? A purr-fect horror: Published in 1983, Pet Sematary is one of veteran writer Stephen King’s most celebrated works of horror. Having earned him the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984, the novel has since been adapted for the big screen in 1989 and 30 years later in 2019. So frightening is the tale that King refused to continue working on it for a time, choosing to shelve it until contractual obligations required him to submit it to his publisher.

All roads lead to Maine. As is the case with most of King’s works, the story takes place in his home state of Maine. The novel follows the Creed family — comprising Louis, a doctor, Rachel, and their two kids, Ellie and Gage, and Ellie’s cat — as they make their way from Chicago to Maine after Louis is appointed as director of the University of Maine’s campus infirmary. The family moves into a house next to the highway, and all four are met with their friendly, elderly neighbor Jud, who warns them not to get too close to the road as the trucks tend to speed by.

A not-so child friendly tour. Jud takes the family on a tour of the estate and surrounding lands, reaching a centuries-old pet cemetery where past inhabitants have buried their beloved furry friends. This trip triggers a series of uncomfortable conversations surrounding death between Louis and his daughter, Ellie, leaving her in tears as she comes to the realization that death will eventually come for her family… and her cat.

Louis’ first day on the job doesn’t go all too well. A young man called Victor is run over by a car while jogging, and is quickly brought to the infirmary. His injuries are severe, with his brain all but pulp. It’s a gruesome encounter, and one that leaves the doctor in shock when Victor’s last words are seemingly a warning of the pet cemetery. He begins dreaming of Victor, who leads him to the cemetery, warning that it would see his family’s demise.

Winston Churchill strikes again — no, not that one. On Thanksgiving, Ellie’s cat, Church (short for Winston Churchill), is run over by a truck and later found by Jud. Louis decides to bury him in the pet cemetery without letting anyone know, planning to tell Ellie that the cat simply wandered off. As Louis buries the cat, he cannot help but feel a looming danger. A day later, the cat returns alive and well — but Church is not the same.

There is no escaping death. The cat’s revival is the first of many dangerous omens awaiting the Creed family. Over the course of the novel, readers are let in on the magical secrets behind the cemetery, and its centuries-old dangers. Pet Sematary does not offer the sort of horror that relies on gore and plot twists, but rather a horror that is slowly realized, manifested in full form only when it’s too late. It is exactly this that earns the novel its status as a classic horror.

Turn the lights on, hold on to a pillow, and embrace the goosebumps. Pet Sematary is equal parts horrifying and heartbreaking. It’s a story on death, what it means to grapple with grief, and what becomes of you when you’re lost to it. It’s a slow-paced novel, but one that meets you with an uppercut when you reach its zenith. If you’re not busy heading to a Halloween party tonight, we’d recommend picking it up (and hugging your loved ones, fluffy or otherwise, after).

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the paperback version at Diwan. You can also get the ebook off Amazon, and listen to the audiobook on Storytel.

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