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mightyrobad 's review for:
Below
by Laurel Hightower
Below was quick, fun, and messy as hell.
The one solid character is well written, and her trust issues set some solid themes. The book is also short and entertaining. I read it in one go. The horror is mostly well done and effective, but the novella tries to do too much with too little room, and suffers from moderate focus issues. The story has that feeling of when you wake up after a series of dreams, and realize that, while they all FEEL connected, the different elements have no real connection to one another. This did create an atmosphere where you never feel stable, but rarely feel satisfied. A bit of Mothman, a bit of The Descent, a bit of Midnight Meat Train, and it all rarely connects well together. So maybe this isnt a critique of the author, but of the editor.
But what the book does very well is make you feel like you, and the character, are descending into something beneath the real world. I felt what the character was feeling, and felt scared and isolated. I was happy when I finished it.
I'll keep an eye out for Hightower's other works. Focus is something that can be refined in other rounds. Entertainment is what comes from talent. If nothing else, the author proves they are equipped to provide a good time.
The one solid character is well written, and her trust issues set some solid themes. The book is also short and entertaining. I read it in one go. The horror is mostly well done and effective, but the novella tries to do too much with too little room, and suffers from moderate focus issues. The story has that feeling of when you wake up after a series of dreams, and realize that, while they all FEEL connected, the different elements have no real connection to one another. This did create an atmosphere where you never feel stable, but rarely feel satisfied. A bit of Mothman, a bit of The Descent, a bit of Midnight Meat Train, and it all rarely connects well together. So maybe this isnt a critique of the author, but of the editor.
But what the book does very well is make you feel like you, and the character, are descending into something beneath the real world. I felt what the character was feeling, and felt scared and isolated. I was happy when I finished it.
I'll keep an eye out for Hightower's other works. Focus is something that can be refined in other rounds. Entertainment is what comes from talent. If nothing else, the author proves they are equipped to provide a good time.