Book Review: "The Bird Eater" by Ania Ahlborn

After you have read as many horror novels and watched as many horror films as I have, there are definitely going to be things that you are looking for when it comes to a worthy horror novel or film. There are things I want to experience: I am waiting to be thoroughly disgusted, I am waiting to be frightened and I am also waiting for something new and exciting to happen in the storyline where I did not think it was going to take a turn in that direction. However, sometimes, when it comes to horror novels, they can be satisfying with there endings and also be disappointing. Satisfying endings have a ton of potential to become something more than just a ‘happy ending’ and to be perfectly honest, the most satisfying endings in horror are the ones that contain a good and equal mixture between something we expect and something we do not expect.

But, be that as it may, there are still a lot of problems when it comes to writing an ending in a rush. You need a few chapters at least to wind down the book and ending with the book in a normal closing can produce a reader’s reaction as hateful and discontented. But, ending the book with not enough closure can do the same thing. One thing about “The Bird Eater” is that the ending is a satisfying one - but probably not the one that raises enough questions after it has been read.

“The Bird Eater” is about a boy called Aaron who lives with his aunt as his mother left him as a child. Aaron’s aunt then dies in very strange and mysterious circumstances. Years later, Aaron is married with a kid and living far away from that town, but since his child dies, he comes back to sell the house that caused so much grief to so many people. The others around the town were shocked to see Aaron after being told that he was probably dead. His friends, asking him if he believes in ghosts, tell him that everyone thinks that house Aaron used to live in is haunted. Aaron doesn’t believe them for a second. Maybe he should have.

Written in a provocative and modern style, this book’s narrative techniques are actually brilliant. These flashbacks on to various times in Aaron’s childhood and teen years help the reader to piece together what happened for example: between Cheri and Aaron. These moments give various clues to the end of the book. Now, I enjoyed everything about these until that strange small child started turning up. I thought it was a little predictable but, I carried on anyway hoping that it would come to better use. During the later parts of the novel, the ending became faster, not faster paced, just faster as in the book was finishing far too soon. I felt like the book didn’t really end the way I hoped it would, there were really no questions afterwards which made me shudder to think about. Though a contemporary story of a haunting, there were no real surprises.

In conclusion, though the book was a well-written piece of fiction, I felt like this book would have belonged better in the mystery genre than the horror genre. It did not grip me like a horror novel normally does and pieces of information, vital information, are given away much too soon. I would definitely say you should read it for yourself and find out for some people may enjoy the ending to this book. Though it may not surprise you, it might suffice in easing you out of the book.