Review: “The Worst Is Yet to Come,” S.P. Miskowski

Pros: Creepy!
Cons: A little quick
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

S.P. Miskowski’s The Worst Is Yet to Come takes place in the same town of Skillute, WA as her novel Knock Knock. It can be a dark and disturbing place, where people often meet bad ends. The Davises moved there because they felt it would be a safe place to raise their daughter, Tasha. For Briar’s family, it’s just the latest stop in a decaying string of them. The two girls meet in middle school, and an instant bond is formed. When Tasha helps rescue Briar from Tyler, a boy who tries to force her to give him a blow job, they become attached at the hip. Tasha seems to have a perfect home life, while Briar lives in a trailer with her negligent mother and her mother’s creepy boyfriend. When Tyler comes after Tasha and Briar, things start to go downhill, fast–and cracks emerge in the facade of Tasha’s perfect family.

My only quibble with this story is that events move a little quickly–the opposite of my take on Knock Knock. Briar barely has the chance to be established as a character in our minds before Miskowski messes with her. Because of this she’s a little hollow as characters go.

Kim, Tasha’s mother, on the other hand, ends up taking center stage. She isn’t very likable once the details start to emerge, but that suits her place in this story. She was an aspiring painter who gave up her dreams because her husband wanted a child, and that, as well as later events, have shaped her interactions with Tasha in odd ways. She obsesses over Tasha’s attentions, and takes an instant disliking to Briar.

I find I can’t say much more about this tale without giving too much away. There’s a handful of twists and surprises that keep things interesting. Events and characters are quite creepy, and I want to read more about the town of Skillute.