book review: LIAR: MEMOIR OF A HAUNTING BY E.F. SCHRAEDER

24/1/2022

Liar: Memoir of a Haunting
by E.F. Schraeder

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Omnium Gatherum Media (21 Feb. 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 187 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1949054349
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1949054347

A book review by Ben Walker

I do love an effective title, and this one hits pretty hard, a stark accusation followed by a description of the contents that had me wondering: who survived or experienced that titular haunting, and why would they lie about it?

As it turns out, that strong title does a lot of heavy lifting throughout E.F. Schraeder's first novella. You might go in expecting a typical haunted house story, but it soon proves itself to be more complex. Taking its time setting up the characters of Rainey and Alex during their search for a home, eventually we follow Rainey into Sugar House as her relationship with Alex continues at a distance. Along the way, some wonderfully written moments and evocative descriptions are scattered in to suggest unease, but it's the character drama which shines through most. And this is where we come back to that title. There's a degree of wariness to be felt as you start reading Rainey's retelling of events, and later, those of other characters. After all, someone is apparently lying. So with every page turn, as relatable and human as both women are, you do have to wonder how much of what you're being told actually happened.

This being a memoir, there's also a lot of introspection, which contributes to the overall feeling of uncertainty, but also means the pacing is quite slow. Rather than there being a gradual build to a decisive finale, there's a constant ebb and flow of everyday life interrupted by unusual events and intrusive thoughts. Some of the spookier events are kept at arm's length, occasionally eliciting a shiver, but not always sustaining the terror. Unsettling is the best word for it, but again, those doubts concerning the reliability of narrator tend to take the edge off. You're always left wondering whether certain things really took place. That said, those which are found to be true tug at the nerves long after the final chapter.

The story itself eventually switches gears – and perspectives – but not before muddying the waters slightly with the discovery of someone else's journal. There's a tipping point before this which teases out some troubling moments, obscured within a log of another kind. In the second half of the story, you start with the hope that some kind of truth will reveal itself, before things take a troubling turn and the weirdness ramps up. It's a read that requires and rewards patience, with the author throwing in quite a few styles and techniques to throw you off guard.

As for the titular haunting, it's a very personal one; instead of the creaking doors and mysterious apparitions you might picture when someone says they've been haunted, this is instead an exploration of Rainey's mind, and how it's affected by a number of factors, from discrimination to self-doubt and more. The whole story feels very personal in fact, and as the afterword explains, some events were inspired by real-life hardships faced by the LGBTQIA+ community, which rings true throughout the narrative, and makes for difficult reading at times.

And difficult – or better yet, challenging – is the best way I can summarise this book. You have to come to your own conclusions, put the pieces together of what's true and what's not, even when the truth is apparently offered up to you. Approach it with your wits about you, and you're in for an intriguing read.

Liar: Memoir of a Haunting Paperback
by E.F. Schraeder

Who doesn’t crave a little escape? Dreaming of small town life and rural charm, Alex and Rainey find a deal on an old rustic home they can’t resist. But soon after Rainey moves, her preoccupation with weird local history and the complications of living alone in the woods take a toll. Alex worries that the long nights and growing isolation are driving her stir crazy. When the Sugar House is damaged and Rainey goes missing, Alex doesn’t know where to turn. Was it a storm, vandals, or something worse? What happened at the Sugar House? The only thing worse than wondering is finding out.