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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
dark
tense
fast-paced
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!
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!
My own mortality was never on my mind as a child. Exuberance and life to the fullest for me. But the older I get the more I think about getting old. My own aging is disconcerting to me, but it doesn't hold a candle to the disturbing contents of Mark Towse's creepy debut novella.
Although I have fond memories of my grandparents, there is something subconsciously unnerving about old people. Here the fear of aging and the elderly is taken to the extreme. The story plays out mostly through the eyes of a 12 year old boy, trapped for the night in a suburban community where his Nana resides. There is something very wrong with residents, but the author allows the mystery to build until it reaches a breaking point in the final act. The book cycles through a large cast of characters in a relatively short amount of time, but I never felt lost or confused. Towse does a great job of painting them each with their own personalities and quirks. He also does a great job of describing the aging process in excessively gross ways. Thanks for the queasy stomach Mark!
I loved the restrained pacing of this one. It takes its time introducing you to the main characters as we follow the boy on his paper route around the community. Then we head off to a certain "community event" and that's when things really get wild. There are some moments that drag a little, but they are punctuated with enough shock and hilarity (seriously, laughed out loud in parts) that it didn't bother me too much. And the story builds to a climactic scene that simply has to be read to be believed. So get reading!
Although I have fond memories of my grandparents, there is something subconsciously unnerving about old people. Here the fear of aging and the elderly is taken to the extreme. The story plays out mostly through the eyes of a 12 year old boy, trapped for the night in a suburban community where his Nana resides. There is something very wrong with residents, but the author allows the mystery to build until it reaches a breaking point in the final act. The book cycles through a large cast of characters in a relatively short amount of time, but I never felt lost or confused. Towse does a great job of painting them each with their own personalities and quirks. He also does a great job of describing the aging process in excessively gross ways. Thanks for the queasy stomach Mark!
I loved the restrained pacing of this one. It takes its time introducing you to the main characters as we follow the boy on his paper route around the community. Then we head off to a certain "community event" and that's when things really get wild. There are some moments that drag a little, but they are punctuated with enough shock and hilarity (seriously, laughed out loud in parts) that it didn't bother me too much. And the story builds to a climactic scene that simply has to be read to be believed. So get reading!
This was such a fun novella! Ollie is less than thrilled to stay with his Nana overnight while his parents attempt to work out their relationship issues privately. He tags along to what was supposed to be a run of the mill talent show night in a retirement community. This quickly turns ominous, leaving Ollie to fend for himself during the turmoil that unfolds.
Towse did a wonderful job with this story, providing specifics that felt fully immersive while creating a fast-paced plot that made me devour the work in one sitting. Obviously, aging is not as unglamorous as described in Nana but, the way that the old people were described made me contemplate my personal unease surrounding mortality. Acute attention to detail created an aesthetic throughout the work that was sinister and unsettling, leaving me with a feeling of dread as I worked my way through. The macabre nature took me by surprise in the best way, as I would have never expected the story took the twists and turns that it did.
Thank you to Mark Towse for providing me with the ARC of Nana to read and review. The novella is available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. If you are a horror fan, I highly recommend this!
Towse did a wonderful job with this story, providing specifics that felt fully immersive while creating a fast-paced plot that made me devour the work in one sitting. Obviously, aging is not as unglamorous as described in Nana but, the way that the old people were described made me contemplate my personal unease surrounding mortality. Acute attention to detail created an aesthetic throughout the work that was sinister and unsettling, leaving me with a feeling of dread as I worked my way through. The macabre nature took me by surprise in the best way, as I would have never expected the story took the twists and turns that it did.
Thank you to Mark Towse for providing me with the ARC of Nana to read and review. The novella is available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. If you are a horror fan, I highly recommend this!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had been following the author for some time, and seeing his covers everywhere, so naturally for this Spooky Season I had to grab some of his work! (I got Nana and Hope Wharf)
This novella has virtually ruined my view of elderly people for the rest of my life, irrevocably. It is gross, gruesome, horrifying. The worse part being that my grandmother goes by Nana too. Now I’m not sure if I can ever view her the same…what has this world become.
To me, this really had the feeling of an adult version of The Witches by Dahl. Maybe because of the venue for the climax, or because all the boil-covered, drooping, seeping elderly people made me think of the exposed witches. Maybe because of the disregard for children. It had a good effect for me, especially because the are certainly wicked!
The writing was great, the story is balanced nicely, and the pacing is awesome. Nana loves you, she knows what’s best…just don’t trust her.
This novella has virtually ruined my view of elderly people for the rest of my life, irrevocably. It is gross, gruesome, horrifying. The worse part being that my grandmother goes by Nana too. Now I’m not sure if I can ever view her the same…what has this world become.
To me, this really had the feeling of an adult version of The Witches by Dahl. Maybe because of the venue for the climax, or because all the boil-covered, drooping, seeping elderly people made me think of the exposed witches. Maybe because of the disregard for children. It had a good effect for me, especially because the are certainly wicked!
The writing was great, the story is balanced nicely, and the pacing is awesome. Nana loves you, she knows what’s best…just don’t trust her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
dark
medium-paced
I am giving this story five stars based solely on the fact that it grossed me out throughout the entire story. Leaking black ooze, descriptions of putrid smells and naked, decaying old people.
Ivy or Nana as she's known to Olly, her grandson, is a peculiar older woman who lives alone and bakes the most amazing cherry pies. On this occasion, Olly is going to be spending the night with her as his parents are going to be going out to reconcile as they have been having a rough go in their marriage. She lives in the quaint community of Newhaven Crescent. All the residents there are elderly and seem to share the same affliction, black oozing sores, pustules and a horrid smell. After he arrives, she takes him to the local community center where they are having a talent show. It starts off innocent enough but all too soon it's going to get bizarre, then scary and downright disgusting. Just what did Olly's parents get him into, and can he survive the night alone with his Nana?
I had previously read Hope Wharf also by this author and I really enjoyed it. This one was.... well, disgusting. You just have to read it to know what I am talking about. I did like the story overall and I'm one of those people who likes to share my disgust so I would most definitely recommend this book.
Ivy or Nana as she's known to Olly, her grandson, is a peculiar older woman who lives alone and bakes the most amazing cherry pies. On this occasion, Olly is going to be spending the night with her as his parents are going to be going out to reconcile as they have been having a rough go in their marriage. She lives in the quaint community of Newhaven Crescent. All the residents there are elderly and seem to share the same affliction, black oozing sores, pustules and a horrid smell. After he arrives, she takes him to the local community center where they are having a talent show. It starts off innocent enough but all too soon it's going to get bizarre, then scary and downright disgusting. Just what did Olly's parents get him into, and can he survive the night alone with his Nana?
I had previously read Hope Wharf also by this author and I really enjoyed it. This one was.... well, disgusting. You just have to read it to know what I am talking about. I did like the story overall and I'm one of those people who likes to share my disgust so I would most definitely recommend this book.