Rachel Harrison is the USA Today Bestselling author of So Thirsty and Such Sharp Teeth. Her latest offering, Play Nice, is now available online and in brick-and-mortar booksellers nationwide. Play Nice epitomizes the Pink Horror trend in subversive horror literature with strong female characters, explorations of societal expectations and exploitations, and a deeply flawed (though ultimately triumphant) protagonist.
The terror of Play Nice is a poignant mix of elements exemplified in genre classics (like The Exorcist, The Amityville Horror, The Omen) and modern grief horror (like The Babadook and The Dark and the Wicked).
Stylist/social influencer Cleo Barnes is forced to confront her traumatizing past when her estranged mother passes away under unusual circumstances. She inherits her childhood home, the location of forgotten abuse and repressed memories. She plans to refurbish the home before selling it, much to the dismay of her sisters, her father, and her stepmother.
Childhood memories are reawakened. A fictionalized account of her mother’s battle with a demonic entity raises more questions than it answers. What really happened to Cleo and her sisters when she was young—in that house? Was her mother simply exasperated by a contentious divorce and an alcohol addiction, or was something darker, even unspeakable at play.
What is truth when perception defines reality?
Cleo is a very specific and timely archetype: a young adult inextricably tied to social media. Her online world is just as important as the intimate life she has with her friends and family. What happens when the carefully curated image she’s crafted begins to crack? Will returning to the location of her childhood trauma heal her, or strain her sanity?
Relationships crumble, lies are uncovered, shiny reality morphs into something horrific. All beneath the shadow of something older, ancient—and inhuman.
Harrison excels at creating palpable dread, feelings of claustrophobia and isolation. There are no cheap gimmicks or jump scares (okay, maybe one). Like Hereditary, there is a build up to something truly harrowing. Harrison’s complex protagonist feels alone, even when surrounded by friends in a city that never sleeps. Spiraling into depression, she’s easy prey for a fiend that’s been lying dormant for decades.
Play Nice succeeds as an exploration of the past as it relates to the present, public facing personas and societal expectations (especially for women), and the ugly side of established family dynamics. Its disarmingly playful opening act pulls you in, before darker forces drag you into something terrifying. Laugh now, cry later. Play Nice is something fans of classic horror tropes with fresh spins will cherish.
Descriptions of the entity are a high point of the book. This unique abomination transitions from a shadow to pale eyes in the dark, and then to something truly arresting—even ungodly.
With Play Nice, Harrison has firmly established herself as an engaging and gifted writer, someone with the ability to paint a picture, cast a spell, and devastate. And, like many of the best horror stories, there is hope within destruction. Perfect for new adults and fans of the current Pink Horror craze.
