Following on from her B-Movie-esque horror novel Rise of the Carnivores, author Lou Yardley returns once again to the fantasy-horror genre, with a new chilling story We All Scream for Ice Cream. A brilliantly original story which will do for Ice Cream vans what Stephen Kings IT done for clowns.
Summer’s here and the usually quiet and studious Katelyn is letting her rebellious steak out. At eleven-years-old and with the world’s coolest bike, there’s no stopping her. Especially now that she’s got new friends…
But a day at the park takes a bizarre and horrific turn when an ice cream van shows up. All at once, Katelyn learns about friendship, fitting in and the lengths she will go to survive.
The story starts off with a nostalgic feel, a familiar childhood summer where the school holidays seem endless and the next adventure is only a bike ride away. However, the initial dramas of their coming of age friendship soon seem inconsequential, as their innocent rebellion unexpectedly turns into something far more sinister.
With the main antagonists being kids and various uses of ice cream to create the horror there is a playful element to the execution, which in some ways reminded me of the Goosebumps horror series by R. L. Stine. This more child friendly horror however is not maintained and as expected it isn’t long before the book takes a more sinister and bloody turn, creating some more graphic moment which would not come recommended as a kid’s bedtime story.
The book also has elements of a Lovecraftian familiarity with some of the monsters, although the overarching theme involving ice cream gives the book its unique originality in the process some unexpected twist and surprises. I don’t want to give too much away as it is so much fun to read how the events unfold, but like the artwork suggests these are not normal ice creams, and some even have a tendency to bite back.
With much of the horror involving ice cream one way or another, it could have easily been written as an over the top comedy, but I Scream actually incorporates less humour than I have come to expect from Lou’s writing. There are some comical moments especially in Katelyn’s inner dialogue, although for the most part the story is kept deliberately dark which works surprisingly well for the story.
Being a short the introduction to the other characters is rather brief, although there is an instant likeability to the characters with their innocent quirks and personalities. So, when the film takes a turn and they end with an inevitable grizzly demise or in some cases a more painful drawn out fate, you can’t help but feel for them.
The film moves at pace and once the horror starts there is non-stop action. Amongst the madness however one of the most interesting elements of the book is the way in which the lead protagonist Katelyn finds herself in a situation of not knowing who to trust. With adult characters the idea of self-preservation in these situations may be easier to interpret how they would act, but with an 11-year-old child fighting for her survival the decisions which she is forced to make is not so easy.
Lou Yardley is one of the most talented writers of horror-fantasy and has always managed to surprise me as she continues to evolve and change as a writer, and this is her most imaginative novel yet.
We All Scream for Ice Cream is a brilliantly fun and energetic horror short which is made to spoil your appetite with several scoops of action and lashings of gore on top. A deliciously imaginative book which is perfect to enjoy this summer, as it is served with all the toppings, but still easy enough to devour in one sitting. It is a book which you are bound to want to read again and by the end will make sure you never listen to those ice cream chimes the same way again.
We All Scream For Ice Cream is available to buy on eBook and Paperback from louyardley.com
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
