regular family and twisting it to become something terrifying.  It is a scary story that has haunting ties to real life experiences, making it often feel believable.  Garza’s writing style is extremely descriptive, making it easy for readers to imagine each scene and what it would be like to be physically present in the world of the novel.  “The Hand That Feeds” is an incredible story that focuses on true everyday family dynamics and how one treacherous turn can change a loving household forever.

The book opens with a horrendously heart-wrenching image of a little boy on the ground alone, quite potentially dying or in serious trouble.  Then, the book shoots quickly over to the point of view of his anxious and terrified parents.  The small boy, Alex, is found by his mother in serious condition with black goo seeping from his body.  In absolute panic, she does anything in her capacity to try and save her young child and is ultimately unsuccessful.  After a visit with their doctor, the two loving parents find out their child is dead.  Or is he?  Shortly thereafter, he seems to come back to life.  However, something has changed and he poses a threat to his family’s life.  The plotline is intense throughout the book and every page is filled with engaging text.

One thing that makes this book a pleasure to read is that the characters and their experiences feel normal.  While both horrifying and less realistic things happen throughout the novel, the foundation of the book which is made up of the characters, their family dynamics and their emotions feels true and relatable.  Rather than being solely a horror novel that turns in to an expected zombie apocalypse type of story, there is a real life element in the family that makes part of the story seem far less fictional.  This is a unique element of this story that makes the read even more enjoyable and nerve-wracking because as a reader lost in the book, it is harder to separate what your mind deems as fiction and reality.

Also, Garza’s writing style is perfect for horror novels; he writes with depth, detail and impeccable flow.  While there were a few extremely minor typos within the novel, the book was written with meticulous attention to detail.  Each chapter and piece of the story connects perfectly not only to those which directly precede and follow it, but to the entire plot as a whole.  He also describes scenes with significant detail, making sure to always include something to engage all of the reader’s senses.  Garza remembers to explain how things smell, look, taste, sound and feel to the touch, making it easy for the reader to imagine themselves experiencing what the characters are going through in the book.

In summary, I definitely recommend the book “The Hand That Feeds,” by Michael W. Garza, for all horror genre readers who enjoy a story with a realistic twist.  As opposed to feeling like a fantasy novel, this is a plotline which at times consists of real life experiences and emotions that happen to everyday people.  The story is intense, descriptive and realistic, focusing in on a family’s grief in losing their son even though he remains physically present.  Garza does an excellent job of bringing readers along for the ride throughout the story, providing incredible descriptions that truly bring each piece of the book to life.  Overall, “The Hand That Feeds” is a well-written and powerful horror novel that has unnerving ties to real everyday life.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha  is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.
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