Open Wounds

by Brandon Ford

The first cut brings a wave of calm that immediately washes over her. The second, an incomparable bliss. The third, euphoria in its purest, most absolute form.A twisted and often unsettling glimpse into the mind of an unwitting victim, OPEN WOUNDS tells the story of a young girl’s battle to maintain her safety and sanity after she is preyed upon by a savage predator. She finds only the slightest comfort in scrawling the details of her horrific tale onto the pages of a leatherbound diary. But when her living nightmare becomes more than she can bear, the only comfort she finds is beneath the blade of a paring knife. Night after night, she slices into her own tender flesh, while praying for some escape from a world filled with anguish and torment.Before long, those leatherbound pages are dripping with crimson and soon, open wounds become ripples of scar tissue.

Genres: Audiobook

283 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2013

About the author

Brandon Ford (b. August 28, 1981) grew up in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He started writing at the approximate age of 8 and spent a lot of time testing the waters with various genres. He wrote dramas, comedies, essays, plays, and, of course, thrillers. There were few things he took pleasure in crafting more than a good old-fashioned scary story. Throughout grade school, as well as high school, he continued to build his portfolio with various works (mostly short stories and novellas, but a few plays here and there). He’d pass around these manuscripts to friends and teachers for feedback. Knowing others enjoyed his work and craved more inspired him to keep going.
A few months shy of 23, he sat down to pen his first novel, which became Crystal Bay. Arctic Wolf Publishing, a small press based in Georgia, picked the book up a few years later. Shortly thereafter, he completed Splattered Beauty, an ode to his favorite Scream Queens. In 2009, he teamed up with Alan Draven and Jessica Lynne Gardner for Creeping Shadows (Pixie Dust Press), a collection of three short novels. Ford’s contribution, Merciless, was heavily inspired by a real-life kidnapping that took place in California in 2002. In March 2010, Arctic Wolf released his third novel, Pay Phone. Ford has also contributed works of short fiction to several anthologies, including Abaculus 2007 and Abaculus III (Leucrota Press), Sinister Landscapes (Pixie Dust Press), Raw: Brutality As Art (Snuff Books), and The Death Panel (Comet Press). Some of his biggest influences have been writers like Jack Ketchum and the late Richard Laymon. In his spare time he enjoys reading, watching bad TV, and all things horror. He still resides in South Philadelphia.

Reviews

[Michelle Stockard Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brandon Ford is a horror author of scary stories I've enjoyed in the past. Open Wounds is different, but that doesn't make the story any less horrific. The book shines a spotlight on abuse: emotional, physical, sexual. It's a spotlight many of us would rather go dark, as the subject of abuse is so very hard for so many. However, it needs to shine brightly to bring awareness to something which still happens far too much in our society.

The story is set in 1981. I was thirteen that year and I am so thankful I did not have to endure what Kate did. Ford was smart setting the story in this era because these kinds of abuse were even less recognized back then. Often, if a girl told what was happening, no one would even believe her. We're seeing this come out in the present time...that abuses were going on back then and no one believed.

I'll be honest. This story is very dark. I sometimes found it hard to continue because it was so disturbing and distressing. Plus, I listened to the audio book which made it even more real. The young voice of the reader made it seem like Kate was really relating the story. I had to keep listening though. I had to know how it would all end.

I love stories that draw me in, while still teaching a lesson along the way. I warn again...it's very dark, and those who are triggered by stories containing subjects of abuse and self-harm should probably avoid. For others, read it. Learn why it's so important to believe when someone tells you something bad is happening to them. If they're lying, fine, but if they're not, you just might save a life.

[renee w · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Katie (Kate) is a 14 year old girl with an alcoholic father. Mom has had enough and decides it’s time for them to start a new life. Mom meets a man named Grady shortly after starting anew. Things go from bad to worse fairly quickly for Kate. This book was well written with a great premise but had many moments that just dragged on.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was filled with incredible writing. Kate was such a great character. I went into this book expecting horror after reading Ford's short story collection and The Final Girl. This book hit me so hard with this tragic story. I haven't read anything about abuse this disturbing since The Girl Next Door. I'm just shocked by what I just read. I really liked how it ended though. Everyone should read this book even though it's hard to stomach.

[timj26 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most horrifying thing about this is that it happens in real life
A realistic and disturbing story of child abuse and self harm
Excellent narration and highly recommended
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is tale with no hope in sight. Very sad. I'm so glad iI listened to this instead of reading it. The voice made it more personal. If they had been flat words on a page, I may have DNF'ed it due to being too sad.

[Deedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was written well.The character was such a sad one,yet she is relatable.Her challenges are monumental and she nearly dies. Alexanfra Johnston was a fine narrator. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Melissa Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel so much for the main character and I admire her spirit to not give up. The story was well written and I could feel her pain. It was a hard read due to the content but was well worth it, I haven’t read a story like this before but hope to read more from this author.

[Kayla Krantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, very dark.

I wouldn’t necessarily call this a horror book, it’s more along the lines of a tragedy.

Kate’s life has never been easy, but she learns how easy it is for it to always get worse, because it does always get worse. After the divorce of her parents, she tries to tell herself that her new home will be a fresh start. Then her mother meets Grady, and Kate’s life spirals down into abuse and fear. Her only relief comes from cutting.

This is a book that will make you ugly cry for sure. It’s easy to feel sorry for Kate because her life is never easy. The author handled the delicate situations in this book in a very real, very concrete manner. It’s sad to think there are girls forced to suffer lives like that, and this is one of those types of fiction stories that makes you really think about the world and people in it.

For all the darkness in the story, I loved the end of the book and felt like it gave the piece a bit of hope, a bit of closure. A little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. I was so captivated by the story that I had to finish it in a day because once I started, I didn’t want to stop until I heard how it ended.

This is definitely not a story for the faint of heart, but for those who can handle difficult topics, it is worth a listen.

The narration was well done, giving a gentle edge to these not-so-gentle topics.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

[Michael A Zaffiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read

This book is a little different than I usually read. It felt like an account of a real person. This is the story of many young people and I hope it hits home to those who can help.