Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Girl in the Cellar | 2022 | Matt Shaw | N/A |
| 2 | INNOCENCE: An Extreme Horror from Two of the Darkest Minds | - | Matt Shaw | N/A |
| 3 | Innocence | 2023 | Matt Shaw | Buy |
| 4 | A God for the Disavowed | 2023 | Matt Shaw | N/A |
| 5 | OnlyInnocenceis currently available. | - | Matt Shaw | N/A |
The U-TURNS series sits in the collaborative corner of Matt Shaw’s output, with several entries developed alongside other writers in the extreme horror space. The Girl in the Cellar (2022) opens the series with Shaw’s characteristic refusal to look away from uncomfortable subject matter, and the title alone signals the kind of territory the books will cover. The series takes its name from the structural idea of stories that reverse expectations or pivot hard at their conclusions.
Innocence (2023) is the most accessible entry in the series in terms of availability and provides a solid entry point into the U-TURNS world. The title is, in Shaw’s fashion, deliberately ironic: the content is far from innocent, and the contrast between the title and the material is part of the book’s effect. A God for the Disavowed (2023) extends the series into more overtly supernatural territory.
The U-TURNS series is an interesting part of Shaw’s catalogue for readers who want to see how his style meshes with other extreme horror writers. The collaborative element tends to bring out different aspects of his writing than his solo work, and the series as a whole rewards reading in order for the thematic continuity between entries.