Reviews

The Pale White by Chad Lutzke

patrickreads89's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

sleepingnerd's review

4.0

Discovering this was available at kindle unlimited was a very nice surprise – Kat from paperbackdreams highly reccommended it as a wholesome horror, and I was excited to read it. It's different from what I normally expect horror to be like, all jumpscares or gore, and so it showed me how horror can be nuanced, an exploration of what we fear and recoil from, rather than pure scares.

I loved this novella's exploration of trauma: the fear of never being able to heal after something dramatic, and how trauma affects everyone differently. The writing was also really nice and cut deep. The ending felt a bit abrupt, but I liked it's wholesomeness. Even sad and heavy, this was a comforting read. I liked it.

skullheadface's review

5.0

Absolutely amazing!

I could gush over this book for an hour, but there's no real reason to. Take a gander at the synopsis and prepare yourself. You have to read this book. It's a must. My first tale by Chad, I'll never forget it. Unflinching and horrific events unfold quickly before your eyes, and you won't stop turning pages until the very end. It's SO good. One of the best novellas I've ever read by far. Chad Lutzke is a master, no question about it. I'm going to go buy the rest of his published books right now.
5/5 Skulls

leacherry's review

4.0

What a powerful read! The whole story makes you think what if, especially when you have children of your own. We see the various layers of each character for such a short story that it lingers with you for a while.

missgrangerr's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

It felt like I was reading a very abridged version of a book. The story was very rushed and I think it would have benefited from more pages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Sexual assault, Death, Confinement, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship

aaronlindsey's review

4.0

This one will scare you, thrill you, and possibly cause you to cry. Loved it. A horror book with hope and heart.
Easily read in one sitting.

juliareadsmeer's review against another edition

dark hopeful tense

4.0

rivvas's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

kaylorcoons's review

5.0

This fucking destroyed me, dude

paulataua's review

3.0

I had heard so much about Chad Lutzke and was really excited about finally reading one of his novellas. Certainly, the subject matter of ‘The Pale White’, three girls escaping from a beachfront house where they were held as sex slaves, was an interesting starting point, and Lutze’s writing was clean and hard-hitting. Although I found the novella perceptive and thought provoking, I also felt it lost its way a little. Stacia’s backstory seemed to be both incomplete and awkwardly inserted, and we were never allowed to get that close to the characters. At least I needed more time with them. The fact that it deals with the effects, both physical and mental, that sex trafficking has on its victims is enough for me to recommend it, but, for me, it fell a little short of what it might have been. I will definitely read more Lutze in the near future.