Title: Ushers
Author(s) Name(s): Joe Hill
Published in: November, 2024
Why You Might Like This Book: Read this book if you enjoy
- supernatural horror,
- special agents working on a mystery, and
- if you are looking for a quick read.
Who Should Avoid This Book: Avoid this book if you are triggered by or dislike
- death or murder, or
- grief, or
- eerie stories, or
- tragic accidents.
Ushers is a short story, a horror story written by Joe Hill. Even though it is just two chapters in length, the story feels perfectly complete.
Two special agents John Oates and Daryl Hall have been assigned to work on a case. A train Mohawk 118 derailed and several people aboard the train were killed and many more ended up having serious injuries. The agents suspect that this incident, whether directly related or not, might have something in common with another incident – a school shooting that happened years before. In the past, six years back, a student called Timothy Berk walked into a school and began shooting several students.
What connects these two cases or what’s one common factor between these two cases? A 23-year-old man who was supposed to be there during both those tragic events but somehow he had excused himself in the last minute. Martin Lorenson is a charming, young gentleman who works at a local organization as a counsellor for disturbed kids. This is a person who was supposed to at the school on the day of the shooting because he was then a student of this school, but he was absent on that day. Martin was also supposed to have boarded the train that day, when it derailed, but no, he missed the train.
The agents are clear; they do not want to waste any time – they just want to know if Martin had anything to do with it. They arrange for an interview with him. Daryl Hall is surprised to find out that the kid is actually charming, light-hearted, and fun to be with. He leaves a nice impression, and Daryl gets the feeling that he cares about others.
Spoilers: While they are expecting to find clues that will help them find the culprit, Daryl gets to learn more – something he never expected to be told. Martin tells him that there are some supernatural beings involved, things that look have wings and what he calls “Ushers”. He says that while he is aware that it might all sound like he’s lying, he can see those and he knows what they are there for. Ushers are dark things with wings, always present beside those for whom death awaits. Is Martin just making it up? Is any of what he is saying real?
Interesting Quote: “It’s best to just . . . be a mammal. Eat as much fresh fruit as you can. Spend time with trees. Hug the people you love. Accept that death is as natural as the rest of life. Dogs understand that. Cats understand that. Only humans have a hard time with it. And when it’s over, at least there’s someone there.”
Ushers is a super quick read, and the writing is really good. Even though it does not leave you sitting up all night, scared, worried about being in the dark and any unusual sound you might hear, it is an interesting one. This is a quiet horror read that builds up the reader’s fear by creating an unsettling atmosphere and slow realization of what is going on. The author Joe Hill knows how to tell a story and is famous for his horror novels. The book is good enough for you to want to pick another book by the author soon. Maybe you can try reading NOS4A2, his most popular work of horror. Even though the ending was predictable from their conversations, as the author’s writing is appealing, I’d gladly give it a 3.8 rating.
