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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.
gingerbookaddict's review
3.0
This book got under my skin.
I have two kiddos, boys, right around the age of the boys in this book. The things they went through made me feel a little sick. The lack of action on the parents part made me furious.
I would have gone to jail.
A book that elicits these strong reactions deserves a second look.
I started this read on Saturday morning. I was waiting for the husbeast to get ready to run some errands in town and had some time to kill.
I started the book not really knowing what I was getting into. I know Edward a little bit from around GR's. I have got a bit of a feel for how/what he writes from other reviews of his work that friends have written and reading some of his reviews.
It started off a little bit slow. Some boys running around getting into some trouble, feeling grown up with their curse words and crude comments (LoL I know. My mom side is showing). Somewhere along the way things started happening. It started 'small' and the reality of what these boys were going through made it hard to 'like' the book.
I finished Sunday afternoon. My boys were in the living room watching a movie. All I could feel was gratitude that I could close the story and, at least for us, leave it there in the book.
I am having a very hard time reviewing this book. Going full circle, I give it three stars for all the ways it made me feel. It was a good story, told well. After reading the author's own review, this was one of his first indie books, I look forward to picking up another Edward Lorn book to see how he changes it up.
Definitely keep writing.
I have two kiddos, boys, right around the age of the boys in this book. The things they went through made me feel a little sick. The lack of action on the parents part made me furious.
I would have gone to jail.
A book that elicits these strong reactions deserves a second look.
I started this read on Saturday morning. I was waiting for the husbeast to get ready to run some errands in town and had some time to kill.
I started the book not really knowing what I was getting into. I know Edward a little bit from around GR's. I have got a bit of a feel for how/what he writes from other reviews of his work that friends have written and reading some of his reviews.
It started off a little bit slow. Some boys running around getting into some trouble, feeling grown up with their curse words and crude comments (LoL I know. My mom side is showing). Somewhere along the way things started happening. It started 'small' and the reality of what these boys were going through made it hard to 'like' the book.
I finished Sunday afternoon. My boys were in the living room watching a movie. All I could feel was gratitude that I could close the story and, at least for us, leave it there in the book.
I am having a very hard time reviewing this book. Going full circle, I give it three stars for all the ways it made me feel. It was a good story, told well. After reading the author's own review, this was one of his first indie books, I look forward to picking up another Edward Lorn book to see how he changes it up.
Definitely keep writing.
wellwortharead's review
5.0
For Trey, that summer of 1992 in Bay's End was made of memories that will last his lifetime, but not everyone survived that year.
The day was hot and dry when he first heard the sound of that rusted out rattle trap Ford turning onto his street. That was the first time he got a look at Eddy, the new kid moving in across the street. The two quickly become the best of buddies, in that way that only kids can. But it's not all baseball games and good times in Bay's End. Summers don't last forever in this coming of age tale of best friends and first love. Sometimes monsters get in the way. Not the supernatural/occult kind that go bump in the night, but the real ones, the monsters that are sometimes merely people who harbor an abominable evil where their souls should be.
The day was hot and dry when he first heard the sound of that rusted out rattle trap Ford turning onto his street. That was the first time he got a look at Eddy, the new kid moving in across the street. The two quickly become the best of buddies, in that way that only kids can. But it's not all baseball games and good times in Bay's End. Summers don't last forever in this coming of age tale of best friends and first love. Sometimes monsters get in the way. Not the supernatural/occult kind that go bump in the night, but the real ones, the monsters that are sometimes merely people who harbor an abominable evil where their souls should be.
_thebookangel_'s review
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.
motherhorror's review
4.0
I'll say this up front: The author gave me this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this little story. I loved it so much that I was annoyed that there wasn't enough of it. Clearly Lorn is a gifted writer and he could have teased this story out over at least another 100-200 pages so I feel like a whole star represents what *could* have been and what *should* have been. Other than that, I have zero complaints.
The characters in the book are young, school age--12-13 years old and I've read quite a few good stories with that age group as the main protagonists. Lorn fleshes these kids out very realistically. The dialogue between the two boys, Trey & Eddie were spot on. I have a 12 year old boy and I'm often the one driving them around so I have the extra special privilege (torture) of overhearing a lot of their conversations and Lorn pretty much nails it. I mean, maybe the boys in the book were a little more nasty and oversexualized than I'm comfortable with but maybe that's realistic and I just don't hear what goes on when I'm not in the room, you know?
The author develops for us, a good picture of life in Bay's End for our main character Trey. Growing up in a very small community myself, everything resonated with threads of truth and experience. Lorn knows about the small town.
I loved watching the new friendship develop between Trey and his neighbor that just moved in across the street, Eddie.
BUT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE!
I think Ed rushed the introduction of the character, Candy. I wanted her to be as fleshed out as the boys and maybe some more scenes where the relationships developed through some childhood antics but that portion of the story felt a little rushed in order to get to a climax that pretty much punches you in your pretty reader's face!
Trigger Warning: There is graphic, sexual content so go into this knowing that.
While it is difficult to read stories where children are subjected to this world's darkness and the monsters that call themselves "adults", it's real life. This shit happens every, single day and while it's disturbing to read, the author has a story to tell, a tale that might resonate with more than half of the population, so it's an important, raw and legitimate story to tell.
I just wish there was more story told with more character development for some of the adult characters so that the tension could have mounted a little more-I did feel kind of hit over the head with it after Lorn really took his time up front, helping us get invested in the two lead characters.
So overall, I'm a fan now. The writing here was enough to get me interested. I'll be reading more by Edward Lorn for sure and I recommend this book as a great introduction to his storytelling chops.
I loved this little story. I loved it so much that I was annoyed that there wasn't enough of it. Clearly Lorn is a gifted writer and he could have teased this story out over at least another 100-200 pages so I feel like a whole star represents what *could* have been and what *should* have been. Other than that, I have zero complaints.
The characters in the book are young, school age--12-13 years old and I've read quite a few good stories with that age group as the main protagonists. Lorn fleshes these kids out very realistically. The dialogue between the two boys, Trey & Eddie were spot on. I have a 12 year old boy and I'm often the one driving them around so I have the extra special privilege (torture) of overhearing a lot of their conversations and Lorn pretty much nails it. I mean, maybe the boys in the book were a little more nasty and oversexualized than I'm comfortable with but maybe that's realistic and I just don't hear what goes on when I'm not in the room, you know?
The author develops for us, a good picture of life in Bay's End for our main character Trey. Growing up in a very small community myself, everything resonated with threads of truth and experience. Lorn knows about the small town.
I loved watching the new friendship develop between Trey and his neighbor that just moved in across the street, Eddie.
BUT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE!
I think Ed rushed the introduction of the character, Candy. I wanted her to be as fleshed out as the boys and maybe some more scenes where the relationships developed through some childhood antics but that portion of the story felt a little rushed in order to get to a climax that pretty much punches you in your pretty reader's face!
Trigger Warning: There is graphic, sexual content so go into this knowing that.
While it is difficult to read stories where children are subjected to this world's darkness and the monsters that call themselves "adults", it's real life. This shit happens every, single day and while it's disturbing to read, the author has a story to tell, a tale that might resonate with more than half of the population, so it's an important, raw and legitimate story to tell.
I just wish there was more story told with more character development for some of the adult characters so that the tension could have mounted a little more-I did feel kind of hit over the head with it after Lorn really took his time up front, helping us get invested in the two lead characters.
So overall, I'm a fan now. The writing here was enough to get me interested. I'll be reading more by Edward Lorn for sure and I recommend this book as a great introduction to his storytelling chops.
smcscot's review
4.0
I've been following E. on social media (twitter and youtube), and have been wanting to read something by him for a while, so I decided to begin with the first book in his longer, lightly connected story arc.
Wax poetic interlude: Feel free to skip this if you only care about the review...I'm a published author. I just haven't broken the money ceiling yet. In this journey, I'm trying to go outside of my comfort zone, or what I've thought of as normal, so I've gone into the social media venue to try and gain a little more speed. That's how I found E. He's a published author, and in fact he's exactly what I want to be...he supports himself with his writing. Much of his publishing is self pub, and I believe he has a number of books traditionally published.
I've worked in bookstores most of my life, and I've talked to a number of authors whom are traditionally published, and I can say, with assurance, there is a stigma against Self Pub. Books and Authors. The thought is that they weren't "good" enough to get traditionally published, so their work is considered bad. Otherwise they would have gotten a contract already. The truth is, it's not that easy. There has been some spectacular stuff I've read from self pub authors, and there have been a number of movies made from self pub authors (thanks to Netflix). We need to break down the stigma and read what you want when you want it. If a book sounds interesting to you, pick it up and ignore the fact that it's been self published. Rant Done.
The book starts out a little trite. I knew it was a coming of age story from the beginning, and was braced for cheap and tired jibes and comebacks and I wasn't disappointed. The writing is a bit juvenile, and the characters are a bit flat. Thing is, the further you get into the book (which is a shorty), those characteristics become a bit touching and narrow out to become plot driving. The writing seems to mature as well, and that all takes place right in the middle of the book. There is a slight shift in plot, and the reader for a moment feels a bit lost. There have been a few incidents, but none of them seem to hold together. Then E. tilts the floor and everything seems to come together. All the disparate story lines, and also the writing tone and voice. The twists were both unexpected and expected at the same time, because E. doesn't mind pushing the boundaries of normal. This would be a five star review, but for the slow start. I'm excited to see what happens next.
Wax poetic interlude: Feel free to skip this if you only care about the review...I'm a published author. I just haven't broken the money ceiling yet. In this journey, I'm trying to go outside of my comfort zone, or what I've thought of as normal, so I've gone into the social media venue to try and gain a little more speed. That's how I found E. He's a published author, and in fact he's exactly what I want to be...he supports himself with his writing. Much of his publishing is self pub, and I believe he has a number of books traditionally published.
I've worked in bookstores most of my life, and I've talked to a number of authors whom are traditionally published, and I can say, with assurance, there is a stigma against Self Pub. Books and Authors. The thought is that they weren't "good" enough to get traditionally published, so their work is considered bad. Otherwise they would have gotten a contract already. The truth is, it's not that easy. There has been some spectacular stuff I've read from self pub authors, and there have been a number of movies made from self pub authors (thanks to Netflix). We need to break down the stigma and read what you want when you want it. If a book sounds interesting to you, pick it up and ignore the fact that it's been self published. Rant Done.
The book starts out a little trite. I knew it was a coming of age story from the beginning, and was braced for cheap and tired jibes and comebacks and I wasn't disappointed. The writing is a bit juvenile, and the characters are a bit flat. Thing is, the further you get into the book (which is a shorty), those characteristics become a bit touching and narrow out to become plot driving. The writing seems to mature as well, and that all takes place right in the middle of the book. There is a slight shift in plot, and the reader for a moment feels a bit lost. There have been a few incidents, but none of them seem to hold together. Then E. tilts the floor and everything seems to come together. All the disparate story lines, and also the writing tone and voice. The twists were both unexpected and expected at the same time, because E. doesn't mind pushing the boundaries of normal. This would be a five star review, but for the slow start. I'm excited to see what happens next.
exorcismemily's review
5.0
I'm going to have to wash my brain out after reading Bay's End and Jack & Jill in the same week. This book takes you through all the emotions, and instead of boring you in the middle like a lot of books, it punches you in the face with some incredibly dark content.
There was a second in there where I was so horrified that I had to set the book down, and think about whether or not I wanted to finish the book...I picked it back up, and I'm glad that I did. Everything balances out, and this book has a lot of both good and evil.
The small town writing is very King-esque, and I really enjoyed that. Edward Lorn writes kids very well, and it's so easy to get invested in this story. This is the second book I've read by this author (the first was Fairy Lights), and these two books are entirely different worlds. I will vouch for the fact that his writing has versitility, and I'm excited to try our more books. A friend on Instagram (@codysbookshelf) referred to the author as "Jack Ketchum, with a little southern flair", and I agree with this.
Thank you so much for sending me a copy of Bay's End, Edward!
There was a second in there where I was so horrified that I had to set the book down, and think about whether or not I wanted to finish the book...I picked it back up, and I'm glad that I did. Everything balances out, and this book has a lot of both good and evil.
The small town writing is very King-esque, and I really enjoyed that. Edward Lorn writes kids very well, and it's so easy to get invested in this story. This is the second book I've read by this author (the first was Fairy Lights), and these two books are entirely different worlds. I will vouch for the fact that his writing has versitility, and I'm excited to try our more books. A friend on Instagram (@codysbookshelf) referred to the author as "Jack Ketchum, with a little southern flair", and I agree with this.
Thank you so much for sending me a copy of Bay's End, Edward!
sjgomzi's review
5.0
A coming of age story written by Edward Lorn. This all but guarantees that it’s highly improbable anyone is reaching adulthood in this book! :) Lorn writes great characters, and you feel like you know them; you care about what happens to them, and when he swings the razor blade across your gut, the pain is deep and hurts all the more because of it. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. This book is violent, it will make you uncomfortable, and it’s one of my favorite reads of the year!
christy_aldridge's review against another edition
5.0
"Memories last because you need to remember."
I was recommended Lorn's work, and specifically this book by a friend. I'd never heard of this author before I began Bay's End and it actually sucks that I might have missed him altogether if a friend of mine hadn't gushed over this book.
This book. . . God, this book. I had chills. I had laughs. I had tears.
I will say that the beginning lagged at first. I knew I would like the book based off the way the writer writes, I like his writing style, but I had trouble once the book had started. And then I was hit by a bus and had no trouble finishing most of this book in one sitting. I blame this lagging in the beginning to my own attention span and not the writer because I feel like if I wanted to, I'd reread this book again without any trouble whatsoever.
I don't like to give any spoilers, so I'll leave this simple. The characters in this book are beautiful. They are also tragic. I hurt after reading this. My chest physically aches for these poor characters, and that is a gift that I cannot wait to see more of from this writer.
And the "villains"? I think this book works so well because of how real it is. It so tragically real.
I was recommended Lorn's work, and specifically this book by a friend. I'd never heard of this author before I began Bay's End and it actually sucks that I might have missed him altogether if a friend of mine hadn't gushed over this book.
This book. . . God, this book. I had chills. I had laughs. I had tears.
I will say that the beginning lagged at first. I knew I would like the book based off the way the writer writes, I like his writing style, but I had trouble once the book had started. And then I was hit by a bus and had no trouble finishing most of this book in one sitting. I blame this lagging in the beginning to my own attention span and not the writer because I feel like if I wanted to, I'd reread this book again without any trouble whatsoever.
I don't like to give any spoilers, so I'll leave this simple. The characters in this book are beautiful. They are also tragic. I hurt after reading this. My chest physically aches for these poor characters, and that is a gift that I cannot wait to see more of from this writer.
And the "villains"? I think this book works so well because of how real it is. It so tragically real.
avoraciousreader68's review against another edition
4.0
*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Trey Franklin is exorcising his past. Reflecting back on the summer he was twelve when he met the new kid across the street. Eddy quickly became his best friend. However, there is some serious shit going on his town, shit he never even suspected. And always oozing nearby is the evil specter of Office Mack Larson.
This story drags a bit with the everyday things a twelve-year-old boy can get into with his new best friend. There is a lot of swearing. Not that I particularly mind swearing unless it’s coming fast and furious from a kid’s mouth. I just prefer it from adults instead. Anyway, as the story moves along, some disturbing things about the people Trey knows come to light. It’s not pretty and made me cringe. And then there’s Officer Mack. That man is just plain evil. Ooooh, how I wanted to kick his ass. Many times. What did it for me in this story was the suspense. I knew something was coming, something I wasn’t going to like and I was on edge waiting for it. And, boy, does it deliver. Yowzers. All-in-all a pretty good read.
Trey Franklin is exorcising his past. Reflecting back on the summer he was twelve when he met the new kid across the street. Eddy quickly became his best friend. However, there is some serious shit going on his town, shit he never even suspected. And always oozing nearby is the evil specter of Office Mack Larson.
This story drags a bit with the everyday things a twelve-year-old boy can get into with his new best friend. There is a lot of swearing. Not that I particularly mind swearing unless it’s coming fast and furious from a kid’s mouth. I just prefer it from adults instead. Anyway, as the story moves along, some disturbing things about the people Trey knows come to light. It’s not pretty and made me cringe. And then there’s Officer Mack. That man is just plain evil. Ooooh, how I wanted to kick his ass. Many times. What did it for me in this story was the suspense. I knew something was coming, something I wasn’t going to like and I was on edge waiting for it. And, boy, does it deliver. Yowzers. All-in-all a pretty good read.
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