Book Review: Rue Rosco 13

Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A wild & creepy tale that’ll have you second-guessing reality

I’m no ghost hunter, but I will believe anything once. If my mom was flinging food out of my fridge or shouting at me from atop the china cabinet, I’d probably be open to experimenting with occult magic too. 

Rue Rosco 13 comes so late into the night that its protagonist has to wake up with fingers of whiskey. Or maybe it just helps, considering all of what his cousin Bernie is telling him. Apparently, Bernie’s mom is doing some bizarre things at home, and he could use Eric’s help to figure out what to do. Eric doesn’t know what to do either, but coming over seems like a natural place to start. 

Weirdness is afoot right when he gets there. Muttering what could be Yiddish (a language he didn’t think she knew) is the least of Bernie’s worries. Blood-curdling screams and vivid, vulgar, impossible acts are stacking on top of each other. This short, creepy novella follows Eric and Bernie as they chase down solutions in the form of local clergymen to get rid of the ghost possessing Bernie’s mom.

I did a double-take when I walked down my dark basement steps after finishing this story. Rue Rosco 13’s possession tale really got me thinking about the possibilities of every moment. My understanding of the real, live world could change today. I didn’t see Bernie’s mom when I got down to my basement, but it sure felt possible.

This story thrives in its horror elements. The blood-curdling screams, the vivid unfathomable imagery, even the humor. It’s a dark comedy of sorts, where the wildness is happening and the characters are stuck dumbfounded. The jokes and shoulder-shrugging acceptance of the occult makes for a light read that also just happens to make you turn the lights on.

Rue Rosco stands true to its genre and provides a good tonal balance, but I have read a few stories like it before. The possession story doesn’t need to be revamped—it’s strong enough and real enough and the possibilities are endless—but I could have used a bit more room for surprise in this one. I hopped in and hopped out quickly, getting my feet wet but not feeling submerged. There are also a few off-kilter moments that chase shock value and didn’t land for me. 

If you’re looking for something short and weird, and if you like your clergymen with ghost-extraction tools, Rue Rosco 13’s got you covered.

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