The Visitor by Sergio Gomez is a chilling departure from the usual festive holiday cheer. An eerie and macabre novella set against the backdrop of one of Indiana’s worst snowstorms on Christmas Eve where five strangers find themselves trapped in a roadside diner having no idea of the sinister turn with the arrival of a mysterious sixth visitor.
On Christmas, during one of the worst snowstorms Indiana has ever seen, five strangers are forced to take shelter inside of a roadside diner. As the night progresses, the snowfall shows no signs of relenting, ice begins to build up on the roads, and the temperature seems to be dropping by the hour. But the worst has nothing to do with the weather, and everything to do with the sixth visitor coming to the diner. The jolliest time of the year quickly turns bloody as the diners find themselves fighting for their lives. This Christmas won’t just be white. It’ll be red, too.
The premise behind Sergio Gomez’s The Visitor, along with the spectacular cover, was what initially attracted me to this book. The plot immediately captured my attention; a group of strangers stranded during a relentless snowstorm on Christmas Eve—a classic setup for tension and drama. Something that is not inventive, but I was on-board for from the beginning. Strangers huddled together hoping to make it through the storm along with the claustrophobic environment of their surroundings makes for a thrilling horror base.
Where I felt a bit loss was not where I would’ve expected it—the introduction of an alien creature—but the characters themselves. Gomez introduces a number of characters in the diner—each bringing their own backstory and motivations to this unusual gathering. However, while these diverse personalities can add depth to a plotline, they occasionally lead to some confusion as I struggled to keep track amidst unfolding chaos. Despite this, I appreciated the attempt to add layers to the novella instead of a straightforward survival horror.
The Visitor by Sergio Gomez is a fast-paced novella that blends elements of horror, the supernatural, and festive holiday season. While it is not without fault, The Visitor brings takes an ages-old base plot and turns it on its head to crafted a unique holiday horror story. The book can get confusing at moments but was worth reading in one sitting during the first snowstorm of the season.
The Visitor is available on Amazon!
