State of Decay

Name: State of Decay
Price: 7.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781545133163

✍️ Matt Hickman

Reader Score

4.4

(1 review)

$7.99

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A dentist seeks vengeance in a crime-ridden Spokane Valley after his daughter's attack.

This narrative explores the psychological toll of living in a deteriorating city. Jack Scott's journey begins with professional success and ends with a vow to eliminate the filth controlling his community. The text examines how personal trauma can fuel extreme responses to public safety failures. It does not offer easy solutions or heroic triumphs. Instead, it presents a raw look at the consequences of urban degeneration on individual families. The story relies on the tension between Jack's desire for order and the chaotic reality he faces daily.

Key Themes

urban decay vigilante justice parental grief

Literary Context

Set in Spokane Valley, Washington, the book reflects a period of urban degeneration where law enforcement failed to control gang culture. It mirrors real-world concerns about crime and infrastructure collapse in American cities during the mid-2010s.

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

Thomas Harris · Joe Hill · Stephen King · Gillian Flynn

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Horror Fiction

🏛 Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 📅 2017 📖 184 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781545133163

📝 Description: State of Decay

Matt Hickman delivers a grim portrait of urban decay in State of Decay. The narrative centers on Spokane Valley, Washington, a location once defined by industry and culture but now marred by crumbling infrastructure and rampant crime. Jack Scott, a dentist managing his practice while coping with his wife's departure, finds his world shattered when his teenage daughter suffers a vicious attack after a party. This event propels him from professional stability into a desperate quest for vengeance against the gang culture and criminals who have taken over the streets. The story draws on traditions of vigilante justice and psychological horror. It examines the breakdown of law enforcement efforts and the resulting power vacuum filled by violent offenders. Hickman, known for works like Amnesia and Sick B*stards, structures the plot around Jack's internal struggle to comprehend his daughter's condition while he vows to cleanse the city. The narrative focuses on the intersection of personal grief and societal collapse. This book suits readers who enjoy character-driven horror and stories about moral ambiguity in decaying urban settings. It may not appeal to those seeking lighthearted supernatural tales or fast-paced action without emotional weight.

💎 Our verdict on State of Decay

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Hickman delivers a grim and unflinching portrait of urban decay, centering on Spokane Valley as a microcosm of societal collapse. The narrative excels in examining the intersection of personal grief and public safety failures, tracing Jack Scott’s descent from professional stability to a desperate quest for vengeance. By drawing on traditions of vigilante justice and psychological horror, the text effectively captures the tension between the protagonist's desire for order and the chaotic reality he faces. This book suits readers who enjoy complex character studies and moral ambiguity over simple heroics. It avoids fast-paced action without emotional weight, offering instead a thoughtful exploration of how trauma fuels extreme responses to urban degeneration.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

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Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate character-driven horror and stories exploring moral ambiguity in decaying urban settings will find this book compelling. It offers a raw look at the consequences of public safety failures on individual families, making it suitable for those interested in the psychological toll of living in a crime-ridden environment. The narrative does not offer easy solutions or heroic triumphs, instead presenting a grim portrait where personal trauma fuels extreme responses to chaos. It is ideal for audiences seeking emotional weight and tension between the desire for order and the chaotic reality faced daily, rather than those looking for lighthearted supernatural tales or fast-paced action without substance.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.4

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Hickman delivers a grim and unflinching portrait of urban decay, centering on Spokane Valley as a microcosm of societal collapse. The narrative excels in examining the intersection of personal grief and public safety failures, tracing Jack Scott’s descent from professional stability to a desperate quest for vengeance. By drawing on traditions of vigilante justice and psychological horror, the text effectively captures the tension between the protagonist's desire for order and the chaotic reality he faces. This book suits readers who enjoy complex character studies and moral ambiguity over simple heroics. It avoids fast-paced action without emotional weight, offering instead a thoughtful exploration of how trauma fuels extreme responses to urban degeneration.