The Ceiling Man

September 18, 2017
A supernatural creature arrives in the small, fictional town of Port Massasauga and sets his sights on Abby, a girl with psychic powers similar to his own, in Lillie’s gripping debut. Carole has her hands full raising an autistic 17-year-old and dealing with a hypercritical mother-in-law; as horrific murders begin to coincide with her daughter Abby’s increasingly abnormal behavior, life becomes even harder. Abby’s the only one who can see the Ceiling Man, a body-snatching predator who feeds on human flesh, and thus is the only one who can stop him. Lillie sidesteps horror clichés and presents characters who don’t make eye-rolling decisions. Shifting perspectives keep the tension elevated, though it does makes the finale confusing. The quick jumps between characters can make it difficult to keep the action straight. Regardless, horror fans should expect an entertaining novel that’s tough to put down and is evocative of old slasher flicks.