“Wasn’t that the best way to lure someone into your cult? To give them what they needed and promise them more?”   

Synopsis

Ruth is stuck in her tight-knit religious hometown of Kill Devil with her girlfriend, Abigail. In an attempt to make moving money, Ruth needs more knitting supplies to fulfil an order for a knitted blanket. If only she could escape the cult-run craft shop, New Creations…

If this twisted tale of crafting, cults, and horror intrigues you, find it here:

Hooking Horror

Going into this book, I really wasn’t expecting the level of body horror it contains. I was anticipating something a bit sillier, which it still does have (I mean, how many times can craft supplies truly, gravely injure someone?). Yet Kiefer maintains the suspense surrounding Ruth’s entrapment, not only within the craft shop but also by the group running it. The story really delves into the group’s cultish beliefs and beginnings, with mixed-media podcast episodes providing further background to the story and artifacts. With this added context, the group does get a lot more insidious!

There are truly some gruelling moments, as even the first lines are somewhat violent: “Stab. Strangle. Pull out the guts.” However, this is then revealed to be Ruth working on her knitting project, showing the balance that Kiefer builds throughout the novel. The main build-up of horror surrounds the New Creationists’ beliefs and rituals: murder, cannibalism, brainwashing, and more, which greatly display the group’s true hatred towards non-conforming individuals and identities. It is horror, but it also layers in social commentary, as the genre allows. 

Knitting Love and Unfurling Bigotry

The central themes threaded throughout the novel are religious extremism and homophobia, particularly in the experiences of Ruth and Abigail. Living in a conservative town run by the New Creationist church, Ruth and Abigail find their homosexuality is deemed sinful. After attempts to recruit the pair to their church with pamphlets on being “lost lambs”, Ruth is captured by “Shepherds” to fulfil a ritual which would “purify” her. 

The New Creationists’ extreme bigotry and homophobia are “disguised” as “caring for their souls”, when in actuality, it’s just their cultish beliefs. This hatred for homosexuality (and any other identity they deem “sinful”) is clearly shown by Kiefer through dialogue like this example: “We want to absolve your sins, make you pure and clean.” Of course, not all religious groups or individuals are bigots, but there certainly are offshoots of extreme groups that do take such stances, and horror is a fantastic avenue to explore this through. 

Conclusion

I really enjoyed this book; I flew through it. The writing style was really easy to read and digest, as well as being entertaining and unique. I really found that Kiefer did well to balance out the silliness of a craft shop run by a cult and the real horrors of homophobia and extreme religious beliefs. This, alongside the characters and the atmosphere, makes for a solid four-star read!