Hunter Shea knows his cryptids, his urban legends. I’m typing this out about an hour away from where this book takes place, but the melon heads were completely new to me. At first, I thought maybe they were a creation of the author’s imagination, but the lore rang so true, I had to put down the book and conduct some research. Sure enough, the creatures, Dracula Drive, it’s all got its base in reality.

Shea starts off giving us the titular Misfits, a group of social outcasts who rely on each other. It’s an added bonus that the story takes place in 1993 so we’re immersed in flannel and grunge rock - possibly some of the best stuff the 1990’s had to offer. I have a personal litmus test for books that contain a cast of characters, though it’s admittedly not a great one for people who take notes or, you know, have a good memory. If I can close the book and come back in a couple days to write a review, still remembering all the main characters by name, the author did a great job of sticking them in my brain.

Mick, Heidi, Marnie, Vent, and Chuck all come to life on the page, fitting under the banner of social outcasts, yet retaining their own personalities. They each have hopes and dreams and backstories that endear them to the reader. To Shea’s credit, this is a massive part of what makes the book work. To me, yelling and screaming into the void, but directed at the author, it makes the events that happen throughout the story carry significantly more weight. 

If you’ve read this author before, you know that bad stuff happens in his stories. If you haven’t - hello, welcome. Meet Hunter Shea, bad stuff happens in his stories.

Misfits is a really solid example of a book hitting me at just the right time. Life this past week has been stressful, going back to work outside the house for the first time since March. I needed the perfect book to destressify. This was a read I’d been looking forward to, one I knew would be immensely readable. It’d be gruesome and brutal, with the misery being inflicted on others. Exactly what I needed in my life, in other words. It could plausibly fit under the title of creature features, but those tend to be light on characterization, heavy on gore. Shea proves here you can, indeed, have your cake and eat it too.

This is a great Autumn read. Why? Because it’s a great read in general and it comes out in September. Truthfully, it’d be a great read any time of the year, but don’t let that stop you from sitting with this book and your favorite Octoberfest/Pumpkin beer. I would recommend to anyone who loves well-written, character-driven teenage groups, as well as fans of cryptids and local folklore.


I received a copy from the publisher for review consideration