Book Review: Testament
Testament. Jose Nateras. New Mexico: NineStar Press Publication, December 26, 2019, Trade Paperback and E-book, 205 pages.
Reviewed by Starza Thompson.
Few writers can so expertly build tension quite like Jose Nateras does in Testament. This story melds Chicago history, LGBTQ issues, and racial conflicts all within a plot-driven psychological horror-themed novel. The suspense comes quickly and without warning, ensnaring the reader in a narrative that will make them continuously check over their shoulder while reading.
The novel’s protagonist, Gabe Espinoza, works for the Sentinel Club Chicago. He has always felt a little creeped out, working in an old hotel filled with creaking corners and a history that’s questionable at best. After a bad breakup and a drunken suicide attempt, Gabe wants nothing more than to get his life back in order. However, his first day back on the job puts him face-to-face with the evil that has been lurking in the hotel the entire time. With the evil now personified and targeting Gabe, he must dive deep into the history of Chicago to stop whatever it is that seems to be after him.
While the Sentinel Club is a fictional place, Nateras’s keen ability to describe the hotel made it easy to imagine the setting and the creepiness that is entwined within the hotel walls. However, while the author has a talent for building tension, his exposition throughout the book seemed mistimed, often deflating the suspense with explanations and backstory. It happened every time Gabe was being haunted or hunted. I was right there with Gabe, feeling what he is feeling, but then Nateras would move away from the tension to describe Gabe’s background, or the scenery, or the political climate, rather than finishing the scene and working on character development and stage-setting. Unfortunately, this brought me out of the story every time, making it hard to be as engaged as I would’ve liked. With that said, I still really enjoyed the book. I even had goosebumps during the dreaming scene because it was so well done.
Nateras knows Chicago. I could see the streets and neighborhoods he described in the story with unfaltering clarity. He understands what it's like to ride the train and walk the streets of Chicago, which enables the reader to feel the city within his words. Nateras has written several screenplays, shorts, and pilots. Testament is his first novel.
Testament is a tension-packed psychological thriller that takes Chicago history and some hard-hitting issues of today to create a scary world that the main character has to navigate quickly, so he doesn't meet his demise. Despite the ill-timed exposition, this novel is a heart-thumping delight to read. Although, it might be best to keep the lights on when you’re reading. Just in case.