Wake Up and Open Your Eyes

Having failed to reach his parents by phone, Noah Fairchild sets out for Richmond, VA, from Brooklyn. He finds their house in disarray and his parents in a trance, eyes glued to the TV. Noah’s efforts to help them end when he is savagely attacked by his mother. Time spent watching particular channels or using certain websites is causing a form of possession, resulting in horrific violence everywhere, so Noah and his so-far unaffected young nephew attempt to flee to New York. Chapman (What Kind of Mother) excels at describing dysfunctional family dynamics. The novel is intense from the start, with elements of body horror combined with a unique possession story. Readers may think they know where the book is heading, but Chapman offers more surprises as he ventures further into the apocalypse. There is some of Chapman’s signature humor present, but this work is his most terrifying yet.