This week’s Horror Book Recommendation is JUST STAY AWAY written by Tony Wirt.
Published in October 2023, the book is already on the bestsellers list for Horror Suspense and Domestic Thrillers.
Just Stay Away has received positive reviews from critics who describe the book as an intense thriller and hard to put down. The author has been praised for his profound exploratory narrative of gender roles and boyhood. Many reviewers found the book to be filled with suspenseful moments and unforgettable.
Those who bought the book found JUST STAY AWAY to be a good thriller and engrossing but many did were frustrated with the main character’s approach to handling a strange boy. They also believed that most of the problems could have been fixed if the protagonist had made good use of technology to record the events in the story.
QUICK REVIEW of JUST STAY AWAY (based on sample)
Craig just wants to write. Like any author, he wants to accomplish his writing goals every day but cannot because he also has to mind his seven-year-old daughter, Alice.
Alice is a sweet girl and well-mannered but Craig simply wants to focus on his writing because what else is there to do? He had been laid off during COVID and his wife is working all the time. Nevertheless, she is supportive of his writing career and gives him her full attention even when they have to attend one of her work parties.
One fine day, he finds his daughter Alice playing with a boy called Levi. Craig is relieved that he no longer has to give Alice his full attention now but there is something off about Levi.
It is the way he laughs. It is the way he sprays Craig with a jet of water and doesn’t seem the least bit apologetic for almost hitting him in the eye.
Author Tony Wirt has perfectly captured the writer’s mind, especially those who have started out and want to do nothing but dedicate their time to their dream. But Craig is also a father and the author is able to explain, through the story how the protagonist is doing his best to balance family and career but also wants to be a little selfish about focusing on building himself up again.
The writing undoubtedly flows well but it is the characters, flaws and all, that takes the story forward.
This is one of those books you will want to dig into immediately.
JUST STAY AWAY Plot (Taken from Amazon.com)
When a mysterious neighborhood boy befriends his young daughter, stay-at-home dad Craig considers him a godsend—until it becomes clear that there’s nothing angelic about him at all.
Craig Finnigan is determined to finish his book this summer, but being an aspiring writer while wrangling his seven-year-old daughter is not easy. So when Alice makes fast friends with a neighborhood boy, Levi, Craig is happy she has a distraction from her constant visits to his home office.
But that happiness soon turns to misgivings as Levi’s behavior evolves from that of a shy, odd boy into something far more disturbing. Strange noises in the middle of the night and things disappearing from their home could be explained away—maybe it’s the water heater, or maybe Craig simply misplaced his flash drive. Craig can’t explain his paranoia, but he feels sure Levi is behind it.
As Levi’s visits to their backyard become more and more frequent, Craig finds himself the unwilling participant in a game he never asked to play…and one he’s not sure he can win.
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