Shock Waves

A Novella of Amusement Park Terror by Matt Kurtz

5/5 Star Review

The year is 1988 and Danny and his girlfriend, Stacy, work at The Lone Star Land Amusement Park. On a Saturday in September, Stacy reveals to Danny that she is pregnant on their break and Danny doesn’t take the news very well. Later that evening, he is feeling guilty about his reaction and wants nothing more than to head over to her ride and apologize. Near the end of his shift, there is an explosion at the construction site next to the park that knocks out the power. People are stuck on rides and general chaos ensues. No one is prepared when a creeping crawling horde of mutated creatures make their way out of the blast site and into the amusement park – slaughtering and devouring everyone in their path. Danny is determined to make his way to Stacy and joined by a small group of survivors, he leads the way across the park.

Shock Waves is a whole lot of fun and it the perfect summer read! It’s chock full action, monsters, blood, gore, and tension – all set against the backdrop of an amusement park. Kurtz’s decision to set this novella in the late 80s was a smart one – the lack of modern technology added to the helplessness of our main characters as they were cut off from reaching each other ride to ride.

While Shock Waves definitely pays homage to the monster movies of yesterday, Kurtz steps it up and manages to weave a tight plot, believable dialogue, and relatable characters all in roughtly 150 pages. You felt for this tight band of survivors and cheered for them every step of the way. This isn’t just a story about the monsters, it’s a story about humanity and the lengths we go to to save our loved ones.

If you’re looking for some thrills this summer – I highly recommend checking this one out!