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jenniferlwatson's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.75
erinld2005's review
4.0
4.5 Stars.
My review for the book (including separate for both novellas) can be found here on my blog!
http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2018/01/apart-in-dark-novellas-by-ania-ahlborn.html
My review for the book (including separate for both novellas) can be found here on my blog!
http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2018/01/apart-in-dark-novellas-by-ania-ahlborn.html
skylerraee's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
nelemon's review
4.0
The Pretty Ones 3.5★
I really liked how this started out. The protagonist is a little odd, a loner, but I liked following her. The setting of an office in 1970s New York was nice too. However, I guessed the twist almost immediately (which is so rare for me), and although I still enjoyed the story, this kind of deflated the impact the ending would have had otherwise. Also, the story felt a little repetitive. Nell always follows the same routine, which is fine, but I felt like I read more or less the same scenes multiple times over. This was still a fun read though!
I Call Upon Thee 4★
I really liked this story! It was genuinely creepy, so much so that it felt dangerous reading this at night. It was the perfect mix of a paranormal horror that is vague or ambiguous enough to feel realistic even. A little bit of southern gothic vibes too, which I loved. I immediately got a feel for the characters and I liked following Maggie. I also enjoyed the combination of chapters following the present and some going back to the past. Ania Ahlborn really does supernatural horror stories so well! Loved this!
myweereads's review
4.0
“Perhaps the horror isn’t in the story itself as much as it is in the knowledge that these characters are really you; the terror of it is that all you can do is sit and nod and do nothing....You chose this book. You chose this darkness.....”
Apart In The Dark by Ania Ahlborn consists of two novellas. The first is “The Pretty Ones” based around the horrors of the Summer of Sam. We meet Nell Sullivan who is seeking out friends at her work place but her brother Barrett is telling her she will never be like them.
The second is “I Call Upon Thee”, a supernatural story about a girl called Maggie who that always sensed something dark in her childhood home.
What drew me to picking this book up was the real life elements these stories are based upon. My favourite kind of horror is that of the human mind and how it treads on the thin line between sanity and insanity feeding the demons within us which give strength to a good horror story.
Both stories are centred around the upcoming dread, especially in “The Pretty Ones” I was on edge wondering what was going to happen with certain characters next. That made the story feel very real especially towards the end. I was so engrossed I didn’t foresee the outcome and was left surprised by it. With “I Call Upon Thee” it was quite unsettling when the main character begins to put pieces together about why she felt uneasy about the tragedies that occurred. I can relate to aspects of this story which I think made it more haunting for me to read.
This book had me hooked from the author’s introduction. Both novellas are gripping, they take you into the depths of darkness and keep you hooked until the outcome of why everything is happening the way it is has been revealed. There are moments of shock, unsettling events, harsh realities and creeping dread which made these stories for me. I would absolute recommend this book to everyone. 😈
Apart In The Dark by Ania Ahlborn consists of two novellas. The first is “The Pretty Ones” based around the horrors of the Summer of Sam. We meet Nell Sullivan who is seeking out friends at her work place but her brother Barrett is telling her she will never be like them.
The second is “I Call Upon Thee”, a supernatural story about a girl called Maggie who that always sensed something dark in her childhood home.
What drew me to picking this book up was the real life elements these stories are based upon. My favourite kind of horror is that of the human mind and how it treads on the thin line between sanity and insanity feeding the demons within us which give strength to a good horror story.
Both stories are centred around the upcoming dread, especially in “The Pretty Ones” I was on edge wondering what was going to happen with certain characters next. That made the story feel very real especially towards the end. I was so engrossed I didn’t foresee the outcome and was left surprised by it. With “I Call Upon Thee” it was quite unsettling when the main character begins to put pieces together about why she felt uneasy about the tragedies that occurred. I can relate to aspects of this story which I think made it more haunting for me to read.
This book had me hooked from the author’s introduction. Both novellas are gripping, they take you into the depths of darkness and keep you hooked until the outcome of why everything is happening the way it is has been revealed. There are moments of shock, unsettling events, harsh realities and creeping dread which made these stories for me. I would absolute recommend this book to everyone. 😈
bbybluiis's review
So incredibly boring; maybe I'll give the second novella a chance, but not right now.
angelerin's review
4.0
4.5 Stars.
My review for the book (including separate for both novellas) can be found here on my blog!
http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2018/01/apart-in-dark-novellas-by-ania-ahlborn.html
My review for the book (including separate for both novellas) can be found here on my blog!
http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2018/01/apart-in-dark-novellas-by-ania-ahlborn.html
ginabaneena's review
5.0
How far would you go to protect a loved one?
Apart In The Dark consists of 2 novellas by Ania Ahlborn.
The first one, The Pretty Ones, will take you deep into the mind of unhealed trauma. Where that safe place you chase after, where you find peace, might not be safe at all. And you realize one day that everything around you is a lie. All the hurt in your life was self inflicted. And that acceptance you want more than anything can be the very thing that destroys you.
The second, I Call Upon Thee, spooked me something fierce. As much as the first story was terrifying to think how the human mind can go off the rails, it’s another to summon the dead. And battle those demons. Not only in your head, but in your family and daily life. Once you make a promise to a little girl, she expects you to keep it no matter the cost.
ANIA! She got me! I am currently writing this in the darkness of my room. Every tap
Apart In The Dark consists of 2 novellas by Ania Ahlborn.
The first one, The Pretty Ones, will take you deep into the mind of unhealed trauma. Where that safe place you chase after, where you find peace, might not be safe at all. And you realize one day that everything around you is a lie. All the hurt in your life was self inflicted. And that acceptance you want more than anything can be the very thing that destroys you.
The second, I Call Upon Thee, spooked me something fierce. As much as the first story was terrifying to think how the human mind can go off the rails, it’s another to summon the dead. And battle those demons. Not only in your head, but in your family and daily life. Once you make a promise to a little girl, she expects you to keep it no matter the cost.
ANIA! She got me! I am currently writing this in the darkness of my room. Every tap