The Summer Job

A Satanic Thriller

By: Adam Cesare

Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Insane innkeepers, cannibalistic cooks: The staff of the Brant Hotel would like to meet you!   

Massive nights, picturesque days: There is nothing Claire doesn't love about her summer job in Mission, Massachusetts. Claire is just trying to keep her head down and start a new life after burning out in the city, but those kids out in the woods seem like they throw awesome ragers....

It's only once she's in too deep that Claire discovers the real tourist trade that keeps the town afloat. It's then that her soul-searching in Mission becomes a fight for her life. 

Crazed parties, dark rituals, and unexpected betrayals abound in this modern folk horror novel from the author of The Con Season and Video Night. 

©2018 Adam Cesare (P)2018 Adam Cesare

Critic reviews

"The prologue of The Summer Job is one the best and scariest openings to a horror novel I've ever read.... The rest of the novel is equally great." (LitReactor)   

"Cesare's latest is a knockout.... There's a potent retro vibe running through Cesare's work, in general - he's the closest thing literary horror has to its own Jim Mickle or Ti West." (Complex)

"The textbook definition of a nail-biter. The Summer Job is a kissing cousin to inbred classics from masters like Ketchum and Kilborn. Cesare's best novel yet." (Bloody Disgusting)

The Best Horror Movie Never Made

Basically this is the story of a vendetta between two rival small-town cult groups. I actually liked this book better than Adam Cesare's more popular Video Night. Cesare is obviously a product of 80s horror movies, and while this one takes place today, it still has the feel of an 80s slasher, coupled with the "satanic panic" during that time.

A young woman (ex punk rocker, haha, who correctly only accepts the Danzig Misfits) fresh from a break up takes a summer job at a cute little hotel in rural New England (Massachusetts I think, those small New England states confuse me because my home state of Texas could fit them all inside it, anway...). At first everything looks super quaint, but there's a kind of commune of young people living out in the woods lead by an older guy who's something like a guru, and they listen to rock music and drink and live like hippies. And the hotel itself is also more than it appears to be, with the staff involved in this some kind of cult. Devil worship, sacrifices in the basement, dog skinning, weird sex with a horribly burned, incapacitated prisoner of the hotel who is also respected as some sort of priest, axe murders, etc.

I listened to the Audible version, narrated by a woman named Stacey Glemboski, who was absolutely excellent, maybe the best narrator I've ever heard in an audiobook.

Highly recommended if you're looking for a fun, bloody horror novel.

Fantastic Horror, good slowburn

This was quite different than Adam Cesare’s other work. It moves a bit slower and is less body horror than many of his other works. I tried the book and made it through the first four hours before I realized I had no idea what was happening. I read the reviews and saw that all of the most recent reviews were overwhelmingly positive. I love all of his other work that I have listened to and didn’t know why I was lost. It turns out that it was a problem with me and not the book. I started it over after 5 hours in and I can tell you, for a horror story, it has depth. Depth of plot and characters. When I payed attention the second time, I realized this book is fantastic.
The narration is pitch perfect, with a beautiful and easy to listen to voice. She nearly makes this audiobook on her own, even without the terrific pacing and plot.
This reminds me, as do all of his other works, of a fantastic 80s horror movie. If you haven’t given him a try, I highly recommend his work, it is well written and way more original than anything King, Straub, Hill, or Koontz have done in decades.

Small Town Fun

I'd bought this book a while ago from Samhain press, where it labored on my to read list for a while, but when I saw the opportunity to listen to the book it jumped to the top. The story was great, in a comparatively small amount of time Adam Cesare has created a handful of characters who seem as at home in times of violence as they do in times of rest. There's something to be said for characterization that doesn't require a lot of build up.

They're placed in a small town with small town atmosphere as well as small town horrors, as indicated by the title. Things are calm, but there's a tangible undercurrent of tension building throughout and rather than having uneven pacing it's pretty steady as it builds to a frenetic conclusion.

The only qualm I have storytelling-wise was that you don't have a great idea where the conflict comes from and at times it just seems like people being at odds just because. This wasn't a huge issue because it moves so quickly and the action is interesting enough that it's hard to focus on the negatives.

The performance was great. Unlike many audiobooks where the narrators attempt to do accents and whatnot, this narrator made the choice to just tell a good story instead of getting caught in the theatricality. Because of her skill at delivery this seems like a benefit, the characters talking to each other seemed just as conversational as it would've been if there were varied vocals. She could convey emotion by using different tones instead of focusing so much on doing different voices and losing the emotion.

In summation it's a great story with great narration, I would certainly recommend this work. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Terrific Satanic Folk Horror

In a recent blog post to promote the audiobook release of The Summer Job, Adam Cesare wrote about how it hasn't been as successful sales-wise as his Video Night but that he's still hopeful it's able to find the right audience. "While I’d never say one of my books is better than the other, I will say that The Summer Job feels more personal," he said. Following Cesare online, through his blog and social media, anytime The Summer Job comes up, it's obvious that this book has a very special place in his heart and that he is - rightfully - damn proud of the work he did here.

The Summer Job is a work of satanic folk horror that finds goth-punk chick Claire taking a job at the Brandt Hotel. Located in a small town a few hours outside Boston, the hotel is Mission's best-kept secret - a popular and well-regarded establishment, it's been highly praised by past guests. Or at least those who have lived long enough to talk up the perks of their accommodations. When Claire takes on the role of guest liaison, she thinks it's a chance to redefine her life and maybe reinvent herself. It's not until later, of course, that all the peculiarities of the Brandt and its staff start pointing toward much, much darker secrets...

Whether you read or listen to the audiobook edition, it's readily apparent that The Summer Job is a labor of love. I've read, maybe, half of Cesare's oeuvre thus far and I dig his style and startlingly clear affection for the horror genre a lot. The Summer Job, though, is Cesare operating a higher level. His characters and their story arcs are pretty phenomenal, and the writing is solidly on-point.

Early on, he describes a chef behind the pick-up counter at a restaurant as being window-boxed by the frame; it's a small thing to be sure, but the particular word choice and details provided are careful and deliberate, as are a lot of Cesare's other stylistic choices here. The ensuing description of the man's sweat clouding the metal counter-top, and the dialogue between him and Claire, make for a highly memorable and cinematic scene that cements exactly who these characters are, and more importantly that Cesare knows exactly who these characters are. He knows these people and he's smart enough to get out of their way and let them work their mojo. Through a bit of deft dialogue, he introduces Claire's friend Allison, along with her particular ticks that let you know right off the bat who this girl is, unnecessary abbreviations and all. "What are you doing on the Newb," she asks Claire, referring to Newbury Street, and calling her "babykins."

Cesare's operating in a character-rich environment here and we get to know most of his cast very, very well over the course of the book. This is both good and bad. Good because we become intimately familiar with Claire and the people of Mission, and bad because getting to know the employees of the Brandt means we can't fully trust any of them and we're constantly on edge waiting for them to freak out. Cesare does a fantastic job establishing Mission's behind-the-scenes power struggles, letting readers in on alliances, history, and secrets Claire isn't privy to. We worry about her, and Claire is pretty damn easy to sympathize with, even as we're never sure what those around her want or what they'll do to get it.

The Summer Job has a lot going for it, from its leading lady to the clashes between opposing forces within Mission, but reigning supreme over it all is narrator Stacey Glemboski. It didn't take me long to start searching out other titles she's narrated, knowing full well that I'm going to be looking for more of her work. She's an excellent narrator, shifting smoothly between male and female voices, accents, tones, and delivery. This isn't a long book, less than eight hours, but it's so easy to listen and sink into that it feels much shorter.

Between Cesare's writing and deft characters and Glemboski's reading, I was freaking hooked the whole through. The Summer Job was absolutely terrific, and also a necessary reminder that I really need to get my ass in gear and fill those gaps that I've missed in Cesare's work.

[Note: I received an Audible copy of this title from the author following my request through AudioBookBoom and I provided this voluntary review.]

The Summer Job

Not often the heroine gets....Well you'll have to listen to find out. I thought the story could have used a few more thrills and chills but is worth listening to.

The narrator does a wonderful job in her narration.

I received a copy of the audible free and I'm happy to leave my review.

A Strange, Twisted Tale

Mission, Ma seems like a typical little town of under 1,000 people, but it isn’t. There is something very strange going on there. Think of this story as the brainchild of Shirley Jackson (The Lottery) and Stephen King and you will have an idea. There is a mysterious, religious cult element that keeps readers guessing as to the motives and alignments of everyone in town.
While I definitely enjoyed the story, there are two things that stood out to me. First, despite having a female protagonist it is obvious that it was written by a man. Missing is the emotional turmoil often found in such stories, and the sexual elements seem written more for a male reader’s tastes. Being a man, this is not a complaint but an observation. Second, the only real issue I have is that there have apparently been multiple disappearances of guests over the years but not a hint of police interest. Hmmm...
I enjoy listening to Stacey Glemboski. I discovered her from the Ember In Space series, and she is one of my favorite female narrators. Her male voices are pleasant to hear, and are not forced. She tells a story well, with perfect inflections and a smooth, clear delivery.

Interesting idea and good characters, doesn’t stick the landing

The story was interesting, though the execution sometimes didn’t make a lot of sense. I liked the protagonist quite a lot, and some of the secondary characters were compelling. That said the ending was abrupt and unsatisfying. It’s still worth a listen, but don’t go in expecting to be wowed.

Fun summer listen

I don’t think cult books get the credit deserve and this one is definitely worth a credit. There are a few times when the character makes a dumb decision but it’s not overly frequent. Narrator does a good job of distinguishing the characters.

so good!

this book was so crazy! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! highly recommend if you like thrillers!

Good story overall, Had some holes and loose ends

The story was good, but I had a hard time with some of the loose ends that weren't tied up at the end. Why was a character suddenly a queen? Who were the good guys v bad guys? Why was a character still alive after being burned? I had too many questions at the end.

Good book

Really great narrator with good characters and an eerie back drop about it , I thoroughly enjoyed this book , it as a touch of the wicker manesque about it . I was surprised by the ending which I never saw coming . I recommend this to anyone who likes these types of stories.

better than expected

was surprised how good this story was this is my frist book by adam cesare but I know will not be my last really enjoyed this book