The Girl Deserved More

A short story of the macabre.

At Jeff's urging, Liz reluctantly agrees to a weekend-getaway in the Pocono Mountains to work things out. But when a mysterious little girl suddenly appears in the middle of the road, Liz's nightmare is just beginning.

---

The Girl in the Glass by T.A. Bradley has a great buildup of suspense surrounding the mysterious girl in the road, but the ending is too rushed. I'm not sure how to categorize this story because more time is spent describing the car wreck, rather than the history behind the girl. By the time anything truly frightening happens, the story is over. I wish the author had been more focused when writing this piece.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Too Much

Standing before a precipice of her own making, the cost of a life hiding behind beauty are required to be paid in full. Could it be that the currency one acquires will not suffice on such a fine day? Would the bill collector relent, if sufficient favors are traded, to accept soiled foreign notes?

A glacier hewed mountain bears witness to the cold passage of time’s resolution where some live the lifespan of a Mayfly. Others, far older, have known the rise and fall of such as these.

---

A Fine Day by Jeff Hayes is better than the description, but still a bit of a disappointment. I don't think the subject matter necessarily qualifies as horror (I fund this story through a Kindle horror search). The way the eating disorder is described is clever and the relationship interesting, but the story is too wordy and drawn out, so the good parts are lost in a sea of adjectives.

I think Hayes should redirect his efforts to a literary drama. The main character deserves a full-length novel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Cheryl Has Had Enough

Eaters: The Resistance by Michelle DePaepe takes this zombie series to another level by mixing horror with science fiction. I haven't seen a genre mash-up like this since The Omega Dog, and I think it's an excellent shift by the author. If you're burned out on the whole zombie-apocalypse-changes-average-person-into-warrior scenario, you need to check out the Eaters storyline. Unlike most undead novels, the infected do not take a back seat to the survivors and the "bad guys" and "good guys" often change roles depending on the day's events.

This sequel takes place a few months or so after the first book ends. Cheryl has reunited with people from her past, although the reunions are not what she expected. Fort San Manuel gave her sanctuary after her brutal journey from Colorado to Arizona, but all good things must come to an end, especially when Cheryl realizes she has more than one threat to deal with. As the former insurance agent continues to fight for her life, acquiring as many new skills as she is able to to increase her chances of survival, Cheryl learns how the world-wide outbreak began.

Keeping in mind, over a year has past since Cheryl went camping with Mark, as well as what she went through in the first book, it's not that hard to believe how much she's changed. After losing so much, I can also understand why she is struggling to hold on to what she has left from her previous life. However, I'm concerned she is not going to last much longer if she doesn't find a balance between what she wants for herself and what she wants for everyone else.

I hope DePaepe doesn't take as long to release the third installment.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Insurance Agent Vs. Zombies

Eaters by Michelle DePaepe follows the survival of Cheryl, an insurance agent returning from a weekend camping trip with her fiancé, only to discover a deadly virus outbreak that is mutating the afflicted.

God help us if this is how the zombie apocalypse goes down…zombies are bad enough – zombies that are capable of coordinated attacks and basic problem-solving are an early invitation to put a bullet in your head to avoid the inevitable. The zombies begin as infected people with an insane craving for rotting food, but eventually they attack and eat non-infected people as well, and there is a rumor that the virus has gone airborne.

I love the development of Cheryl; in the beginning, she is very dependent on her fiancé, who has just returned from a tour of duty in the Army, but she quickly learns to adapt to the horror around her. There were a few twists that I wasn’t expecting, concerning her interactions with some of the other survivors. It’s always refreshing when an author can write something original, and not predictable.

I read this in one sitting, and nearly flipped out when I reached the end and realized this was the beginning of a new series. I will be reviewing the sequel, The Resistance, in the next day or two, so check back this weekend!

As always,
AstraDaemon

What's With Guys and Basements?

Don't Ask About The Guy in The Basement by Jason Ingolfsland is a disturbing story about a new house with a catch: there's a guy in the basement and he has an unbreakable lease. The couple buying the home are desperate, so they accept the house, creepy guy included. Unfortunately, the husband becomes obsessed with his downstairs neighbor and his marriage begins to crumble. The ending is a superb twist.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Penzig Should Put People in the Basement More Often

Guy Wakes Up In A Basement by T.L. Penzig reminded me of another story I read earlier this year about a guy waking up with amnesia, Pursuit. However, this story is far better than the other. Penzig uses everything from setting to suspense to dark humor to bring readers into the mind of Arthur, the guy who wakes up in the basement. When Arthur receives additional injuries during his exploration, I swear my head hurt too.

The ending is outstanding. The dramatic identity reveal could have sufficed, but Penzig goes above and beyond with a sinister discovery about Arthur's predilections and his "so what" attitude, complete with smugness. This story would've made the Crypt Keeper proud.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Death In The Streets

The Watcher by A.L. Butcher is a tale of Jack the Ripper, told from the killer's POV. I wouldn't necessarily categorize this as horror. There's no build up of suspense, no mystery, just a graphic description of another brutal murder by the Ripper. I will give props to the author for painting such a morbid, visceral slaughter, but it takes more than violence and gore to be truly frightening. Even with a glimpse from the victim's POV, this is more of show-and-tell than anything else.

In the future, the author might want to think about including more personal details about characters, to elicit more of a response from readers.

As always,
AstraDaemon