“Boys Will be Monsters”: A. Poythress Reviews Shelter for the Damned for The New Southern Fugitives
“Thorn’s debut novel is an insight into male violence, the sloppily-hidden depths of suburbia, and the isolation of abuse. It’s not typically what you would find in the pages of a horror novel about teenage boys and a deadly, abandoned shack, but it’s the subtleties of Thorn’s narrative that keep the story moving along so quickly.”
Shelter for the Damned Reviewed on HorrorAddicts.Net
“Thorn’s writing brings a literary element to the horror genre. His descriptions are vivid and realistic. He tends toward psychological horror rather than a gorefest. Not to say there isn’t gore, but Thorn treats it tastefully.”
Gloria McNeely Reviews Shelter for the Damned
“Dealing with themes of familial tension, coming of age growing pains, and an otherworldly darkness creeping into ‘safe’ suburban lives, Thorn shows his skill as a story teller, a character builder, and an adept horror writer.”
Shelter for the Damned Reviewed on Horror Oasis
“Shelter for the Damned is suburban coming-of-age horror with shades of Stephen King, Lovecraft, and the movie Brainscan.”
Marna Larsen Reviews Shelter for the Damned
“One thing the book understands very well are how the most innocuous childhood memories can twist into a terrifying shape. Adults have forgotten – or are too consumed by their adult lives to think about – these horrors, except maybe, very, very, late at night. Thorn’s work invokes both childhood fears and those late-night moments when existential dread sinks its teeth into you as an adult and suddenly, you remember how helpless you still are.”
iHorror: Mike Thorn’s Shelter for the Damned is an Anxiety-Inducing Must-Read
“Thorn proved himself a master storyteller in his previous short story collection Darkest Hours. In Shelter for the Damned he further underscores that talent, creating a tale that is both immediately gripping while instilling an insidious dread in his reader.”
The Most Sublime: Review of Shelter for the Damned
“The writing was excellent – the author fits multiple layers to the story while making Mark a sympathetic character, despite being the weird and aggressive kid in class. I couldn’t wait to find out where the story was heading and was satisfied with the ending.”
Mike Thorn 