There’s something inherently haunting about roadside memorials—those intimate shrines marking the spots where lives were suddenly, tragically cut short. They’re physical manifestations of grief, love, and remembrance, dotting our highways and backroads like somber sentinels. In his latest novel “Memorials,” Richard Chizmar masterfully taps into this poignant aspect of American culture, weaving a supernatural thriller that transforms these touching tributes into harbingers of something far more sinister.
The Journey Begins
Set in 1983, “Memorials” by Richard Chizmar follows three college students—Billy Anderson, Troy Carpenter, and Melody Wise—as they embark on a week-long road trip to film a documentary about roadside memorials for their American Studies class. What begins as an ambitious academic project soon descends into a nightmarish journey through the shadowy heart of Appalachia, where ancient evil lurks beneath the veneer of small-town America.
Crafting Terror in the Ordinary
Chizmar’s strength lies in his ability to build tension through seemingly ordinary moments. The initial chapters establish a comfortable rhythm as the students travel in their orange Volkswagen van, sharing stories and forming deeper bonds. However, this familiar road-trip narrative gradually gives way to something far more unsettling as they discover a mysterious symbol appearing at various memorial sites.
The author excels at creating an atmosphere of escalating dread through subtle details:
- Unexplained figures watching from the woods
- Strange encounters with local law enforcement
- The growing sense of being followed
- Increasingly hostile reactions from townspeople
- Shared nightmares that blur the line between reality and supernatural horror
Character Depth and Dynamics
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its well-developed characters. Billy Anderson, still processing the tragic loss of his parents, serves as our primary narrator. His perspective is both relatable and complex, colored by grief but maintaining a sharp observational quality that helps ground the story’s more supernatural elements.
Troy Carpenter, a brilliant but anxious Black student, brings both intellectual depth and social commentary to the narrative. His experiences as an outsider in predominantly white spaces add another layer of tension to the group’s journey through rural America.
Melody Wise emerges as the group’s emotional anchor, though she harbors her own secrets. The later addition of Naomi, Billy’s ex-girlfriend, introduces new dynamics that complicate the group’s relationships while raising the stakes of their investigation.
Style and Structure
Chizmar’s prose is lean and effective, maintaining a brisk pace while still allowing room for character development and atmosphere building. The author’s experience writing horror (notably in “Chasing the Boogeyman”) shows in his ability to create unsettling scenes without relying on graphic violence or cheap scares.
The novel’s structure, alternating between present-action narrative and documentary footage transcripts, creates an engaging rhythm while adding authenticity to the story’s found-footage elements. This technique also allows Chizmar to play with perspective and reliability of narration in interesting ways.
Themes and Subtext
“Memorials” by Richard Chizmar explores several compelling themes:
- The intersection of grief and memory
- The dark underbelly of small-town America
- The power of shared trauma
- The tension between modernity and ancient beliefs
- The price of uncovering hidden truths
Critical Assessment
While “Memorials” by Richard Chizmar is largely successful in its aims, there are moments where the pacing could be tighter, particularly in the middle section as the students conduct their research. Some readers might find the gradual build-up too slow, though patient readers will be rewarded with a satisfying payoff.
The supernatural elements, when they finally emerge fully, occasionally feel less compelling than the human drama that precedes them. However, this is a minor criticism in what is otherwise a masterfully crafted horror novel.
Comparison and Context
Fans of Richard Chizmar’s previous work, particularly “Chasing the Boogeyman,” will find familiar elements here, though “Memorials” stands firmly on its own. The novel sits comfortably alongside other works that blend supernatural horror with American folklore, such as Nathan Ballingrud’s “North American Lake Monsters” or Stephen Graham Jones’s “The Only Good Indians.”
Final Verdict
“Memorials” by Richard Chizmar successfully blends elements of supernatural horror, road trip narrative, and coming-of-age story. Chizmar has created a compelling thriller that works both as a straightforward horror novel and as a deeper meditation on grief, memory, and the dark secrets we choose to memorialize.
The novel’s greatest achievement is how it transforms something as innocent as roadside memorials into symbols of lurking horror while never losing sight of the human stories at their core. It’s a book that will make readers think twice the next time they pass one of these roadside shrines, wondering what other stories—and what other symbols—might be hidden there.
Recommended for fans of:
- Folk horror
- Road trip narratives
- Coming-of-age stories with supernatural elements
- Character-driven horror
- American Gothic literature
