06/05/2025: Sonja Ska Reviews The Haunting of Luke Schumer
- spookycurious
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
The Haunting of Luke Schumer by Jennifer Osborn gave me everything I love in a possession story. It's creepy, just the right amount of gory,
Everything starts with Luke, a groundskeeper who finds a bizarre box covered in tar at an estate sale - not sketchy at all - and decides to take it home. Even though it's covered in weird writing and his dog is terrified of it from the moment he walks through the door, he decides to open it and, unsurprisingly, invites hell into his life.
We get a whole cast of characters intermixed with Luke's descent into possession, which I initially didn't think I'd like, but it really builds up the sense of small-town terror while building the story from the perspectives of both the victims and the demon. And man, Osborn takes having a full cast to work with to completely curb-stomp our emotions.
Secondary characters aside, it's Luke's chapters that made this a complete win for me. Watching him struggle with his inner demons, along with the possession, made him such a compelling character. Plus, I love it when stories focus on the toil of actually being possessed. Yes! Give me the demonic hellscapes and the guilt, confusion, and fatigue. Those lost hours, the slow dread of realizing you did something awful, give me the breakdown because it feels so unflinching and raw and the most terrifying thing about possession.
But my favorite part is how interactive it felt. This was such a wild ride, I really couldn't help but internally yell at Luke, Like, dude, why are you opening that door? Leave the box alone. Listen to your damn dog, you idiot. Ohhh, don't you dare! It was such a visceral reaction, especially when paired with all the involuntary full-body shudders I kept experiencing. The violence is so sharp and meaty, making you feel every snap of bone and torn piece of flesh. It's not overbearing, but Osborn certainly doesn't hold back, and it's hard not to cringe at her detailed descriptions.
The Haunting of Luke Schumer is perfect if you like:
Small Town Horror
Multive POVS
Possession
Gore...but make it emotional.
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