Dixie Wheeler, the main character of Theme Music, is a little odd.
She gets a pass, though. You would, too, if your whole family was brutally slaughtered in front of your eyes.
You heard me. The prologue of this debut novel by T. Marie Vandelly is an incredibly graphic replay of when Dixie’s father pulled a Lizzie Borden on his family, taking an axe and chopping them into pieces one Thanksgiving morning.
Reader, be warned. This lil’ intro is not for the faint of heart. Ever been weirdly curious (no judgment!) about how a human body might look after an axe attack? Well, wonder no more! Theme Music goes into grisly and impressively imaginative detail for you.
And, the imagery doesn’t stop there: it permeates the entire novel so you’re treated to up-close-and-personal replays of what happened to the Wheelers that fateful day.
Let the prologue be your guide. If you can’t stomach that easily, you shouldn’t continue reading Theme Music. It’s just not the book for you. TRUST ME.
For those of you who’d like to soldier on, let me tell ya — it’s worth it. Theme Music is incredibly macabre, but it’s also incredibly compelling. It’s dark, it’s quirky, it’s visceral, and it completely sucks you in. Vandelly has a gift for descriptive imagery that would’ve made my A.P. English teachers weep with joy. In fact, she’s so good at letting her imagination run wild that she kinda freaks me out a little. Which is awesome.
In the prologue, Dixie’s only a baby when she’s mysteriously spared her family’s fate. When we meet her again, she’s all growed up … but understandably a little warped. In what can only be described as a batshit crazy move, she decides to move back into her family’s home. Yes, where the murders occurred.
She sets up a cozy little residence…and immediately starts having nightmares that cause her to question reality — and her sanity. This isn’t really surprising when you consider that she’s living in the murder house.
And, um, that she’s poring over old crime scene photos of said murder every day.
Aaaaand, that’s she rearranged the house to look just like it did when her family lived there. (Cause that’s normal…)
Dixie has an extremely overactive imagination, which means her inner monologues lead to some pretty intense scenes. The reader is repeatedly treated to gag-worthy descriptions of her dead family members cavorting around the house in various states of dismemberment. Every little bump in the night is painted as the worst-case scenario before you get to what it ACTUALLY is. e.g., What’s that noise? OMG, it’s my brother’s severed head rolling down the hall like a bowling ball!! versus …Oh, JK! It’s just the heat turning on.
YEAH. Overall, the effect is pretty freakin’ terrifying, not to mention gruesome.
But, god, I loved it. I loved the whole book. I love how deeply morbid Dixie is, and how clearly crazy and/or drunk she must be to do what she’s doing. While I don’t love gory stuff, I think watching Game of Thrones has desensitized me over the years, and I was able to get through the more stomach-churning parts of the novel.
The denouement of Theme Music is intense as hell. So much is revealed, so much is threatened, and so much is at stake. Not to mention, it’s the worst cat-and-mouse game you’ve ever experienced. I hate anything bordering on torture-y, and the climax of Theme Music kinda-sorta goes there, though it’s more about what’s insinuated than what’s actually happening.
Obviously, I highly recommend Theme Music if you’re looking for a unique and heart-pounding blend of thriller, mystery, suspense, and supernatural horror. You won’t be disappointed.
A little nauseous, maybe. But not disappointed.
On that appetite-inducing note, be sure to check back in for my book-inspired recipe: Apple Butter Crumble Bars!
Adding this to my list now!