Hawk Mountain – Conner Habib
100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: How would you act if your high school bully suddenly tried to act like your long-lost best friend? For single father Todd, the reemergence of his tormenter, Jack, after more than a decade stirs complicated feelings that will have life-altering consequences for him and his son.
Expectation: A psychological thriller and modern-day revenge fantasy with queer sensibilities.
Reality: A promising first half is squandered by overstuffed plots and a last-minute reveal that is more frustrating than illuminating.
Recommended For: Fans of character-driven body horror and revenge thrillers.
Why I Read It: It was the buzzed about book of the moment on #Bookstagram, and you can never have enough queer horror.
My Take:
gas·light (verb): manipulate (someone) by psychological means into questioning their own sanity. (Oxford Dictionary)
The idea of gaslighting isn’t a new trope, but it’s certainly picked up steam in the past few years, largely due to ongoing political discourse. Maybe because all you need to do is turn on the news to see it in action, its use as a plot element is starting to feel a little tired.
Debut author Conner Habib gives readers a fictional, queer spin on gaslighting that although uneven, shows promise for the writer he can become. While I was ultimately let down by the last third, the novel was a gory (mostly) good time that kept me off balance.
Habib applies Hitchcockian sensibilities to the story of a bully, Jack, reconnecting with his former mark, Todd, about 15 years post-high school. Todd, a single father and schoolteacher, is newly divorced and starting over in a small New Hampshire town with his six-year-old son, Anthony. He doesn’t have the patience for Jack and his attempts at atonement and eventually resentment will boil over into violence.
Alternating between high school flashbacks and the present day, we get the full scope of Jack’s juvenile wickedness, and the long-term repercussions of those scars — both physical and mental — Todd still carries because of his abuse. Yet, maybe all was not as it seems?
The construct and character development, specifically with Todd, were fantastic. Habib plotted the first half with slowly building tension reminiscent of Wes Craven’s “The Last House on the Left,” one of the most disturbing revenge films of all time. But after the big plot twist (about 60 percent in), the rest of the novel fell flat.
[spoilers ahead]
It seems that the author wasn’t sure how to finish the story now that one of the plot-drivers was out of the picture.
While I appreciated how he continued the Todd and Jack relationship even after Jack’s murder — can you call dismemberment scenes romantic? — introducing Todd’s ex-wife, a girlfriend and outing subplot with a fellow teacher did not aid the story.
I think Habib wanted to use these external pressures to show us the rapid degradation of Todd’s sanity, but they did little to answer the “why” behind his own gaslighting campaign, outside of trying to convince Anthony that Jack never existed.
The final reveal — that Jack admitted love for Todd in high school — was interesting, as it makes you question all of Todd’s actions, but it also bothered me, because it positions “Hawk Mountain” as another example of closeted gay men taking out their frustration through violence. As I’ve said before, I find these types of plots lazy and problematic, and I expect — and want more — from queer artists.
Finally, one thing I’m sure will be up for debate is whether Todd killed Anthony to keep his secrets safe. I’m leaning towards yes, and then he will later kill himself, but I’m curious how other readers interpret the last few chapters.
[spoilers ended]
The audiobook is narrated by the author, who was a former performer in the adult film industry, so I had higher expectations for his delivery than what was offered here. His pacing was all over the place, and he really didn’t differentiate between characters. In some ways this helped to keep me engaged, because I had to pay close attention to what he was saying, but you shouldn’t have to work that hard to enjoy a thriller.
If you’re a fan of horror, specifically body horror and revenge plots, then I’d encourage giving this one a read. But if you like true queer horror, read “The Bright Lands” by John Fram before “Hawk Mountain.” And, if you’re really into gaslighting, Carmen Maria Machado has the nonfiction version with “In the Dream House” (but with far less murder).
Rating (story): 3/5 stars
Rating (narration): 2/5 stars
Formats: Audiobook (library loan)
Dates read: August 11 – August 14, 2022
Multi-tasking: Good to go. Once you get the hang of the alternating timelines, it’s a slow burn story with lots of gory details, so it’s perfect for focusing on other activities.
