It’s all very high-concept, and to think too hard about the endeavor raises innumerable questions about its logistical realities. Malerman builds a striking world, but he struggles to ease us into it, especially since, despite this being their story, only a few of the boys crystallize into layered characters. a lot of mythology to consume, especially in the book’s disorienting early chapters. All that is good about it, stated above, remains intact, even if it's not entirely a knockout. But Inspection is still a worthy read, one that, despite its flaws, upholds Malerman's premiere horror author status. And yet, there's a pretty big oversight that mars Inspection. Much of the novel relies on atmosphere and mystery, for 'quiet' horror fans, but for those who appreciate some Grand Guignol levels of violence, Malerman has you covered there too. Malerman handles the point-of-views of his adolescent characters adeptly, capturing the heartache, confusion, longing, and ever-shifting quality of self-esteem that comes with the onset of puberty, especially as it applies to these extraordinary pre-teens, who live strange and extremely sheltered lives. Characters both good and evil are completely fleshed out, with the latter especially believing themselves to be the heroes of the story, convinced their deplorable deeds are just. Malerman's sparse yet evocative prose helps move the narrative along, which is good since, in other hands, the same idea could have ended up being quite bloated.

Inspection by Josh Malerman