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amandatacklestbr's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hannah_faith97's review against another edition
4.0
Body horror galore!! Go into this one without knowing anything.
words_on_paper_official's review against another edition
4.0
Mark Towse has written an amazing Novella about granny that you won’t soon forget. This wild tale of a young boy who’s visits his granny at her retirement home and mingles with the other residents. But underneath their cheerful smiles and old smells something sinister is taking form. I promise you will never look at cherry pie the same way after you read this.
pbanditp's review against another edition
5.0
“I mean, you’re old, yeah, and you smell, and your skin is weird in places, but there’s no way you’re over a hundred.”
As we move into the holiday season, our thoughts turn to family and how much they mean to us. Unless one of your family members resides at Newhaven Crescent.
This is a book with well hidden depth. Sure, you could read the surface and call it juvenile and filled with toilet humor and jokes about the elderly, but look just a little more and realize how sad and desperate the people at Newhaven Crescent are. There is also a certain 12 year old boy who has regrets about how he treated his mom and how a mothers love shines through even the darkest of times.
Mostly it’s just a lot of fun and it’s about how old people smell, sagging body parts, and how they can say what they mean and don’t care if it makes you uncomfortable. Just remember, Nana and her friends are not to be invited over for dinner, especially if the offer to bring pie.
As we move into the holiday season, our thoughts turn to family and how much they mean to us. Unless one of your family members resides at Newhaven Crescent.
This is a book with well hidden depth. Sure, you could read the surface and call it juvenile and filled with toilet humor and jokes about the elderly, but look just a little more and realize how sad and desperate the people at Newhaven Crescent are. There is also a certain 12 year old boy who has regrets about how he treated his mom and how a mothers love shines through even the darkest of times.
Mostly it’s just a lot of fun and it’s about how old people smell, sagging body parts, and how they can say what they mean and don’t care if it makes you uncomfortable. Just remember, Nana and her friends are not to be invited over for dinner, especially if the offer to bring pie.
songcatchers's review
3.5
'"Nana’s looking forward to seeing you; she has something special planned tonight.”'
I liked this novella. Twelve year old Olly has an overnight with his Nana that ends up being a nightmare for him. The talent show at Nana's retirement community goes from odd to super bizarre to 😬🤢🤮. There's some pretty good body horror in here and I like where the story went. I picked it up based on the cover and I'm glad I did. A quick, gross read.😁
'Perhaps it’s all just a bad dream, he thinks. Perhaps he’s actually already in bed at Nana’s house having a weird nightmare brought on by the cider.'
I liked this novella. Twelve year old Olly has an overnight with his Nana that ends up being a nightmare for him. The talent show at Nana's retirement community goes from odd to super bizarre to 😬🤢🤮. There's some pretty good body horror in here and I like where the story went. I picked it up based on the cover and I'm glad I did. A quick, gross read.😁
'Perhaps it’s all just a bad dream, he thinks. Perhaps he’s actually already in bed at Nana’s house having a weird nightmare brought on by the cider.'
parksidereads's review
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
dans_bookscape's review
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Nana – @towseywrites
‘Meet Olly’s nana, Ivy. It takes more than clean dentures, brandy, and bingo night to keep this one happy! Nana Ivy lives in Newhaven Crescent, where most of the other residents are past their expiry date and all kinds of batshit crazy, the kind of place where you hang your sanity up at the door. Being the matriarchal type, Ivy cares for the other residents as though they were kin, so of course, it’s of enormous concern when their veins begin to blacken and they start shedding skin, not to mention the glistening things crawling out of their hair. They’re pushing their luck, and Nana Ivy knows it. Did I mention she has a dark secret? Young Olly doesn’t know what to make of it when he comes to visit, but he’s about to find out there’s more to his nana than cough drops and slippers. Oh yes, he’s in for a long night.’
I normally write notes for book as I’m going as preparation for doing these posts...for Nana, I wrote one thing ‘eeeewww’. Simplistic I know, but I feel it sums up what I was going through my head throughout this novella.
There’s old people literally falling apart, a box full of toe nails, geriatric orgies and the odd sacrifice...what more could you want from a story right?
Seriously though the novella is, whilst gross, genuinely funny as these old people just totally don’t give a shit and will say and do what they want. They are decomposing, pissing and shitting themselves but they have a goal...carry on living no matter the cost!
This is another fun read from Mark Towse, his stories are so unique and crazy and this is a great quick read.
‘Meet Olly’s nana, Ivy. It takes more than clean dentures, brandy, and bingo night to keep this one happy! Nana Ivy lives in Newhaven Crescent, where most of the other residents are past their expiry date and all kinds of batshit crazy, the kind of place where you hang your sanity up at the door. Being the matriarchal type, Ivy cares for the other residents as though they were kin, so of course, it’s of enormous concern when their veins begin to blacken and they start shedding skin, not to mention the glistening things crawling out of their hair. They’re pushing their luck, and Nana Ivy knows it. Did I mention she has a dark secret? Young Olly doesn’t know what to make of it when he comes to visit, but he’s about to find out there’s more to his nana than cough drops and slippers. Oh yes, he’s in for a long night.’
I normally write notes for book as I’m going as preparation for doing these posts...for Nana, I wrote one thing ‘eeeewww’. Simplistic I know, but I feel it sums up what I was going through my head throughout this novella.
There’s old people literally falling apart, a box full of toe nails, geriatric orgies and the odd sacrifice...what more could you want from a story right?
Seriously though the novella is, whilst gross, genuinely funny as these old people just totally don’t give a shit and will say and do what they want. They are decomposing, pissing and shitting themselves but they have a goal...carry on living no matter the cost!
This is another fun read from Mark Towse, his stories are so unique and crazy and this is a great quick read.
joselovesyou's review against another edition
5.0
Such a great read. This is one of those books that just sucks you in. The writing is superb and the pacing is perfect. I picked it up and literally didn’t put it down until I was finished with it. Highly recommend! I immediately bought all other books Mark has written upon finishing ‘Nana.’ Reader for life!
kaysbookcase's review against another edition
4.0
Well.....that was disturbing! This is a short a story about Olly's nana....and she is no ordinary nana. This story was dark, humourous and...vivid to say the least. What a wonderfully twisted story! Mark Towse is one sick puppy!