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christinamcdaniel's review against another edition
3.0
A fast read. Very creepy I must say. But good. Timmy has this problem, Sorta. But doesn't realize it, And Neither will you until it's revealed in the end.
angielisle's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting concepts, with a strange ending. I like the clean way that Burke writes and will be tracking down the rest of the series to read.
kamisha's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mikekaz's review against another edition
4.0
I like Burke's writing. He portrays a real world and believable characters. Plus, his stories are often uniquely scary; SOUR CANDY is a perfect example of this. And while THE TURTLE BOY was good, it also felt slightly splintered.
Timmy Quinn is eleven years old and home from school for the summer. He is excited to spend it with his best friend Pete. However, a dark discovery at the beginning of summer leaves Timmy alone for most of the summer. Until his mom intervenes and forces Pete to be friends with a girl, Kim Barnes. Together they discover the darker secret behind the dark discovery.
The story is solid and enjoyable. The characters are interesting and believable. The disjointed part was that the novella was part Young Adult and part adult. It seemed that Burke was creating his own YA character that teens and pre-teens could follow. The novella had all the characteristics of a YA novel. However, at the same time, the story seemed a bit intense and graphic for a YA story. Personally, I liked the extra intensity but then as the parent of a pre-teen, I'm not really part of the YA audience. There are five books in the Timmy Quinn series by Burke, so I imagine that it has resonated with people fairly well. Hopefully Burke is finding and pulling in the next wave of new readers who love horror and who like that extra-gore instead. I'm kind of digressing. I found the story fun to read, it kept me engaged all the way to the end, and I wasn't disappointed at the end. I probably won't pick up other Timmy Quinn stories, but I will be picking up other Kealan Patrick Burke stories.
Timmy Quinn is eleven years old and home from school for the summer. He is excited to spend it with his best friend Pete. However, a dark discovery at the beginning of summer leaves Timmy alone for most of the summer. Until his mom intervenes and forces Pete to be friends with a girl, Kim Barnes. Together they discover the darker secret behind the dark discovery.
The story is solid and enjoyable. The characters are interesting and believable. The disjointed part was that the novella was part Young Adult and part adult. It seemed that Burke was creating his own YA character that teens and pre-teens could follow. The novella had all the characteristics of a YA novel. However, at the same time, the story seemed a bit intense and graphic for a YA story. Personally, I liked the extra intensity but then as the parent of a pre-teen, I'm not really part of the YA audience. There are five books in the Timmy Quinn series by Burke, so I imagine that it has resonated with people fairly well. Hopefully Burke is finding and pulling in the next wave of new readers who love horror and who like that extra-gore instead. I'm kind of digressing. I found the story fun to read, it kept me engaged all the way to the end, and I wasn't disappointed at the end. I probably won't pick up other Timmy Quinn stories, but I will be picking up other Kealan Patrick Burke stories.
expendablemudge's review against another edition
4.0
#ReadingIsResistance to boring, average horror stories.
THE TURTLE BOY gets a review at last.
Kealan Patrick Burke write this 4-star Bram Stoker Award-winning novella close on 15 years ago. His writing...award winning then...has only gotten better, and his series character Timmy Quinn is ready for his TV transition, so who here knows someone at Chiller TV or AMC?
THE TURTLE BOY gets a review at last.
Kealan Patrick Burke write this 4-star Bram Stoker Award-winning novella close on 15 years ago. His writing...award winning then...has only gotten better, and his series character Timmy Quinn is ready for his TV transition, so who here knows someone at Chiller TV or AMC?
judibud's review against another edition
3.0
I was surprised at the end to discover a newspaper clipping appear on my kindle screen, no wonder the story had a real ring to it if it is based on a true story. I only wish the full article was included and not just a portion.
I really enjoyed this, I do not like full on horror as I am a big fat scardey cat but this had just the right amount of suspense and surprise to satisfy me. The story is well written, I cared for the characters almost straight away and without question I believed everything I read. It wasn't quite the ending I was expecting but was in fact better than I expected, possibly due to the ending which I think is open to interpretation (to a point), the loose ends are tied up but not spelled out for the reader, leaving you to work it out for yourself or for you to think whatever you want.
I really enjoyed this, I do not like full on horror as I am a big fat scardey cat but this had just the right amount of suspense and surprise to satisfy me. The story is well written, I cared for the characters almost straight away and without question I believed everything I read. It wasn't quite the ending I was expecting but was in fact better than I expected, possibly due to the ending which I think is open to interpretation (to a point), the loose ends are tied up but not spelled out for the reader, leaving you to work it out for yourself or for you to think whatever you want.
lilyn_g's review against another edition
4.0
Good read. My last experience with a "Bram Stoker Award Winner" left me a little leery, but I'm glad I took the chance on this book. The author has serious talent, able to give you pretty near the perfect short story in a limited amount of pages. I loved his pacing, his descriptions, and the tension he was able to ratchet up so quickly.
The only thing I didn't like was the predictability. I won't say much for fear of 'spoiling' it for anyone, but if you've read any amount of horror involving little kids, you've probably read some version of this plot at least a handful of times.
Still, its a good read and has me interested in reading more in the series. Bite-sized horror stories you can read over lunch are a delight.
Visit Scifi and Scary's Book Reviews for many other Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller, and Kids' Books reviews.
The only thing I didn't like was the predictability. I won't say much for fear of 'spoiling' it for anyone, but if you've read any amount of horror involving little kids, you've probably read some version of this plot at least a handful of times.
Still, its a good read and has me interested in reading more in the series. Bite-sized horror stories you can read over lunch are a delight.
Visit Scifi and Scary's Book Reviews for many other Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller, and Kids' Books reviews.
chymerra's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really creepy book. Starts off with the main character seeing the ghost of a dead boy and it just escalates from there. I will read again....just not right before bed.