This Could Be Horrifying: A Review

I didn’t know what to expect from this collection of micro-fiction.  At first glance, the cover of the book depicts a man barbecuing.  There is no book title and no author is listed.  Quite normal.  But the longer I looked at it, the stranger it became.  The man has glasses and a hat.  The hat might say “MILITARY”.  Then I notice that his ears are very large.  There is something on his right shoulder.  Are they owls or doves?  The man’s shirt is almost illegible. 

Almost. 

It reads “unorthodox contaminated pork”.  What is he barbecuing? Shish kababs? Pork?  No, it’s tiny human heads.  And there looks to be another head in the background. All of this against a backdrop of telephone poles and a Florida sky that appears on fire.  If this guy was my neighbor, it WOULD be horrifying. 

What follows are fifty-nine short stories that take me through the life and mind of the unnamed narrator.  From his first therapy session to his apartment, all the way to the gas station.  Cavin rips back the façade of normal and shows how this dysfunctional, anxiety-ridden young man goes through the motions of living in Florida. 

This book has a little bit of everything.  Long winding diatribes, moments of embarrassment, poetry, and enough sarcasm that starts to slip in masking the depression.

This book reminded me of the peaking of Alt Lit in the 2010s.  One can see the influence from the unnamed narrator, the snippets of daily life, and the sprinkling of magical realism.  The blanket honesty at first feels endearing and humorous. But eventually, it feels sad.  This guy isn’t kidding around.  These are raw emotions.

Feeling numb and hopeless with your situation.

Escaping the world through your own introspection.   

Once all is lost what is next?

Do you start to see things that are not there?

The first time I read this, I felt a little underwhelmed by the book.  My first thought after reading it was, “This guy really needs to change his diet.”  Eating gas station hot dogs and beers is gonna give you the life you kind of expect.  I remember one summer in my 20’s where I ate Spicy Nacho Doritos and Arizona Lemon Ice Tea everyday for breakfast, and fast food for lunch and dinner. 

It was a rough summer. 

But these stories stick with you.  Days later I kept thinking about them and reread the whole thing.  I don’t know how many times I have read it since, but I find it to be a wholly original work that is relatable to anyone who has been a depressed college kid.

You can find this book on Amazon.com or at backpatio.press, where you will be routed to Amazon to purchase the book.