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billymac1962's review against another edition
4.0
Like all newly discovered authors, I first heard of Edward Lorn via my GoodReads friends' reviews. As his name kept popping up it was becoming apparent that he could not write a bad novel, so I slapped Bay's End, his first, on my to-read list.
Now, the nice thing about Edward Lorn is that he is a self-published author, but he's not one of those guys who will solicit readers for reviews of free copies of their books. He's content with letting his work speak for itself via word of mouth, and it's awesome that this is working for him.
Also what I like about the guy is that he is an active book reviewer here, and they are great reviews. He's currently doing a re-read of King's works, which can be found here:
https://edwardlorn.wordpress.com/52-in-52-2015/stephen-king-library-reread/
King is an obvious influence on his writing and this is quite evident in Bay's End.
Bay's End is a small American town, and the story follows the summer of 1992 and 12 year old Trey Franklin. A new boy has moved in across the street, Trey's age, and the two become fast friends. As Lorn draws on his King influence, of course there will be bad things that happen in a little town.
Towards the end of the novel, it became quite predictable, but the reason for this was the Interludes that proceeded each section. This were brilliantly written, but the gist of them were mainly foreshadowing, which I wish he didn't have to do.
This is a short novel, and I blasted through it. His pacing is perfect, and although I didn't quite buy into Eddy's relationship with his parents at first, this smoothed over for me and I was totally absorbed throughout the novel.
A warning: Lorn pulls no punches with this story. Some disturbing things happen, particularly, so be forewarned (or spoiled, as it were).
I'm giving Bay's End a very strong four stars and am excited to read more of this guy. This will happen very soon.
Now, the nice thing about Edward Lorn is that he is a self-published author, but he's not one of those guys who will solicit readers for reviews of free copies of their books. He's content with letting his work speak for itself via word of mouth, and it's awesome that this is working for him.
Also what I like about the guy is that he is an active book reviewer here, and they are great reviews. He's currently doing a re-read of King's works, which can be found here:
https://edwardlorn.wordpress.com/52-in-52-2015/stephen-king-library-reread/
King is an obvious influence on his writing and this is quite evident in Bay's End.
Bay's End is a small American town, and the story follows the summer of 1992 and 12 year old Trey Franklin. A new boy has moved in across the street, Trey's age, and the two become fast friends. As Lorn draws on his King influence, of course there will be bad things that happen in a little town.
Towards the end of the novel, it became quite predictable, but the reason for this was the Interludes that proceeded each section. This were brilliantly written, but the gist of them were mainly foreshadowing, which I wish he didn't have to do.
This is a short novel, and I blasted through it. His pacing is perfect, and although I didn't quite buy into Eddy's relationship with his parents at first, this smoothed over for me and I was totally absorbed throughout the novel.
A warning: Lorn pulls no punches with this story. Some disturbing things happen, particularly
Spoiler
child abuseI'm giving Bay's End a very strong four stars and am excited to read more of this guy. This will happen very soon.
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
When Trey and Eddie put cherry bombs in the back of the sheriff's car, they blast away the outer layer of the sleepy town of Bay's End and get a look at the sickening underbelly that lies beneath...
I've made no secret that I think Edward Lorn is the best example of self-publishing done right. Not only has he never stalked me to my house and hit me with a brick, he's also given me my money's worth on every occasion. When Bay's End became free on the kindle, it seemed like a slam dunk. It was.
Bay's End is a coming of age tale, akin to Stephen King's The Body or Robert McCammon's Boy's Life. When Eddy moves in across the street, Trey suddenly has a new best friend. Together, they unwittingly uncover a lot of nastiness that lurks beneath the surface of small town life.
Lorn wears his influences on his sleeve but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Bay's End reads like an early Stephen King tale, where the horror comes from ordinary people, not spider clowns that feed on fear. Ever get chased by a vicious dog or threatened by an adult when you were a kid? Scary stuff.
The characters are like people from the neighborhood I grew up in. Eddie's the smart mouth, Candy's the girl next door with dark secrets, and Trey is the everyman the audience can relate to, though I have to think there's more than a little Edward Lorn in Trey.
Bay's End is a pretty brutal book. Nothing that comes to light is pretty. It's a short novel but at the same time, it's the perfect length. If you're looking for a scary trip to nostalgiaville, let Edward Lorn be your driver. Four out of five stars.
I've made no secret that I think Edward Lorn is the best example of self-publishing done right. Not only has he never stalked me to my house and hit me with a brick, he's also given me my money's worth on every occasion. When Bay's End became free on the kindle, it seemed like a slam dunk. It was.
Bay's End is a coming of age tale, akin to Stephen King's The Body or Robert McCammon's Boy's Life. When Eddy moves in across the street, Trey suddenly has a new best friend. Together, they unwittingly uncover a lot of nastiness that lurks beneath the surface of small town life.
Lorn wears his influences on his sleeve but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Bay's End reads like an early Stephen King tale, where the horror comes from ordinary people, not spider clowns that feed on fear. Ever get chased by a vicious dog or threatened by an adult when you were a kid? Scary stuff.
The characters are like people from the neighborhood I grew up in. Eddie's the smart mouth, Candy's the girl next door with dark secrets, and Trey is the everyman the audience can relate to, though I have to think there's more than a little Edward Lorn in Trey.
Bay's End is a pretty brutal book. Nothing that comes to light is pretty. It's a short novel but at the same time, it's the perfect length. If you're looking for a scary trip to nostalgiaville, let Edward Lorn be your driver. Four out of five stars.
christawatkins's review against another edition
5.0
If you like Ketchum, Laymon, Garton and Lee, and can stomach bad things (sometimes really bad things) happening to good people, read this. I read the extreme stuff from time to time, and I've sometimes found myself thinking that the impact would be so much greater if I was given more of a reason to care about the people involved.
I got that with this book.
This isn't splatterpunk or shock horror, and it's not anything I would classify as extreme (though I guess that depends on what you're comparing it to), but it does cross some lines that those genres are familiar with. When the veil is lifted on the small town of Bay's End, what lies beneath is somehow both shocking and inevitable. I mean, you knew it was going to be bad or there wouldn't be a book, right? Lorn doesn't hold back or let allusions or implications do the work; we see what Trey sees and we feel his innocence sliding away.
The pace is unrelenting right up until the end.
I will definitely be reading more from Edward Lorn.
I got that with this book.
This isn't splatterpunk or shock horror, and it's not anything I would classify as extreme (though I guess that depends on what you're comparing it to), but it does cross some lines that those genres are familiar with. When the veil is lifted on the small town of Bay's End, what lies beneath is somehow both shocking and inevitable. I mean, you knew it was going to be bad or there wouldn't be a book, right? Lorn doesn't hold back or let allusions or implications do the work; we see what Trey sees and we feel his innocence sliding away.
The pace is unrelenting right up until the end.
I will definitely be reading more from Edward Lorn.
ninjabunneh's review against another edition
4.0
Damn, and here I thought the sleepy little town of Derry had issues.
There are some books that you read with a sense of dread. From the moment you crack open the very first page you just know some super bad fucked up shit is gonna go down. Very few authors are able to pull that off. Especially with me as their reader because not much makes me squirm.
Bay's End will make anyone squirm.
This story is dark, disturbing, shocking, and all too human. When the fear in a book is a monster or something supernatural, it's easy to remember nothing is real. However, when the true monsters are human, what can you tell yourself then? And when you're a child who is supposed to be protected by grown ups there really seems to be no place safe.
Perhaps a little boy from another little town described it best:
"And almost idly, in a kind of side-thought, Eddie discovered one of his childhood’s great truths. Grownups are the real monsters, he thought."
(~~~Stephen King's IT~~~)
You can read this one with the lights on, but that won't help much. This one can get to you even in the daylight.
4 ninja bunnehs
There are some books that you read with a sense of dread. From the moment you crack open the very first page you just know some super bad fucked up shit is gonna go down. Very few authors are able to pull that off. Especially with me as their reader because not much makes me squirm.
Bay's End will make anyone squirm.
This story is dark, disturbing, shocking, and all too human. When the fear in a book is a monster or something supernatural, it's easy to remember nothing is real. However, when the true monsters are human, what can you tell yourself then? And when you're a child who is supposed to be protected by grown ups there really seems to be no place safe.
Perhaps a little boy from another little town described it best:
"And almost idly, in a kind of side-thought, Eddie discovered one of his childhood’s great truths. Grownups are the real monsters, he thought."
(~~~Stephen King's IT~~~)
You can read this one with the lights on, but that won't help much. This one can get to you even in the daylight.
4 ninja bunnehs
_thebookangel_'s review against another edition
5.0
First I want to say this book is not for everyone. There are some pretty graphic, horrible things that happen. If a writer can make me gasp while I’m reading then I know it’s a job well done. But I realize that’s not everyone’s cup of tea so you’ve been warned. On to the story...this book made me nostalgic for the days as a young teen when I would spend my summers reading Stephen King. Edward Lorn has weaved an amazing coming of age story that I couldn’t put down. It takes you back to the point in your childhood when you realized there is evil in the world. Your heart will break for these kids. I can’t wait to read more of Lorn’s work.
urlphantomhive's review against another edition
4.0
READ IN ENGLISH
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy of Bay's End from Edward Lorn (here on Booklikes as E.) in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. Thank you! And I would like to add that he really is a very nice person (for what I've seen on this site at least =) ) and that that certainly is worth mentioning now all this BBAs get so much attention. It's good to see it's not all bad!
In exchange, Bay's End got the honour of being the first eBook read on my brand new Kobo Glo! (I'm sorry, I'm just so excited about my new eReader, that I keep mentioning it xD)
I read the blurb of Bay's End and was immediately curious. One little incident, and pretty much a ruined life. Not all is as it seems. And it is safe to say, quite a lot does happen that summer in 1992 in Bay's End. It's not a sleepy town any more.
Whilst reading I wasn't completely sure whether this was going to be thriller or horror, so I just kept expecting some freaky stuff to happen. I won't spoil this feeling for anyone who wants to find out by him/herself but it turns out to be
The language is - as I was warned - quite strong, but I've read worse without any kind of warning, so it wasn't a problem for me. Besides, I felt like it helped building the characters for me. Twelve year old boys, pretending to be all grown up, though masculinity, but really they're just kids trying to cope with life and the pretty weird stuff happening around them.
The story started a bit slow, I have to admit, but once 'the cherry bombs' happen, the pace gets a lot faster and it is almost impossible to stop reading. You know from the beginning things aren't going to be OK, and hints are being dropped. And, I could relate as to why the characters wouldn't be able to get them at the time, especially when you realise this happens a lot and people in RL aren't able to get the hints either.
I knew what was going to happen at the ending, but still I felt sad after finishing the book. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the book and liked the writing. This definitely will not be the last I'll read from Edward Lorn.
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy of Bay's End from Edward Lorn (here on Booklikes as E.) in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. Thank you! And I would like to add that he really is a very nice person (for what I've seen on this site at least =) ) and that that certainly is worth mentioning now all this BBAs get so much attention. It's good to see it's not all bad!
In exchange, Bay's End got the honour of being the first eBook read on my brand new Kobo Glo! (I'm sorry, I'm just so excited about my new eReader, that I keep mentioning it xD)
I read the blurb of Bay's End and was immediately curious. One little incident, and pretty much a ruined life. Not all is as it seems. And it is safe to say, quite a lot does happen that summer in 1992 in Bay's End. It's not a sleepy town any more.
Whilst reading I wasn't completely sure whether this was going to be thriller or horror, so I just kept expecting some freaky stuff to happen. I won't spoil this feeling for anyone who wants to find out by him/herself but it turns out to be
Spoiler
thriller.The language is - as I was warned - quite strong, but I've read worse without any kind of warning, so it wasn't a problem for me. Besides, I felt like it helped building the characters for me. Twelve year old boys, pretending to be all grown up, though masculinity, but really they're just kids trying to cope with life and the pretty weird stuff happening around them.
The story started a bit slow, I have to admit, but once 'the cherry bombs' happen, the pace gets a lot faster and it is almost impossible to stop reading. You know from the beginning things aren't going to be OK, and hints are being dropped. And, I could relate as to why the characters wouldn't be able to get them at the time, especially when you realise this happens a lot and people in RL aren't able to get the hints either.
I knew what was going to happen at the ending, but still I felt sad after finishing the book. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the book and liked the writing. This definitely will not be the last I'll read from Edward Lorn.
paperbackstash's review
4.0
4.5 stars
"I'm living with ghosts. My memories have grown legs and now run up and down these halls. The apparitions are only loops, broken records as it were, but they're aggravated and bored, two attributes you never want in a ghost."
It feels kind of weird to call a dark, gritty and depressing book beautiful, but here we are. Despite the sick individuals and horrible circumstances that tainted these teenagers lives, there was beauty developing from the first chapter - that fragile but unique time of life where you feel young and free, looking forward to a summer with new friends and new adventures. The kids are foul mouthed and sneaky, but they're great at heart and their bond is just...beautiful. No other word for it.
I'm in love with coming-of-age stories anyway. There's something about the nostalgic bonding in small town adventures where kids bond together to face higher horrors. There's nothing paranormal in this one, it's effective as hell with old fashioned monsters wearing human faces.
Told through a singular point of view, I loved the main character Trey. He has a realness to him that shines through the pages, and I totally got his bonding with the new kid in town, Eddie, a young teen advanced for his years not only in language and daring but also in heroism. Throw in Candy with her lip gloss and tragic tale, the strange neighbors who don't seem fully aware of the horrible demons after them, and you have a grade A class of characters.
The adults aren't bad either - Trey's father in particular is well written as he is shown (through the characters present and then past reflections) to be the type of personality that can never shed the skin of guilt, not sloughing it off to continue growing. Despite that shame about his character, it was nice to have parents for the main characters in a coming-of-age who actually genuinely gave a damn about their kid, believed their stories from the start.
"Friends are better than pain-killers any day of the week."
It's a character driven story, which is the best kind, but the plot is a good one too. Enter the villainous adults - well structured enough to be realistic and creepy - and you have a chain of events that keeps you glued. Whether the kids were bonding over fun moments and growth, sneaking out of the house to cause chaos, fighting in the face of abuse to protect each other, or battling the creepy villains of the story, it was hard to put down.
I usually don't like when books go from the present back to the past, but Lorn did it in a way that works. He kept the passages short and musing, haunting with the beauty and tragedy that embraced the power of bad memories. Italicized and stylized, the author's talented writing ability made the reflections a joy to read, even if they were squeezing my heart. I'm glad the sad moment was revealed early so the shock of it didn't anger me. A wise choice not to save that for the end, a surprise to induce bitter tears - I'm glad the author prepared me gently. A lot easier on the emotions and held the story up.
This brutal book doesn't hold back the violent punches - there's vicious attacks, sick people, horrible scenes that won't be forgotten, and the author doesn't hold back shining a dark light in these kids lives.
It's almost five star ready, but I would have preferred a more drawn out after-the-fact. I wanted to see a few more pages talking about life afterward, and then a longer reflection in the present to explain why the narrator is talking now, and what's going on about it being his "final story."
I will definitely be checking out more by Edward Lorn - his writing style alone would have cemented that, but throw in the theme of fateful summers, coming-of-age and small towns, and it's even more guaranteed.
nightfly2080's review
4.0
Being a fan of coming of age stories in the vein of The Body, It or Boys Life, this book was right up my alley. E is a cool dude i discovered through his YouTube channel and really liked his personality and style. My only problem is that the book feels a little rushed and the ending ended abruptly. This being E's first Novel i felt it was a forgivable issue. I look forward to reading more of his books. If you are a Stephen King fan, definitely give this a try. E is a big fan of his and it shows through his many references to his work.
blackbookgoddess's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
silverneurotic's review
3.0
First thoughts: I love a good horror story, I do not read very many however, as I'm constantly comparing each story to Stephen King and most horror stories just cannot stand up to him.
What I liked: This definitely had the elements of a good, unsettling story. In some aspects, it felt almost like a retelling of IT, minus Pennywise the clown. Many times while reading this, I felt as though I couldn't bare to continue reading, but I could not not know how it played out at the end.
What I didn't like: I admit, that this book very nearly turned into a DNF for me, and unfortunately it had nothing to do with the unsettling story line, or being scared. Instead, I was very disappointed by the how a character, with Downs Syndrome, was portrayed, and how he was treated by some of the other characters in the book.Up until that point, I really was enjoying having my pants scared off me but once that character was introduced I just could not continue to enjoy this book fully. What should have been a four star read, ended up a three star read.
What I liked: This definitely had the elements of a good, unsettling story. In some aspects, it felt almost like a retelling of IT, minus Pennywise the clown. Many times while reading this, I felt as though I couldn't bare to continue reading, but I could not not know how it played out at the end.
What I didn't like: I admit, that this book very nearly turned into a DNF for me, and unfortunately it had nothing to do with the unsettling story line, or being scared. Instead, I was very disappointed by the how a character, with Downs Syndrome, was portrayed, and how he was treated by some of the other characters in the book.Up until that point, I really was enjoying having my pants scared off me but once that character was introduced I just could not continue to enjoy this book fully. What should have been a four star read, ended up a three star read.