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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
Just brilliant. I found the author was finding his feet with the previous novels which I enjoyed but this is on a different level. Atmospheric, creepy and wonderfully written. It's rare a novel makes the hairs on the back if my neck stand up but this does it in spades. So glad I found this series.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Abortion
3.5 stars - spoilers ahead
I'm conflicted about this one. Technically speaking, it's a good thriller. The format already established in the prior entrants of this series continues to work well. As a novelty, it doesn't wear off, and the author knows how to use it to its best effect. As a book about a podcast, when you read it, it's as if your ears read along with you. There is always a sound going on - the tapping, static, the well-observed speaking patterns of the guests, background chatter, even silence, all work to a convincing imitation of a podcast but in written form. The benefit of this being a book over simply a faked podcast being, I suppose, the ability of the prose to influence reader behaviour. It makes it more of a mystery, or a mystery that is more effective anyway. I thought it was clever how Wesolowski uses the supernatural as a ploy to build up the real story, and throughout most of the book you do believe it, because of the very fact this is a book and anything can happen in a book. It is self-aware, and smartly done.
That said, I have heard high praise of this book and it has a brilliant score here so I was expecting to have my socks blown off. It was a solid thriller but nothing groundbreaking. Well, the first one impressed me a lot - that was brilliant, and did shock me. So perhaps this one was always going to struggle once the 'gimmick' had come to fruition in the first book. I wish I'd read this one first, almost, as I would say the first Six Stories is better but objectively, they are probably quite like-for-like. If I could sum it up I would just say the mystery progressed in a tried and tested way and the 'sign posts' of the what we were supposed to think/draw conclusions from were very obvious, so in that way (even though the supernatural element does throw you off), it just felt a bit one dimensional. This is not a major detraction from the book, as most thrillers are like this - to me anyway.
I enjoyed how the supernatural distraction gave way to the cold fact that Sorrel is a psychopath, and how he used the gullibility of people to believe the impossible over the idea a father could've simply been negligent. But the reveal that Scott was Alfie was a bit much for me. Imagine if that happened to a podcaster in real life, they're a well-established investigator of dozens of true crime stories, then they find out they are in fact the missing child of an incredibly famous cold case. It's so dramatically unlikely as to be ridiculous. Fair enough, you suspend a lot of disbelief in fiction, but still. I actually don't think the book would be any worse if it had not included this plot twist.
In summary, this book series continues to be good and the plot in Changeling is engaging and well told. I will move onto the next one, out of interest for how Scott's character moves forward anyhow - perhaps in the next series we could cover off if he is, himself, the answer to any other unresolved cases?
I'm conflicted about this one. Technically speaking, it's a good thriller. The format already established in the prior entrants of this series continues to work well. As a novelty, it doesn't wear off, and the author knows how to use it to its best effect. As a book about a podcast, when you read it, it's as if your ears read along with you. There is always a sound going on - the tapping, static, the well-observed speaking patterns of the guests, background chatter, even silence, all work to a convincing imitation of a podcast but in written form. The benefit of this being a book over simply a faked podcast being, I suppose, the ability of the prose to influence reader behaviour. It makes it more of a mystery, or a mystery that is more effective anyway. I thought it was clever how Wesolowski uses the supernatural as a ploy to build up the real story, and throughout most of the book you do believe it, because of the very fact this is a book and anything can happen in a book. It is self-aware, and smartly done.
That said, I have heard high praise of this book and it has a brilliant score here so I was expecting to have my socks blown off. It was a solid thriller but nothing groundbreaking. Well, the first one impressed me a lot - that was brilliant, and did shock me. So perhaps this one was always going to struggle once the 'gimmick' had come to fruition in the first book. I wish I'd read this one first, almost, as I would say the first Six Stories is better but objectively, they are probably quite like-for-like. If I could sum it up I would just say the mystery progressed in a tried and tested way and the 'sign posts' of the what we were supposed to think/draw conclusions from were very obvious, so in that way (even though the supernatural element does throw you off), it just felt a bit one dimensional. This is not a major detraction from the book, as most thrillers are like this - to me anyway.
I enjoyed how the supernatural distraction gave way to the cold fact that Sorrel is a psychopath, and how he used the gullibility of people to believe the impossible over the idea a father could've simply been negligent. But the reveal that Scott was Alfie was a bit much for me. Imagine if that happened to a podcaster in real life, they're a well-established investigator of dozens of true crime stories, then they find out they are in fact the missing child of an incredibly famous cold case. It's so dramatically unlikely as to be ridiculous. Fair enough, you suspend a lot of disbelief in fiction, but still. I actually don't think the book would be any worse if it had not included this plot twist.
In summary, this book series continues to be good and the plot in Changeling is engaging and well told. I will move onto the next one, out of interest for how Scott's character moves forward anyhow - perhaps in the next series we could cover off if he is, himself, the answer to any other unresolved cases?
This is the third book in the Six Stories series by Matt Wesolowski, and I think it might actually be the best. Having said that, I loved the first two so much, after ordering them in ebook, I went on to purchase them in paperback and fully intend on reading them again. They were that good! Changeling continues with the same structure; Scott King is our narrator, the elusive character behind the Six Stories podcasts, investigating cold cases. He interviews six people who were connected to the case, so that six different views are portrayed, then leaves it up to the listener to make their own mind up about what happened. In Changeling, Scott takes on the case of Alfie Marsden, a 7-year-old boy who vanished in the notoriously creepy Wentshire Forest in 1988. Scott takes on the case after receiving a mysterious letter suggesting that it would interest him. The usual format applies, six people connected to the case are interviewed one by one, each revealing their own viewpoint on Alfie Marsdens life and disappearance, and on the chilling stories that have arisen from the forest over the years. Was Alfie Marsden taken and if so, by who or what? Is the forest haunted, or cursed? Each person has a story to tell about the forest and about Alfie. And as each story is told, layers are peeled back, revealing a far creepier reality than you could have imagined. This had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Just like the other two books, it's impossible to put down. You just have to keep reading. Genuinely unsettling and thought-provoking, these books would make amazing films! I just really really hope another Six Stories episode is on its way.
3.5 stars. An enjoyable quick read which had some really scary moments. I liked the format: written as a podcast with 'audio' tapes from the researcher as well as the six episodes that investigate the disappearance of a young boy in a woodland which is supposed to be haunted. I found the scary scenes the best, and very atmospheric, and I enjoyed the story, and the twist at the end, which I wasn't expecting. By the time I was half way through though, the feeling of each scene being reported secondhand became a little wearing (although I understand if you're writing an interview there's no way to avoid this).
“And when that poor little lad went missing, I mean, it was almost like we had been warned. That’s how it felt. Like we’d all been warned but hadn’t listened. You couldn’t pay me to go back to Wentshire Forest, I swear” p40
In an age where true crime podcasts are the reality television of the audio world, Matt Wesolowski packs a punch in Changeling, the third of the Six Stories series. Six Stories is the name of the true crime, cold case, unsolved mystery, podcast hosted and created by Scott King. Six stories is exactly that: six stories, told by six different people, revealing six perspectives on the one topic/event. It’s amazing how six people who are all connected yet disconnected see things from their own unique position, capturing and recalling details through their own filters, lenses, experiences, positions and personalities. It’s a reminder that we all see things from our own spaces that are unique to us alone.
Changeling is the story of the disappearance of seven-year-old Alfie Marsden, seemingly vanishing into thin air in the Wentshire Forest Pass on Christmas Eve, 1988. In Wesolowski’s usual style, it is a story that explores delves poignantly into real life, while drawing on the strange and somewhat paranormal happenings of the world we live in.
In this instance, Changeling, tells tales of the world of the hidden folk, the world within the world, where superstition becomes belief in so many cultures, where the line between myth and reality blurs. Scott King weaves the world of the hidden folk masterfully throughout the podcast, and I can sense the blur of myth vs reality so much so that it is difficult to differentiate.
“Throughout Iceland there are large stones that are claimed to be sacred to elves.... they call them the huldufolk or ‘hidden people’. In the UK, they have many names: puca, sidhe, goblins, pixies, piskeys. Significantly for your case, in Wales they are called the tlywyth teg - the ‘fair family’. In all these cases they’re considered to be a parallel race of spirits that dwell in nature. To upset them incurs a cost” p61.
Wentshire Forest is the setting for Changeling and takes on the attributes of an additional character, possessed with its own intrigue, persona, mystery and secrets. The wood-knockers, animal sightings, unexplained happenings add to the complexity of this story and give it a spine chilling element that is tangible to the extreme.
Of course, the human element is central to any podcast of this nature and Scott King as host has the knack of drawing out the best and the worst of each character interviewed. Changeling features a seventh story that is interwoven throughout and in between each of the podcast episodes that ties it all together and Scott King himself is more central than he could have possibly realised. I’m still reeling slightly, hours after reading those last sentences.
.... “Serendipity and chance meetings have plagued this story. And is that not what life is? Moments, meetings, chances carved from some vast and infinite chaos? Don’t we carve ourselves little paths through a never-ending miasma? Do we carve them for others - consciously or unconsciously?” p170
Another 5 star 6 stories episode3. Scott King you’re amazing as is your alter ego Matt Wesolowski. Full of anticipation for episode 4.
In an age where true crime podcasts are the reality television of the audio world, Matt Wesolowski packs a punch in Changeling, the third of the Six Stories series. Six Stories is the name of the true crime, cold case, unsolved mystery, podcast hosted and created by Scott King. Six stories is exactly that: six stories, told by six different people, revealing six perspectives on the one topic/event. It’s amazing how six people who are all connected yet disconnected see things from their own unique position, capturing and recalling details through their own filters, lenses, experiences, positions and personalities. It’s a reminder that we all see things from our own spaces that are unique to us alone.
Changeling is the story of the disappearance of seven-year-old Alfie Marsden, seemingly vanishing into thin air in the Wentshire Forest Pass on Christmas Eve, 1988. In Wesolowski’s usual style, it is a story that explores delves poignantly into real life, while drawing on the strange and somewhat paranormal happenings of the world we live in.
In this instance, Changeling, tells tales of the world of the hidden folk, the world within the world, where superstition becomes belief in so many cultures, where the line between myth and reality blurs. Scott King weaves the world of the hidden folk masterfully throughout the podcast, and I can sense the blur of myth vs reality so much so that it is difficult to differentiate.
“Throughout Iceland there are large stones that are claimed to be sacred to elves.... they call them the huldufolk or ‘hidden people’. In the UK, they have many names: puca, sidhe, goblins, pixies, piskeys. Significantly for your case, in Wales they are called the tlywyth teg - the ‘fair family’. In all these cases they’re considered to be a parallel race of spirits that dwell in nature. To upset them incurs a cost” p61.
Wentshire Forest is the setting for Changeling and takes on the attributes of an additional character, possessed with its own intrigue, persona, mystery and secrets. The wood-knockers, animal sightings, unexplained happenings add to the complexity of this story and give it a spine chilling element that is tangible to the extreme.
Of course, the human element is central to any podcast of this nature and Scott King as host has the knack of drawing out the best and the worst of each character interviewed. Changeling features a seventh story that is interwoven throughout and in between each of the podcast episodes that ties it all together and Scott King himself is more central than he could have possibly realised. I’m still reeling slightly, hours after reading those last sentences.
.... “Serendipity and chance meetings have plagued this story. And is that not what life is? Moments, meetings, chances carved from some vast and infinite chaos? Don’t we carve ourselves little paths through a never-ending miasma? Do we carve them for others - consciously or unconsciously?” p170
Another 5 star 6 stories episode3. Scott King you’re amazing as is your alter ego Matt Wesolowski. Full of anticipation for episode 4.
‘The Changeling’ by Matt Wesolowski follows the same format as the previous two novels in the series, six episodes of a podcast tell the story of a unsolved crime. Each episode of the podcast largely takes the form of an interview with someone connected with the crime, telling the tale “from six different perspectives, seeing the events that unfolded through six pairs of eyes.” As before, the episodes are interspersed with ancillary recordings which add to the background though not forming part of the podcast as it would be released. And, as before, the book really works better in audio form, especially given the talents of the voice actors.
The current case concerns the disappearance of a 7-year old boy in 1988 from his father’s car as the father attempted to restart the broken down vehicle. Was the boy snatched in the brief moment in which the man says he was out of his sight; did wander off into the remote forest beside which they were parked? What is the explanation for the knocking sounds that appear in many of the participants’ stories? And is Scott King, the presenter of the Six Stories podcast, really in a fit state to tell the story dispassionately given the events of, and the backlash to, ‘Hydra’, the previous Six Stories series?
This time around it is Scott King’s own audio notes that form the bridging material between the podcast episodes and it is clear that he is not a well man. The difference in tone between these different elements, the anxious disturbed individual of the private recordings and the more assured, professional delivery of the podcast, is a credit to both the author and the voice actor. The story is harrowing and unsettling with elements almost touching on horror and, as with the preceding novels, it is absorbing and entertaining. The ending is shocking and, while I would love to see what Matt Wesolowski can do in a different form, I hope we find out what happens next in the Six Stories reality.
The current case concerns the disappearance of a 7-year old boy in 1988 from his father’s car as the father attempted to restart the broken down vehicle. Was the boy snatched in the brief moment in which the man says he was out of his sight; did wander off into the remote forest beside which they were parked? What is the explanation for the knocking sounds that appear in many of the participants’ stories? And is Scott King, the presenter of the Six Stories podcast, really in a fit state to tell the story dispassionately given the events of, and the backlash to, ‘Hydra’, the previous Six Stories series?
This time around it is Scott King’s own audio notes that form the bridging material between the podcast episodes and it is clear that he is not a well man. The difference in tone between these different elements, the anxious disturbed individual of the private recordings and the more assured, professional delivery of the podcast, is a credit to both the author and the voice actor. The story is harrowing and unsettling with elements almost touching on horror and, as with the preceding novels, it is absorbing and entertaining. The ending is shocking and, while I would love to see what Matt Wesolowski can do in a different form, I hope we find out what happens next in the Six Stories reality.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Very impressed by this book – what starts as an engaging but standard riff on British folklore/folk-horror themes becomes something very different, much more horrifying and completely human. It wrongfooted me in the best of ways. Highly recommended.