Transformation | Drama Review | AstraDaemon

A mysterious plague known as the Grey grips the small village of Pilam, which the world has quarantined without pity. Laying waste to Pilam’s residents, the sickness saps its victims of strength, drains the color from their eyes, and kills all promise. Only the young are immune. But beyond the barricades and walls of soldiers—the manifestation of a nation’s terror—there are rumors of a cure. Dunka, the eldest son of a family reeling from the Grey, takes on the daunting task of leaving Pilam to find that cure for his siblings and save them before it’s too late.

His brother and sisters, however, have plans of their own. Navigating the chaos of violence, hunger, and death, each of them tries to make sense of the bleak circumstances, forging new bonds with other juvenile survivors left to their own devices. Now an unlikely family of six, they choose their own perilous paths, at first separately and then together, coming to terms with the decisions they make and the ghosts they cannot leave behind.

SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING TO BEHOLD by Umar Turaki is not the usual type of plague book I read, so I did not have any expectations going in. Very little is revealed about the Grey, aside from the symptoms. The POV alternates between characters and the timeline moves in concentric circles rather than a straight line. There is far more dialogue and descriptions than action, but the characters are very-well written.

The children are not afflicted, and they eventually become feral and brutal with each other and the few remaining adults. As terrible as the sickness is, there are more horrifying events outside the quarantine walls. The ending is full of revelations I didn't see coming.

If you enjoy stories such as ALAS, BABYLON, I recommend this novel.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Kindle Challenge | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

Life is hard enough for a teenage girl in 1950s suburbia without having a mother who may—or may not—be a witch. A single mother at that. Sure, she fits in with her starched dresses, string of pearls, and floral aprons. Then there are the hushed and mystical consultations with neighborhood women in distress. The unsavory, mysterious plants in the flower beds. The divined warning to steer clear of a boyfriend whose fate is certainly doomed. But as the daughter of this bewitching homemaker comes of age and her mother’s claims become more and more outlandish, she begins to question everything she once took for granted.

MY EVIL MOTHER by Margaret Atwood isn't something I'd normally choose for myself, but I read it for the Kindle Campfire Challenge. I found the relationship between mother and daughter intriguing, but I'm not sure if I read a family drama, a supernatural tale or both. The ending is fantastic.

If you're into sci-fi and/or fantasy, approach this like a palette cleanser. Well-written, in any case.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Growing Within | Book Review | AstraDaemon

Evil is invisible, and it is everywhere.

That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. They cannot seem to escape tragedy...or the feelings that someone--or something--is stalking them...the ninety men, women, and children of the Donner Party are heading into one of one of the deadliest and most disastrous Western adventures in American history.

As members of the group begin to disappear, the survivors start to wonder if there really is something disturbing, and hungry, waiting for them in the mountains...and whether the evil that has unfolded around them may have in fact been growing within them all along.

THE HUNGER by Alma Katsu was suggested by a good friend (and fellow horror fan), and I am so very glad I read this novel. The author blends historical fiction with folklore, horror and family drama, resulting in a very believable retelling of the Donner Party demise. I love the inclusion of issues such as racism, misogyny, and bigotry towards homosexuality, making the characters more relatable, despite the time period.

Most of all, I am impressed by the science behind the evil, rather than resorting to another twist on the Wendigo trope. My friend pointed out the similarity to the movie Ravenous, and I agree, although the suspense in this story is far more spectacular than any film with this theme.

I highly recommend this novel.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Getting Inked Up | AstraDaemon

CYANIDE by Emily Hagenbaugh is something I found through a search for horror. This is more of a YA supernatural drama, so this novella didn't live up to my expectations. HOWEVER, this is still a cool story I would recommend to younger readers.

The main character performs a ritual which merges him with his comic book creation. This concept alone makes me wish this could be made into a movie, especially since comic fans and supernatural fans tend to be the same people.

I wish there had been more fight scenes. The ending makes me think this has the potential for a series, but CYANIDE really should be marketed towards the YA fiction readers.

As always,

AstraDaemon

A Cheese Sandwich For A Swan | AstraDaemon

Madness is relative...

Jonathan Dupree knows this all too well. He’s moved in with his mother to look after his uncle, a life-long sufferer of mental illness.

When school kids target Jonathan, he makes a pact with a local gang to fit in, a pact that will see him betray his family and seek redemption from a most unlikely source.

FINDING JERICHO by Dave Jeffery is a story I could relate to as someone who has lived with and cared for someone afflicted with mental illness for decades. In my younger years, I was Jonathan, now I am more like his mother. I wish I could have read this book in my teen years, when I was struggling to develop empathy for others. By the end, I couldn't stop sobbing...but it was a good cry.

The author uses fictional characters to highlight several issues which many of us have experienced in one form or another, such as depression, bullying, and our perception of others. Through Jonathan's personal experiences, Jeffery illustrates the stigma surrounding mental illness, and the need for more understanding and compassion...not just the ill, but everyone we come into contact with. We are often connected in ways we fail to realize.

Of course, Jeffery uses his slight-of-hand storytelling to create a few surprises which will leave a lasting impression on readers. I'm recommending this novella to everyone.

If you'd like another example of Jeffery's food-for-thought writing style, check out A QUIET APOCALYPSE, which features the hearing-impaired.

As always,

AstraDaemon

The Puzzle Piece | AstraDaemon

HIDE AND SEEKER by Daka Hermon is a YA horror fiction novel centered on a group of friends who are marked by a demonic entity called the Seeker, after they break the rules of the game, Hide and Seek. In an effort to save themselves from being trapped in the Nowhere realm with their worst fears, they track down someone who was once a prisoner of the Seeker for seven years. When they realize how they were found by the evil monster, the strength of their friendships is put to the test.

The author has taken the fear factor of horror to a new level without graphic violence or exploitation of characters. The captured children are tormented by the physical manifestation of their worst fears, but they quickly learn how to fight back. Justin and Duke form an alliance, giving hope to everyone trapped with them.

This is so much more than a coming-of-age story. Hermon has taken basic elements of childhood mixed with the supernatural to explore the concepts of family, loyalty and acceptance. Not only do I recommend this to all readers, but I'm adding this novel to my Best Fiction 2021 list.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Taking Out The Trash

OUTLAST YOUR GODS by Elias Witherow is dark like THE THIRD PARENT, but without the supernatural entity. This time, the trouble comes in the form of a new neighbor, Sawyer, who attempts to influence the impressionable mind of Rowan. The poor kid is determined to be a good person, but, with everyone and their dog antagonizing him, Sawyer's way of thinking seems to make sense.

Unfortunately, the thirteen year old is dragged into a waking nightmare by the raging drunk, and he's lost all hope of escaping. Everyone has an event which changed them forever...this summer will either be Rowan's rebirth or his last stand. Once again, Witherow horrifies readers with the monsters among us.

I also recommend THE LAST TOWER by Witherow, a family drama set in a sci-fi post-apocalypse.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Power of One Day

On the brink of a major, life changing event, Michael Holler is offered the advice to recall his best day. He then takes a trip through a childhood memory that shows the powerful effect one day can have on the trajectory of a person's entire life.



THE TROPHY by Scott Luper is a horrific human tragedy. This story is so much like real-life events, I cried several times while reading this.

The domestic violence might be a trigger for some, but this story definitely deserves an award.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Witherow Frightens Me

THE WORST KIND OF MONSTERS by Elias Witherow is a collection of some very sick and twisted horror stories. Even though I've read some of them previously on the Thought Catalog website, this anthology remains extremely disturbing. Many of the stories are a mix of scifi and horror. All of them are absolutely brutal:

THE TALL DOG -- family drama with demonic entity
THE HOUSE IN THE FIELD -- the most terrifying, imho, and told from a child's POV
EMPIRE SNUFF -- think Hostel mixed with Dark Web
THE GOAT ROOM -- a cult story
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH DAD -- makes Lovecraft look tame
FEED THE PIG -- short story from THE BLACK FARM world
TEN DAYS, TEN PILLS -- something very believable and has probably happened in real life
RED WEST -- more weird than scary
BLACKOUT -- reminded me of the HED PE song, The Meadow
WHERE IS MY SON? -- life in Hell
TEXTS FROM MY BROTHER -- stay away from ropes in the woods
SHIMMER -- connected to the previous story
CHROME SUNSET -- otherworldly invaders
MY FATHER, MY MONSTER -- heartbreaking family drama centered on alcoholism
BEHIND HELL -- better than the movie Stay Alive
HORSE/8MIN -- flash fiction DVD warning
DEEP, DEEP DOWN -- when you look into the abyss...
WHEN HELL COMES KNOCKING -- you are not obligated to open your door at 3AM
THE WORST KIND OF MONSTERS -- the most graphically violent story of all

If you do not read horror on a regular basis...if you are not used to graphic horror, do NOT read this anthology. I'm not trying to use reverse psychology to get people to read these stories, I am legitimately warning readers: if you are a tourist in the horror genre, stay the hell away from this one.

Witherow's imagination gives my imagination nightmares.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sisterly Secrets

SISTER OF MINE by Laurie Petrou centers on a secret between two sisters, Hattie and Penny: Penny's abusive husband is killed in a fire deliberately started by one of the sisters. There are many flashbacks to their childhood, as well as Penny's marriage, in an attempt to explain their relationship and interaction as sisters. Eventually, Hattie convinces Penny to be her surrogate, but another secret surrounding the child, Elliot, threatens to destroy an already fragile bond between the two women.

Honestly, the book description ought to be, "Two sisters from a broken home can't maintain healthy relationships, blame each other for their emotional instability, and damage their lives and the lives of those around them."

Maybe it would have been more interesting and thought-provoking if the story offered more than one POV. There didn't seem to be anything more to the story than Penny's lifelong bitterness. I wish I had never wasted my time reading this novel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Twisted Sister

LITTLE SISTER by Isabel Ashdown is a family drama which centers on the disappearance of a baby girl named Daisy. Jess, after reconnecting with her sister Emily, moves in with her older sister's family, but on New Year's Eve, she wakes up to paramedics and police in the house. Chloe, Emily's teen stepdaughter, comes home drunk in the morning to find out her baby sister has been kidnapped. James, Emily's husband, has already lost his first wife and now he fears he has lost a child as well. Even though Emily is the one who ties them all together, she is also the one tearing apart the family with her jealousy, lies and manipulation of past events.

The story is told through rotating POVs of multiple characters, mostly Jess and Emily. I read this novel in one sitting, even though some of the chapters absolutely dragged, bogged down with insignificant details. Despite the slow pace of the storyline from beginning to end, I attempted to race through the chapters, horrified at Emily's treatment of the people around her. I correctly guessed the family secret Emily kept from Jess for over a decade, but the truth behind Daisy's abduction still shocked me.

I like the ending, but I wish Emily had suffered more. Emily is one of THE most toxic characters I've ever come across in novel. I sincerely hope the author doesn't know anyone like that in real life. If you like Gone Baby Gone, you might enjoy this novel as well.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Hopeless Hope

EDEN by Andrea Kleine begins with two sisters, Hope and Eden, kidnapped as teenagers. As adults, Hope finds out the man who assaulted them is up for parole. She then searches for Eden, who became a stranger almost immediately after they were found. Everything is told through Hope's POV, but she flashes back and forth between the kidnapping, her past and her current search.

At first, Eden appears to be the damaged one, but eventually Hope's life seems so much worse. At one point, when her father essentially told her to get over it, I wondered why she didn't just kill herself. Everyone seemed so focused on Eden's well-being in the beginning, and supportive of her Bohemian lifestyle later on, while Hope was left to twist in the wind for the rest of her life.

However, there is the possibility Hope is an unreliable narrator and her take on events could be extremely inaccurate. Upon closer scrutiny, Hope continues to play the victim in her interactions with pretty much everyone in her life (i.e., all her problems are the result of someone else's actions, she takes zero personal responsibility), yet she criticizes Eden for not dealing with what happened to them. Hope tends to be self-destructive, but she judges Eden for her life choices.

The end of the novel is extremely anti-climactic, and any sympathy or concern I had for Hope had dissipated into apathy. I really wish readers would have been given Eden's POV as well. As the novel stands, I did read the story in one sitting, and I never lost interest in the unraveling of events. I just find it ironic Hope seems so hopeless. Eden, in contrast, seems to have found her namesake.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Lone And Level Sands Stretch Far Away

A decade ago, twenty-six Towers of unknown origin rocketed into the Earth, destroying almost everything in an event known as “The Impact.” Most of the remaining population slowly began to change, their minds altered to conform to the will of strange creatures that stood atop the mysterious structures. Humanity began to turn on itself and these brain-washed individuals became known as Red Eyes. Now, ten years later, Sam, Alex, and Luna trek across a ruined world, searching for a man they believe is responsible for it all - a man named Empire, a man no one can seem to kill. But time is running out. The Towers are stirring once more. What is their purpose? Where did they come from? Who is Empire? And what is the Last Tower?

THE LAST TOWER by Elias Witherow is, interestingly enough, a family drama set in a sci-fi post-apocalypse with some serious cosmic horror scattered across the pages from beginning to end. I can't help but notice Witherow always builds his stories on the cornerstone of a relationship element. In this case, two brothers, one attempting to destroy the world, the other fighting to save mankind, with a childhood friend standing in the middle. Somehow the destruction of civilization doesn't seem as tragic as otherworldly gargoyles spoiling the bond between the three young men.

The imagery is filled with abominations I hope never to see in my nightmares. While there are plenty of action scenes -- some filled to capacity with ungodly brutality, the story is an emotional crucible in a mind-shattering hell. I felt as if I were in Tower 15, about to have my soul ripped out of me. Witherow delivers the ending like a dirt shower after your broken body has been tossed into a grave.

Consider yourself warned.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Trigger Warning

WHAT GOES AROUND by Tammy Ruggles is a flash fiction family drama about a toddler molested by a neighbor. The parents try to follow the rules and do everything by the book, but the community supports the pedophile and the justice system fails the little girl.

Ruggles captures the frustration and devastation of the parents in a realistic manner, without being graphic in any way or exploiting the youngest character for shock value.

In the end, Karma vs. Free Will.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dark Family Drama

WE ALL LOVE THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS by Joanne Proulx is not anything like the usual genre fiction I read, but I do enjoy stories about the complexity of relationships. Although, in this case, the characters made their own lives far more complex than necessary, mostly due to their own ugly, selfish decisions. Within these pages, you'll find betrayal between friends over money and women, marital issues and bitterness...lots and lots of bitterness.

Mia and Michael are screwed over financially by a lifelong friend, their son gets drunk over a girl and disappears into the snow. Boy wants girl who is with another boy. Girl wants boy who wants other girl. Parents are too busy fighting with each other to pay attention to the horrible crap their teens are doing. Lots of talk about love, but no one is loving. Almost every character seems to get off on doing something which is sure to hurt another person, literally and figuratively.

So why read this story, with all the horrible behavior? The author does a fantastic job of bringing several  real-life issues front and center: the struggles of someone disabled, white collar crime, division of classes, and sexual assault. Proulx highlights the way life seems to pile on multiple problems at the same time and the various ways people make everything worse for themselves by giving in to their anger.

The novel rotates through the POVs of Finn's family, but ends with the POV of someone who has been a part of all their lives. By the end, I remained very disgusted with Mia and Michael making a big deal about their relationships with other people, when they lacked the ability to see beyond their own family life.

Readers who enjoy suspense and drama might enjoy this dark family entanglement.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Shout At The Devil

BLACK WATER by Haldan Black is a supernatural horror short about a boy fighting the devil. The author attempts to mix voodoo with folklore, but the story is such a sloppy mess, I can't even believe this is the same author who wrote A Good Boy.

Some of the issues: underdeveloped characters, overused stereotypes, and no follow-up on any of the decent parts. Black should've have just picked one angle, such as the train track ritual and focused on that, instead of bringing in so many elements and haphazardly tying them together.

A Good Boy was written after Black Water, so at least I can say the author's writing has improved.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Humanity of a Monster

PALLOR MORTIS by Yolanda Olson is the story of the Bride of Frankenstein, told from her POV. Elsa's narrative comes across more as a combination of a family drama and coming of age than any kind of horror. The suspense is fairly decent and Olson does a quality job of staying true to the themes presented in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The author also emphasizes the difference between her relationship with her "brother" as opposed to their "father," emphasizing the "abominations" as having the more human connection. The ending is ironic considering Elsa had finally found her voice and refused to be a victim.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Living Secret Lives

Josephine Wattley had called the police three times already and was still no closer to finding her son. “I don’t think you understand,” Josephine coughed into the receiver, “I can’t find him. Something’s wrong. Ronnie’s always been a good boy.”

A GOOD BOY by Haldan Black is a flash fiction story about a psychological affliction which affects many families. The realism of Josephine's personal horror is heartbreaking. The ending is somewhat predictable, but no less devastating.

I applaud the author for bringing attention to a problem which is often hidden behind closed doors, but affects many different kinds of people.

As always,
AstraDaemon

When The Levee Breaks

Sometimes you have to retaliate. And you have to use what is at your disposal.

The BB Gun Incident by Joshua Scribner is a horrifying family drama or a terrifying coming of age, depending on how you look at the confrontation between brothers. The worst of Gary's story is barely mentioned, but it's enough to understand what led to the incident.

Once again, Scribner uses his well-crafted suspense to deliver a powerful story in just a few pages.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Stepping Through The Door

Everything is going well for Matt Bannister, a lead engineer in the latest rover mission launched from nasa to explore the possibility of life on other planets. 

However, after the death of his wife leaves him to look after their young son Tommy on his own, one fateful night gazing at the stars threatens to derail everything Matt has, from his job, his son, his reputation, and even his sanity.

Rocket Man by Christopher Patrick is nothing like what I expected. I thought this would be a science fiction story, but it's really a suspenseful family drama about a man grieving the loss of his wife. Told through both Matt's POV and Tommy's POV, their memories reveal a mysterious letter left behind by Lisa, emphasizing the importance of the telescope she gifted to her husband.

Matt's discovery, via the telescope, triggers an act of desperation, resulting in the estrangement of father and son. Tommy, however, has found a way to remain by his father's side, and both are committed to making the journey, even though it requires leaving behind the life they once knew.

As always,
AstraDaemon