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Absorbed
When Violet finds a beautiful but mysterious gift on her front doorstep, her sometimes missing and always abusive boyfriend Mick is not pleased. A supernatural transformation instigates a terrible karmic lesson, and changes both of their lives forever.
ABSORBED is a Poe-esque tale that will get under your skin. Short in length, but not in content, this tale will make your skin crawl, as well as have you rooting for a character you're not so sure you should support.
A 16 page short story you do NOT want to read to the kids.
ABSORBED is a Poe-esque tale that will get under your skin. Short in length, but not in content, this tale will make your skin crawl, as well as have you rooting for a character you're not so sure you should support.
A 16 page short story you do NOT want to read to the kids.
16 pages, Nook
First published October 4, 2011
About the author
Penelope Crowe
9 books54 followersPenelope Crowe was born in Venice on the forth of July, which meant nothing to anyone in Venice.
She was raised by the Queen's illegitimate sister Veronica who taught her how to put on make up and brew a delicious cup of coffee.
She slept at the cafe at night under the front window and wrote sad love songs until she met Jimmy Page and had his intitials tatooed under her finger.
She lived in Spain and painted her front door a different color every day.
Then she became an author and artist and sometimes hears the songs she wrote on the radio.
She was raised by the Queen's illegitimate sister Veronica who taught her how to put on make up and brew a delicious cup of coffee.
She slept at the cafe at night under the front window and wrote sad love songs until she met Jimmy Page and had his intitials tatooed under her finger.
She lived in Spain and painted her front door a different color every day.
Then she became an author and artist and sometimes hears the songs she wrote on the radio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
June 23, 2012
Change always comes bearing gifts. - Price Pritchett
Violet finds an exquisitely wrapped present left on her doorstep. the giver's identity remains a mystery. unwrapping the gift brings changes to Violet's life and to her relationship with her boyfriend Mike.
author Penelope Crowe's dark short story is a mesmerizing journey into a woman's psyche as she undergoes an eerie transformation.
Violet's tale is as hypnotic as it is chilling. at first, i looked at the mysterious gift as something symbolic or a metaphor if you will of Violet's metamorphosis. however, it turned out to be much more than that.
my heartbeat kept pace with the events as they progressed. i became unsettled and wary that something tremendous and unexpected was going to take place especially towards the end. when i read the last two lines, i felt goosebumps erupting all over my arms and neck as some of my suspicions were confirmed.
pardon the pun but this is undoubtedly an excellent and absorbing piece. once you read the story, you would know what i mean and if you have read it already, i think you would agree.
Violet finds an exquisitely wrapped present left on her doorstep. the giver's identity remains a mystery. unwrapping the gift brings changes to Violet's life and to her relationship with her boyfriend Mike.
author Penelope Crowe's dark short story is a mesmerizing journey into a woman's psyche as she undergoes an eerie transformation.
Violet's tale is as hypnotic as it is chilling. at first, i looked at the mysterious gift as something symbolic or a metaphor if you will of Violet's metamorphosis. however, it turned out to be much more than that.
my heartbeat kept pace with the events as they progressed. i became unsettled and wary that something tremendous and unexpected was going to take place especially towards the end. when i read the last two lines, i felt goosebumps erupting all over my arms and neck as some of my suspicions were confirmed.
pardon the pun but this is undoubtedly an excellent and absorbing piece. once you read the story, you would know what i mean and if you have read it already, i think you would agree.
October 27, 2011
Book: Absorbed
Author: Penelope Crowe
Genre: Psychological Suspense, Psychological Horror, Thriller
Length: 16 Pages
Currently Available: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords (all e-reader formats)
Great read for horror fans!
Violet gets a mysterious gift in a beautiful box left on her doorstep. Her on again, off again boyfriend, Mick, is not happy about this. Then again, I couldn't see that anything would really make Mick happy unless it was berating and abusing the one person that loved him, Violet.
This gift, though really creepy, possess a magic so strong that it gives Violet the means to deal with the very objectionable Mick. This is a really fun horror read, great for all us that enjoy a little vengeance.
Author: Penelope Crowe
Genre: Psychological Suspense, Psychological Horror, Thriller
Length: 16 Pages
Currently Available: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords (all e-reader formats)
Great read for horror fans!
Violet gets a mysterious gift in a beautiful box left on her doorstep. Her on again, off again boyfriend, Mick, is not happy about this. Then again, I couldn't see that anything would really make Mick happy unless it was berating and abusing the one person that loved him, Violet.
This gift, though really creepy, possess a magic so strong that it gives Violet the means to deal with the very objectionable Mick. This is a really fun horror read, great for all us that enjoy a little vengeance.
November 7, 2011
ABSORBED is a short-story thriller about Violet, a woman pushed to the edge by a violent, psychotic boyfriend, and how an elaborate gift she finds on her doorstep one day triggers events in both her life, and that of her boyfriend's, which changes their lives irrevocably.
ABSORBED is a vivid, suspenseful adult story of a toxic personality who manages to maintain an air of sympathy for the reader throughout the course of the story. A story with punch, it is graphic without lingering too much on details, and leaves the reader highly unsettled, but at the same time compelled, until its conclusion.
ABSORBED is a vivid, suspenseful adult story of a toxic personality who manages to maintain an air of sympathy for the reader throughout the course of the story. A story with punch, it is graphic without lingering too much on details, and leaves the reader highly unsettled, but at the same time compelled, until its conclusion.
October 13, 2011
"Absorbed" is a Poe-esque tale that will get under your skin... Short in length, but not in content, this tale will make your skin crawl, as well as have you rooting for a character you're not so sure you should support. Crowe has crafted another fantastic piece of psychological thrill.
October 24, 2022
Abuse, magic and revenge come together in this creepy little story.
November 17, 2014
I've read this three times now. The second, because I forgot I read it. The third - today, on my lunch break - because I saw it had so many 5 star reviews. I figured I missed something, so I would give it a second (third?) shot.
What an awful idea. This is just terrible. I finished it three minutes ago and can't remember any details about the main character. I know it's a short story, but there has to be some way to make your characters memorable.
I'm not sure why this is marked as a horror. Nothing particularly scary happens, and I'm as jumpy as they come (I literally left the theater crying due to the trailer for The Unborn).
The book unsurprisingly ends with main girl on an apparent mission to exact revenge on her many abusive ex boyfriends, with the "ominous" message that her newest boyfriend "won't be around for long."
I would have appreciated more history on the necklace, why it turns its wearers into gigantic bitches, and more on the mechanisms of how it becomes embedded into the wearer's skin. Because at first her skin grew over it, and then black filaments were attaching it to her body. Weird.
Anyway, the good news is that this book is VERY short. I think a longer story may have been more successful.
What an awful idea. This is just terrible. I finished it three minutes ago and can't remember any details about the main character. I know it's a short story, but there has to be some way to make your characters memorable.
I'm not sure why this is marked as a horror. Nothing particularly scary happens, and I'm as jumpy as they come (I literally left the theater crying due to the trailer for The Unborn).
The book unsurprisingly ends with main girl on an apparent mission to exact revenge on her many abusive ex boyfriends, with the "ominous" message that her newest boyfriend "won't be around for long."
I would have appreciated more history on the necklace, why it turns its wearers into gigantic bitches, and more on the mechanisms of how it becomes embedded into the wearer's skin. Because at first her skin grew over it, and then black filaments were attaching it to her body. Weird.
Anyway, the good news is that this book is VERY short. I think a longer story may have been more successful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2012
This free short story definitely was not what I expected. I didn't know what I was reading until after I finished. All I knew was that this was a free since the title didn’t give anything away.
It begins when Violet is at home and she receives a package. She doesn’t have many friends so she wonders where she got it from. She has made a name for herself. She is very successful. She has her own car and home in which she lives alone. She has a very abusive boyfriend named Mick, which she seems to always end up with when he decides to return to her. They would get into arguments and he would leave for weeks. When he returns it would be like nothing even happened. Violet knew that the beautiful box on her doorstep was not from him. When she opens it, weird things start to happen. In the box is a necklace that apparently changes her. But it mostly helps her gain confidence.
There was nothing super special about this short story but I would recommend to anyone looking for an eerie short story about the revenge of the girlfriends. Haha
It begins when Violet is at home and she receives a package. She doesn’t have many friends so she wonders where she got it from. She has made a name for herself. She is very successful. She has her own car and home in which she lives alone. She has a very abusive boyfriend named Mick, which she seems to always end up with when he decides to return to her. They would get into arguments and he would leave for weeks. When he returns it would be like nothing even happened. Violet knew that the beautiful box on her doorstep was not from him. When she opens it, weird things start to happen. In the box is a necklace that apparently changes her. But it mostly helps her gain confidence.
There was nothing super special about this short story but I would recommend to anyone looking for an eerie short story about the revenge of the girlfriends. Haha
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2012
I have one simple and uneloquent word for this novella - "Wow."
I read this yesterday on the train ride home and was instantly engaged from the first paragraph. The novella starts off simple enough. Violet, a successful New York City woman in her own right, receives quite a regal-looking package on her front door. She's intrigued and starts going through her mental checklist of who it might be from. Her girlfriends? Nah, they're strapped for cash. Her boyfriend? Nah, he's an abusive SOB. Ultimately, she opens up the box and voila! Her world changes as she finds and puts a beautiful ruby necklace around her neck. She was successful before, but there is hell on earth to pay for any poor schmuck who dares to cross her.
It took me about twenty minutes to breeze through this novella and once done, I thought about those stuck in abusive relationships and thought about how they could also use a ruby necklace gift.
I read this yesterday on the train ride home and was instantly engaged from the first paragraph. The novella starts off simple enough. Violet, a successful New York City woman in her own right, receives quite a regal-looking package on her front door. She's intrigued and starts going through her mental checklist of who it might be from. Her girlfriends? Nah, they're strapped for cash. Her boyfriend? Nah, he's an abusive SOB. Ultimately, she opens up the box and voila! Her world changes as she finds and puts a beautiful ruby necklace around her neck. She was successful before, but there is hell on earth to pay for any poor schmuck who dares to cross her.
It took me about twenty minutes to breeze through this novella and once done, I thought about those stuck in abusive relationships and thought about how they could also use a ruby necklace gift.
August 29, 2012
This was a very easy and quick to read short story. Some of the elements were quite creepy, which I think was the author's point. Reading about Violet's transformation was a bit of fun, though the portrayal of her abusive relationship had me cringing (like they're supposed to make you feel - but I was very bothered by how her boyfriend kept using the word "retard" and its variations). As the story progresses along, we see that Violet's mysterious gift is a necklace that completely transforms her personality: not only does it make her more confident, it also causes Violet to develop an urge for revenge, driving her to kill her abusive boyfriend and even other men once she gets bored of them. I think some aspects could've been more developed if the story had gone on a bit longer, but overall it was okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2013
A freebie that I picked up on Amazon.com, this was a short story with a 'Twilight Zone' kind of feel.
A mysterious, and exquisitely wrapped package appears on Violet's doorstep. Inside is a gorgeous and unusual necklace. No clue as to who the sender is. The note that came with it was cryptic and of no known meaning to Violet.
But the moment Violet puts the necklace on, something in her changes. Where she was one meek and (I'm sorry to say) somewhat pathetic when it came to her abusive boyfriend Mick, now she is a pretty scary b*tch! Much to Mick's confusion, she deals with his abusive mouth in a pretty ironic way.
Enjoyed the writing style, and Victoria's character really came to life for me even though this was a pretty short little tale. Though I wish there was more page time invested into the mystery of the necklace itself, it was a pretty interesting, if dark, short story.
A mysterious, and exquisitely wrapped package appears on Violet's doorstep. Inside is a gorgeous and unusual necklace. No clue as to who the sender is. The note that came with it was cryptic and of no known meaning to Violet.
But the moment Violet puts the necklace on, something in her changes. Where she was one meek and (I'm sorry to say) somewhat pathetic when it came to her abusive boyfriend Mick, now she is a pretty scary b*tch! Much to Mick's confusion, she deals with his abusive mouth in a pretty ironic way.
Enjoyed the writing style, and Victoria's character really came to life for me even though this was a pretty short little tale. Though I wish there was more page time invested into the mystery of the necklace itself, it was a pretty interesting, if dark, short story.
August 5, 2012
Short stories can be difficult to write. The author needs to provide the reader with enough info to get them interested and, in the end, make an impact. Tough.
Absorbed is roughly 188 Kindle locations once you subtract the intro and ending bits. I downloaded this one when it was offered as a freebie.
The main character is solid and the creepy necklace concept is such fun. My only complaint is I wish I had a little more build up regarding the men. More subtle abuse - less in your face. It would have made me want them to die. The addition of five to ten more pages could have built the tension more and made the final impact greater.
But - I would definitely read more by this author. She has a creative writing voice and I'd gladly hear more of it.
Absorbed is roughly 188 Kindle locations once you subtract the intro and ending bits. I downloaded this one when it was offered as a freebie.
The main character is solid and the creepy necklace concept is such fun. My only complaint is I wish I had a little more build up regarding the men. More subtle abuse - less in your face. It would have made me want them to die. The addition of five to ten more pages could have built the tension more and made the final impact greater.
But - I would definitely read more by this author. She has a creative writing voice and I'd gladly hear more of it.
August 12, 2014
I'm not a fan of dark stories. Its just me, I like a 'Happily Ever After' at the end of my stories. But this one intrigued me.
The subtle twists from what seems to be such a wonderful thing, into something much darker and more sinister helps to draw you into the piece and really makes you wonder just who you're supposed to be rooting for.
I enjoyed the link back to something historical, and the gift makes me think of an 'Artifact' from the show Warehouse 13. Looking back, I could almost expect to have seen Pete and Myka show up to retrieve it.
The ending throws you for a loop in some ways, and really does leave you unsure of whether or not you should be happy for the outcome... And at the same time, not sure you'd have wanted it to go any other way.
The subtle twists from what seems to be such a wonderful thing, into something much darker and more sinister helps to draw you into the piece and really makes you wonder just who you're supposed to be rooting for.
I enjoyed the link back to something historical, and the gift makes me think of an 'Artifact' from the show Warehouse 13. Looking back, I could almost expect to have seen Pete and Myka show up to retrieve it.
The ending throws you for a loop in some ways, and really does leave you unsure of whether or not you should be happy for the outcome... And at the same time, not sure you'd have wanted it to go any other way.
July 5, 2012
Wow. Amazing short story. I rarely give a short story this well a rating but Crowe's story was titillating and slightly chilling. Absorbed told the story of a woman who constantly found herself in abusive relationships, and the chilling change in her personality after mysteriously receiving an old but gorgeous necklace. The amount of thought put into this story and it's plot is phenomenal, especially considering the page length.
I'd recommend this to both teens and adults. The slight chill you are left with after reading this story is well worth it, and this is coming from someone who isn't a fan of horror, however mild it may be.
Brilliant.
I'd recommend this to both teens and adults. The slight chill you are left with after reading this story is well worth it, and this is coming from someone who isn't a fan of horror, however mild it may be.
Brilliant.
October 10, 2012
Absorbed was a great short story. Complex, thrilling and compelling, I read it in 30 minutes or less, it was really, really short, I wish it had more pages because I enjoyed it very much.
Violet is like a lot of women in the world: They stand abusive pricks just because they think they're so in love and doesn't realize that they don't deserve this treatment.
Penelope Crowe did a great job writing Violet's issues with her abusive boyfriend, Mick. I hated him so much, its unreal. I loved how she managed to write a real story and add a spark of fantasy and mystery to it, because that ending was IN-CRE-DI-BLE.
Violet is like a lot of women in the world: They stand abusive pricks just because they think they're so in love and doesn't realize that they don't deserve this treatment.
Penelope Crowe did a great job writing Violet's issues with her abusive boyfriend, Mick. I hated him so much, its unreal. I loved how she managed to write a real story and add a spark of fantasy and mystery to it, because that ending was IN-CRE-DI-BLE.
October 11, 2012
Author PENELOPE CROWE is at her best with ABSORBED, in this bizarre short story regarding jewelry, boyfriend issues, and something that lurks in the dark.
Who would have guessed?
I've read CROWE'S other works, such as 100 UNFORTUNATE DAYS, and this author never fails to entertain. I'm also a fan of her blog, As The Crowe Fiies.
I read this fabulous short story, ABSORBED, in about twenty minutes, and actually had to sit on my porch and give the story a good thought, since the ending was so unexpected! But that's what readers expect, correct?
Definitely worth the read, I promise, friends!
Who would have guessed?
I've read CROWE'S other works, such as 100 UNFORTUNATE DAYS, and this author never fails to entertain. I'm also a fan of her blog, As The Crowe Fiies.
I read this fabulous short story, ABSORBED, in about twenty minutes, and actually had to sit on my porch and give the story a good thought, since the ending was so unexpected! But that's what readers expect, correct?
Definitely worth the read, I promise, friends!
September 11, 2012
This short story had a Hitchcock like feel to it. As a fan of Hitchcock I was totally delighted, there is a subtlety to the darkness of the story that draws you right in and won't let you go. Violet receives an intriguing gift which is left on her doorstep. She has no idea where or who this gift has come from, but it becomes very clear that there is more to the beautiful gift than meets the eye... Not wanting to spoil the story for you, what I will say is this is well worth down loading. It's a story you will not forget and I for one will want to read more books by this talented author.
February 13, 2013
Penelope Crowe has indeed shown ud a ski -crawling piece on a mysterious piece of jewellry and it has worked wonders.
i liked the idea, the characters build-up and the way the story sets.
However, ADVICE TO THE AUTHOR, it would've been interesting if the main character after seeing the photo with her necklace, did a background check on both the woman in the picture and the necklace. might've also made the book a tad longer and she might've found out who the sender and the mysterious artist was.
other than that no grammar or editing mistakes. good work!
i liked the idea, the characters build-up and the way the story sets.
However, ADVICE TO THE AUTHOR, it would've been interesting if the main character after seeing the photo with her necklace, did a background check on both the woman in the picture and the necklace. might've also made the book a tad longer and she might've found out who the sender and the mysterious artist was.
other than that no grammar or editing mistakes. good work!
March 25, 2013
This short story is, in a word, brilliant. From the very first sentence I was hooked. The author really did a great job of not letting you know where the story was going until you needed to, which was excellent. You knew something was going to happen, you just didn't know exactly what or when.
This short story was masterfully done, extremely well written, and one that I would read over and over again. This was the first thing that I read by this author but I'd like to read more after reading this. Great story.
This short story was masterfully done, extremely well written, and one that I would read over and over again. This was the first thing that I read by this author but I'd like to read more after reading this. Great story.
April 21, 2013
I loved the premise. It was dark and on the paranormal side of things. Violet, the MC, comes home to a strange box waiting on her doorstep. Inside it, she finds a beautiful necklace. When she puts it on, it literally becomes a part of her.
However, I would've like to have known more about Violet and why she ended up with her abusive boyfriend. Nothing about her, allowed me to empathize with her.
I also felt the story was disjointed at times. Making connections was impossible. Especially the ending. This diamond could've been polished more.
However, I would've like to have known more about Violet and why she ended up with her abusive boyfriend. Nothing about her, allowed me to empathize with her.
I also felt the story was disjointed at times. Making connections was impossible. Especially the ending. This diamond could've been polished more.
July 17, 2012
Absorbed is a fast read that leaves you wanting more. Crowe spins this short tale with a modern-day-Poe-feel. It's captivating and thought provoking; it triggered quite a bit of emotion and internal debate as I fell deeper into the story. I am a fan of Crowe's 100 Days and would encourage readers of Absorbed not to pass up Crowe's other works. Grab this short story and enjoy a new millennium twist on an old classic style page-turner - you won't be able to put it down.
October 8, 2012
It should really be a book and not a short story...but I'm just not a short story person so I would say that about most short stories. The first sentence had me captivated. I really disliked the cursing and abusive boyfriend bit...I wish I could rewrite the book using the first sentence and the idea of the "gift" being absorbed into her was cool. Could have been sooo much better had it been developed more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2012
Penelope Crowe has an amazing talent for writing the macabre. I was hooked from the start. The characters were well-developed, and what I thought would be a lovely romantic story from the beginning turned out to be the perfect tale of twisted revenge. I am looking forward to many more stories from this very talented author.
July 18, 2012
It looks like a lot of others really liked this short story, but I really don't think there was anything I liked about it. It was way too short. It was a little creepy, which I'm not saying as a bad thing, but it just really didn't give me enough. There wasn't enough of a plot to get interested or to care about the characters.
September 22, 2012
I wish there was more of this story! A very dark short story about a woman who is drawn to abusive men and receives an amazing gift one day that changes her life. I don't want to say more and give anything away, but if you're looking for a quick read, Absorbed is worth the short time it takes, and perfect for Halloween time as it is a bit creepy and disturbing.
September 24, 2012
Great short story & quick read! It's a bit scary what we are capable of doing 'under the wrong influence'. When Violet receives a mysterious gift at her doorstep, & finds its a beautiful necklace, of couse she puts in on, what girl wouldn't right? But the inflience & power of it is something she didn't expect; make her very bold in standing up forherself & more! Read to find out for yourself. =)
March 5, 2013
With her short story Absorbed, Crowe has presented an emergence from co-dependence and psychological and physical abuse. The means to this growth can be perceived as supernatural (especially considering the protagonist's actions for ridding herself of the detrimental in her life), but I believe that it is effectively symbolic for finding and incorporating one's inner strength.
June 28, 2013
Fun little gruesome tale of a woman's vengeful scorn. Short, quick little fantasy piece from a battered girlfriend with suppressed anger at her perpetrating boyfriend and how a necklace gives her confidence. Nice read but don't get any ideas ladies, because all men are not worthy of this fate. ;-)
November 9, 2011
Chilling tale of a woman scorned one to many times and fate intervenes and sends her spiraling down into the grips of a powerful evil force. A force she is more than happy accept....not someone you would want to date! I really liked this one!!
November 26, 2011
I found the story to be quite entertaining and gripping. I enjoyed Violet's transformation as the gift she finds begins to assert its influence upon her. Well written and well paced. I am looking forward to checking out Crowe's other work.
June 21, 2012
This was a great short story from the beginning to the very end:-) I am so glad the main character started sticking up for herself; because abusive relationship are so not healthy!!...lol...At least in this case especially for the man-
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews