Ear Worms

by Ollie D. Hawkins

I’m unsure whether it is the cold that keeps me numb, or the gruesome reality that every last drop of blood has finally been drained out of my body.A bloody, visceral insight into the psyche of a veteran from the Falklands war, who returns home with more than just a dishonourable discharge and a stowaway body part.

Genres: Horror

94 pages, Paperback

Published March 24, 2024

Reviews

[David Sodergren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ear Worms begins like it's gonna be the most depressing, misanthropic book you've ever read, but thankfully, a rich vein of dark humour emerges, culminating in a fiendishly brilliant final chapter that will have sickos like me cackling. Very enjoyable, and the perfect length at just under one hundred pages.

[Hilda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was gory and very sad. It follows an ex soldier who just wants to die. There’s a lot of disturbing things and it just gets worse. Like from beginning to end you think it’s bad but it just keeps getting worse.

It is very short and that ending has a very nice twist but I didn’t care for him and disliked him very much. But still, did he deserve that ending? It just made me very sad.

[RoseDevoursBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is short 94 page novella about a man who convinces his friend to fight in the Falklands war with him and later comes to regret that awful decision. After being dishonorably discharged we follow his mental descent into a world where PTSD and depression consume him and the stowaway body part is making things worse…

I went into this blind and wasn’t prepared for how heavy of a read this turned out to be - especially for such a short amount of pages (I’ll insert a 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 here for graphic scenes of suicide attempts). While it triggered some very dark times in my life, I really enjoyed the direction it headed in. All the events that led up to a fantastic twist at the very end was utterly unexpected, disturbing and downright terrifying. It’s an ending I’ll be thinking about for a long time. I do wish the main character was a little more fleshed out but all in all I enjoyed devouring this.

Give this a go if you’re looking for a quick and unsettling read under grief horror with light British humor and a substantial amount of gore!

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ear Worms by Ollie D. Hawkins is a short story centering on a man suffering from PTSD. Trauma and guilt has plagued our main character. But what he took back from the war will continue to haunt him…

This book is a sad and gory read. Know that it’s a bleak read laced with dark, British horror before going in. It’s only 53 pages, but it will definitely impact you. It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited!

[spookybookz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ear worms.. wow what a disturbingly gruesome unique novella that was 👏
A story of trauma, guilt & horror that’s truly never ending!
and also let’s not forget the sick cover art by @spike_zephaniah
Eager to see what’s next by this author 😀

[ania | hellishreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

went into this one completely blind and i honestly think that’s the best way to read it!

it’s a short disturbing story of a war veteran returning from the falklands after being dishonourably discharged. he returns with more than he bargained for, the traumatic experience and something…. else.

think final destination meets any war film but make it gross, disturbing and super british!

ear worms is definitely worth the read for anyone who loves their horror to be gross and it’s perfectly short and can be read in no time!

// Thank you to the author for a physical copy!

[Alexa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really impressed by this book besides the cover. The cover art is just so cool!!

I could tell what the ending would be, and I guess that didn't help but add to my boredom. The story had a very cool idea though.

[Anna Reads Horror · Rating 5 out of 5]

👂🪱Grief Horror with Gore
Available on KU

Ok, listen up. If you are after a very gritty portrayal of grief and PTSD, with plenty of dark British humour then this might be for you. This novella deals with so many complex emotions as we follow one man’s inner monologue after coming back from fighting in the Falkland’s war. Really, I don’t want to give any more plot than that but what I will say is this book is intense, gripping, and it left me feeling pretty numb afterwards. The writing style felt real and although it was bleak, there was some sort of odd comfort in the main characters words. If you’ve ever suffered from depression you might be able to relate to some of this, but I would also please advise you to not go in if you are sensitive towards these topics.

I am excited to see what else this author comes up with because this for me, was a very powerful read.

[Andi Finnell (spookybooknerd4ever) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay y'all, this was definitely a trip. It's short and sweet, coming in at 86 pages. But those 86 pages really pack a punch.

This is grief horror. It's graphic, trigger warnings everywhere but I could not look away.

In this short and not so sweet novella, we follow a soldier who is struggling with PTSD and he has come home with more than just a dishonorable discharge. A secret stowaway body part and something else that he cannot get rid of.

I think all of my horror whores will really enjoy this one. And you can read it in like 30 minutes. I highly recommend it. Also, go give the author a follow, they are super nice.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about this one. I do like the way the author blended themes of PTSD with a haunting, as it was a fitting allegory. That being said, the narrator’s sarcastic and cheeky tone kept me from being completely emotionally invested in his character, and the first handful of chapters did start to drag on. On the contrary, the sense of humor is what made this story stand out for me. As some of the other reviewers have stated, this had me laughing to myself on more than one occasion. I really liked how this ended (no spoilers, I promise!). Although not all of it resonated with me, I thought it was beautifully written and definitely worth your time!

[Aimee-Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly my colleague wrote this book and it completely stands up! I finished this in 2 hours after constantly page turning to find out the next turn. The writing completely brings you into the scenes exactly like visual effects do with films. It is filled with horror and thrills while also keeping the reader on their toes and wanting to keep pursuing. This is a fantastic first book and I can’t wait to see what more you have in store. You smashed it ODH! X

[Mattie B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s more unsettling and disturbing than gore? Trauma, never ending guilt, and shame. This was a horrific, short read about a war veteran living with the guilt of losing his best friend. This is grief horror done is a gruesome way and it left me with an uneasy stomach. While it was disturbing, it was also extremely sad. What a read!

[Des · Rating 2 out of 5]

i can honestly say that this is the weirdest story i’ve ever read. the story itself was pretty interesting but i didn’t enjoy it. the MC was just weird and half the time i didn’t understand what was going on. it’s a short story, about 50 pages, so it’s a quick read if you actually wanted to read it. i have nothing else to say about this.

[Stephanie Mendiz · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I’m not sure what I read. I thought it was going to be completely different. I mostly skimmed through this book. I feel that the last chapter seemed very interesting and I really liked it but overall, not the best horror short story. I didn’t care for the character that much but he did not deserve an ending like that.

[Steph's_Creepy _Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope. I mean ok...it was alright but I feel like the saving grace was the humour but I came for the gore. Where'd it go?

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted and terrifying short story. That ending 😫

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa! Pretty effective story writing for such a quick read! The concept is very sad and gruesome and disheartening.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this short story full of trauma, guilt & grief. It was horrific, disturbing and full of gore. I honestly wasn’t prepared for the emotions I felt while reading these 53 pages!