The Beast in the Pines by S.W. Lynch
Serotonin Press, October 2024
Reviewed by Rowan B. Minor
S.W. Lynch is a writer and editor who lives in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. He has worked for nonprofit organizations such as Moonstone Arts Center and the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association. Lynch has been the editor of various journals, magazines, and anthologies, such as Rocky Wilson’s The Last Bus to Camden and Chidi Ezeobi’s Remind the World: Poems from Prison. He is the author of five books of poetry: the city of your mind (Whirlwind Press, 2013), Broad Street Line (Moonstone Press, 2016), 100 Haiku (Moonstone Press, 2017), On Violence (Radical Paper Press, 2019), and Halo Nest: Poems on Grief (Alien Buddha Press, 2024). Lynch’s debut novel is The Beast in the Pines.
The Beast in the Pines is a fresh and terrifying story about the Jersey Devil that embraces both supernatural and psychological horror. Distracted by daydreams of leaving his small town and joining the Army toward the start of the Iraq War in 2003, main character Cody discovers a book about the Jersey Devil. After delving into this mysterious book, Cody decides to investigate the Pine Barrens where the demonic creature supposedly resides. What he discovers is more sinister than he ever could have imagined and forever shifts his perspective of what is possible.
The Beast in the Pines is a slow, but entertaining read in a way that steadily builds tension and rattles both the conscious and subconscious. Lynch has a firm grasp on enticing and engaging language that consistently moves readers forward throughout his exposition. These characters are so well-developed they seem familiar, and the plot is haunting and distinct to the author’s originality. This is a fully evolved and well-executed story that showcases a new approach to cryptozoological fiction, as Lynch invites readers to discover the Jersey Devil’s origin alongside his main character. The plot, which also taps into Indigenous practices and mythos, is just as much about Cody’s journey through fighting his own personal demons as it is about the discovery of this local demonic entity.
There are several Evangelical Christian references throughout The Beast in the Pines, and so this book might need to be avoided by those with severe religious trauma. There is also mention of bombings and descriptions of news coverage with graphic details that might be sensitive for those heavily affected by the Iraq War, but the vividness is not distracting overall. Most talk of war is quite tactful and necessary for the main character’s development.
For fans of The Mothman Prophecies and The Blair Witch Project, The Beast in the Pines might resonate with anyone obsessed with all things cryptids and cults, with those interested in mythic horror, and with anyone who finds their place in the world through dark literature. Lynch has already proven himself through his poetry, and his novel is no different. He is a natural with fiction, and his writing is a much-needed, fresh perspective in contemporary cosmic horror.
