Kristopher Triana’s novel Gone to See the River Man is about Lori, a young woman who has built up a correspondence with serial killer Edmund Cox during his prison sentence. Despite Edmund’s especially cruel history, Lori finds herself desperate to prove her loyalty to him. So when Edmund gives her the task of retrieving a key from his cabin in the isolated woods of Killeen and delivering it to a local legend known as The River Man, she accepts the task without hesitation. Joined by her sister who has both mental and physical disabilities, Lori embarks on a journey that will push her to her absolute limits.

I first read this book back in March of 2022 after seeing so many positive reviews on BookTok and Bookstagram. Every single post I came across mentioned how utterly disturbing this book was, and my morbid curiosity was piqued. Gone to See the River Man was my first foray into the Extreme Horror subgenre, and it completely surpassed my expectations. I went into the book as blind as possible, but I expected a violent slasher with plenty of gory imagery. There is definitely graphic imagery to be found within these pages, however I was much more affected by the psychological aspects of this story. There is not much here in terms of active violence, but instead we witness the unreliable narrator reflecting on different traumatic events that plagued her throughout her life. The true horror in Gone to See the River Man is not shown through viscera and gore but is instead present in the absolutely diabolical mental pain the characters inflict on each other. This book is one wild ride through hell that left me feeling filthy and depleted by time I finished reading.

I haven’t re-read a book in years, as I’ve been trying to focus on discovering new authors and new stories over the past couple of years. However, Kristopher Triana has released a sequel to Gone to See the River Man, titled Along the River of Flesh. I was incredibly excited when the sequel was announced, as Gone to See the River Man elicited one of the strongest reactions I’ve ever had to a book before. Since my copy of Along the River of Flesh is on its way, I figured I’d revisit River Man to make sure the story was fresh in my mind for when I read the sequel. Amazingly, the book was still incredibly effective the second time around, even though I knew what was coming.

It was very interesting reading Gone to See the River Man a second time, knowing how everything plays out in the end this time around. I was able to pick up on small clues I missed during my initial read. The major mid-book reveal still made me deeply uncomfortable, even though I knew to expect it this time. I recall having to sit the book down for a few minutes during my first experience just so I could process what the hell I had actually just read. I still found my jaw wanting to drop as I hit certain points in this book, because it just…goes there.

For a novel that concludes within 170 pages, the characters in Gone to See the River Man are remarkably complex. They each are carrying their own pain, and are capable of transferring that pain to others if it means alleviating their own suffering. The main character, Lori, was particularly fascinating to me due to the fact that I have never had such a visceral reaction to a character’s trajectory before. In my eyes she’s one of the most despicable main characters I’ve ever encountered, and I just love that Triana was able to make me loathe a character so strongly within such a short amount of time. Lori is not the only character with weight to her story; each of the characters featured are pretty dynamic and multi-dimensional. These characters never feel flat, instead they feel hauntingly real.

One aspect I really sort of glossed over during my first read was the cosmic horror elements. I was so blindsided by some of the human horrors that I barely even reflected on the true Lovecraftian terror that unfolds towards the end of the book. This time around, I was able to appreciate those elements much more since I wasn’t in total shock. The cosmic elements of this story are both enticing and haunting at the same time. I don’t want to go into too much detail, as this is definitely a book to go into blind; but just know that there are plenty of human and (some) non-human horrors to be found between these pages.

I cannot wait to get my hands on Along the River of Flesh…I think I might actually have to stalk the postman the day my package is out for delivery. I’m so glad that I decided to revisit Gone to See the River Man, as I remembered being heavily affected by the story, but I was able to appreciate it even more on a second read.

I heavily suggest checking trigger warnings for this book prior to picking it up. This is an extreme horror novel, and is not for everyone. It features some incredibly taboo and uncomfortable situations. If you are interested in reading this book but want to check trigger warnings beforehand, feel free to contact me. I am more than happy to provide them if needed.