Oh man you guys. I don't know why I decided to start reading Gin Phillips's book Fierce Kingdom Tuesday night, but I will admit I didn't really know exactly what it was about before I started it. I knew it was a thriller, and about a mother and her young son who get trapped in a zoo at night, and it seemed like a good thing to read around Halloween.
And wouldn't you know it, the book actually takes place during Halloween, which is a weird coincidence. But the bigger coincidence--the scarier coincidence--is why that mother and son are trapped.
It's because of a mass shooting.
When I got to chapter two of the book, I literally started hyperventilating and had to stop for a bit. But since then I've hated having to put it down, and if I had the time I imagine I'd read it in one sitting.
For some, it all might be a little too real, and too soon to read something like this. But I've always found that art helps me process terrible events better. I really can't explain why. I also had an urge to rewatch Peter Bogdanovich's movie Targets after Monday...
I imagine for most, Halloween is all about fun horror. And that's totally understandable. But sometimes I need to acknowledge that some monsters are real...
