Horror is a subjective type of media, but the fear of being watched is universal. Add that to the vulnerability of being a child, and it is the perfect recipe for a terrifying situation.
This primal fear is utilized to its maximum potential by Dathan Auerbach in his 2012 novel “Penpal,” creating a sense of unease and dread throughout most of the book.
The novel follows a six section format and slowly feeds you more pieces of a larger puzzle throughout it. The story begins at “Footsteps” with the unnamed main character recounting a story from his childhood that he found odd, with him waking up in the middle of the forest after being moved there in his sleep.
Development occurs during the second part, “Balloons,” with a school project leading to a strange man sending the boy hundreds of polaroids, each containing a picture of him. The rest of the book follows a similar format of recounting childhood stories, ranging from early developmental years, to teenage years, all containing the threat of a strange man who is obsessed with him.
A major plot point throughout the book is the main character’s relationship with his childhood best friend, Josh. They are a picture-perfect pair of friends, keeping in contact even after the narrator moves away, but the shadow of the obsessive man always looms over them whenever they are together. The story culminates in the final part “Friends” where we finally discover what happened to the duo.
The story of Penpal began on r/nosleep, a Reddit horror story forum, with its first part, “Footsteps” posted there as a stand-alone story. When the story began to gain traction, Auberchman decided to expand the story into six parts, and the collection of all six parts was titled “Penpal.” Enough attention was gathered to create a Kickstarter, leading to the collection being published as a novel. Auberchman went on to publish his second novel, “Bad Man,” in 2018.
“Penpal” manages to do something that I haven’t seen before: make you forget that it is a horror story. It manages to create an environment akin to a coming of age story, wrapping you in the childlike sense of innocence that the narrator and Josh have, before startling you with its dark themes. You always know in the back of your mind that something isn’t right, and it adds to the dread of everything, with the pair being completely oblivious to the horrifying events happening around them, while you have to watch everything unfold with full knowledge of the danger they are in.
The story does have flaws, however, as the transition from web story to novel is a bit shaky, and makes the formatting confusing at times. The writer is a novice as well, and while the campfire story feeling can create some amazing moments, it does not always work. For example, during the end of the story the focus shifts back towards the present and the fact that it becomes more grounded throws off the immersion for the beginning of the final part.
Even taking those flaws into consideration, “Penpal” is still an incredibly entertaining and creepy story that does not let loose its grip through the entire 252 pages.
