Hell's Gulf

Nick’s writing immediately engages the reader with its delicate balance of simplicity and depth. You’ll sympathise, empathise, laugh with and be disgusted by the characters he’s created, all the while enjoying this gruesome whale-of-a-time story about a writer who’s coming of age at a time of our lives often downplayed in such a tale. This isn’t about prepubescent, hormonal disarray; instead, it’s an exploration of accountability and responsibility, self-reflection and the adjusting of one’s trajectory that so many young(ish) people fail to do at such a major transition point. It’s also about family, loss, recovery, and learning what’s valuable in this world of growing apathy and exploitation. And yes, it's also about slimy, toothy creatures and blood and guts (of course!) - TG; It is hard to not enjoy the hard work of…Nick Carlson. Hell’s Gulf is a labor of love with lore resembling familiar franchises that allows readers to easily connect. Many of the sea critters, monstrosities, and anomalies all contain some type of Pirates [of the Caribbean] aura, but with Carlson’s twisted words painting a more sinister vibe…Carlson's brilliant and enchanting use of dialogue…demonizes whatever it touches…a flavor of some serious scenes coupled with a little undertone of humor or smugness…reminiscent of a Joe Hill style of writing that is both enjoyable and…deadly effective. Carlson also knows his fishies…[h]is familiarity with these briny abominations helps keep them realistic and believable. If this were at my local book store, I think I’d find myself picking it up based on my similar interests. N. A. Battaglia