Godfestation, by Jendia Gammon, is an interesting combination of vibes, from creepiness to revulsion to scariness, but also including homely home comforts, a long journey, a wonderful diner, familial and other kinds of love, cryptic admonitions, and unexpected delights. It’s definitely not a novella for someone who demands complete answers and explanations, but if you can put that desire aside, it ends up being rather comforting.
To be sure, there are some questions that will itch at me for a while, small ones like what happened to the pie, and whether Merv is a real person, and larger ones like who or what a certain magic man is, and just what it is about Fern that draws all these manifestations toward her like a magnet. But I find the open-endedness here enjoyable.
For a little more context about what’s going on, here’s the summary from the author’s website: In Godfestation, Ivy “Fern” Fernberg encounters monstrous beings and strange people following the death of her father. Fern initially brushes them off as hallucinations from complicated grief. Then she realizes that she is not the only one experiencing these visions, and her father could somehow be involved. This is a strange journey of grief, horror, and wonder set in Southern Appalachia.
The gods suddenly infesting Fern’s life aren’t major deities, but a bit more like some of the minor Old Gods of Appalachia. But they are more than sufficient to menace and terrify Fern. She’s driven to take refuge at her old home but doesn’t feel she can tell the truth (if that’s what her visions are) to her mother and brother. However, they know something’s bothering her and offer refuge in their ways (I enjoyed how she and her sibling traded texts and emojis as she crossed state borders on her road trip).
When Fern makes an attempt to really understand what’s going on, she receives a marvelous revelation, but not so much an answer as a pointer for further action. That’s when she heads out from Appalachia to California, facing and fleeing more danger along the way. When she finally takes care of some unfinished business, she’s rewarded with a new start.
This is a spooky and sometimes scary story, but not a terribly oppressive or difficult read. It’s fast and fun, with some really nice atmospheric flavors along the way.
Godfestation, a novella by Jendia Gammon, will be released on Aug. 11 but is available for preorder now.
Content warnings: Composite monsters, other monsters/haints/supernatural scares, bugs, stalking, frayed relationships, haunted houses, messages from beyond, dark mountain roads, decaying hometown.
Disclaimer: I received a free eARC of this from the author, for the hope of a review.
