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Castles
Castles has been called "...disturbing, creepy..." - "Uncomfortable...but fascinating" - "Shear madness..." - "Highly recommended"
It is "...a visceral tale on many levels, one that makes you squirm because what you are reading is so horrible, yet prevalent in the world today."
When Maggie was six, she hid from desert storms under the sink where the Comet and Windex were kept. Now twenty, she welcomes the storms. Maggie has been abused, torn apart by the sins of others and constantly feels as if she is living on the verge of some grand epiphany. Then again, she may just be insane. Maggie doesn't know if the four bodies she dismembered and placed inside a rusted Volkswagen Bus are the only bricks left to her castle in the sky, but she hopes you'll understand if they're not.
Castles is Maggie's story, a literary horror novel about love and redemption, belief and revenge and what brings a person to madness. Set in a nameless desert in a nameless town, it is the view into the life of a young woman who wonders if madness is really mad.
It is "...a visceral tale on many levels, one that makes you squirm because what you are reading is so horrible, yet prevalent in the world today."
When Maggie was six, she hid from desert storms under the sink where the Comet and Windex were kept. Now twenty, she welcomes the storms. Maggie has been abused, torn apart by the sins of others and constantly feels as if she is living on the verge of some grand epiphany. Then again, she may just be insane. Maggie doesn't know if the four bodies she dismembered and placed inside a rusted Volkswagen Bus are the only bricks left to her castle in the sky, but she hopes you'll understand if they're not.
Castles is Maggie's story, a literary horror novel about love and redemption, belief and revenge and what brings a person to madness. Set in a nameless desert in a nameless town, it is the view into the life of a young woman who wonders if madness is really mad.
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 23, 2011
58 people are currently reading
611 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin X. Wretlind
28 books296 followersBenjamin X. Wretlind is a speculative fiction author who writes science fiction, dark fantasy, magical realism, and some horror. He has been--at different times, of course–a fry cook, range boy, greens maintenance technician, reservations agent, room service attendant, editor, banquet server, meteorologist, instructor, program manager for Internet applications, curriculum developer, training simulation engineer, leadership facilitator/coach, process improvement consultant, learning manager and organizational psychologist. He currently builds and facilitates leadership courses at Yale.
Benjamin is the creator of the Transit series of novels, which has been called “an engaging, personality-driven tale with detailed SF worldbuilding.” He has also written and published many novels, collections, and the weirdest creative writing book ever. Owing his life’s viewpoint to Bob Ross, he has also painted a few things, thrown a few paintings away, and probably has a painting on an easel right now. Oh, and he loves wood working, too.
It’s all about creating.
Benjamin lives with his wife Jesse in Colorado.
Benjamin is the creator of the Transit series of novels, which has been called “an engaging, personality-driven tale with detailed SF worldbuilding.” He has also written and published many novels, collections, and the weirdest creative writing book ever. Owing his life’s viewpoint to Bob Ross, he has also painted a few things, thrown a few paintings away, and probably has a painting on an easel right now. Oh, and he loves wood working, too.
It’s all about creating.
Benjamin lives with his wife Jesse in Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 15, 2011
Whoa....
I love Speculative Fiction....
I love Horror....
I LOVED this book!
I want to talk about how I felt when I started this last night.
I watched in empathy as nine year old Maggie hid in terror of a storm. Her small frame under the sink trying to protect herself. Her alcoholic mother, jeering and deriding her for her weakness. Her grandmother having a zen moment on the porch as Maggie cries.
Maggie is telling me about her life, not complaining of her circumstances but showing me the wonder in a child's imagination.
Maggie tells me how her grandmother loves her. She makes sure Maggie eats and is clothed and is protected. Maggie talks to me about the trailer park she lives in and the desolate desert which surrounds it giving Maggie ideas of adventure and mystery and discovery.
Through Maggie, we witness her grandmother teach Maggie about the voices in the storm. The way God uses these storms to clean up the messes that people make. Messes like the ones Maggie's mother makes with the bad men she brings home. Maggie knows, from her grandmother, that everything she suffers is another brick added to her castle in Heaven. If she makes sure she cleans her own messes then her castle will be large and wondrous, a castle where only good girls go....
I was enchanted by Maggie and the way she accepted her life with such grace. The writing in this story is so clean and fresh. I was completely focused on Maggie and her life.
Then.... Benjamin X. Wretlind lifted his big-booted foot back and kicked my ass into my skull. Right in to my skull.
Here is the book summary:When Maggie was six, she hid from desert storms under the sink where the Comet and Windex were kept. Now twenty, she welcomes the storms. Maggie has been abused, torn apart by the sins of others and constantly feels as if she is living on the verge of some grand epiphany. Then again, she may just be insane. Maggie doesn't know if the four bodies she dismembered and placed inside a rusted Volkswagen Bus are the only bricks left to her castle in the sky, but she hopes you'll understand if they're not. Castles is Maggie's story, a literary horror novel about love and redemption, belief and revenge and what brings a person to madness. Set in a nameless desert in a nameless town, it is the view into the life of a young woman who wonders if madness is really mad.
Do not assume anything when you read this book and if you have any love in you for speculative-horror fiction; you must read this.
Mr. Wretlind is asking us a question; What is madness? After reading this I have come up with more than a few answers and a whole lot of questions. None of which I will share with you my friends. I promise after reading Castles you will have your own.
Benjamin X. Wretlind is a serious talent and a force to be reckoned with. I look forward to getting the boot while reading further work from him. Grab a copy of this story and watch your ass!
I love Speculative Fiction....
I love Horror....
I LOVED this book!
I want to talk about how I felt when I started this last night.
I watched in empathy as nine year old Maggie hid in terror of a storm. Her small frame under the sink trying to protect herself. Her alcoholic mother, jeering and deriding her for her weakness. Her grandmother having a zen moment on the porch as Maggie cries.
Maggie is telling me about her life, not complaining of her circumstances but showing me the wonder in a child's imagination.
Maggie tells me how her grandmother loves her. She makes sure Maggie eats and is clothed and is protected. Maggie talks to me about the trailer park she lives in and the desolate desert which surrounds it giving Maggie ideas of adventure and mystery and discovery.
Through Maggie, we witness her grandmother teach Maggie about the voices in the storm. The way God uses these storms to clean up the messes that people make. Messes like the ones Maggie's mother makes with the bad men she brings home. Maggie knows, from her grandmother, that everything she suffers is another brick added to her castle in Heaven. If she makes sure she cleans her own messes then her castle will be large and wondrous, a castle where only good girls go....
I was enchanted by Maggie and the way she accepted her life with such grace. The writing in this story is so clean and fresh. I was completely focused on Maggie and her life.
Then.... Benjamin X. Wretlind lifted his big-booted foot back and kicked my ass into my skull. Right in to my skull.
Here is the book summary:When Maggie was six, she hid from desert storms under the sink where the Comet and Windex were kept. Now twenty, she welcomes the storms. Maggie has been abused, torn apart by the sins of others and constantly feels as if she is living on the verge of some grand epiphany. Then again, she may just be insane. Maggie doesn't know if the four bodies she dismembered and placed inside a rusted Volkswagen Bus are the only bricks left to her castle in the sky, but she hopes you'll understand if they're not. Castles is Maggie's story, a literary horror novel about love and redemption, belief and revenge and what brings a person to madness. Set in a nameless desert in a nameless town, it is the view into the life of a young woman who wonders if madness is really mad.
Do not assume anything when you read this book and if you have any love in you for speculative-horror fiction; you must read this.
Mr. Wretlind is asking us a question; What is madness? After reading this I have come up with more than a few answers and a whole lot of questions. None of which I will share with you my friends. I promise after reading Castles you will have your own.
Benjamin X. Wretlind is a serious talent and a force to be reckoned with. I look forward to getting the boot while reading further work from him. Grab a copy of this story and watch your ass!
June 10, 2011
Castles is one of those books that is tough to read. Not because of the writing, which is tight and professional, but because of the subject matter. Castles is, at its core, a coming of age story that follows a girl, Maggie, from childhood to young adulthood. It is a visceral tale on many levels, one that makes you squirm because what you are reading is so horrible, yet prevalent in the world today. It is a stark story of abuse, rape, victimization and revenge, and there isn't necessarily a happy ending, depending on how you read the story. The only person Maggie trusted as a child, her grandmother, dies while she is still young, leaving her to the mercies of her mother, whose mood changes as the wheels of her own life turn, and the men she brings home to fill the hole in her own life. As she grows older and watches as everything that was good thing in her life dies (the boy she loses her virginity to and the dog they shared), she follows the same path as her mother, choosing relationships that are self-destructive. The difference between her and her mother, though, is that she finally listens to the words that the ghost of her grandmother (or memory, depending on how you read it) share with her. Instructions on how to clean up the mess she has made of her life. The end of the story is open ended in my opinion. Is Maggie going mad after what she has done? Is she going to continue getting into destructive situations just so she has messes to clean up? Or, now that she has cleaned up the mess that was her childhood, is she going to try and close that chapter in her life and live on?
Castles in an interesting story about abuse and family cycles and how they affect the mindset of the people involved. People on the outside looking in may say, "It's over, grow up, make something or your life." But it's never that easy, is it? Once abuse and death and murder become staples of your life, is it possible to become "normal"? Or does that way of life warp the mind enough that there is no coming back?
I enjoyed my time reading Castles (as much as anyone can enjoy reading something of this subject matter). Ben could have been more descriptive in many of his scenes, could have turned the reader's stomach more,but thankfully, he found a nice balance between giving us enough but not too much. Just because there is rape and assault doesn't mean every second has to be described in all of its violent, ugly glory. As for typos, if there were any, I didn't notice them.
So pick up Castles. It is a well written tale designed to make you feel uncomfortable. And isn't that what good horror is supposed to do?
Bradley Convissar- author of "Dogs of War"
Castles in an interesting story about abuse and family cycles and how they affect the mindset of the people involved. People on the outside looking in may say, "It's over, grow up, make something or your life." But it's never that easy, is it? Once abuse and death and murder become staples of your life, is it possible to become "normal"? Or does that way of life warp the mind enough that there is no coming back?
I enjoyed my time reading Castles (as much as anyone can enjoy reading something of this subject matter). Ben could have been more descriptive in many of his scenes, could have turned the reader's stomach more,but thankfully, he found a nice balance between giving us enough but not too much. Just because there is rape and assault doesn't mean every second has to be described in all of its violent, ugly glory. As for typos, if there were any, I didn't notice them.
So pick up Castles. It is a well written tale designed to make you feel uncomfortable. And isn't that what good horror is supposed to do?
Bradley Convissar- author of "Dogs of War"
July 7, 2011
If you were to read a newspaper report about a local domestic assault or rape, you might find just the name of the perp and possibly that of the victim’s, and little background of either. The crime has been committed but the reader is left to ponder how things got to this point. The novel “Castles: A Fictional Memoir of a Girl with Scissors” provides the buildup to such reports. If you’ve ever wondered how people get to the point known as ‘the heat of passion’, you might find Benjamin Wretlind’s telling of Maggie’s story both illuminating and perplexing, as I did. Maggie is someone who emphasizes that she is not stupid, but consistently contradicts this claim over the most pivotal decade of one’s life. Early on, while a mere ten-years old, she drifts between the sagely advice of her grandmother and the physical abuse of her mother, both of whom impress upon Maggie just how evil men are. However, Maggie’s choice is to become as close to a boy as much as she can. Over the next ten years, she is as drawn to men as much as Adam was to Eve sans serpent. She finds herself – if not allowing herself – to be placed in situations that will only lead to pain and suffering. Ultimately, she appears willing to follow the same path traveled by her mother – alcohol, shallow intimacy with men, followed by violent crescendos. Incidentally, the story provides enough scenes of criminality to fill a local newspaper.
The setting is aptly described with the showing of trailer park living and dusty desert monsoons. Character development is left to the view of Maggie who sees goodness only in her grandmother and not much at all in anyone else. Some boys and men appear attractive in her eyes, but they are all viewed as two-faced, or in Maggie’s case, two-tongued, which is a preoccupation that provides her with uncertainty rather than trust. Interestingly enough, for Maggie, a man’s tongue provides both metaphor and titillation. It can be used to remind her of the black eels that help clean up her messes while it can also be used to provide sexual pleasure. It’s no wonder her life is filled with confusion and at a loss for direction. Important life decisions – a good education, followed by a good job, followed by a stable loving relationship – are completely out of the question. What matters most is a castle in the sky. Hence, Maggie’s task is to find the bricks needed to build that castle. The point of clarity in which she finally understands this goal comes just at a point in her life when her grandmother is long since passed on and her mother has fallen victim to a violent crime. It’s Maggie’s turn to continue the chain of violence, disillusionment, and disconnection from the outside world.
I really wanted to empathize with Maggie and to like this well-written story, but the main character shows very little in the way of a redemptive quality to help sum up her life by the end of the story and, instead, transforms into someone similar to those men who have wronged her over the years. The only time she seems like a normal, level-headed person is when she takes an interest in learning about anatomy. But even then, the motivation is hardly based on creating an industrious future for herself. If this is the background of such people read about in newspapers, I’m perfectly willing to skim the headlines. I’d probably only skim over a headline of a successful Maggie – perhaps a graduate of forensic science – without reading the article, but with a mild sense of ‘Atta girl!’. Makes for a more fulfilling story.
The setting is aptly described with the showing of trailer park living and dusty desert monsoons. Character development is left to the view of Maggie who sees goodness only in her grandmother and not much at all in anyone else. Some boys and men appear attractive in her eyes, but they are all viewed as two-faced, or in Maggie’s case, two-tongued, which is a preoccupation that provides her with uncertainty rather than trust. Interestingly enough, for Maggie, a man’s tongue provides both metaphor and titillation. It can be used to remind her of the black eels that help clean up her messes while it can also be used to provide sexual pleasure. It’s no wonder her life is filled with confusion and at a loss for direction. Important life decisions – a good education, followed by a good job, followed by a stable loving relationship – are completely out of the question. What matters most is a castle in the sky. Hence, Maggie’s task is to find the bricks needed to build that castle. The point of clarity in which she finally understands this goal comes just at a point in her life when her grandmother is long since passed on and her mother has fallen victim to a violent crime. It’s Maggie’s turn to continue the chain of violence, disillusionment, and disconnection from the outside world.
I really wanted to empathize with Maggie and to like this well-written story, but the main character shows very little in the way of a redemptive quality to help sum up her life by the end of the story and, instead, transforms into someone similar to those men who have wronged her over the years. The only time she seems like a normal, level-headed person is when she takes an interest in learning about anatomy. But even then, the motivation is hardly based on creating an industrious future for herself. If this is the background of such people read about in newspapers, I’m perfectly willing to skim the headlines. I’d probably only skim over a headline of a successful Maggie – perhaps a graduate of forensic science – without reading the article, but with a mild sense of ‘Atta girl!’. Makes for a more fulfilling story.
August 9, 2011
Wow am I a slacker! Sorry for skipping out again last week, but I have a review for you today:)
The novel:
Castles: A Fictional Memoir of a Girl with Scissors. Castles is a is a horror/revenge story written by Benjamin X. Wretlind.
Goodreads Description:
When Maggie was six, she hid from desert storms under the sink where the Comet and Windex were kept. Now twenty, she welcomes the storms. Maggie has been abused, torn apart by the sins of others and constantly feels as if she is living on the verge of some grand epiphany. Then again, she may just be insane. Maggie doesn't know if the four bodies she dismembered and placed inside a rusted Volkswagen Bus are the only bricks left to her castle in the sky, but she hopes you'll understand if they're not. Castles is Maggie's story, a literary horror novel about love and redemption, belief and revenge and what brings a person to madness. Set in a nameless desert in a nameless town, it is the view into the life of a young woman who wonders if madness is really mad.
Wow. As some of you may already know, I am a huge fan of Stephen King. If someone had handed me Castles, and asked me to guess the author, I would have said King without much doubt in my mind. This story is well written and fast paced and I devoured it in something like three hours.
Right from the beginning you fall in love with Maggie, a young girl who has had a very tough life. Abusive men, a cold and distant mother, and a grandmother that seems to hold things together, while at the same time seems to be losing her mind.
Benjamin made me care about his characters and the story, and he did so by showing us their lives, rather than telling us we should care about them. The only complaint I could even imagine is that I wish the story could have continued. The paperback weighs in at about 188 pages, and Castles is available in both paperback and ebook format.
Five Stars!
The novel:
Castles: A Fictional Memoir of a Girl with Scissors. Castles is a is a horror/revenge story written by Benjamin X. Wretlind.
Goodreads Description:
When Maggie was six, she hid from desert storms under the sink where the Comet and Windex were kept. Now twenty, she welcomes the storms. Maggie has been abused, torn apart by the sins of others and constantly feels as if she is living on the verge of some grand epiphany. Then again, she may just be insane. Maggie doesn't know if the four bodies she dismembered and placed inside a rusted Volkswagen Bus are the only bricks left to her castle in the sky, but she hopes you'll understand if they're not. Castles is Maggie's story, a literary horror novel about love and redemption, belief and revenge and what brings a person to madness. Set in a nameless desert in a nameless town, it is the view into the life of a young woman who wonders if madness is really mad.
Wow. As some of you may already know, I am a huge fan of Stephen King. If someone had handed me Castles, and asked me to guess the author, I would have said King without much doubt in my mind. This story is well written and fast paced and I devoured it in something like three hours.
Right from the beginning you fall in love with Maggie, a young girl who has had a very tough life. Abusive men, a cold and distant mother, and a grandmother that seems to hold things together, while at the same time seems to be losing her mind.
Benjamin made me care about his characters and the story, and he did so by showing us their lives, rather than telling us we should care about them. The only complaint I could even imagine is that I wish the story could have continued. The paperback weighs in at about 188 pages, and Castles is available in both paperback and ebook format.
Five Stars!
July 13, 2011
Castles held a unique setting that played in two places, it makes a book perfect for a play. I can picture the whole scene in front of me, I can picture the pain Maggie felt, as did her mother, and more interestingly, their craving for it.
It had an odd situation of one who does not defend, but seems to stay in a state of being victimized. Castles has a very strong message imparted through the lives of the three women. The metaphors and its story really embed in the reader's mind, and haunts the mind further on.
It is a book that can be made to a play, and a play that would be watched in a circle, not on a typical stage, for one has to see this story in many points of view, in many angles, and see the similarity and differences at the same time.
An enjoyable read, and a book hard to put down.
It had an odd situation of one who does not defend, but seems to stay in a state of being victimized. Castles has a very strong message imparted through the lives of the three women. The metaphors and its story really embed in the reader's mind, and haunts the mind further on.
It is a book that can be made to a play, and a play that would be watched in a circle, not on a typical stage, for one has to see this story in many points of view, in many angles, and see the similarity and differences at the same time.
An enjoyable read, and a book hard to put down.
June 20, 2012
Well written, but disturbing content. Not sure I liked the characters much.
April 30, 2012
Often, you can tell on the first page whether a writer knows what he or she is doing. There’s a flow, a grace to the way these writers construct their sentences that makes reading a joy.
Ben Wretlind is one of those writers, although his story is anything but joyful. Castles: A Fictional Memoir of a Girl with Scissors, fits into the “magic realism” category, although I did not know that when I started reading the book.
The story begins with Maggie at age six, living in a trailer on the edge of the desert, somewhere in the US, in fear of dust storms and her drunken, abusive mother. The only light in her life comes from her Grandma, who protects her from her mother’s worst and advises the young girl to listen to the voices in the wind. When Grandma dies, Maggie is literally on her own.
Maggie learns quickly to stay out of her mother’s way, not to engage with her mother’s boyfriends and how to “clean up her messes.” That’s the central theme of the novel.
This novel is one of those where you can take the possibly magical elements and view them as only symbolism, and as a childish or psychologically damaged mind’s interpretation of strange events. For example, there’s the old school bus on the edge of the desert, just outside the trailer park. It’s irresistible forbidden adventure to children, whose parents tell them not to go inside for their own good. Of course, the kids can’t resist it. It represents forbidden adventure, the dangerous wild beyond the fences, the untameable forces of nature that erode anything made by humans.
And it’s also a portal to the unknown and to the underworld. You can take it literally or as just the way that Maggie sees it. Beyond the bus is the desert. It periodically sends dust storms that smash through windows and clean up messes.
As I said, this is not a joyful book. Maggie is abused by her mother and others, she’s raped by her mother’s boyfriend, her boyfriend disappears, presumably murdered, her dog is butchered and she takes a series of abusive boyfriends, herself.
On the surface, it’s a story of a girl in a very hard life, learning how to cope with pain and terror — how to “clean up her mess.” And she also learns how to integrate the unknown terrors of the world beyond the abandoned . Maggie learns also to listen to the wind, finally. And within the wind and the dust storms, she discovers … well, I don’t want to spoil it. Let’s just say that within the storms, she finds the agents of just retribution and the strength to clean up her mess and take control of her own life.
And yet, you can also read this as the warped interpretation of a woman forced through years of abuse to do … again, I don’t want to spoil it.
There’s a lot to like in this book. It reminds me of Palahniuk in his darker moments. Wretlind is not afraid to put his readers and his characters through horrible situations, and to describe them clearly, without pretense and without squeamishness. But if you’re squeamish, you might have trouble in some parts.
Wretlind writes with that fluid, clear, spare style that the big publishing houses all say they demand (and then publish crap that does not adhere to it). So, even though the situation was horrible, Wretlind tells the story very, very well.
5 stars
Highly recommended
Ben Wretlind is one of those writers, although his story is anything but joyful. Castles: A Fictional Memoir of a Girl with Scissors, fits into the “magic realism” category, although I did not know that when I started reading the book.
The story begins with Maggie at age six, living in a trailer on the edge of the desert, somewhere in the US, in fear of dust storms and her drunken, abusive mother. The only light in her life comes from her Grandma, who protects her from her mother’s worst and advises the young girl to listen to the voices in the wind. When Grandma dies, Maggie is literally on her own.
Maggie learns quickly to stay out of her mother’s way, not to engage with her mother’s boyfriends and how to “clean up her messes.” That’s the central theme of the novel.
This novel is one of those where you can take the possibly magical elements and view them as only symbolism, and as a childish or psychologically damaged mind’s interpretation of strange events. For example, there’s the old school bus on the edge of the desert, just outside the trailer park. It’s irresistible forbidden adventure to children, whose parents tell them not to go inside for their own good. Of course, the kids can’t resist it. It represents forbidden adventure, the dangerous wild beyond the fences, the untameable forces of nature that erode anything made by humans.
And it’s also a portal to the unknown and to the underworld. You can take it literally or as just the way that Maggie sees it. Beyond the bus is the desert. It periodically sends dust storms that smash through windows and clean up messes.
As I said, this is not a joyful book. Maggie is abused by her mother and others, she’s raped by her mother’s boyfriend, her boyfriend disappears, presumably murdered, her dog is butchered and she takes a series of abusive boyfriends, herself.
On the surface, it’s a story of a girl in a very hard life, learning how to cope with pain and terror — how to “clean up her mess.” And she also learns how to integrate the unknown terrors of the world beyond the abandoned . Maggie learns also to listen to the wind, finally. And within the wind and the dust storms, she discovers … well, I don’t want to spoil it. Let’s just say that within the storms, she finds the agents of just retribution and the strength to clean up her mess and take control of her own life.
And yet, you can also read this as the warped interpretation of a woman forced through years of abuse to do … again, I don’t want to spoil it.
There’s a lot to like in this book. It reminds me of Palahniuk in his darker moments. Wretlind is not afraid to put his readers and his characters through horrible situations, and to describe them clearly, without pretense and without squeamishness. But if you’re squeamish, you might have trouble in some parts.
Wretlind writes with that fluid, clear, spare style that the big publishing houses all say they demand (and then publish crap that does not adhere to it). So, even though the situation was horrible, Wretlind tells the story very, very well.
5 stars
Highly recommended
April 4, 2012
Building Castles in the Sky
What can I say about Castles by Benjamin X. Wretlind? Based on my main criteria for reviewing I will say this, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Simply put, Castles is just damn good. It flows well, moves quickly, had deep interesting characters, and has a plotline that I found intriguing and, at times, fascinating. I read through it in just over a day which wasn’t difficult considering its length. The book is only about 190 pages making it a shorter novel than I usually read. However, that is far from a negative. I never felt like it was missing anything or that it was too quick. The characters have enough time to develop and the story felt complete. The author never droned on unnecessarily. For what this novel is the length felt perfect.
I do have certain tastes when reading books. I like description that draws you in and plotlines that aren’t stunted because the author is afraid to go in a particular direction. In this case I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s style and he definitely does not pull any punches. Though I felt the novel wasn’t over the top there are people who might find some of the descriptions somewhat graphic. Given the subject matter, however, I felt that the description was pertinent and relevant.
The books centers around a young girl, Maggie, who grows up hounded by mental demons. It delves into abuse and gender issues in a unique way. It does contain graphic scenes of violence. I hate spoiling books so I’ll keep the descriptions short. Maggie learns from the women of her family to perceive men as vile creatures. The men in her life are abusive and based on what she’s been taught she acts accordingly.
I found myself completely sucked into Maggie’s world. I understood her and even found myself siding with her at times. The author does a great job of melding the world around her with the world she sees. He removes barriers and allows them to interweave. His imagination is vivid and his descriptions lead you directly in almost effortlessly.
I learned after finishing the book that the novel actually began as a short story 7 years before he completed the book. I could see the polish, dedication, and love that he put into this book and I can see how it could take years for it to fully develop.
For the most part I felt it was a great read. It starts well, ends well and flows well. The second half was a bit slower for me than the first but that’s not necessarily a negative. The subject matter is not for everyone. There is graphic violence, abuse and sexual language. But if that doesn’t turn you away and you are looking for an original novel by a new voice definitely check out Castles.
4 ½ scissiors
What can I say about Castles by Benjamin X. Wretlind? Based on my main criteria for reviewing I will say this, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Simply put, Castles is just damn good. It flows well, moves quickly, had deep interesting characters, and has a plotline that I found intriguing and, at times, fascinating. I read through it in just over a day which wasn’t difficult considering its length. The book is only about 190 pages making it a shorter novel than I usually read. However, that is far from a negative. I never felt like it was missing anything or that it was too quick. The characters have enough time to develop and the story felt complete. The author never droned on unnecessarily. For what this novel is the length felt perfect.
I do have certain tastes when reading books. I like description that draws you in and plotlines that aren’t stunted because the author is afraid to go in a particular direction. In this case I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s style and he definitely does not pull any punches. Though I felt the novel wasn’t over the top there are people who might find some of the descriptions somewhat graphic. Given the subject matter, however, I felt that the description was pertinent and relevant.
The books centers around a young girl, Maggie, who grows up hounded by mental demons. It delves into abuse and gender issues in a unique way. It does contain graphic scenes of violence. I hate spoiling books so I’ll keep the descriptions short. Maggie learns from the women of her family to perceive men as vile creatures. The men in her life are abusive and based on what she’s been taught she acts accordingly.
I found myself completely sucked into Maggie’s world. I understood her and even found myself siding with her at times. The author does a great job of melding the world around her with the world she sees. He removes barriers and allows them to interweave. His imagination is vivid and his descriptions lead you directly in almost effortlessly.
I learned after finishing the book that the novel actually began as a short story 7 years before he completed the book. I could see the polish, dedication, and love that he put into this book and I can see how it could take years for it to fully develop.
For the most part I felt it was a great read. It starts well, ends well and flows well. The second half was a bit slower for me than the first but that’s not necessarily a negative. The subject matter is not for everyone. There is graphic violence, abuse and sexual language. But if that doesn’t turn you away and you are looking for an original novel by a new voice definitely check out Castles.
4 ½ scissiors
November 1, 2011
When I read the description for this book, I was very intrigued because it isn’t a normal book one would read. I was intrigued about the bodies, and this castle Maggie was trying to built. The story starts out about a little girl in the trailer park. I have to say, I’m glad this is a fictional memoir and not a real one, to think that anyone would have to go through a childhood like Maggie’s is just painful to think about. It does however read like a true memoir and I had to remind myself that this didn’t happen.
During the story you can start to see why Maggie might be insane, but you can also see how this may just be her fantasies to deal with the life she has been given. She is obsessed with this rusted Volkswagen Bus, and the things that she dreams of and the things that she sees in the bus and when the storms come is very odd and freaky. The detail about her pain and suffering is very well written, but I was constantly waiting to hear about these dismembered bodies that she places inside the bus. It wasn’t until close to the end for me that it all started to get a little horror story-ish. The things she dreams about doing with her boyfriends tongue will have you squeamish for a very long time. I won’t spoil it though.
Aside from waiting for different things in the story to finally appear, this book was very emotional and very compelling and you will not want to put this book down. Make sure you check it out!
During the story you can start to see why Maggie might be insane, but you can also see how this may just be her fantasies to deal with the life she has been given. She is obsessed with this rusted Volkswagen Bus, and the things that she dreams of and the things that she sees in the bus and when the storms come is very odd and freaky. The detail about her pain and suffering is very well written, but I was constantly waiting to hear about these dismembered bodies that she places inside the bus. It wasn’t until close to the end for me that it all started to get a little horror story-ish. The things she dreams about doing with her boyfriends tongue will have you squeamish for a very long time. I won’t spoil it though.
Aside from waiting for different things in the story to finally appear, this book was very emotional and very compelling and you will not want to put this book down. Make sure you check it out!
November 3, 2011
I came across author Benjamin X. Wretlind in the twitter-sphere, clicking on an amazing blog he wrote about paying it forward. From there, I clicked on his novel Castles and read one line on Amazon: "When I was six, I hid in the corner of the kitchen, under the sink where the Comet and Windex were kept." I was captivated by that line and instantly downloaded the book before I ever knew what I was getting in to. (My 2nd book in one week that deals with such extreme topics.) I kept telling myself the author used the word "Fictional" in the title to constantly remind his readers this is not real. Finishing the story of Maggie was like going through the most extreme marathon I've ever attempted (and I'm not a runner). The rawness of the writing. The struggle of this poor girl for acceptance. The hope you have as a reader that her life will get better. Then I read some of the reviews and suddenly felt silly as I'm not a speculative fiction/horror type of reader. Sure, I enjoy a good scary movie now and then - but I find truth to be scarier than anything the horror gods can throw towards us. I had a completely different reaction to many other reviews I read - more like "A Child Called IT" which is a true memoir. I didn't take the events for face value: I saw things more as an internal escape, but perhaps that is where Mr. Wretlind has truly shown his mastery as a writer. To create a story that allows all sorts of readers to be pulled in. Read it and decide for yourself.
July 10, 2011
Castles is a book that reads like a memoir. When you read it you believe it is true. The book is filled with believable characters that have lots of problems which they are unwilling to face. It’s hard to read because you believe it is true even though the author says it is fiction. The writing is excellent. It is set in a desert town. It is set up as several distinct stories but with the same characters. The first story involves the main character Maggie and her grandmother. Her mother and abusive boyfriends also people the story. What is so beautiful about this first story is the contrast between the mother and the grandmother. The mother has a foul mouth and abusive manner. Her choice of men reveal her low character. She abuses Maggie, blames her and calls her names. The grandmother is very kind and protective of Maggie. She inspires Maggie and the reader. She is a lifeline for Maggie. We as readers realize this, so when she dies we realize how devastating it is for Maggie. It sets her on a downward spiral that leads to the ultimate deadly end.
Castles is a dark story of abuse, rape, victimization and revenge; however it is REAL LIFE.
In our darkest moments we are alone, with a voice, the voice of someone who loved us. If we listen to that voice are we “mad” or just wise?
I loved this book! I really loved it!
Castles is a dark story of abuse, rape, victimization and revenge; however it is REAL LIFE.
In our darkest moments we are alone, with a voice, the voice of someone who loved us. If we listen to that voice are we “mad” or just wise?
I loved this book! I really loved it!
February 5, 2012
I honestly don't know how to write this review. I don't know what I can say about Castles that will be informative to the reader without exposing something that the reader really has to find out for him or herself. I can't tell you the emotions I felt while reading it because I felt all of them, often many of them at the same time. I can't even tell you what kind of a book this is: literary, horror, psychological, supernatural, allegorical, because it is all of those things and more.
But I suppose I can tell you what Castles isn't. It isn't a book you will be able to put down. It isn't a book you will be able to forget. And, most of all, it isn't a book that you will read without spending nearly as much time thinking about it as you spent reading it.
I suppose the best thing I can say, perhaps the only thing I should have said, is this: Castles is a work of true brilliance. If you read it you will not regret it. If you don't read it, know that you will be missing one of the great literary achievements of the 21st century. I know that sounds a bit much, but that it truly how I feel about this novel. If there is any justice in the literary world the name of Benjamin X. Wretlind will be spoken alongside those of Steinbeck and Hemingway as a truly great American novelist.
But I suppose I can tell you what Castles isn't. It isn't a book you will be able to put down. It isn't a book you will be able to forget. And, most of all, it isn't a book that you will read without spending nearly as much time thinking about it as you spent reading it.
I suppose the best thing I can say, perhaps the only thing I should have said, is this: Castles is a work of true brilliance. If you read it you will not regret it. If you don't read it, know that you will be missing one of the great literary achievements of the 21st century. I know that sounds a bit much, but that it truly how I feel about this novel. If there is any justice in the literary world the name of Benjamin X. Wretlind will be spoken alongside those of Steinbeck and Hemingway as a truly great American novelist.
May 21, 2012
I must admit I started reading "Castles" back in march and after a few chapters I put it aside. It wasn't because it was terrible but in the beginning it felt more like a fantasy novel(which I'm not a big fan of). After reading all of the great interviews and praise for the book I felt compelled to go back and read it.
Am I glad I gave it another chance? HELL YEAH! "Castles" is a slow burning fuse that builds throughout the beginning chapters preparing the reader for the explosions that are to come. You will not be prepared for the big bangs, trust me. Once it explodes all hell breaks loose and you just have to hang on for a horrific and brilliant ride filled with twists and turns.
It's disturbing but not like some of Edward Lee's works. There's rape but Wretlind doesn't go into hyper realistic detail like Lee. "Castles" isn't just a book it's an experience that can't be missed.
Am I glad I gave it another chance? HELL YEAH! "Castles" is a slow burning fuse that builds throughout the beginning chapters preparing the reader for the explosions that are to come. You will not be prepared for the big bangs, trust me. Once it explodes all hell breaks loose and you just have to hang on for a horrific and brilliant ride filled with twists and turns.
It's disturbing but not like some of Edward Lee's works. There's rape but Wretlind doesn't go into hyper realistic detail like Lee. "Castles" isn't just a book it's an experience that can't be missed.
December 15, 2011
When I read the description for this book, I was very intrigued because it isn’t a normal book one would read. I was intrigued about the bodies, and this castle Maggie was trying to built.
Review originally posted at Step Into Fiction
Review completed by: Ashley
Review originally posted at Step Into Fiction
Review completed by: Ashley
July 18, 2011
'Castles' was an excellent book! I enjoyed Wretlind's descriptions - the book is written so a reader is pulled into the narrator's tale and it actually becomes believable that Maggie actually lived this life. This book may offend and upset you, but it's definitely worth the read. Not exactly what I was expecting, but definitely is a book I'll read in the future. A great, quick summer read!
July 31, 2011
I recieved this book free through GoodReads First Reads and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to read it. This book is an easy read but very well written. It's told as a memoir from a young woman that had a lot of disturbing things happen to her as a child. Did she succumb to all the insanity in her life, or did she triumph over it? Read the book, you'll be glad you did.
April 8, 2012
I loved it. Read it within a single morning more or less. Dark and brutal, perhaps a bit disturbed but also alive and true. The story is about a young girl's view of the world and what is going around her, a view twisted by abuse, neglect and self-deprecation. No deus ex machina, no happy endings, just the cycles of agony and resignation of a trapped life. One has to read it to feel its power.
September 4, 2011
I liked it, but it felt like a short story. And it was super kookamajoo.
August 5, 2013
I'm too squeamish for stuff like this!
May 17, 2019
Castles: A Fictional Memoir of a girl with Scissors by Benjamin X Wretlind.
I received this book through Amazon- free after having read a rant by the author. I enjoyed his words so well that even though this is out of my usual genre I decided to give it a try.
I admit to being somewhat squeamish sometimes- more so with movies than books. Often enough I've seen movies that have made me shut them off part way through wondering why I endured it that long. This book made me squeamish that way sometimes, but I had decided that I wanted to see it through. As a horror novel it's quite balanced and sustains just the right element throughout to make it top notch.
A problem though, with part of the squeamishness, is that I kept seeing this less as a horror and more as literary fiction. It reminded me of Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest mixed with Richard Farina's Been Down So Long it Looks Like Up to Me.
Maggie tells us her story in a simple almost innocent honest fashion. Not apologetic or deflective, but earnest description of the things that have happened and are happening in her life.
This is realistic story of abuse from her mother's boyfriends and even her own mother sometimes. Both physical and mental in the way that more often than not reduces the abused person to a point where they have no self worth. The result is that Maggie is distanced from most other children her age and is more often than not picked on by them. She takes it all in stride; possibly because of her experience at home she might view it as natural. It is easy to empathize with this child as she attempts to grow up. Her only port in the storm is her grandmother.
Maggie's grandmother is the person who has raised Maggie and she protects her when she can from both the myriad of boyfriends who are in and out; and her mother's wrath. It's ironic that grandma might figure more than anyone in Maggie's descent into madness. Maggie is afraid of storms- particularly the dust storms that seem to plague them and they often leave her with a mess of sand and broken glass that she's expected to clean. Grandma tries to help Maggie with this fear, often through the telling a sort of tale of castles in the sky.
I somehow read between the lines that there is some sort of indictment here against telling children certain fairy tales and fanciful stories. In particular in this instance because there seems to be a thread running though the generations of this family that involves abusive relationships and often what take the form of anti-male sentiment. Always the abuse from the men seem to overshadow those of Maggie's mother. The notion that the bricks used to build the castle in the sky are used by girls to make castles for girls.
There is another realistic thread in this novel that has to do with Maggie's apparent descent into madness. This is played out well, as the reader comes to understand that Maggie has no real grasp on how far she might be slipping. When Maggie's only defender, her grandmother, dies; Maggie must take care of herself. And when grandma's ghost visits her constantly along with the discovery of strange sand eels, it become increasingly difficult to tell if this is a descent into madness or if it's a page out of something akin to a Stephen King horror and suspense.
I'll admit that there's a point half way through this that my sympathy for Maggie sort of dies. In a twisted way though it's like watching a loved one you've tried to help, who is in a bad relationship and can't seem to fight their way out. You don't want to give up on them but there's a point where they could drag you down with them if you're not careful. In Maggie's case at the beginning she has less control over her destiny because she's a child.
There are no other characters in the story that I felt sympathy for. They get their just deserts. This is not their story. It's a study in abuse and how some people handle that abuse and about how rebelling against that abuse can easily take someone down the wrong road for all the right reasons.
This book is well written literature and though I'm not sure how soon I want to venture into any more of Benjamin X Wretlind's worlds, I recommend this read as; Something great for a good thought provoking jarring of our regular everyday complacency.
J.L.Dobias
I received this book through Amazon- free after having read a rant by the author. I enjoyed his words so well that even though this is out of my usual genre I decided to give it a try.
I admit to being somewhat squeamish sometimes- more so with movies than books. Often enough I've seen movies that have made me shut them off part way through wondering why I endured it that long. This book made me squeamish that way sometimes, but I had decided that I wanted to see it through. As a horror novel it's quite balanced and sustains just the right element throughout to make it top notch.
A problem though, with part of the squeamishness, is that I kept seeing this less as a horror and more as literary fiction. It reminded me of Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest mixed with Richard Farina's Been Down So Long it Looks Like Up to Me.
Maggie tells us her story in a simple almost innocent honest fashion. Not apologetic or deflective, but earnest description of the things that have happened and are happening in her life.
This is realistic story of abuse from her mother's boyfriends and even her own mother sometimes. Both physical and mental in the way that more often than not reduces the abused person to a point where they have no self worth. The result is that Maggie is distanced from most other children her age and is more often than not picked on by them. She takes it all in stride; possibly because of her experience at home she might view it as natural. It is easy to empathize with this child as she attempts to grow up. Her only port in the storm is her grandmother.
Maggie's grandmother is the person who has raised Maggie and she protects her when she can from both the myriad of boyfriends who are in and out; and her mother's wrath. It's ironic that grandma might figure more than anyone in Maggie's descent into madness. Maggie is afraid of storms- particularly the dust storms that seem to plague them and they often leave her with a mess of sand and broken glass that she's expected to clean. Grandma tries to help Maggie with this fear, often through the telling a sort of tale of castles in the sky.
I somehow read between the lines that there is some sort of indictment here against telling children certain fairy tales and fanciful stories. In particular in this instance because there seems to be a thread running though the generations of this family that involves abusive relationships and often what take the form of anti-male sentiment. Always the abuse from the men seem to overshadow those of Maggie's mother. The notion that the bricks used to build the castle in the sky are used by girls to make castles for girls.
There is another realistic thread in this novel that has to do with Maggie's apparent descent into madness. This is played out well, as the reader comes to understand that Maggie has no real grasp on how far she might be slipping. When Maggie's only defender, her grandmother, dies; Maggie must take care of herself. And when grandma's ghost visits her constantly along with the discovery of strange sand eels, it become increasingly difficult to tell if this is a descent into madness or if it's a page out of something akin to a Stephen King horror and suspense.
I'll admit that there's a point half way through this that my sympathy for Maggie sort of dies. In a twisted way though it's like watching a loved one you've tried to help, who is in a bad relationship and can't seem to fight their way out. You don't want to give up on them but there's a point where they could drag you down with them if you're not careful. In Maggie's case at the beginning she has less control over her destiny because she's a child.
There are no other characters in the story that I felt sympathy for. They get their just deserts. This is not their story. It's a study in abuse and how some people handle that abuse and about how rebelling against that abuse can easily take someone down the wrong road for all the right reasons.
This book is well written literature and though I'm not sure how soon I want to venture into any more of Benjamin X Wretlind's worlds, I recommend this read as; Something great for a good thought provoking jarring of our regular everyday complacency.
J.L.Dobias
April 8, 2021
Life is hard
I really enjoyed this book. People would really be surprised at how true this story is. Numerous young girls grow up without the love and support they deserve. The madness can easily set in and most wonder why people do the things they do. To be truly alone and then give your heart to someone who will deceive you is how so many end up. Read this story and before you judge someone walk in their shoes.
I really enjoyed this book. People would really be surprised at how true this story is. Numerous young girls grow up without the love and support they deserve. The madness can easily set in and most wonder why people do the things they do. To be truly alone and then give your heart to someone who will deceive you is how so many end up. Read this story and before you judge someone walk in their shoes.
May 17, 2020
I’m not really sure what to say about this book. It had what could have been a very interesting plot and message but it missed the mark completely for me. I think had it been longer and explained a bit more it would have potentially been better. The editing was also poor, many misspelled and misplaced words.
January 22, 2021
I hated the part with the dog. That aside this book was kind of boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2021
Talk about weird? Holy.....go ahead...read it. 😂😂😂
June 7, 2020
EXCEPTIONAL READ
I really enjoyed this book it wasn't at all like I had anticipated but it kept you thinking and wanting to read it. It's not really a Horror Story, it's more than that. Really a good read!
I really enjoyed this book it wasn't at all like I had anticipated but it kept you thinking and wanting to read it. It's not really a Horror Story, it's more than that. Really a good read!
May 12, 2013
This is a fictional memoir about a troubled young girl who grows up to be a confused young woman. There is a very thin line between reality and her perceptions of it; it is a line that she crosses very often. What is a vision and what is real is often blurred in this wonderful and complex story.
I was very impressed by how the author so deftly handled the portrayal of this character. Count me among the many others who have raved about this writer. He deserves to be recognized as one of the best authors out there today!
Buy this book and read it carefully. It is a thought provoking, powerful work which will impress you and leave you with a lot to think about!
I was very impressed by how the author so deftly handled the portrayal of this character. Count me among the many others who have raved about this writer. He deserves to be recognized as one of the best authors out there today!
Buy this book and read it carefully. It is a thought provoking, powerful work which will impress you and leave you with a lot to think about!
July 20, 2012
This book is gruesome in some places. It deals with some mature themes: violence, teen sexuality, and madness to name a few.
I wasn't sure how I felt about the narrator, but I think that was the point. She was neurotic and unpredictable, but also relatable. The voice in this fictional memoir absolutely knocked my socks off. It was simple and complicated. Innocent and jaded. Trusting and disillusioned. Truly an amazing read.
I wasn't sure how I felt about the narrator, but I think that was the point. She was neurotic and unpredictable, but also relatable. The voice in this fictional memoir absolutely knocked my socks off. It was simple and complicated. Innocent and jaded. Trusting and disillusioned. Truly an amazing read.
June 16, 2014
I've had this book on my kindle for about a year now. I began reading it soon after I first got it but set it aside for no other reason than that I was to busy. I kept meaning to come back and now I have. I wish I hadn't left it so long. Once I got going again I did not want to put it down. This is with out a doubt the best work I've read in a long time. So original and well crafted. I could not give this book anything less than five stars. I can't wait to read more from this author.
January 31, 2013
Strangely disturbing but addictive! This is truly one weird read but in all the good, horrific ways. It totally reminds me of the good old 'B' horror movies that I grew up watching, cause my parents were weird like that & allowed me to:-)
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