“I was twelve the first time I saw my dead father cross from the kitchen doorway to the hall that led back to the utility room.”

And so begins Mapping the Interior, a novella by Stephen Graham Jones. Tor Nightfire is re-releasing this story with a brand-new gorgeous cover, and some extra notes from SGJ in his acknowledgements. This is available April 29th.

Firstly, this story broke my freakin’ heart. Like…sobbing through the final few pages. It’s also quite a scary story that will pull at your heartstrings while also making you check over your shoulder every now and then…just in case.

As it’s a novella, I won’t reveal too much. You can quite comfortably read this whole thing in an afternoon as it comes in at 101 pages. The story follows Junior who at 12-years old sees his dead father walk across his living room. He’s been dead for 8 years. Is this a good thing he’s back? How is it possible? Is it really a ghost? Junior is determined to find out, while taking care of his brother, and protecting his mother.

What I loved in this story, is how much plot is truly packed into 101 pages. That’s the true sign of a successful novella, and something SGJ is always incredible at. By the time this finished, I felt liked I’d lived an entire life with Junior, Dino, and their mother.

The relationship between Junior and Dino was so incredibly tender and sweet. It also becomes complicated as we learn more about Dino’s condition. Junior is an incredibly brave brother and also a son who cares deeply about his mom. There was one quote about mom’s in here that brought me to tears. Watching these three live their lives, taking care of each other, and trying to do the best for each other, was something really special.

Obviously, the father in the story is dead, and we’re potentially dealing with his ghost. There’s a really unique aspect to this that I enjoyed related to this. Junior is dealing in real time with understanding how his father’s ghost is forming and coming to be. There’s a particular scene that involves a nest and a tense moment under the house that is really chilling and will stick with you long after you finish reading.

Overall, this is a really fantastic story full of scares and tears. I had a great time reading it, and I highly recommend picking up a copy for yourself as the re-release hits shelves on April 29th. Thank you to Tor Nightfire for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.