Body of Water by Adam Godfrey ~ a Review

by MK French

Six years after Glen Masters lost his wife in a tragic accident, he takes his teenage daughter, Lauren, on a road trip through the Appalachians. They used to visit as a family, but there are no happy memories to be found this time. A pit stop becomes a nightmare when armed men come in talking about deadly "living water" that attacked people up the road. The gunmen hold everyone in the diner hostage, and there is an actual terrifying entity. It swallows everything in its path, and there is no help incoming. Now the strangers must work together to devise an escape, and ultimately, Glen will have to face his worst fears to reconcile with the past or risk losing everything.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

September 2025; Sourcebooks Landmark; 978-1464229473
audio, ebook, print (400 pages); horror

Body of Water is a horror novel that progresses like every claustrophobic story with a handful of strangers looking for a way out. Glen is a high school biology teacher, so he eventually puts forth a theory behind why the water is moving, why it's seeking out living things and leaving them desiccated. It's horrifying, and the glimpses we get of the other diners either sets us off (I really don't think we're meant to like Hank) or has us empathizing with them. Having water hunt down people is a terrifying concept, and the passages here have intense visuals that really puts you through it along with them. I couldn't put the book down, especially as the tension ratcheted up. 

No spoilers, this is really well done. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, though. For me, it almost undermines the rest of the story because it's a tonal shift and unexpected. It's not bad, I just liked the rest of the book much better.

Buy Body of Water at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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