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themaddiehatter's review
4.0
For the longest part of last year I kept seeing this little short story collection floating about the horror bookstagram community and getting a lot of praise. Around the beginning of this year Andrew Cull was offering free review copies on Instagram, and of course I jumped at the opportunity, and I am very happy that I did.
"Bones" is a collection of four short stories and a fifth flash fiction story. Neither of the stories is called "Bones" (extra points for that!), the title representing the common themes of decay, loss, and grief. All stories follow characters who are faced with the death of loved ones and with the grief that ensues. Grief manifests differently with everyone, so of course, some characters react with despair, while others resort to anger or guilt. Another common theme is the coming of age one, since all characters, whether children or adults, end up maturing more after dealing with the feelings and situations they are in.
Eddie Generous, from Unnerving Magazine, refers to Cull's writing as writing "like there's a movie playing in his head", and that is the closest description to how I felt about his writing as well. The imagery he creates is very vivid, and by that I do not just mean the visual imagery, but also the auditory and the olfactory. Many times while reading I felt like I could smell the decay he was writing about, and for that his writing has all my praise.
I will not be going into each short story, as they are short to begin with and I don't want to give anything away. I will say, though, that my personal favorite is "The Trade" and its ending will stay with me for a while.
"Bones" was my introduction to Andrew Cull's writing and I am very much looking forward to more. Luckily, his novel "Remains" is coming out sometime this year and I can't wait!
"Bones" is a collection of four short stories and a fifth flash fiction story. Neither of the stories is called "Bones" (extra points for that!), the title representing the common themes of decay, loss, and grief. All stories follow characters who are faced with the death of loved ones and with the grief that ensues. Grief manifests differently with everyone, so of course, some characters react with despair, while others resort to anger or guilt. Another common theme is the coming of age one, since all characters, whether children or adults, end up maturing more after dealing with the feelings and situations they are in.
Eddie Generous, from Unnerving Magazine, refers to Cull's writing as writing "like there's a movie playing in his head", and that is the closest description to how I felt about his writing as well. The imagery he creates is very vivid, and by that I do not just mean the visual imagery, but also the auditory and the olfactory. Many times while reading I felt like I could smell the decay he was writing about, and for that his writing has all my praise.
I will not be going into each short story, as they are short to begin with and I don't want to give anything away. I will say, though, that my personal favorite is "The Trade" and its ending will stay with me for a while.
"Bones" was my introduction to Andrew Cull's writing and I am very much looking forward to more. Luckily, his novel "Remains" is coming out sometime this year and I can't wait!
motherhorror's review
5.0
This review first was published on Cemetery Dance Online August 15th, 2018
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/review-bones-by-andrew-cull/
I’ve been saying a different version of the same thing all year but I’ll say it in a unique way for Cemetery Dance:
Social media is responsible for introducing me to a much larger selection of books to read in my favorite genre of horror. Way back when, whatever my mom added to her shelves was what was accessible to me. As I began to shop for books on my own, I was only getting whatever was available at the bookstore, library or thrift stores.
In other words: Traditionally published books.
These days, I’m like a child set loose in a candy store! So many books, so little time! A book that came into view at the beginning of summer is this self-published collection of four short stories called Bones by Andrew Cull.
As far as introductions go, this is the best possible first impression an author can make. It was almost as if Cull was anticipating my own, personal checklist of things I’m looking for in quality horror, intentionally ticking all the boxes. Since this is a debut collection, I’ll go ahead and identify right now that Andrew Cull’s wheelhouse is character-driven stories with “knock-your-socks-off” opening lines. Every single story punched you square between the eyes with the first sentence and then proceeded to build out a flesh-and-blood character or two that you could really invest in emotionally. This is the best kind of way to tell scary stories, because a talented author can pull at your heartstrings, distracting you from the horror until it bites you from behind. I was completely captivated by all four stories — each one unique in its subject material but also similar in atmospheric tension and style.
There were some genuinely terrifying, standout scenes that I of course would never spoil for future readers. But I will say, the scariest story for me was “Hope and Walker.” It was unsettling and disturbing in ways that I won’t likely forget and will forever be recommending. But I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite, since I loved them all for different reasons.
I can’t wait to see a full novel from Andrew Cull sooner rather than later. I’ll be the first to buy it!
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/review-bones-by-andrew-cull/
I’ve been saying a different version of the same thing all year but I’ll say it in a unique way for Cemetery Dance:
Social media is responsible for introducing me to a much larger selection of books to read in my favorite genre of horror. Way back when, whatever my mom added to her shelves was what was accessible to me. As I began to shop for books on my own, I was only getting whatever was available at the bookstore, library or thrift stores.
In other words: Traditionally published books.
These days, I’m like a child set loose in a candy store! So many books, so little time! A book that came into view at the beginning of summer is this self-published collection of four short stories called Bones by Andrew Cull.
As far as introductions go, this is the best possible first impression an author can make. It was almost as if Cull was anticipating my own, personal checklist of things I’m looking for in quality horror, intentionally ticking all the boxes. Since this is a debut collection, I’ll go ahead and identify right now that Andrew Cull’s wheelhouse is character-driven stories with “knock-your-socks-off” opening lines. Every single story punched you square between the eyes with the first sentence and then proceeded to build out a flesh-and-blood character or two that you could really invest in emotionally. This is the best kind of way to tell scary stories, because a talented author can pull at your heartstrings, distracting you from the horror until it bites you from behind. I was completely captivated by all four stories — each one unique in its subject material but also similar in atmospheric tension and style.
There were some genuinely terrifying, standout scenes that I of course would never spoil for future readers. But I will say, the scariest story for me was “Hope and Walker.” It was unsettling and disturbing in ways that I won’t likely forget and will forever be recommending. But I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite, since I loved them all for different reasons.
I can’t wait to see a full novel from Andrew Cull sooner rather than later. I’ll be the first to buy it!
ginathebibliohoe's review
3.0
Bones consists of 4 mini stories (& a bonus little bitty one)
by Andrew Cull
Each story highlights every child’s fear. 4 monsters.
I could relate to each one..
DID YOU FORGET ABOUT ME?
Haunted by childhood trauma. To go forward you have to uncover the past. Go back. What’s haunting you? You have to face it. If you don’t, it just might consume you.
HOPE AND WALKER
I loved the opening line:
“We were both 10. But he was dead. And I sat drawing him.”
Haunted by death. I’ve always been fascinated with funeral arrangements and undertakers. This story set around a young girl and growing up around her dads funeral parlor— it might be my fave. Andrew did a great job of capturing the innocence and also the spook of being next to a dead body. That talks back.
THE TRADE
“Their fighting became more frequent, until the only thing holding them together was me.”
Parents fighting.
Scared of the unknown, whether it be where you’ll live or what’s haunting you outside.
KNOCK AND YOU WILL SEE ME
“I asked him once if I was a mistake.
“A mistakes something you regret. So, no, you definitely weren’t a mistake. You weren’t planned. But that’s different altogether.”
Not able to let go.
“Death is silence. It’s not the crying and the grieving. It’s not the condolences or the pastors patronizing words. It’s not the pain, like a heart attack, that seizes you in the dark when you close your eyes. No, it’s the never ending, fucking silence of it. It’s never hearing their voice again. Not a word.
Not a sound.
Not ever again.”
This story sucker punched me. I could relate to Em so well, not wanting to let go of her dad. The reality of the silence.
.
.
Things I noted:
20k = 12 miles.
Dogs are killed.
Why. Must. Dogs. Die. In. Horror.
by Andrew Cull
Each story highlights every child’s fear. 4 monsters.
I could relate to each one..
DID YOU FORGET ABOUT ME?
Haunted by childhood trauma. To go forward you have to uncover the past. Go back. What’s haunting you? You have to face it. If you don’t, it just might consume you.
HOPE AND WALKER
I loved the opening line:
“We were both 10. But he was dead. And I sat drawing him.”
Haunted by death. I’ve always been fascinated with funeral arrangements and undertakers. This story set around a young girl and growing up around her dads funeral parlor— it might be my fave. Andrew did a great job of capturing the innocence and also the spook of being next to a dead body. That talks back.
THE TRADE
“Their fighting became more frequent, until the only thing holding them together was me.”
Parents fighting.
Scared of the unknown, whether it be where you’ll live or what’s haunting you outside.
KNOCK AND YOU WILL SEE ME
“I asked him once if I was a mistake.
“A mistakes something you regret. So, no, you definitely weren’t a mistake. You weren’t planned. But that’s different altogether.”
Not able to let go.
“Death is silence. It’s not the crying and the grieving. It’s not the condolences or the pastors patronizing words. It’s not the pain, like a heart attack, that seizes you in the dark when you close your eyes. No, it’s the never ending, fucking silence of it. It’s never hearing their voice again. Not a word.
Not a sound.
Not ever again.”
This story sucker punched me. I could relate to Em so well, not wanting to let go of her dad. The reality of the silence.
.
.
Things I noted:
20k = 12 miles.
Dogs are killed.
Why. Must. Dogs. Die. In. Horror.
beverleyleeauthor's review
5.0
4.5 stars.
Bones is a collection of four (plus a bonus creepy little offering at the end) chilling short stories, subtitled A Collection of Monsters. The author very kindly sent me a copy of the book for review and I was not disappointed.
I'm a huge fan of well-crafted opening sentences and Andrew delivers on this so very well.
"We were both 10. But he was dead. And I sat drawing him."
"We buried Dad in the winter. It wasn't until the spring that we heard from him again."
The author's strength is in the deliverance of very character-driven stories. You're invested in these characters emotionally, which makes all the horrible things that happen just a little more gut-wrenching. The writing is very visual - you can easily imagine the scenes unfolding in your head, and he has a very good handle on the dynamics of family, which he uses so well in each of these stories.
Cull writes about death and grief and monsters. And the latter is almost a combination of the first two in this collection of stories that always builds to an ending you know is coming, but want to hide from.
Bones is a collection of four (plus a bonus creepy little offering at the end) chilling short stories, subtitled A Collection of Monsters. The author very kindly sent me a copy of the book for review and I was not disappointed.
I'm a huge fan of well-crafted opening sentences and Andrew delivers on this so very well.
"We were both 10. But he was dead. And I sat drawing him."
"We buried Dad in the winter. It wasn't until the spring that we heard from him again."
The author's strength is in the deliverance of very character-driven stories. You're invested in these characters emotionally, which makes all the horrible things that happen just a little more gut-wrenching. The writing is very visual - you can easily imagine the scenes unfolding in your head, and he has a very good handle on the dynamics of family, which he uses so well in each of these stories.
Cull writes about death and grief and monsters. And the latter is almost a combination of the first two in this collection of stories that always builds to an ending you know is coming, but want to hide from.
exorcismemily's review
5.0
I absolutely loved my introduction to Andrew Cull. There are 5 stories in this book (or four official stories & one mini-story), and I enjoyed each of them.
I don't know if I can choose a favorite - probably either Did You Forget About Me? or The Trade. Each story in this book is dark and haunting. These aren't jump scares - they are tense, and the suspense consistently builds as the story goes on. Andrew's writing is incredibly atmospheric, and it feels as if you're a part of the story. The Trade is the perfect example of this - the main character has a fever during a heat wave, and it's impossible not to feel the inescapable warmth and claustrophobia of the story.
If you like family-based horror like Kristi DeMeester and Michael Wehunt, I recommend picking up Bones. I love Kristi's focus on mother/daughter relationships, and Andrew focuses on parent/child relationships in a similar way. Some of Andrew's relationships are positive, though, so that's the difference.
There were a few parts that were so creepy that I glanced over my shoulder a few times. I loved how unsettling and spooky this book was. I am definitely an Andrew Cull fan, and I can't wait to see what else he comes up with!
I don't know if I can choose a favorite - probably either Did You Forget About Me? or The Trade. Each story in this book is dark and haunting. These aren't jump scares - they are tense, and the suspense consistently builds as the story goes on. Andrew's writing is incredibly atmospheric, and it feels as if you're a part of the story. The Trade is the perfect example of this - the main character has a fever during a heat wave, and it's impossible not to feel the inescapable warmth and claustrophobia of the story.
If you like family-based horror like Kristi DeMeester and Michael Wehunt, I recommend picking up Bones. I love Kristi's focus on mother/daughter relationships, and Andrew focuses on parent/child relationships in a similar way. Some of Andrew's relationships are positive, though, so that's the difference.
There were a few parts that were so creepy that I glanced over my shoulder a few times. I loved how unsettling and spooky this book was. I am definitely an Andrew Cull fan, and I can't wait to see what else he comes up with!
0hfortheloveofbooks's review
5.0
A huge thank you to the author, Andrew Cull, for sending me a copy of Bones!
Bones is a collection of four short stories and one mini story at the end - Did You Forget About Me?, Hope and Walker, The Trade, Knock and You Will See Me, and The Rambling Man. To attempt to summarize these stories would greatly reduce the impact of each, ruining the magic, so I won't. I will say that each story contains its own unique, and terrifying monster (or monsters in some cases); unlike any I've encountered before. I love when a horror author is able to write proficiently about all types of monsters; from the ghouls that go bump in the night to the depraved humans that walk among us. There isn't a weak story in the collection, however,some horrors are more forthright than others. I enjoy that little cliffhanger where Cull invites the reader's imagination to run a little wild and fill in some of the blanks.
The mini story at the end was such a wonderful surprise. The Rambling Man may have been my favorite story. It was terrifying and perfect in its simplicity. It was like a bolt of lightning illuminating a dark room; just like that, it was over before your brain had time enough to register what it saw. Leaving you to decide what really happened.
Each tale is so lovingly created and the characters so detailed and lifelike, Cull is able to stir within me both anger and empathy, fear and awe.
Bones is a collection of four short stories and one mini story at the end - Did You Forget About Me?, Hope and Walker, The Trade, Knock and You Will See Me, and The Rambling Man. To attempt to summarize these stories would greatly reduce the impact of each, ruining the magic, so I won't. I will say that each story contains its own unique, and terrifying monster (or monsters in some cases); unlike any I've encountered before. I love when a horror author is able to write proficiently about all types of monsters; from the ghouls that go bump in the night to the depraved humans that walk among us. There isn't a weak story in the collection, however,some horrors are more forthright than others. I enjoy that little cliffhanger where Cull invites the reader's imagination to run a little wild and fill in some of the blanks.
The mini story at the end was such a wonderful surprise. The Rambling Man may have been my favorite story. It was terrifying and perfect in its simplicity. It was like a bolt of lightning illuminating a dark room; just like that, it was over before your brain had time enough to register what it saw. Leaving you to decide what really happened.
Each tale is so lovingly created and the characters so detailed and lifelike, Cull is able to stir within me both anger and empathy, fear and awe.
michelareads's review
5.0
Bones is a collection of four stories (plus a mini-one) by Andrew Cull, a new writer in my library and and an incredible discovery! I was so lucky to win this book thanks to an IG giveaway and I was really looking forward to have some free time to read it. My idea was to read one every day in order to savour them properly, but I ended up finishing the book in one sitting!
All stories are quite dark and made my heart race with curiousity (and fear too!), they all have different characters and monsters, but there are some fil rouge in Bones: restless dead ones, relationships with family, a misterious tension and fear of the unknown.
My favourite one is probably "Hope and Walker". I absolutely loved the point of view of a 10-year-old girl, so close to death because of her father's business and so at ease with dead people speaking to her... I won't say more because I don't want to spoil all the fun, but I highly recommend this book!
Bones is not only a solid collection of stories, but it's also beautifully written. In particular I was fascinated by Andrew Cull's ability to create suspenseful situations without negletting to narrate the story of less important characters or to describe where the story takes place. Thanks to this, I was really feeling like I was inside the story, like I was the main character, like I was chased by death.
Honestly I wished Bones was longer. Or maybe I should have sticked with my initial idea.
Anyway, can't wait to read more of Andrew Cull's stories!
All stories are quite dark and made my heart race with curiousity (and fear too!), they all have different characters and monsters, but there are some fil rouge in Bones: restless dead ones, relationships with family, a misterious tension and fear of the unknown.
My favourite one is probably "Hope and Walker". I absolutely loved the point of view of a 10-year-old girl, so close to death because of her father's business and so at ease with dead people speaking to her... I won't say more because I don't want to spoil all the fun, but I highly recommend this book!
Bones is not only a solid collection of stories, but it's also beautifully written. In particular I was fascinated by Andrew Cull's ability to create suspenseful situations without negletting to narrate the story of less important characters or to describe where the story takes place. Thanks to this, I was really feeling like I was inside the story, like I was the main character, like I was chased by death.
Honestly I wished Bones was longer. Or maybe I should have sticked with my initial idea.
Anyway, can't wait to read more of Andrew Cull's stories!
theliteraryhooker's review
5.0
**Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This collection has been making the rounds on Instagram for a while now, with rave reviews all around. So when the author approached me, of course I jumped at the opportunity to see what all the hype was about. I can say wholeheartedly that the hype is well-deserved. Andrew Cull is an extremely talented writer, and these stories do an amazing job of showcasing that talent. This book is billed as "a collection of monsters," and that it certainly is, but the monsters are never what they appear at first glance. That was probably my favorite element of this collection, and it was present in all of the stories.
The first story in the collection, "Did You Forget About Me?" follows a man as he returns to his childhood home following the death of his estranged, abusive father, dredging up not only memories of his traumatic family life but also of his best friend Sam who mysteriously drowned as a child. Next is "Hope and Walker," a story that unfolds in a funeral parlour in sunburned Australia. Our main character suddenly discovers she can hear the dead speak, but it isn't the dead she needs to fear. The third story, "The Trade," revolves around another less than happy family, this one with a visitor who leaves them "presents" at their back door. And finally, "Knock and You Will See Me" is a novella-length story that follows a single mother through the aftermath of burying her father who might not want to be buried. There's also a final brief piece titled "The Rambling Man" which was an excellent and suitably terrifying end to the collection.
I'm keeping my descriptions intentionally vague here, as I think one of the most wonderful parts of this collection is how gorgeously, terrifyingly the stories unfold. Each one took me somewhere wholly unexpected, and I loved every page. Of the four full stories, "Knock and You Will See Me" was hands down my favorite, but all of the stories included are amazing. It can be difficult, especially in short fiction, to find horror that actually has characters I can care about, who feel like real people with problems and hopes and fears, and Cull accomplishes that in every single story.
I really enjoyed this collection and you can be sure that I'll be joining the droves on social media who are singing this book's praises. I'll be looking forward to reading more of Cull's work, as he clearly has a knack for writing the type of horror I most enjoy.
This collection has been making the rounds on Instagram for a while now, with rave reviews all around. So when the author approached me, of course I jumped at the opportunity to see what all the hype was about. I can say wholeheartedly that the hype is well-deserved. Andrew Cull is an extremely talented writer, and these stories do an amazing job of showcasing that talent. This book is billed as "a collection of monsters," and that it certainly is, but the monsters are never what they appear at first glance. That was probably my favorite element of this collection, and it was present in all of the stories.
The first story in the collection, "Did You Forget About Me?" follows a man as he returns to his childhood home following the death of his estranged, abusive father, dredging up not only memories of his traumatic family life but also of his best friend Sam who mysteriously drowned as a child. Next is "Hope and Walker," a story that unfolds in a funeral parlour in sunburned Australia. Our main character suddenly discovers she can hear the dead speak, but it isn't the dead she needs to fear. The third story, "The Trade," revolves around another less than happy family, this one with a visitor who leaves them "presents" at their back door. And finally, "Knock and You Will See Me" is a novella-length story that follows a single mother through the aftermath of burying her father who might not want to be buried. There's also a final brief piece titled "The Rambling Man" which was an excellent and suitably terrifying end to the collection.
I'm keeping my descriptions intentionally vague here, as I think one of the most wonderful parts of this collection is how gorgeously, terrifyingly the stories unfold. Each one took me somewhere wholly unexpected, and I loved every page. Of the four full stories, "Knock and You Will See Me" was hands down my favorite, but all of the stories included are amazing. It can be difficult, especially in short fiction, to find horror that actually has characters I can care about, who feel like real people with problems and hopes and fears, and Cull accomplishes that in every single story.
I really enjoyed this collection and you can be sure that I'll be joining the droves on social media who are singing this book's praises. I'll be looking forward to reading more of Cull's work, as he clearly has a knack for writing the type of horror I most enjoy.