Wilson Island is a city fleshed out with intricate detail and laden with the sort of rich tapestry that makes one realize that these characters are people. In this story we are introduced to Willa and Sarah and Dean and Warlock and Buck and Grady and Quinn and Rachel… and so many others. But you can tell reading this that each of the characters in this story had a life, a back story, dreams and hopes. They were going somewhere, even if the only part they played here was only in death, sorry Allison but blame Cullen for your fate, not me. Allison never spent a single moment in this book alive, but her presence was felt, her story could be seen as foundational for other characters within the pages, her influence resonated. Even if only a handful of times, I still got the feeling that she mattered at one point in this city.

There are going to be comparisons to other works that have come before this, that is a natural part of the human condition. Stranger Things will be mentioned. Hell, with the new Welcome to Derry series starting, I can see direct comparisons to it. Although I would be remiss not to mention that this book was obviously written and printed long before the first episode of that debuted. Sure, IT was a thing. And the zeitgeist could be given form in any given book or show of the moment, but this book both embraces that and goes beyond it. 

With a massive cast of characters that Cullen loads into the station wagon and takes on a trip cruising around Wilson Island (spoiler alert, some of them don’t make it to the end), we get to watch as a community spirals. There is a killer lurking among the citizens, much to the dismay of sheriff Buck. A killer, Mr. No-Face, who is channeling something. Something maybe even darker than they realize. As the community begins to realize things aren’t going in a positive direction, well let’s just say that things escalate.

If you’ve read any of my reviews before, you know that I tend to be cagey of revealing things if I really like something and spoil the hell out of things if I don’t like them. With some exceptions naturally. But having said that, rest assured that I am not going to spoil things here (ok, one big spoiler is all you get… the Ape stymies Willa… there ya go!) 

I’m a slow reader, but once I picked this up the story consumed me. I have about a dozen active books I am reading right now (scattered throughout my life: 2 in my car, 4 on my nightstand, 5 on the gaming table, and surely another half dozen that are stagnant on my bookshelves but with a bookmark within patiently awaiting my return (sometimes I have used money for bookmarks, those are always pleasant surprises years later when I find them!)), but all of those realized they had to wait a bit longer. 

I am unreservedly giving this book 10 stars on our scale here. As soon as I can, I shall add a physical copy to my shelves (right next to Crooked Hills by Cullen!)

In the spirit of full transparency here, I will say that I have known Cullen for over 20 years and consider him a close friend. In the past I have edited fiction he has written, I have co-written comic work with him. That doesn’t taint my ability to review material he has written though, I have always given my honest opinions on things when reviewing. And Cullen will tell you that when I was editing for him, I was brutally honest with him. My job then was to help make things clear and keep a story on track. Just as here and now my job is to tell you whether something is good or bad. Worth the time and money you will invest… or not. And this one is worth your time and money. Buy a copy (don’t pirate it) and spend a weekend immersing yourself in Wilson Island (or a week’s worth of lunch breaks, you don’t need to eat every meal!)