Jackie has a crush on her best friend, Ann. Problem is, Jackie doesn’t even know if Ann is a lesbian too, and besides, Ann has her problems at home dealing with her mother, a growingly ravenous zombie chained up in her basement.

Meanwhile, Charlie is starting to worry that his dog, Mitchie, is an idiot and growing more stupid with age, and he has no idea why a ghost carrying its own severed head keeps bothering him in his apartment building.

These seemingly separate storylines manage to intertwine themselves neatly in this brisk and brilliant read by Joey Comeau.

Because the novella is so short and punchy, it’s hard not to be enthralled and keep the pages turning.

And while One Bloody Thing After Another is a “horror” novel perfect for this time of year, the book’s strength lies in Comeau’s ability to mix both humour and the profound all at once.

Highbrow critics, like those at the Globe and Mail, have lamented that what Comeau’s stories lack are definitive story arcs and characters worth caring about.

If you’ve read that, consider it hogwash. While most of Comeau’s works are on the shorter side, by no means do they fall short.

If that were the case, you wouldn’t find yourself strangely rooting for Jackie to win the heart of Ann.

You wouldn’t feel the same anxiousness Ann feels trying to find freshly killed things to fed her mother.

You wouldn’t be worried when Charlie’s dog winds up missing and feel that familiar pang of guilt in your heart associated with dramatic irony when you find out what happens to it.

You wouldn’t feel sympathy for Charlie as his life seemingly loses its meaning.

And beneath its seemingly cheeky and childish veneer lies a deeper story about the secrets we hide from others, and all the pain and indecisions that come along with it.

It’s hard to say much more than that without ruining the book. But Comeau has crafted a delightful little story leaving you wanting more when you read the final sentences.

Published in Volume 65, Number 9 of The Uniter (October 28, 2010)