Assimilation is a literary science fiction horror novel that takes readers deep into the dark waters of Georgian Bay. Published by UBiQ Press and set to release on October 30, 2025, this 338-page first-person story follows Kercy Powell as she returns to her childhood holiday cottage, and there uncovers the horrifying truth behind her family’s secrets. I confess I’m not typically the biggest reader of sci-fi or horror, but after the first few chapters this book really hooked me. I would recommend giving it a try, even if the plot premise doesn’t seem like something you’d normally be into.
Kercy Powell’s life has been defined by being different. As a teenager confined to a wheelchair, hairless and physically frail, she found her only sanctuary at her family’s remote cottage on a Georgian Bay island in Ontario. There, away from prying eyes and social expectations, she could simply exist. But her refuge was shattered by odd nightmares and her father’s mysterious disappearance during a routine boat trip on the lake. When her mother announces plans to sell the cottage, Kercy is devastated, “I was drawn to the summer lake house the way a salmon is drawn to the river of its birth. Every good memory I have in my life, and they are few, are connected to this place.” Before the sale, her mother extracts a desperate, cryptic promise from Kercy to stay away from there: “Don’t ever go back to the cottage… ever… Even after I’m dead, Kercy… don’t ever go back.”
Twelve years later, Kercy is all grown up, and determined to disobey her mother’s promise and find out the truth. After her mother’s death, she inherits a small fortune and makes a choice she swore she never would: she decides to return to the old cottage by the water, bringing her boyfriend, Gerald, a geology professor at NYU. But what awaits them there is far more than nostalgia. The strange dreams that haunted Kercy as a child begin to resurface, stirring memories she can’t explain. As buried secrets about her family and the mysterious forces surrounding the cottage come to light, Kercy realizes that what’s been looking for her all these years may already be part of her.
First off, I found Assimilation to be really beautifully written, distinguished by Busch’s literary prose. Writing in first person from Kercy Powell’s perspective, Busch creates an immersive experience that pulls readers directly into her world. When Kercy describes her love of diving, “I loved the water. I loved seeing with such clarity in this peculiar medium which desperately wanted to end my life. Before my first trip below the surface, I never knew the world could be so defined and colorful”, the writing achieves a relatable quality that grounds the more far-fetched elements of the plot premise. I will say profanity is maybe used a bit excessively at points. In fact, I looked it up and the “fuck” word is used 63 times in the book, “I hurried to the kitchen to make sure the deadbolt was secure, grabbing a huge fucking knife from the kitchen drawer before checking the front door.” But that’s just a personal preference.
The beginning chapters function as a prologue, establishing Kercy’s childhood world quickly: her wheelchair-bound existence, her complicated relationship with her mother, and above all, her attachment to the cottage where she spent summers. While some readers may find these opening sections unnecessary, to me they felt like the opening scenes of an eighties movie such as It, before the book cuts to Kercy as an adult. When Kercy returns to the cottage as an adult and begins piecing together the truth, the story shifts into darker territory. She learns that her childhood “nightmares” about strange creatures might have been actual events, and her father’s disappearance might not have been an accident. Most disturbingly, Kercy discovers her mysterious recovery from her wheelchair-bound condition part of a larger transformation she never consented to.
The creatures themselves living beneath the lake are genuinely creepy, precisely because their nature and their intentions remain ambiguous throughout much of the book. This is body horror that operates on both physical and existential levels, forcing Kercy to question what remains of her humanity as the changes or “assimilation” accelerates. Busch deserves particular credit for his characterization. As a male author, he’s written intelligent women characters who feel authentic and fully realized. Kercy is sharp, vulnerable and scientifically minded. Gerald, her boyfriend and the only man she’s been with sexually, is well-drawn and their relationship feels genuine, even if he is depicted as a bit too perfect at points. The supporting cast are also well-rendered, particularly Cindy, Kercy’s best friend.
That said, as already mentioned, I found the novel has some slight pacing issues. Through the middle sections, the story sometimes feels like it could be tightened. However, I don’t want to overstate that as as the novel progresses, the tension escalates considerably as Agent Mallory and his covert government task force close in on Kercy and the creatures. It’s in these sections that the novel is the most enjoyable, such as the gripping and shockingly sudden sequence where Kercy and Gerald are kidnapped, “A couple weeks later, in the middle of the night, I found out exactly what Mallory had meant, when a team of masked men wearing all black gagged and bound Gerald and me and took us from my bedroom, then loaded us unceremoniously into a black SUV.” It’s in these moments where the novel is most engaging.
Although the book lies somewhere between sci-fi and horror, it’s largely not the type of horror with jump scares, and actually feels more like literary fiction at points. Thematically, Assimilation explores questions about identity and bodily autonomy. If our DNA changes against our will, are we still ourselves? If our bodies evolve into something we didn’t choose, where does the self reside? The novel could also be read as a critique of governmental overreach and scientific hubris. The ending and epilogue chapter arrive somewhat suddenly in my opinion, after the sustained tension of the climax. Readers may find themselves wanting more time with the aftermath, more space to process the implications of everything that’s occurred. Just be warned, the book includes some thoroughly adult content, including bad language, depictions of rape and sexual violence.
Ultimately, I found Assimilation to be a skilfully penned, unusually thoughtful horror novel that uses its slightly outlandish premise to explore deeply human concerns. While the pacing could be tighter at points, it’s a novel that is incredibly professionally written and formatted for an indie book, and its ambition and likeable characters make it stand out in a crowded genre. All in all, Assimilation proves that indie horror can be just as polished, provocative, and profound as anything coming out of the mainstream.
Final verdict: A haunting, intelligent blend of science fiction and psychological/body horror that lingers long after its final page, offering both chills and beauty in equal measure. A perfect read for fans of Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer, Under the Skin by Michel Faber, and the Guillermo del Toro film, The Shape of Water.
You can get your copy of Assimilation here, out October 30!
