The Backrooms by Matt Wildasin is a terrifying, claustrophobia-inducing, hair-raising story of the world not being what we think it is, and what lengths people will go to to try to escape.
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on The Backrooms by Matt Wildasin
Set up as a series of letters, we get glimpses into The Backrooms where a man named Greg has ended up. He explains that there was something that happened during Y2K. Everyone thought we were safe, but we were all just asleep… once Greg caught on to the situation, he quickly became frustrated and needed answers. But will he find them in The Backrooms?
This premise is so terrifying! My goodness. Being alone in a labyrinth of rooms that are constantly changing, lighted with fluorescents, and smell of damp carpet? What a nightmare! Then add to it everything else that occurs during this book? Yikes!
The letter format was SO powerful. I loved that we really got in these characters’ heads throughout the story. You could really feel what they were going through just by living through their written words. And yet, you could tell that while they were unraveling, they were also trying to stay strong for the reader of the letters to keep someone else’s spirits up if they were to find the letters.
I was so anxious for this entire read. At any second, I was convinced something really bad was going to happen. Even so, I kept my hopes up for a happy ending…
When I got to the final page, I set my kindle down, stood up, placed my hands on my head and took a lap around my house. WHAT AN ENDING!
My Favorite Passages from The Backrooms
I believe that this place is meant to break you. The low hum of the fluorescent lighting echoes against the surrounding dead silence. Every square inch permeates the smell of old musty carpet. I had hoped that over time my senses would become accustomed to the sights, smells, and sounds of The Backrooms, but so far everything is just as notable as the day I set foot in this place.
If that isn’t enough, know that as you turn your back on your surroundings, they change on you.
Do you remember when you were a kid and played cops and robbers? You’d have nothing but your imagination, but the gun and uniform would feel real, as was the heist or shootout you were acting out. In those moments you’d forget about all your worries; the bully at school, bad grades, or anything that weighed heavy on your mind.
Even in utter darkness there is light. Each moment can bring a breakthrough. Each thought can breed a theory worth trying. Impossibilities are the foundation of possibilities. I will not be held back by thinking anything is impossible.
In that case, we can deduce that the vessel is not what’s important–it is our soul, our free will, and our curiosity that make us who we are.
You know what I miss the most? I miss the sun. You don’t realize how much of a comfort it is until it’s gone. There are so many simplicities it provides: the promise of a new day, natural light, time.
Whatever happened here occurred around Valentine’s Day. It was eerie seeing such vibrant colors and notions of love juxtaposed against the dreary and filthy backdrop of a withering store.
My Final Thoughts on The Backrooms
A killer mix of sci-fi and horror, this is a must-read for fans of either genre!
Prepare yourselves before entering The Backrooms though, as you won’t be able to bring yourself back out until you’ve reached the final page.
Snag a copy through your local bookstore if you are able or feel free to use my Amazon affiliate link:
Related Reading –
Horrors Untold: Volume 5 by Matt Wildasin is a collection of horror shorts that range from the unsettling to the totally petrifying. But one thing that they all have in common? Body horror! Buckle in before diving into this one!
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