A Box Full of Darkness, by author Simone St. James.
Guest writer Nmesoma Okechukwu looks at A Box Full of Darkness!
BBefore I begin on this, I would like to note that I discovered A box full of darkness on a site that recommended the ten best horror and psychological thrillers of 2026. Until now, of course. Something about the book immediately struck me. Perhaps it was the little description that said a long-dead little brother called his siblings home, after so many years of those siblings running away from the property. Or maybe there’s something completely seductive about reopening long-buried secrets. I had just finished playing with Steve Cavanagh FIFTY FIFTYand I couldn’t wait to dive into another world that would keep me on my toes. A haunted house seemed like the perfect solution.
Here’s the synopsis to bring you up to speed: “The siblings return to the home they fled eighteen years ago, recalled by the ghost of their long-lost brother and his haunting plea to come home. Strange things are happening in Fell, New York: a mysterious drowning at a roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left behind by the railroad tracks. For Violet, Vail and Dodie Esmie, The final straw was their little brother’s shocking disappearance, which began as a normal game of hide and seek. As their parents grew further and further apart, the sisters were each haunted by frightening visions and events, causing them to leave town and never look back.
But let me tell you, within the first chapter I was already questioning everything I thought I should expect in Simone St. James’ latest offering. Not that I had read another work by the author. But for me, one of the most enjoyable parts of being a reader is discovering new authors to love. Written in the first person and following the three Esmie siblings, we get a glimpse into a world of ghosts, unexplained events and maybe even UFOs? Yeah, I’m not kidding. The story was burning rubber from the start. The first sentence you read in the book says, “When I wake up in the middle of the night, I don’t always see the darkness.” » They say first impressions count, and this book does just that.
However, a little further in, the pace started to feel a little too fast. As if new information is bursting out before you even have a chance to digest the previous one. To balance it all out, I guess the author’s writing style somehow makes it easier to get into the story. A few more POVs and I was starting to get into the rhythm. The pace wasn’t fast anymore, but for some reason, with each chapter I read, I felt like I was leaning closer and closer to the abyss, straining to see what was inside. Is this something supernatural? Is it something that is literally out of this world? Are we dealing with ghosts or investigating aliens, or both? These questions formed concentric circles around my head. I honestly can’t remember the last time a book made me simultaneously nostalgic, curious, and confused. It had that coming-of-age feel, with just enough sidelining to put Dean Koontz Strangers be ashamed.
Fell, the hometown of Violet, Vail and Dodie Esmie, seems to be the place where bad things happen for the sake of happening. There is no mystery behind it. No deep stories to thrill you. Finally, if you forget this little brother Esmie who disappeared during a simple game of hide and seek. At the age of six, Ben Esmie completely disappeared, without leaving a trace in the snow, without the slightest idea of where he could have gone. What we do know is that no body was ever discovered, and now he’s back in the house and he wants his siblings to come home.
If there’s anything that bothered me about this story, it was their obsession with this long lost brother. Their need to “find” him somehow outweighed any other human desire, to the extent that they were willing to do any indescribable thing for it. I also felt angry at the way the characters, especially Violet, seemed to expect the world to stay still for them, simply because their brother disappeared 20 years ago and now they’re back to find him. To be honest, there isn’t much to like about any of the characters, but if it was that kind of story I probably would have abandoned it since so many chapters ago.
The beauty of the book therefore lies not in the sympathy of its characters, but in the always captivating and always encompassing writing style. In short, the plot is the selling point, and it leads you through a noose, while dangling a big, juicy package just a little out of reach.
I’m naturally someone who likes to predict something about a story even as I’m reading it, but trying to figure out what I think might happen in A box full of darknessI must have come up with dozens of theories. It wasn’t until well past the halfway point of the story that I started to get more answers than questions.
In my opinion, A box full of darkness It’s not necessarily horror in the true sense of the word – I scare easily and it didn’t really do that for me – but even at that, it still had its charms. One thing I noticed was that it tended to drain me of joy, even as it filled me with a myriad of questions. I recommend it to readers who like fast-paced stories, who like small-town secrets, and/or who are generally looking for the type of mysteries that sink in with all their teeth and don’t let go.
Meet Nmesoma!
Nmesoma Okechukwu developed a strong love for words from a young age. This passion quickly turned into an obsession that led him to a career in journalism. These days, you can find her writing entertainment articles, lifestyle blogs, and cultural essays, playing volleyball, or trying to convince anyone who is willing to listen why they should buy her first science fiction book, “Cybernetics in us.‘
Nmeso’s light shines brightest when she brings knowledge and joy to others, and this motivation has helped her both hone and sharpen her talent as a writer. His works have appeared in a large number of publications, including Tom’s guide And The new black film collective.
You can consult Nmesoma’s book on: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WWK33QZ and follow her online at x.com/nmeso4dworld.
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