Ali Seay’s latest novella, To Offer Her Pleasure, from Weirdpunk Books is an equal parts slow burn meditation on death and a fiercely paced downward spiral that proves not all coming-of-age tales are about defeating the monster. In some cases you become one – a refreshing choice when there are plenty of Losers Club knockoffs packing the aisles of most bookstores.

The story: Ben’s mom bails on him with her drunkard boyfriend, Patrick, shortly after his father’s death. Alone with his grief, the teenager rummages through dad’s belongings seeking some type of reprieve from the emotional pain. What he finds is a book that can offer him more than distractions. The horned woman depicted in its pages promises Ben a brand new life in exchange for a series of escalating sacrifices.

The strength of To Offer Her Pleasure is in its quieter moments. For instance, when Ben tries on his dad’s old shoes as a way to feel closer to the man or when he’s ignoring his mother’s inebriated voicemails and texts while he broods in the dark. There’s no outright horror in these scenes. No eviscerations or supernatural mauling. There doesn’t need to be. Coupled with Seay’s direct, matter-of-fact prose they hit harder than the violence in the book and create an atmosphere of palpable melancholy.  

Between the lingering depictions of loss and the strange woman in the book, Seay’s setting is more a dream that Ben drifts through without any real consequence than a stark reality. To elaborate, although Ben’s nosey neighbor regularly checks in on him, he easily assuages her curiosity with vague explanations. Even when the moments of confrontation escalate, such as Patrick turning up to look for Ben’s mother, the possibility of something terrible happening to Seay’s protagonist doesn’t feel likely. This may be by design. Protection could just be part of the deal with the ghostly woman. Still, giving Ben some challenging moments where he feels like the entity has abandoned him would’ve helped round out his character and upped the stakes a little.

That’s not to say shying away from over explaining or keeping it simple is a bad thing—this reader rejoiced that there were no online deep-dives or trips to the library resulting in a full blown character stat sheet for Ben’s new surrogate parent.  Ambiguity oftentimes says more than revealing everything and To Offer Her Pleasure revels in less is more. This is mostly beneficial, but a few areas could’ve used a bit more explanation. Especially when it comes to what role the book plays in Ben’s family history and why his dad had it in the first place.

Overall, To Offer Her Pleasure is a quick read that balances impactful moments of horror, family drama, and character to weave a deeply somber narrative about grief. Surprised A24 hasn’t picked up the rights yet as it fits well within their stable. Get on it, folks!