What do you think?
Rate this book
Agony
A cold lonely life, paralyzed by sickening nightmares: that’s what Kewy, a young Irish teacher, has started to experience. And then an abrupt knocking at her door establishes that the time has come. Things buried in her past have found a way to communicate with her—the dreams, which always receive her at a godforsaken place, dwell with evil and are surrounded by death, fear and hopelessness.
The past is agonizing, but part of her still believes she can erase it. In her quest, Kewy is joined by two beings, both of whom find a reason to live in her struggle. Kasper, a grocery boy, works in small county of Louth. In Kewy, he thinks he has found the meaning of his life. Einin is a teen catholic student in Kewy’s art history class. She anticipates Kewy’s problem and offers a helping hand.
Together, the three decide to visit the dark, disturbed and desolated land from Kewy’s dream. There is fear and anxiety, but they hope to get past it—not having the slightest idea that what waits for them in those dead woods is more than just a plain and ordinary fear.
The past is agonizing, but part of her still believes she can erase it. In her quest, Kewy is joined by two beings, both of whom find a reason to live in her struggle. Kasper, a grocery boy, works in small county of Louth. In Kewy, he thinks he has found the meaning of his life. Einin is a teen catholic student in Kewy’s art history class. She anticipates Kewy’s problem and offers a helping hand.
Together, the three decide to visit the dark, disturbed and desolated land from Kewy’s dream. There is fear and anxiety, but they hope to get past it—not having the slightest idea that what waits for them in those dead woods is more than just a plain and ordinary fear.
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 7, 2014
422 people want to read
About the author
Kshitij
4 books86 followersI love nights, rain storms, coffee, blues, winters and snow. Travelling to distant places always inspire me.
My life is a dark fantasy: I spend my nights writing, and days dreaming about writing.
My characters struggle a lot. Much more than what they really deserve! My books usually involve a supernatural/mystical angle, but that's to enrich the story and to get the best out of my characters.
I hope to write about varied topics in future- about relationships, isolation, love, depression, pain(READ AGONY) and many other facets of human life.
My life is a dark fantasy: I spend my nights writing, and days dreaming about writing.
My characters struggle a lot. Much more than what they really deserve! My books usually involve a supernatural/mystical angle, but that's to enrich the story and to get the best out of my characters.
I hope to write about varied topics in future- about relationships, isolation, love, depression, pain(READ AGONY) and many other facets of human life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 21, 2014
With Halloween just around the corner, I decided to try this one out. Agony is a thrilling horror story with a compelling lead character, Kewy, who finds herself haunted by a presence that is both evil and foreboding.
Kshitij develops suspense gradually packing on layer after layer of unrelieved tension. The evil that haunts Kewy remains ever present in the background surfacing not only as a thrill to the reader, but as a device propelling her towards a realization, towards a knowledge of her demon.
Because this is horror, I can't give too much else away here. I can say that the characters were developed skillfully, allowing their actions to speak for them, and the setting were described in a manner that paired darkness with beauty.
Overall, I loved the book. Highly Recommended
Kshitij develops suspense gradually packing on layer after layer of unrelieved tension. The evil that haunts Kewy remains ever present in the background surfacing not only as a thrill to the reader, but as a device propelling her towards a realization, towards a knowledge of her demon.
Because this is horror, I can't give too much else away here. I can say that the characters were developed skillfully, allowing their actions to speak for them, and the setting were described in a manner that paired darkness with beauty.
Overall, I loved the book. Highly Recommended
May 30, 2014
Many horror fans will know or realise that books from the genre need certain aspects. Blood, gore, thrills, scares, the usual. However, in many examples, the novels don't focus on the characters as much as the plot. This rule is bendable, not always applicable but when you have a riveting central character, the horror can sometimes take a backseat or become a character itself. It's a fine line to tread but very rewarding when walked in style.
Agony, written by Kshitij (an uber cool name if ever I saw one) is a horror story that deserves to be read. First of all, the central character, Kewy, is remarkable. A character that's rounded, fleshed out, developed lavishly and never wasted, even when her friends are on the pages with her. Agony is a very character driven horror, which makes the thrills and scares all the more impactful. The book slow-burns in places but this never affects the story, only enhancing the horror aspect.
Then there's the chills themselves. Lingering like a demented, but out of reach character in the background, on every page you feel they can make themselves heard at the drop of a hat. You wait...and wait...and, BAM, there they are, haunting Kewy, chasing her, hounding her like a menacing stalker who just won't let go. Before you know it, they're gone and the ordeal starts all over again. When you can immerse yourself in a book like this, you find it hard to put down.
5* - This book is excellent. It reads smoothly, flows like a dream and the characters are easily some of the best I've read in recent months. I normally like my horror full on, in your face and bold. Agony is bold, taking the subtle road to terror that so many aspire to do, but only a handful can execute. As a horror fan, you deserve to read this.
Agony, written by Kshitij (an uber cool name if ever I saw one) is a horror story that deserves to be read. First of all, the central character, Kewy, is remarkable. A character that's rounded, fleshed out, developed lavishly and never wasted, even when her friends are on the pages with her. Agony is a very character driven horror, which makes the thrills and scares all the more impactful. The book slow-burns in places but this never affects the story, only enhancing the horror aspect.
Then there's the chills themselves. Lingering like a demented, but out of reach character in the background, on every page you feel they can make themselves heard at the drop of a hat. You wait...and wait...and, BAM, there they are, haunting Kewy, chasing her, hounding her like a menacing stalker who just won't let go. Before you know it, they're gone and the ordeal starts all over again. When you can immerse yourself in a book like this, you find it hard to put down.
5* - This book is excellent. It reads smoothly, flows like a dream and the characters are easily some of the best I've read in recent months. I normally like my horror full on, in your face and bold. Agony is bold, taking the subtle road to terror that so many aspire to do, but only a handful can execute. As a horror fan, you deserve to read this.
June 5, 2014
Horror literature comes in many guises, and perhaps the most difficult sub genre to master is the ghost story. There are a lot of tricks in a horror authors box, and the writer of the subtle, supernatural tale often has to eschew many of them to create a gentler, more atmospheric work. Gore, explicit violence and a fast pace are, much of the time, cast aside within the confines of the traditional ghost story and the emphasis is placed on character nuance and suspense building.
Its seems clear that Kshitij has taken some measure of influence from the more traditional horror and suspense writers of old....writers such as MR James and E Nesbit, and has blended them with some of the more modern cinematic tropes of our age to create his slow-build, creepy tale.
The melding of styles works surprisingly well, and lends Agony an accessibility that should appeal to younger audiences while maintaining it's inherent dignity. Instead of violence and action, Kshitij focuses on character, and in Kewy, he has created a believable and engaging protagonist for his tale. It's nice to read a tale that focuses so intently on one character. Its a technique that is becoming all too rare these days.
The novels setting also adds an extra layer of immersion, as the authors cinematic influences come into play. In fact, Agony reads like a slow-burn ghost story playing out on the screen in your mind, and that's no bad thing.
My only real criticism of the work lies in the dialogue, as it is occasionally clear that English is not the authors first language. The dialogue is fine for the most part, but can sometimes feel a little forced. In descriptive terms, though, Kshitij has a fine grip on the language, and injects his world with a real sense of immersion.
I thoroughly enjoyed Agony, and while I tend to go for the far more explicit and hardcore horror out there, I do enjoy the occasional quiet and subtle piece. Agony fits the bill nicely.
Its seems clear that Kshitij has taken some measure of influence from the more traditional horror and suspense writers of old....writers such as MR James and E Nesbit, and has blended them with some of the more modern cinematic tropes of our age to create his slow-build, creepy tale.
The melding of styles works surprisingly well, and lends Agony an accessibility that should appeal to younger audiences while maintaining it's inherent dignity. Instead of violence and action, Kshitij focuses on character, and in Kewy, he has created a believable and engaging protagonist for his tale. It's nice to read a tale that focuses so intently on one character. Its a technique that is becoming all too rare these days.
The novels setting also adds an extra layer of immersion, as the authors cinematic influences come into play. In fact, Agony reads like a slow-burn ghost story playing out on the screen in your mind, and that's no bad thing.
My only real criticism of the work lies in the dialogue, as it is occasionally clear that English is not the authors first language. The dialogue is fine for the most part, but can sometimes feel a little forced. In descriptive terms, though, Kshitij has a fine grip on the language, and injects his world with a real sense of immersion.
I thoroughly enjoyed Agony, and while I tend to go for the far more explicit and hardcore horror out there, I do enjoy the occasional quiet and subtle piece. Agony fits the bill nicely.
June 3, 2014
My bet would be that this author has spent a lot more time watching movies and TV than he has reading novels, because every little thing is described and set down for us in this book. If someone comes to the door, they knock, the protagonists, opens the door, says Hello, the visitor says, Hello, the protagonist asks if the visitor would like to come in, the visitor says yes, then walks in, then sits down, then is offered coffee, the visitor accepts or declines, then they make small talk—and THEN they start to get to what the scene is about. This sort of over-describing is on every page, making this reader grit her teeth and want to yell, “Get on with it!” And because the book has an omniscient point of view, we also get everyone’s thoughts, both the important ones and the not-so-important ones. Often we get both, a character saying what he or she thinks, and the narrator telling us what the character thinks, just in case we didn’t figure it out the first time.
All of which is too bad because there’s probably a good, much shorter, supernatural story lurking under all this extra conversation, exposition, and a long, dragged out story-within-the-story, in which the young collage-aged characters do all the stupid things all doomed collage-aged characters do in third-rate horror movies, like stay overnight in a site where they’ve been warned to be out by sunset.
It’s clear, too, that English isn’t the author’s first language. The dialog never feels natural and some of the word choices are odd.
My advice is to skip this book and wait for the author, who does seem to have some talent underneath it all, to learn his craft and to find a good developmental and line editor.
All of which is too bad because there’s probably a good, much shorter, supernatural story lurking under all this extra conversation, exposition, and a long, dragged out story-within-the-story, in which the young collage-aged characters do all the stupid things all doomed collage-aged characters do in third-rate horror movies, like stay overnight in a site where they’ve been warned to be out by sunset.
It’s clear, too, that English isn’t the author’s first language. The dialog never feels natural and some of the word choices are odd.
My advice is to skip this book and wait for the author, who does seem to have some talent underneath it all, to learn his craft and to find a good developmental and line editor.
June 7, 2014
There is a story in there, but it’s hard staying awake and interested for long enough to chisel it out. It is evident that effort has been put into presenting a well-proofed and formatted book; it is a great shame that the book itself does not warrant that effort.
This Indian author has chosen to locate the story in Ireland despite it being obvious he knows nothing about that country or Irish people. The dialogue is dire; the only influence I can discern from the word choice is American, not Irish. What is said is not consistent for the character or appropriate to the situation.
The interpersonal actions and reactions are stilted; the characters remain flat and uninteresting. A reader is forced to wade through page after page of minute, pointless details to glean the next snippet of the actual story. We really don’t need to be told every tiny action and thought; it makes it worse that they are exaggerated well beyond the point of being believable. Then, to compound the error, many times it is all repeated in the form of unnatural dialogue.
The punctuation, on the whole, is good, although the paragraphing is abysmal and exclamation marks are overused.
The author would do well to read a great deal of good English literature to pick up the true cadence of the language, and would also benefit from a couple of writing courses with a very strict teacher. This book needs stripping down to the bare bones of the story and then meaningful, interesting detail added to bring the location and characters alive. It would then be about two thirds the current length, which would be about right for this story.
This Indian author has chosen to locate the story in Ireland despite it being obvious he knows nothing about that country or Irish people. The dialogue is dire; the only influence I can discern from the word choice is American, not Irish. What is said is not consistent for the character or appropriate to the situation.
The interpersonal actions and reactions are stilted; the characters remain flat and uninteresting. A reader is forced to wade through page after page of minute, pointless details to glean the next snippet of the actual story. We really don’t need to be told every tiny action and thought; it makes it worse that they are exaggerated well beyond the point of being believable. Then, to compound the error, many times it is all repeated in the form of unnatural dialogue.
The punctuation, on the whole, is good, although the paragraphing is abysmal and exclamation marks are overused.
The author would do well to read a great deal of good English literature to pick up the true cadence of the language, and would also benefit from a couple of writing courses with a very strict teacher. This book needs stripping down to the bare bones of the story and then meaningful, interesting detail added to bring the location and characters alive. It would then be about two thirds the current length, which would be about right for this story.
July 21, 2014
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I really wish we could do half stars, I rated this on my blog post at 3.5 stars.
I knew going into this book that I would most likely face some language challenges. When reading books that are written by authors from another country (I’m not even sure how to say that correctly… it just sounded strange to say a foreign author) you know that because of cultural and slang differences that you will really have to pay attention. This book could have used a little bit more editing (mostly punctuation mistakes), but overall it was well written and the story itself was interesting.
Kewy is trapped in a mystery that she doesn’t understand. She has nightmares that she has no idea how to stop. Kasper and Einin both care for Kewy and decide to join her on the journey to discovery. All of them are willing to do whatever it takes to help solve Kewy’s problems. This is a story of evil incarnate, faith, and loss. Each character has an interesting backstory that makes their part in this journey unique.
At first I was not fond of Kewy, her character came across as weak and fragile; not exactly ideal traits for a main character. Einin, in my opinion, was stronger out the gate than Kewy was. But, as the story progresses, we see Kewy grow as a character; she becomes stronger and more willing to fight the “demons” that are plaguing her. Kasper came across as sort of weird, he was totally in love with Kewy, but had never really spent any time with her. It just seemed a little odd that after one evening spent together (just talking), that he would drop everything in his life to travel cross-country with her and invest himself in her ordeal. But he does play a pivotal part to this story.
Overall, I found this book to be less of a horror and more along the lines of occult/supernatural. The horror aspect of the story is more psychological than anything else. Once you get past the language barrier, it’s an easy read. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in occult/supernatural and psychological horror. There are some graphic scenes involving rituals and sacrifice, so I would not recommend it for younger
You can see the entire things at The Bookie Monster http://bookie-monster.com/2014/07/blo...
July 29, 2016
* I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.*
Plagued by bad dreams, a young woman working as a teacher in Ireland journeys back to the source of her nightmares, a remote and mysterious village where unfinished business awaits her.
I'll begin by commending the author for putting out a novel that is formatted properly and, for the most part, clean of typos. A vivid imagination was put to use writing Agony, and it shows. The landscape of Kewey's dreams is an eerie and unsettling one.
Unfortunately, the story suffers from a lack of focus and too much telling (as opposed to showing). Early chapters are a loose mixture of nightmares and everyday life as Kewy tends to chores and chats with people around town. This lack of structure provides little foundation for suspense to build upon, and when the plot eventually moves into action, it does so slowly. Characters speak their thoughts and feelings outright to one another for long stretches of time, and the moments of horror end up being spread somewhat thin.
It's clear the author put a lot of hard work into Agony and I wish him the best with his future stories, but I wouldn't be able to recommend this one.
Plagued by bad dreams, a young woman working as a teacher in Ireland journeys back to the source of her nightmares, a remote and mysterious village where unfinished business awaits her.
I'll begin by commending the author for putting out a novel that is formatted properly and, for the most part, clean of typos. A vivid imagination was put to use writing Agony, and it shows. The landscape of Kewey's dreams is an eerie and unsettling one.
Unfortunately, the story suffers from a lack of focus and too much telling (as opposed to showing). Early chapters are a loose mixture of nightmares and everyday life as Kewy tends to chores and chats with people around town. This lack of structure provides little foundation for suspense to build upon, and when the plot eventually moves into action, it does so slowly. Characters speak their thoughts and feelings outright to one another for long stretches of time, and the moments of horror end up being spread somewhat thin.
It's clear the author put a lot of hard work into Agony and I wish him the best with his future stories, but I wouldn't be able to recommend this one.
June 26, 2014
2.5 out of 5
*Provided to reviewer to honest review*
Agony is basically the story of one person using another to stop her own nightmares (literally). I went into this story hoping for a good horror. That is not what I got. There is a story, but it’s hard to stay interested long enough to get to it. The book could also use a good editor. Someone to help with the language difference. There was a lot of head-hoping throughout with no breaks in between. It was hard to figure out who was talking at times.
The interaction and reactions of the characters are flat and stay that way throughout the story. A reader is forced to read through page after page of minute, pointless details to glean the next snippet of the actual story. We really don’t need to be told every tiny action and thought.
Like I said before, there is a story within, you just have to wade through everything else to reach it. In the true sense of a horror story, this is not, but in the sense of today’s “Hollywood” horror, it is. I would recommend a bit of editing and restructuring then republishing. This tale can be told.
*Provided to reviewer to honest review*
Agony is basically the story of one person using another to stop her own nightmares (literally). I went into this story hoping for a good horror. That is not what I got. There is a story, but it’s hard to stay interested long enough to get to it. The book could also use a good editor. Someone to help with the language difference. There was a lot of head-hoping throughout with no breaks in between. It was hard to figure out who was talking at times.
The interaction and reactions of the characters are flat and stay that way throughout the story. A reader is forced to read through page after page of minute, pointless details to glean the next snippet of the actual story. We really don’t need to be told every tiny action and thought.
Like I said before, there is a story within, you just have to wade through everything else to reach it. In the true sense of a horror story, this is not, but in the sense of today’s “Hollywood” horror, it is. I would recommend a bit of editing and restructuring then republishing. This tale can be told.
June 25, 2014
Kshitij has written an epic novel here that involves three young men and women in a modern day life and death struggle with Lucifer himself! The main protagonist Kewy experiences horrific nightmares that all take place in a place called Reinhardt County.
The nightmares become worse and worse and in order to try and stop them she decides to take a trip to the mysterious Reinhardt County. There she will either confront the devil who is causing her nightmares, or burn in hell for eternity if her efforts fail.
Kshitij writes in graphic detail, like no other author I have ever read. So the reader is kept in perfect detail of every part of this story from start to end. My only slight criticism is that it is a long story, but if you have time to invest and the genre interests you, it is certainly worth a read.
The nightmares become worse and worse and in order to try and stop them she decides to take a trip to the mysterious Reinhardt County. There she will either confront the devil who is causing her nightmares, or burn in hell for eternity if her efforts fail.
Kshitij writes in graphic detail, like no other author I have ever read. So the reader is kept in perfect detail of every part of this story from start to end. My only slight criticism is that it is a long story, but if you have time to invest and the genre interests you, it is certainly worth a read.
July 19, 2014
I must admit I am a horror fan, but not the blood and gore sort, more the sort that invoke suspense, and allow the reader imagine rather than see the fear within. I’m glad to say Agony falls within the latter category, and therefore it very much met with my approval.
I liked the main character Kewy, and what befalls her. The terror is subtle, and there are aspects of the occult and of ghosts. It took me a while to get into it, but I soon realised it was a slow burner, and had a very satisfactory ending with good triumphing over evil.
The author deserves credit for how the tale pans out, and given us a story that will remain in my mind for a long time to come.
I liked the main character Kewy, and what befalls her. The terror is subtle, and there are aspects of the occult and of ghosts. It took me a while to get into it, but I soon realised it was a slow burner, and had a very satisfactory ending with good triumphing over evil.
The author deserves credit for how the tale pans out, and given us a story that will remain in my mind for a long time to come.
June 16, 2014
I was sent this book for review and found it to somewhat unusual. It is a character based ghost story of sorts, which is more psychological than gory - far more interesting in my view - especially when the characters seem to emerge from the protagonist's mind rather than from reality.
A good read, although a little stilted in places and worth reading for those who enjoy something different.
A good read, although a little stilted in places and worth reading for those who enjoy something different.
June 15, 2014
I have to say that its a good story once you adjust to this authors style of writing which is very descriptive in nature. The cover is beautiful and fits the mood of the book perfectly.
November 18, 2014
After an experience she could never forget years ago involving the deaths/disappearances of three old friends of hers, Kewy has been haunted by nightmares. Nightmares which feel so real that she is afraid to fall asleep for fear of being taken over by them. She knows something is not right. She knows something is calling for her to go back. Back to the town where the horrifying ordeal happened. Back to the place where her life changed forever.
But she will not be going alone. A student of hers named Einin and a man who deeply cares for her, Kasper, are going to accompany her on this journey. However, they may not know what they are truly in for until it is too late. For the secret behind the nightmares is a truth that could be too hard to swallow.
Now firstly I must say that I loved the concept of this story. It...I don't know...intrigued me. I loved the all around creepiness of the town to which Kewy must go back. The town that seems to call to her. It kind of reminded me of limbo. You know, there but not really there. A ghost town, if you will. I loved that there is a much bigger story to the town, involving a pact with Satan and a sacrifice of certain qualifications. I also loved the people of the town. Just talking about it sends shivers down my spine.
With that said, though, I was a bit disappointed by the execution of the story. There were no low points, but there were no high points or climaxes. I want a story to have a big reveal, where the main character has no idea what his or her true fate or destiny is until the end, and then they must choose. I wanted Kewy to be haunted throughout the entire journey back by her past with the town. I wanted the town to reveal small bits and pieces of her role in its survival, but not fully awaken and reveal the big picture until she had begun to realize it herself. I wanted her to fight. Against the town, and its inhabitants, and more importantly her role. And I wanted her to win, to for once and for all stop the nightmares. There was no huge battle. I wanted Kewy, Kasper, and Einin to survive the ordeal and come back stronger than ever. Albeit a bit battered and bruised, but joined together in victory. I just felt like there could have been more in the way of interest and intrigue and horror and excitement. But all in all, it was a good read.
But she will not be going alone. A student of hers named Einin and a man who deeply cares for her, Kasper, are going to accompany her on this journey. However, they may not know what they are truly in for until it is too late. For the secret behind the nightmares is a truth that could be too hard to swallow.
Now firstly I must say that I loved the concept of this story. It...I don't know...intrigued me. I loved the all around creepiness of the town to which Kewy must go back. The town that seems to call to her. It kind of reminded me of limbo. You know, there but not really there. A ghost town, if you will. I loved that there is a much bigger story to the town, involving a pact with Satan and a sacrifice of certain qualifications. I also loved the people of the town. Just talking about it sends shivers down my spine.
With that said, though, I was a bit disappointed by the execution of the story. There were no low points, but there were no high points or climaxes. I want a story to have a big reveal, where the main character has no idea what his or her true fate or destiny is until the end, and then they must choose. I wanted Kewy to be haunted throughout the entire journey back by her past with the town. I wanted the town to reveal small bits and pieces of her role in its survival, but not fully awaken and reveal the big picture until she had begun to realize it herself. I wanted her to fight. Against the town, and its inhabitants, and more importantly her role. And I wanted her to win, to for once and for all stop the nightmares. There was no huge battle. I wanted Kewy, Kasper, and Einin to survive the ordeal and come back stronger than ever. Albeit a bit battered and bruised, but joined together in victory. I just felt like there could have been more in the way of interest and intrigue and horror and excitement. But all in all, it was a good read.
July 24, 2014
Though it says Horror, Agony is really an occult/supernatural experience. It does have ghost elements in it but as a die hard horror fan, the fear-factor in this novel is more psychological than anything else. There are scenes of cult practices as well as some where people drink blood and stuff, but I didn't feel it to be too gory. The horror is the right mix between psychology and gore.
The main character, Kewy, felt shallow to me in the beginning. She is plagued by nightmares and can't sleep and must embark on a journey to the place where it started. She convinces one of her students and a potential boyfriend to go on that journey with her, even though she knows how dangerous it can be. Then, she refuses to tell them how it all started till the time they reach the point of no return in an isolated resort in the county. However, it was heartening to see her growing better as a person throughout the story since that is what a story is about, how a character changes due to circumstances. Kewy's college friends were also a bit of a let down. They all go on a professional escapade but once they reach their destination, nobody is interested in doing the actual work anymore. Kewy's other friends, Eineen and Kasper were well thought-of and sketched. Especially Eineen came across as a real strong person.
The plot is great but the telling of the story is a bit lacking and so the reader has to plod through unnecessary information to reach the actual story. Everything, and I mean everything, has been described to the minutest detail, leaving absolutely nothing to the reader's imagination, as if the author doesn't trust the reader to 'get it'. The language needs professional editing. I wish authors like Kshitij who self publish their novels would first hire the services of a professional editor, especially if it's a debut since the first impression you make on a reader would carry forward in their minds.
I did enjoy reading Agony once I went past the language barrier and I think the plot has the right bit of depth and intrigue. I especially liked the climax and the ending where good wins over evil. I would rate this story 3 out of 5 stars.
The main character, Kewy, felt shallow to me in the beginning. She is plagued by nightmares and can't sleep and must embark on a journey to the place where it started. She convinces one of her students and a potential boyfriend to go on that journey with her, even though she knows how dangerous it can be. Then, she refuses to tell them how it all started till the time they reach the point of no return in an isolated resort in the county. However, it was heartening to see her growing better as a person throughout the story since that is what a story is about, how a character changes due to circumstances. Kewy's college friends were also a bit of a let down. They all go on a professional escapade but once they reach their destination, nobody is interested in doing the actual work anymore. Kewy's other friends, Eineen and Kasper were well thought-of and sketched. Especially Eineen came across as a real strong person.
The plot is great but the telling of the story is a bit lacking and so the reader has to plod through unnecessary information to reach the actual story. Everything, and I mean everything, has been described to the minutest detail, leaving absolutely nothing to the reader's imagination, as if the author doesn't trust the reader to 'get it'. The language needs professional editing. I wish authors like Kshitij who self publish their novels would first hire the services of a professional editor, especially if it's a debut since the first impression you make on a reader would carry forward in their minds.
I did enjoy reading Agony once I went past the language barrier and I think the plot has the right bit of depth and intrigue. I especially liked the climax and the ending where good wins over evil. I would rate this story 3 out of 5 stars.
June 7, 2014
It's an OK book!
Yes! That's what I have to say. This is a horror, but I think I'm too grown up to get afraid by this. I have had real supernatural experiences in my life. After that, this horror doesn't really appeal to me. It has an OK storyline. Writing is easy-going, I mean, it never gets in the way of the reader. But this novel did not make me feel like I'm reading a novel at all. It was more like a literary transcription of a movie. It felt like I was reading the treatment of a whole feature film. But I won't say that the writing has the proper visual element to it. It's flat transcription rather. Firstly, I was a little shocked when I saw Kshitij, the author who hails from India, has set his novel in Louth (somewhere in UK probably). His characters are Maggie, Kewy, Kasper etc. It was completely unnecessary, I felt. This fact itself made me feel that the author is probably too much inspired by Hollywood films. The story too, goes on like an average horror film produced by Hollywood. The more I kept on reading, I felt, this novel has nothing new to offer to me. Then again I thought, I should keep on reading because the story seems to be OK. It had a nice beginning though. The first chapter made me remember some good books that I've read. I don't really know what happened to the author after that. At points, it feels a bit too dragged.
Anyway, if you are reading this review, you can give it a try. It won't disappoint you, as it is an OK book. Also, since different people have different preferences, you may even like it.
Yes! That's what I have to say. This is a horror, but I think I'm too grown up to get afraid by this. I have had real supernatural experiences in my life. After that, this horror doesn't really appeal to me. It has an OK storyline. Writing is easy-going, I mean, it never gets in the way of the reader. But this novel did not make me feel like I'm reading a novel at all. It was more like a literary transcription of a movie. It felt like I was reading the treatment of a whole feature film. But I won't say that the writing has the proper visual element to it. It's flat transcription rather. Firstly, I was a little shocked when I saw Kshitij, the author who hails from India, has set his novel in Louth (somewhere in UK probably). His characters are Maggie, Kewy, Kasper etc. It was completely unnecessary, I felt. This fact itself made me feel that the author is probably too much inspired by Hollywood films. The story too, goes on like an average horror film produced by Hollywood. The more I kept on reading, I felt, this novel has nothing new to offer to me. Then again I thought, I should keep on reading because the story seems to be OK. It had a nice beginning though. The first chapter made me remember some good books that I've read. I don't really know what happened to the author after that. At points, it feels a bit too dragged.
Anyway, if you are reading this review, you can give it a try. It won't disappoint you, as it is an OK book. Also, since different people have different preferences, you may even like it.
June 18, 2014
Agony is an interesting story. It is a story of evil incarnate, of faith and of loss. It is the story of a girl who is caught up in a mystery she doesn’t understand and the two people who care for her and try to help her unravel it.
The premise and subject matter of the story were extremely interesting, but I had a few problems with keeping up with parts of it due to the cultural differences between my society here in the US and the writer’s society in India. The language was all correct, it was simply a matter of different slang, along with the use of proper English versus colloquial language. Some things just don’t quite translate correctly.
Other than the language barrier, the book was fairly well written. I would recommend it for anyone with an interest in the occult. Really not good for children, it’s fairly graphic and has some adult themes mixed in a few places. I give this one three and a half fangs.
The premise and subject matter of the story were extremely interesting, but I had a few problems with keeping up with parts of it due to the cultural differences between my society here in the US and the writer’s society in India. The language was all correct, it was simply a matter of different slang, along with the use of proper English versus colloquial language. Some things just don’t quite translate correctly.
Other than the language barrier, the book was fairly well written. I would recommend it for anyone with an interest in the occult. Really not good for children, it’s fairly graphic and has some adult themes mixed in a few places. I give this one three and a half fangs.
August 31, 2014
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Agony was an enjoyable read; the premise of your nightmares and darker experiences coming back to essentially frighten you to death by becoming quite real is an interesting idea. Combine this with the religious aspects and dark rituals that make this reality you have the tools for a terrifying ride. The main character, Kewy is truly in a dark place at the start of the novel and it just gets darker from there until she takes the only way out she thinks she can, though not without more tragedy for her. At its core Agony has a lot of potential, but this is unfortunately lost with some of the choppiness of the writing which makes it hard to get through at times. That being said, it did have some enjoyable moments and the intertwining storylines mesh quite well with very little left dangling.
October 6, 2014
Did not finish this book, it was boring.
Some of the word choices are odd and confusing.
And the woman smokes a lot, every new page she lit another sigaret, it was getting on my nerves.
When I was on page 67 I decided to stop reading.
Waste of my time. Waste of my money.
Some of the word choices are odd and confusing.
And the woman smokes a lot, every new page she lit another sigaret, it was getting on my nerves.
When I was on page 67 I decided to stop reading.
Waste of my time. Waste of my money.
June 26, 2014
I sent my comments to the author. I just didn't like this book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews