And Then I Woke Up
by Malcolm Devlin
out April 1, 2022
ISBN: 9781250798077
★★★★★

If you have ever dreamt of sitting in a group therapy session in a post-apocalyptic Walking Dead-esque world, this book is for you. You are presumably a reformed monster, one of the infected who has been cured and is trying to process and emotionally atone for the horrors committed when you weren't in your right mind. Spence, our narrator and fellow cured monster, is telling this tale to you, explaining the actions that brought him into, out of, and back to the rehabilitation center where you have lived since you "woke up." 

It is a quick read -- I read it in about an hour and a half in one go -- with superb pacing that makes it feel even quicker. A little sad, a little grotesque, and hinting at a little social commentary without fully committing to anything too dense, the story packs a lot of content without the kind of heaviness that can result in a sleepless night or book hangover.

Overall it is a surprising treat and highly recommended for anyone wanting a quick hit of something a little creepy. 

arc received for review