The versatility of Daniel Kraus is a big reason I keep coming back to his work. Kraus can tell powerful tales for most age groups, in many genres, and in wide range styles. Bent Heavens, released at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, is a prime example. A terrifying novel packed with heartbreak.
Liv Fleming’s father went missing more than two years ago, not long after he claimed to have been abducted by aliens. Liv has long accepted that he’s dead, though that doesn’t mean she has given up their traditions. Every Sunday, she and her lifelong friend Doug Monk trudge through the woods to check the traps Lee left behind, traps he set to catch the aliens he so desperately believed were after him.
But Liv is done with childhood fantasies. Done pretending she believes her father’s absurd theories. Done going through the motions for Doug’s sake. However, on the very day she chooses to destroy the traps, she discovers in one of them a creature so inhuman it can only be one thing. In that moment, she’s faced with a painful realization: her dad was telling the truth. And no one believed him.
Now, she and Doug have a choice to make. They can turn the alien over to the authorities…or they can take matters into their own hands.
Reading Bent Heavens reminded me of watching The X-Files, that feeling where something is not exactly what it seems even if it stares you in the face. Daniel Kraus takes us in one direction, which I was totally there for, only to pull the rug out from underneath us in such a profound way. While I love the connection I feel to classic The X-Files, Bent Heavens hits harder, more personal and heartbreaking, than most of the what we’d get from Mulder and Scully.
This novel explores the unknown and the lengths people will go to find justice, all while seeing the painful reality of grief. Not only did Liv lose her father, it was in such a public way, which forced her to grieve under a spotlight. That pressure forces her to do things she doesn’t really agree with to make sure she is not publicly humiliated once again. On top of that, she feels betrayed by the one person she thought was on her side. This is a lot for a high school student to have to handle.
Bent Heavens is a beautiful blend of science fiction, horror, and thriller. Daniel Kraus shows off his talent for crafting unique, and meaningful tales in the horror genre, while also tossing a few other touches into the tale. I feel Bent Heavens has been slept on, mostly due to the timing of the publication, it is truly a great read from an outstanding author.
Bent Heavens is available at bookstores everywhere from Henry Holt and Co. The audiobook, narrated by Amara Jasper, is available via Libro.fm!
