Hi all!
Welcome back to the book club! In May, we read Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie for The You’ll Read Too Bookclub! If you wish to access all of the latest updates/information, click here. Spoilers ahead!
Quick Reminder: This month we are reading ‘Theme Music’ by T. Marie Vandelly!
Today I’m going to discuss the book in the same way I normally do my Instagram videos. You can find the recorded talk on my book club Instagram page. I’ll give a quick plot summary plus my overall star/scare-factor ratings. Then I will share the discussion topics and trivia questions. Please include all of your answers and opinions down below. I want to know exactly what you thought. I’ll also leave the answers to the trivia questions at the very bottom of the post, so if you wish to guess without being spoiled, do not scroll to the end until you’re ready. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
EPISODE THIRTEEN BY CRAIG DILOUIE – MAY 2023
PLOT SUMMARY
Fade to Black is the newest hit paranormal reality TV show. Led by husband-and-wife team, Matt and Claire Kirklin, it delivers weekly hauntings investigated by a dedicated team of ghost hunting experts. Episode Thirteen takes them to the holy grail: the Paranormal Research Foundation. This brooding, derelict mansion holds secrets and clues about bizarre experiments that took place there in the 1970s. The team hopes their scientific techniques and high-tech gear will expose the supernatural. But as the house begins to reveal itself to them, proof of an afterlife might not be everything Matt dreamed of.
OVERALL STAR RATING
I gave this book 4/5 stars. It was definitely my kind of horror novel. It gave me As Above, So Below meets House of Leaves vibes. I’m such a fan of books with mixed media. I believe it helps break up the chapters and keep things interesting. Also, it’s not easy to write a ‘found footage’ style story, so I have to commend the author for nailing that aspect. I cared about the characters and was invested from start to finish. My only criticism was that there were a lot of things, especially toward the end, that were unexplained.
OVERALL SCARE-FACTOR RATING
I gave it a scare-factor rating of 4/5 stars. It was very effective in freaking me out. The tunnel gave me second-hand claustrophobia and the way the characters slowly began to lose their minds was truly terrifying.
DISCUSSION TOPICS
1.) What do you believe was the intent of the paranormal?
I believe they wanted to be known and understood as great, powerful beings. They were able to manipulate time and twist reality. Without human subjects however, their abilities lay dormant and unseen for a long time.
2.) Why did Jessica take five years to emerge? How did she get out?
It’s never explained but I believe time moved differently in the tunnel. What may have seemed like a few days to Jessica was in fact, five years on the outside. As to how she got out, I’m not sure. I think we weren’t meant to know. What are your thoughts?
3.) Are you more of a Matt or a Claire? Discuss.
I used to be just like Matt. I was a big spiritual believer. Over time, I’ve become more of a sceptic like Claire. However, I am still hopeful that spirits exist and there is life after death.
TRIVIA QUESTIONS
Easy: What was the name of Matt’s childhood ghost?
Medium: What was written backwards on the wall in the tunnel?
Hard: What was the name of the resort Foundation House was turned into?
I hope you enjoyed the book club discussion in this post and on Instagram. As mentioned above, share all of your thoughts in the comments below! If you have any feedback/suggestions to improve the book club, please let me know. I look forward to talking to you all next month! Thanks for reading!
Peace & Love xoxo
TRIVIA ANSWERS: Easy: Tammy. Medium: “You’re either on the bus or off the bus.” Hard: “Valleyview Resort.”