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johnlynchbooks's review against another edition
4.0
One of my highly anticipated books of 2020 has arrived, The Prisoners of Stewartville, has finally arrived. Shannon’s story in the anthology Midnight in a graveyard served as proof she has talent, and her debut novella cements that.
Felton tells the story of a young resident of Stewartville, who along with his friend, stumble upon an underground tunnel system. Something is afoot in Stewartville, can anybody escape?
The town of Stewartville is just as important as any character in the book. This is a story of desolation, despair, struggling to find your way in a dying town where most are trapped, unable to leave. You end up a prisoner to the town itself, even if you manage to avoid jail.
Felton does an extremely good job showing just how bad Stewartville is. It was easy for me to imagine the residents growing up, knowing that they were destined to end up on drugs, locked up in prison. The lucky ones do well enough to end up correction officers rather than prisoners. Its a very bleak situation, and one that Felton writes expertly.
The Prisoners of Stewartville is a top notch release from a publisher who puts out nothing but top notch releases. Check this one out, and give me more from Shannon Felton ASAP
Felton tells the story of a young resident of Stewartville, who along with his friend, stumble upon an underground tunnel system. Something is afoot in Stewartville, can anybody escape?
The town of Stewartville is just as important as any character in the book. This is a story of desolation, despair, struggling to find your way in a dying town where most are trapped, unable to leave. You end up a prisoner to the town itself, even if you manage to avoid jail.
Felton does an extremely good job showing just how bad Stewartville is. It was easy for me to imagine the residents growing up, knowing that they were destined to end up on drugs, locked up in prison. The lucky ones do well enough to end up correction officers rather than prisoners. Its a very bleak situation, and one that Felton writes expertly.
The Prisoners of Stewartville is a top notch release from a publisher who puts out nothing but top notch releases. Check this one out, and give me more from Shannon Felton ASAP
bookish_satty's review
4.0
Wow! I really enjoyed this book but was a little disappointed by the ending which seemed a little rushed.
million_pages's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Prisoners of Stewartville fits in the horror genre and I enjoyed it. I loved the writing style and it was easy to read. It also has small chapters, which I really enjoyed. Horror is not my usual genre and I gave it 4 stars, so I think that horror fans will love it.
stranger_sights's review against another edition
4.0
I am in awe that this novella is Felton’s debut. Her writing is so thoughtful, purposeful, and strong that it doesn’t read as the work of a new author at all.
Stewartville feels like it could be a real town. Hell, I’ve lived in towns that remind me a bit of it. Towns where everybody is piss-poor, unhappy, and beaten down. Towns where criminality is just a way of life and prison is inevitable – as either inmate or guard, depending on the whims of fate.
It’s a town without hope. A town built on bad vibes.
Yeah, the backdrop is bleak as hell. Most of the people are just awful. But not everyone. And the story is worth it all in the end, I promise.
You can read my full review (and others like it) at MEDIADROME:
https://mediadrome.wordpress.com/2020/02/24/the-prisoners-of-stewartville-by-shannon-felton/
Stewartville feels like it could be a real town. Hell, I’ve lived in towns that remind me a bit of it. Towns where everybody is piss-poor, unhappy, and beaten down. Towns where criminality is just a way of life and prison is inevitable – as either inmate or guard, depending on the whims of fate.
It’s a town without hope. A town built on bad vibes.
Yeah, the backdrop is bleak as hell. Most of the people are just awful. But not everyone. And the story is worth it all in the end, I promise.
You can read my full review (and others like it) at MEDIADROME:
https://mediadrome.wordpress.com/2020/02/24/the-prisoners-of-stewartville-by-shannon-felton/
paperbackstash's review against another edition
5.0
Surprisingly good novella. It has its creepy moments, it has its twists, it has a realism that makes you think. Tragedy and not a happy ending, but that wouldn't fit with the story otherwise, and it displays its horror badge clearly because of this.
Where it gives the headiest impact is the characterization. Even in brief scenes, you come to feel for these paper folks. They across effortlessly and cleanly as realistic. The dialogue is in the tones of the young and, as an adult with a son, I found it enjoyable.
Where it gives the headiest impact is the characterization. Even in brief scenes, you come to feel for these paper folks. They across effortlessly and cleanly as realistic. The dialogue is in the tones of the young and, as an adult with a son, I found it enjoyable.
readbydusk's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this debut! A wonderfully dark story where the horrors are not just from the hint of the supernatural, but from the bleakness of an unfulfilled life. The small town setting of Stewartville is atmospheric and vividly described. Its residents are all linked to the huge prison in its centre - whether as guards, prisoners or people just stuck in a cycle of poverty and abuse. I thought the description of life in this prison town is harrowing, and I really felt for the characters.
The main character, Casey, lives with his brother and grandmother in a trailer park after their mother was sent to prison. He befriends Denny, whose mother works in the prison and whose house has a mysterious tunnel. When strange things start happening and people start dying, Casey has to figure out whether there is something unnatural or whether it is just the consequences of living in Stewartville. His struggle feels real and I was rooting for his survival. The ending is a shocker and lines up with everything that came before. Overall, if you're a fan of small town horrors this would be a great pick.
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
The main character, Casey, lives with his brother and grandmother in a trailer park after their mother was sent to prison. He befriends Denny, whose mother works in the prison and whose house has a mysterious tunnel. When strange things start happening and people start dying, Casey has to figure out whether there is something unnatural or whether it is just the consequences of living in Stewartville. His struggle feels real and I was rooting for his survival. The ending is a shocker and lines up with everything that came before. Overall, if you're a fan of small town horrors this would be a great pick.
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
spookyoctopusreads's review against another edition
5.0
I was certainly blown away by the fact that this was a debut novella for Shannon Felton. I absolutely loved her style, and her writing of the town of Stweartville and the characters therein was absolutely intriguing.
Stewartville reminded me of some of the towns in the southern part of our state that have been ravished by drugs. You know those towns...the sad ones that you may see on the news or pass through, the ones that just look bleak and reek of desperation. They are the towns that anyone rarely leaves because they get "stuck" for one reason or another. No one particularly wants to be there in those circumstances, but they are held there for one reason or another. That is Stewartville...the town with something evil lurking that cannot be escaped.
Casey, the narrator, has a mother in prison and lives with his older brother and grandmother. When he and his friend Denny find a secret tunnel behind Denny's basement wall, they do what all high school aged boys would do, they explore it! Then, whatever was trapped in that tunnel emerges, and strange occurrences and violent incidents increase throughout Stewartville. This all crescendos with Casey attempting to "save" the town from this evil and culminates in an end that I just wasn't expecting.
4.5/5- This was one of those quick reads that you just can't put down until you figure it all out. I will certainly be looking forward to more books from Shannon Felton!
**Thank you to Silver Shamrock Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book to read/review.**
Stewartville reminded me of some of the towns in the southern part of our state that have been ravished by drugs. You know those towns...the sad ones that you may see on the news or pass through, the ones that just look bleak and reek of desperation. They are the towns that anyone rarely leaves because they get "stuck" for one reason or another. No one particularly wants to be there in those circumstances, but they are held there for one reason or another. That is Stewartville...the town with something evil lurking that cannot be escaped.
Casey, the narrator, has a mother in prison and lives with his older brother and grandmother. When he and his friend Denny find a secret tunnel behind Denny's basement wall, they do what all high school aged boys would do, they explore it! Then, whatever was trapped in that tunnel emerges, and strange occurrences and violent incidents increase throughout Stewartville. This all crescendos with Casey attempting to "save" the town from this evil and culminates in an end that I just wasn't expecting.
4.5/5- This was one of those quick reads that you just can't put down until you figure it all out. I will certainly be looking forward to more books from Shannon Felton!
**Thank you to Silver Shamrock Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book to read/review.**
wellwortharead's review against another edition
5.0
This is Shannon Felton's debut novel but I was lucky enough to have a previous taste of her work in an anthology called Midnight In The Graveyard. If you haven't read that one you should. She had a great story in there called Devil's Dip.
Anyway, about this book.
It is told from the point of view of Casey, a teen who lives in a run down trailer park with his brother Shane and his elderly grandmother. It's just the three of them ever since mom got sent to prison for her drug habit. Shane works in the cement plant, and Casey is still in high school.
The first word that comes to mind in describing the town of Stewartville is bleak. What else can you say about a town that grew around a prison? Pretty much everyone who lives in Stewartville is there because they work in the prison, or have family in prison, or are inmates themselves. There's nothing much to do but get drunk or high and sometimes both. There's a long history of murder and mayhem here, and very little hope, so just to be clear this was no happy place even before Casey and his best friend Denny found the tunnel in Denny's basement. Once they did, Denny became obsessed with finding out what was inside and where it would lead to. Maybe if he had left it alone a lot of people would still be alive. Maybe not, because there was already something wrong with Stewartville, even before those scratching noises started in the walls.
I can scarcely believe this was a first novel. Shannon Felton is already quite adept at bringing her characters to life and weaving suspenseful tales.
I received an advance copy for review.
Anyway, about this book.
It is told from the point of view of Casey, a teen who lives in a run down trailer park with his brother Shane and his elderly grandmother. It's just the three of them ever since mom got sent to prison for her drug habit. Shane works in the cement plant, and Casey is still in high school.
The first word that comes to mind in describing the town of Stewartville is bleak. What else can you say about a town that grew around a prison? Pretty much everyone who lives in Stewartville is there because they work in the prison, or have family in prison, or are inmates themselves. There's nothing much to do but get drunk or high and sometimes both. There's a long history of murder and mayhem here, and very little hope, so just to be clear this was no happy place even before Casey and his best friend Denny found the tunnel in Denny's basement. Once they did, Denny became obsessed with finding out what was inside and where it would lead to. Maybe if he had left it alone a lot of people would still be alive. Maybe not, because there was already something wrong with Stewartville, even before those scratching noises started in the walls.
I can scarcely believe this was a first novel. Shannon Felton is already quite adept at bringing her characters to life and weaving suspenseful tales.
I received an advance copy for review.
lauriereadslohf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Prisoners of Stewartville is a beautifully written novella about a town buried beneath a cloud of despair and desperation. Getting out alive and healthy doesn’t really happen in Stewartville. You either work in the prison, have an incarcerated relative or become an inmate yourself. But our young narrator Casey hopes to get out of the stifling grasp of its looming presence someday.
The book begins when our young narrator and his friend Denny, who is very new to this awful town, discover a big black hole in Denny’s basement when his mom tosses her steel-toed workboot at Denny’s head but misses and knocks some bricks loose instead. What’s a boy to do but investigate this possible portal to hell?! But Casey has lived here his entire life and he knows with every bone in his body that nothing good can come out of crawling into that hole and he Hell Noes himself right out of that basement because he’s unwilling to tempt fate and discover something so terrible that it had to be bricked up! Soon after everything gets even shittier and creepier.
This novella set me up for a spooky boyhood adventure and some of the dialogue was hilariously delightful but what actually occurs is much more insidious and painfully emotional than I ever imagined and to say much else will ruin it so I won’t be the jerk who does that today.
There’s a lot going on in this town and none of it is good. It’s a bleak and brutal read about a town infested with poverty, hopelessness, and despair. You’ll care about the narrator, you’ll hope he’s able to overcome everything thrown at him and you’ll probably want to crawl into a big ball of sad quite a few times as the story unfolds and everything he’s really dealing with here is revealed.
This well thought out and excellently written debut is one that I can easily recommend to dark fiction fans. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½ stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Vomit
charshorrorcorner's review against another edition
4.0
Bravo to Shannon Felton on this, her debut novella! After reading her short story in MIDNIGHT AT THE GRAVEYARD, I was super excited to read more from this author and she did not disappoint!
Beneath a dying town, whose only means of support is the prison, a young man and his friend discover hidden tunnels one night when a brick fell out of the basement wall. From that point on, something seems to spread throughout this already bleak place. Were these tunnels used by escaped prisoners? What's causing the noises in the walls townsfolk are now hearing? You'll have to read this to find out!
Stewartville as a town rang true to me. There are several places here in the northeast that have dwindled to nothing as manufacturing jobs have been moved overseas. Just driving through some of these places you feel suffocated with despair. There is also a severe opioid crisis going on in several of these towns as well. In this manner, Stewartville became an all too well known character in this tale. The despair....the grayness...it became an entity of its own.
Ms. Felton has demonstrated a command of language and characterization that, I'm sure, will hold her in good stead as she, (hopefully?), continues her career in dark fiction. As far as I'm concerned? You can sign me up right now for anything she writes in the future!
Highly recommended!
Available today, here: https://amzn.to/3c6SPAr
*Thanks to Silver Shamrock Publishing for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
Beneath a dying town, whose only means of support is the prison, a young man and his friend discover hidden tunnels one night when a brick fell out of the basement wall. From that point on, something seems to spread throughout this already bleak place. Were these tunnels used by escaped prisoners? What's causing the noises in the walls townsfolk are now hearing? You'll have to read this to find out!
Stewartville as a town rang true to me. There are several places here in the northeast that have dwindled to nothing as manufacturing jobs have been moved overseas. Just driving through some of these places you feel suffocated with despair. There is also a severe opioid crisis going on in several of these towns as well. In this manner, Stewartville became an all too well known character in this tale. The despair....the grayness...it became an entity of its own.
Ms. Felton has demonstrated a command of language and characterization that, I'm sure, will hold her in good stead as she, (hopefully?), continues her career in dark fiction. As far as I'm concerned? You can sign me up right now for anything she writes in the future!
Highly recommended!
Available today, here: https://amzn.to/3c6SPAr
*Thanks to Silver Shamrock Publishing for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*