Review: Insect Kin

"The Day of the Triffids" meets Ballard's "High-Rise" played out in suburban Adelaide. While the title is taken from a song by Bush, this horror story had me hearing "Come to Daddy" by Aphex Twin accompanied by the fluttering of countless chitin wings. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, Matthew Tait offers us this nightmarish tale set in an abandoned housing estate undergoing a metamorphosis.

It all kicks off with the reader plunged into solitary confinement alongside Lucas and Vanessa, experiencing their confusion and desperation. It soon becomes clear where they are, their old housing estate, Ashbrook Court. They have woken up, however, to a new and nightmarish reality that they need to come to terms with.

Insect Kin is an exploration of isolation, insanity, and a world in disorder. If you have a fear of insects, reading this book will push your mind to the limits of its endurance. After all, that's what Matthew Tait does best. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Find this review on Goodreads.

I also did a video review on TikTok!