"Negative Space" by B.R. Yeager - A Review.

I just survived the cold plunge into B.R. Yeager’s nightmare, “Negative Space,” and let me tell you, I nearly drowned in the cold dark void. This book is something special. Something haunting. It's transgressive, lawless, and unrelentingly bleak, and I walked away with the shaken feeling that I had read something I shouldn't have.

The story is narrated by three teenage characters - Lu, Jill, and Ahmir - who live in a fictional New England town overrun by a new drug called "whorl." This nasty psychedelic snuff seems to be at the heart of a growing epidemic of teenage suicides. The drug turns reality into a hallucinogenic nightmare, allowing users to bleed into each other’s consciousnesses and commune with the dead. At least, that's the impression we're given by these kids. 

But there’s another possible explanation behind what’s happening. Yeager cleverly teases the possibility that this dysphoric drug may simply be a form of psychosis. All of it could be taking place in their heads. Maybe they're just sad kids doing bad things. (A fitting tagline for the novel.)

The story is narrates by the inner monologues of these three kids as they spiral into depression. They cut themselves, wallow in sex and drugs, and cling to one other for the barest spark of human connection. They're all broken kids, coming from broken families, and there’s nothing good waiting for them ahead. They're destroying their bodies and their minds, and it’s impossible for your heart not to break for them.

What saves this novel from devolving into misery porn is Yeager's talent as a writer. The prose hits a flow state like a riptide, sucking you under from the first page. Yeager melds together the melodramatic voice of teenagers with the cold and arresting apathy of trauma survivors. The result is a narrative voice hauntingly mature beyond their teenage years. As a lover of creative fiction and sharp prose, this book was like black magic for my brain. I couldn't put it down.

Before I get too lovey dovey, though, let's be crystal clear about who should read this book. This novel is not for everyone.  It's purely avante-garde, nihilist brainfuel.  In the wrong hands, this book could feel like suicide bait, and I encourage any reader struggling with serious mental health concerns to steer clear of this story. 

But for those of us who must gaze into the abyss—who can’t resist the forbidden fruit—“Negative Space” is a powerful reminder that literature can still make us feel a certain way. Slowed with sadness. Piqued with curiousity. Sickened with dread. Chilled, hollowed, and hungry for more.

And isn’t that why we read horror? Don’t we want to know what’s down there, in the deepest, darkest chambers of our hearts?

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For those who are interested, here’s B.R. Yeager’s webpage: https://www.bryeager.com/books