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A review by inky_bat
The Turtle Boy by Kealan Patrick Burke
5.0
Unexpectedly powerful for such a small novella.
The story follows an 11-year-old boy, Timmy, in a tiny backwoods town in Ohio. He and a neighborhood friend go to their local fishing hole and come across a very odd and scary stranger. After that, everything changes for them all.
I loved Timmy's innocent perspective of all the lies unraveling, the dynamics, betrayal, and murder. There was a supernatural element I was surprised by, but it was such a beautifully harrowing addition.
The writing was so lovely in parts, I kept rereading sections just to absorb the descriptive atmosphere "The storm was worsening, buffeting the house and blinding the windows. Lightning flashed, ravenous thunder at its heels, the sibilance of the rain an enraged serpent struggling to find entry through the cracks beneath the doors."
This was my first Kealan Patrick Burke book, and now I really want to read them all. I was really reminded of Guillermo del Toro's The Devil's Backbone, which I love.
This was one really powerful little story that has haunted me for days after.
The story follows an 11-year-old boy, Timmy, in a tiny backwoods town in Ohio. He and a neighborhood friend go to their local fishing hole and come across a very odd and scary stranger. After that, everything changes for them all.
I loved Timmy's innocent perspective of all the lies unraveling, the dynamics, betrayal, and murder. There was a supernatural element I was surprised by, but it was such a beautifully harrowing addition.
The writing was so lovely in parts, I kept rereading sections just to absorb the descriptive atmosphere "The storm was worsening, buffeting the house and blinding the windows. Lightning flashed, ravenous thunder at its heels, the sibilance of the rain an enraged serpent struggling to find entry through the cracks beneath the doors."
This was my first Kealan Patrick Burke book, and now I really want to read them all. I was really reminded of Guillermo del Toro's The Devil's Backbone, which I love.
This was one really powerful little story that has haunted me for days after.