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motherhorror's review
5.0
I first started bumping into to Tobin here on Goodreads. He would comment on my reviews every now and again. Then he commented on one of my posts on Instagram and I told him I'd love to read one of *his* books (since he mentioned them) and he generously offered to send me some in exchange for an honest review.
I got them yesterday and I read this one overnight. It's a novella, only around 50 pages or so but I could NOT put the damn thing down and I had to a few times because *life* but this is a one-sitting read for sure.
I don't like to go into plot details--this is one of those stories you should just jump into blind like I did.
Tobin is a clever writer. Our protagonist is a child and the narration has a very distinct, familiar (I'm a mother) child-like tone. But as the story progresses and the circumstances change-the narration adapts to the story and evolves with our character in a very subtle, remarkable way. I *loved* that!
Mr. Elliott also left some 'smoking guns' laying around that I noted and waited for and Tobin pulled the trigger on those in the *perfect* places.
The suspense and foreboding was layered into the prose with a deft hand. Old hats in the horror genre will love the way this tale unfolds. I was eating it up in a classic, Stephen King (Firestarter, Carrie) way.
And can I just say, I love creepy kids? It never gets old. Anyways, Tobin Elliott left the door *wide* open for this story to expand past this novella and I really, really hope that happens. I have more to read in this "Cycle of the Aphotic World" so that excites me very much. If you're interested in getting in on this on the ground level, check out Tobin's website and dig around a bit. I, for one, am an instant fan. I closed this little book and whispered, "Holy shit. Yes!"
http://tobinelliott.com/default/index/
I got them yesterday and I read this one overnight. It's a novella, only around 50 pages or so but I could NOT put the damn thing down and I had to a few times because *life* but this is a one-sitting read for sure.
I don't like to go into plot details--this is one of those stories you should just jump into blind like I did.
Tobin is a clever writer. Our protagonist is a child and the narration has a very distinct, familiar (I'm a mother) child-like tone. But as the story progresses and the circumstances change-the narration adapts to the story and evolves with our character in a very subtle, remarkable way. I *loved* that!
Mr. Elliott also left some 'smoking guns' laying around that I noted and waited for and Tobin pulled the trigger on those in the *perfect* places.
The suspense and foreboding was layered into the prose with a deft hand. Old hats in the horror genre will love the way this tale unfolds. I was eating it up in a classic, Stephen King (Firestarter, Carrie) way.
And can I just say, I love creepy kids? It never gets old. Anyways, Tobin Elliott left the door *wide* open for this story to expand past this novella and I really, really hope that happens. I have more to read in this "Cycle of the Aphotic World" so that excites me very much. If you're interested in getting in on this on the ground level, check out Tobin's website and dig around a bit. I, for one, am an instant fan. I closed this little book and whispered, "Holy shit. Yes!"
http://tobinelliott.com/default/index/
electricflowers's review
3.0
Interesting little chapbook with a good premise that it doesn't make good on. Talia is an interesting protagonist (antagonist?) that had such potential and I was disappointed that that potential was wasted. This would have been better as a more indepth novel as there were too many questions. What is the book and where did it come from? What does the book want and how does it work? The end felt really clunky, but I wouldn't mind reading the next installment of the series.
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