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The Spooky Chronicles #1
The Spooky Chronicles: The Crooked Man
The story follows a child on his death bed visited by a mysterious "crooked man" who returns him to the land of the living. Upon returning, the young boy realizes that his mother was taken in his place and that he must endure his new life as a "dead" boy.
The Dead Little Boy Who Continued to Grow Up.
"When he turned seven, the tumor in his chest finally overtook his heart... on the other side, he met a crooked man with a crooked stick who pointed at the dead little boy with a crooked finger. The dead little boy opened his eyes only to find those of his mother closed. Somehow he knew that his mother had taken his place and that the crooked man had caused it; what he didn't know was why. His parents named him Spencer. His friends called him Spooky."
The Dead Little Boy Who Continued to Grow Up.
"When he turned seven, the tumor in his chest finally overtook his heart... on the other side, he met a crooked man with a crooked stick who pointed at the dead little boy with a crooked finger. The dead little boy opened his eyes only to find those of his mother closed. Somehow he knew that his mother had taken his place and that the crooked man had caused it; what he didn't know was why. His parents named him Spencer. His friends called him Spooky."
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First published May 25, 2011
10 people want to read
About the author
Kevin A. Ranson
10 books14 followersContent Creator, Horror Writer, Film Critic.
Heeding a macabre calling listening to "Mother Ghost Nursery Rhymes" in kindergarten, Kevin started writing in grade school and filled countless notebooks with story ideas while touring the Mediterranean in the US Navy. He is the author of The Spooky Chronicles and the vampire thriller series The Matriarch at CedarcrestSanctum.com, creator/critic for MovieCrypt.com and "ghost writer" for horror host Grim D. Reaper. His author blog is at ThinkingSkull.com.
Heeding a macabre calling listening to "Mother Ghost Nursery Rhymes" in kindergarten, Kevin started writing in grade school and filled countless notebooks with story ideas while touring the Mediterranean in the US Navy. He is the author of The Spooky Chronicles and the vampire thriller series The Matriarch at CedarcrestSanctum.com, creator/critic for MovieCrypt.com and "ghost writer" for horror host Grim D. Reaper. His author blog is at ThinkingSkull.com.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
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July 26, 2016This was an interesting one to read and review. First off, I wouldn't classify this as a typical zombie book. Spooky is a zombie in the sense that he's the walking dead, but other than that he's nothing like a zombie. He grows, speaks, thinks, and feels. And he is not consumed by the desire to feed on human flesh. This is however, a nice way to introduce younger readers to the horror genre as it really is more creepy than scary. No blood or guts, but still a darker story.
What makes this hard to read is that the author's strength is also his weakness. Ranson does an amazing job with the narration. He has a wonderful ability to describe what is happening and Spooky is an interesting enough character to keep you ready.
The narration is also the downfall. Or more specifically the lack of dialogue. Even when there is an opportunity to reveal more of Spooky's world, such as when he is having his tarot cards read, everything is through narration. It was a little tiring simply being told everything through Spooky, instead of hearing and seeing it. This does get better towards the end, but I wish it had been built in throughout the story. I think it would have helped me experience the story better.
What makes this hard to read is that the author's strength is also his weakness. Ranson does an amazing job with the narration. He has a wonderful ability to describe what is happening and Spooky is an interesting enough character to keep you ready.
The narration is also the downfall. Or more specifically the lack of dialogue. Even when there is an opportunity to reveal more of Spooky's world, such as when he is having his tarot cards read, everything is through narration. It was a little tiring simply being told everything through Spooky, instead of hearing and seeing it. This does get better towards the end, but I wish it had been built in throughout the story. I think it would have helped me experience the story better.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews