Old Too Soon
Brian Bowyer
Uncomfortably Dark Horror (May 26, 2024)
Reviewed by Nora B. Peevy
Old Too Soon was released in May of 2024. Brian Bowyer has twenty-eight titles listed on Amazon and I can see why. He’s a prolific and gory splatterpunk author. Old Too Soon by Brian Bowyer is like if Fear and Loathing and Natural Born Killers had a bunch of babies on crack. There are no words to describe the cold, insensitive money and drug driven teens in this book as they go on a spree for the next and hopefully better than the last high. Indeed, they are old too soon, put in adult situations like selling drugs, murder, prison, things teenage minds are not equipped to deal with because their brains haven’t finished developing.
Bowyer’s words may seem simple on the page, but this lends to the creepy vibe and the dark message throughout. His storytelling is heartfelt. It’s an honest and gritty look at what happens when teenagers go down the dark path at an early age. The violence and lack of emotion for their victims further emphasizes their immaturity of realizing the true acts of their crimes. But like Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis, the teens are compelled to chase that next adrenaline high on their killing sprees and all that matters are the drugs and partying afterwards.
Throughout the book, Bowyer touches on the theme of lesbian love. It is central to the plot, but what I liked is it wasn’t there to support a message for the reader to learn. The lesbians were just people, just thieves, criminals, murderers, and drug dealers that just happened to love women. It was refreshing. If you’re looking to be swooned by a cast of hard ass women, look no further than Old Too Soon. I also suggest sleeping with a weapon close by. You might need it after reading this book.
