Abraham Road: A Novella

by Kristopher Kelly

Family is a curse ...

Alec Leary always knew his father was a monster--he just never knew about the tentacles.

At a remote slate quarry, Alec watches in horror as his father sprouts black limbs from a strange wound in his chest. Without warning or explanation, his father whips and lacerates his brother. The two boys flee, only to find themselves lost in the remote wilderness of western Maine with no way home. Stumbling into the care of strangers, they begin their dark journey home, where the fate awaiting them could be worse than anything they imagined.

Thrilling and heartbreaking, this supernatural thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until its final, shocking pages.

Genres: Horror

80 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 7, 2012

About the author

Kristopher Albert Kelly grew up in a small mill town forty miles north of Bangor, Maine. When he started reading seriously in fourth grade, he started with the works of Stephen King. His writing has appeared in The Harvard Advocate and on McSweeney's Internet Tendency.

He lives in New York City, where he works as a librarian.

Reviews

[Bandit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looks like this is Kelly's first long(ish) work and wow. Seriously, wow. He's this good out of the gate, that's really impressive. This is really a best case scenario for downloading a random free kindle book by an unknown author. Set in Maine (which has really got to be the creepiest state, at least according to horror literature) this is a story of a really messed up family, particularly the two young kids whose brotherly love will be thoroughly and brutally tested. I'm being deliberately vague, because you simply have go to read it for yourself. But this is a creature feature of sorts and a first rate one at that. Kelly's writing is so confident, so assured, he comes across as a seasoned author as he creates a disturbingly claustrophobic middle of nowhere world that gets increasingly more frightening, more difficult to navigate and survive and a childhoods coming abruptly to the end. Kudos to Kelly for creating a genuinely scary unsettling story that does the horror genre proud. This is a must for any fan. Highly recommended.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice twist, but oddly done

I didn't read the fine print about the story in this, so most of it caught me off guard. The length was just slightly too long and too short at the same time. This would have been better as a short story, or with more detail and background in a full length novel.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Kristopher Kelly (see I Held My Breath as Long as I Could). I find his stories are always original and well-written, and this is no exception. AR is a compelling story that delivers for horror fans as well as readers who are looking for something unexpected. My favorite thing about Kelly's writing is that he always manages to insert truly funny moments alongside exciting and suspenseful ones. I also respect that the author is looking for new scares, unlike others who follow tired formulas with books about vampires, zombies, or a post-apocalyptic world with vampires or zombies. Yay for thoughtful horror! Down with teenage love triangles!

[J.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the author's style a lot, and the story was very well-told. I just felt there should've been more leading up to the character's discovery (I won't say what because I don't want to give it away). I would have liked to have had some inkling earlier as to where things were going. In retrospect, I know the author tried to "clue" us in, but I don't think that worked very well.

But I enjoyed the writing itself and would definitely read another book by this same author.

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs Join the Penguin Resistance!🐧🐧&#x1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review shortly.

[Robert Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little novella with a good twist at the end. Fast paced and bloody with a little humor mixed in. Nice quick read.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good monster story.