Readin’ Report: Headlights by CJ Leede
By Del Speeler
Edited by Carly Zimmerman
Check out our report to see if this book is for you.
BEFORE WE DIVE IN…
Genre: Horror
Age Group: Adult
Content warnings for the following described: Cannibalism, Gore, Blood, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Child abuse, Suicide
Spice Level: Incredibly mild.
Series: This is a stand alone.
Page Count: 400 pages
About the Book
Headlights follows Daniel “Danny” Stansfield as he is about to leave his job with the FBI and return to the military, hoping to escape his past. On his last day, he is approached by a former colleague who convinces him to return to Denver for one reason: the killings are happening again.
Daniel was part of a team that tried to learn the reason why seemingly innocent people were waking up on the side of the highway with no memories of how they got there and wearing the skin of the person they killed. Also? Each killer had a ring of hair tied around their tongue, presumably from the person behind all of this.
Now, Daniel is being pulled back into the case, and back into his past, and he will have to confront them both if he’s going to solve this once and for all.
READER PROFILE
You might find this book a great fit for your TBR if:
You love movies like The Shining and Longlegs and shows like The X-Files and True Detective.
You like books that explore the themes of grief and generational trauma through the lens of horror.
You like something with a controversial ending.
About the Author
CJ Leede is known for Maeve Fly and American Rapture. Headlights is her third standalone novel. She has also contributed to One Bad Night & Other Stories, a horror anthology short story collection.
What Readers Think
Photo Credit: @ceejthemoment on Instagram
“When I say I sat down to read this with every intention of doing other things tonight as well...yet I ended up binging this entire book. I love this exploration of grief and trauma in a way that only CJ Leede can do. This is very possibly my favorite read this month and I've had some bangers. I cannot wait to have a trophy copy for my shelf because this was incredible. The themes at work here, the use of Stephen King lore, the setting...it all came together to create something truly incredible. This is going to be a top contender for best book of my year, and I cannot wait to see what CJ Leede does next.” —literarilyryn via Storygraph
“This novel is brimming with trauma, grief, and fear and it's one of the most terrifying serial killer books you'll read. Because it's not technically a serial killer but several (sort of) although there's only one thing causing the brutally horrific murders. I know that might sound confusing but, trust me, it'll make sense within the narrative. Saying any more would be wrong as this is a book best read as blind as possible.” —Horror Reads via GoodReads
“I’ve read both of CJ’s previous novels and they each have their own unique reasons why they’re my favorites. So I was excited to read her next novel. Headlights was different from her other novels because we have a male main character and at first he bothered me. A little unreliable, a lot of repetition in his thoughts. He’s in the middle of these gruesome murders that no one can solve, plus dealing with unresolved childhood trauma. I did not expect the twist and direction the story went and I think it made it that much more enjoyable. Also I love the tie ins to The Shining, one of my favorites of King. Also, the cover for this novel is gorgeous.”—Nicole S. via Fable
BOOK REPORTER’S REVIEW
Photo Credit: @ceejthemoment on Instagram
I read this book faster than I’ve read anything in the last year. If I had a spare 15-minute break at work, I was trying to get a chapter in. It consumed me and my thoughts for two days and continues to haunt me. This book is so many things, but it is primarily a love letter to horror and a vulnerable exploration of grief.
For those familiar with the works of Stephen King, primarily The Shining, you will definitely find odes to that classic and specifically the character Danny in this book in ways that feel very authentic to the original story. I definitely had to rewatch Doctor Sleep immediately after finishing this book.
A large part of Danny’s story is shaped by loss. When he was a child, he witnessed his mother being violently killed. As an adult, he lost his adoptive parents in a brutal car crash. Unable to face the grief for most of his life, he has tried to avoid it as much as he could, which only made it grow larger and more intimidating, leading him to do whatever he could to distance himself from those memories and the reality of it all.
I loved the way this book explored his healing journey and the road towards self-acceptance, something that he has rejected for the majority of his life. When the pain of loss is too great to bear, it is understandable that someone would refuse it entirely. However, that doesn’t make the pain go away but only allows it to fester in the dark, infecting you with its sting. Loss and all of the emotions that come with it are a part of us and shape how we move through the world. Grief is a universal experience and one that touches every one of us in ways that feel disorienting and incomprehensible. As someone who very recently lost a loved one and has been healing from that ever since, this is the book that I needed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Tordotcom team for providing an advanced digital copy for this report!