Lockjaw
Lockjaw
The monster didn’t eat Chuck, but it still lived and breathed in Bridlington. It swam on the lips of kids who spat names on the playground and the stern fingers of teachers when they said only “That’s not very nice” or just looked away. The monster attacked Ben and Ellie with missing teeth and wrenched arms and parents who were so lovely, so don’t make up lies about them. The monster was Caleb closing ranks with Emily and letting her get away with it, pretending it didn’t matter when it did. It hurt. It dug its teeth into Chuck Warren, ignored by the neighborhood, and the latchkey kid who no one looked out for when they rode away at nightfall. It was the glassy eyes of the town that carried on like nothing was wrong, because it wasn’t their neat suburban business.
The monster infected people like a sickness. Bridlington was not unique in its troubles. Sammy knew the monster had a million forms and a million names (apathy, ignorance, status quo) but she knew it was real, and she swore it was in her while she sat like a coward at the top of the mill, too scared to do anything. Too scared to go down into the grave and help them, too scared to tell them they were all wrong, too scared to run and get help from someone she trusted. But who did she trust? Captain Reilly? The Espinos? Her own mother might not have time.
Sammy felt overwhelmingly defeated, like being buried alive and knowing there was already too much dirt on top to bother fighting the rest of it.
Chuck Warren dies unexpectedly at an abandoned mill, and the community assumes it is just a tragic accident. But Paz doesn’t agree. She is certain there is a monster hiding underneath her town, and she’s determined to find it and kill it before anyone else gets hurt. Little does she know how difficult her quest is going to be.
Paz Espino is an engaging main character, a driven 11-year-old who sees injustice and insists on taking a stand against it. Her mission to confront the monster she hunts ends up shining a spotlight on the many secrets hidden under the small town atmosphere of Bridlington. Paz has a posse of good friends who join her on this quest, and the importance of having dependable people around you is one of the themes of the novel. Paz is one of the two Espino girls who are “like dogs – they bite and don’t let go”. In other words, she is determined and single-minded, like a person or dog with lockjaw who simply cannot leave a problem alone once they get their teeth into it.
Another major theme is that of life in a small town, with all its pros and cons. People know you and presumably will support you when you need it. On the other hand, residents often fear anyone who is different. That person may be a literal outsider who moves to town or a local who is deemed to be different, not fitting into the small town mold. Bridlington has its outcasts who are not part of the crowd due to the racism and transphobia of many of the residents. “Minding your own business” becomes an excuse for turning a blind eye and inaction in the face of injustice. While Cerilli raises these important questions, he also ponders whether taking revenge is always the best solution.
Cerilli does a masterful job of creating a memorable setting. What appears as a pleasant small town on the surface covers an atmosphere of danger and deceit. The effect is haunting and eerie. There is something almost claustrophobic about the people and their relationships. The novel is in the horror/paranormal genre. While the plot is certainly a reason for this categorization, the sinister atmosphere also plays a major role.
Time in the book is fluid, and changing timelines add to the chilling nature of the story. The changes are handled well, so readers aren’t confused. Gender is equally fluid in the story. Several characters are trans, but they are quite different from one another, reminding readers that no group can be lumped together in a stereotype. Because the novel is also told from various perspectives, point of view also becomes fluid. This enhances readers’ understanding of both the plot and the characters and doesn’t interfere at all with the essence of the story.
It is hard to believe that Lockjaw is Matteo L. Cerilli’s debut novel. Readers will look forward to many more to come!
Ann Ketcheson, a retired teacher-librarian and high school teacher of English and French, lives in Ottawa, Ontario.