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Ghostwritten
Four brand-new horror novellas from "a modern-day Algernon Blackwood" all about books, stories, manuscripts—the written word has never had sharper teeth . . .
BOOKS CAN BE DEADLY
In The Skin of Her Teeth, a cursed novel drives people to their deaths.
A delivery job turns deadly in The Dark Brothers' Last Ride.
In This Book Belongs to Olo, a lonely child has dangerous control over an usual pop-up book.
A choose-your-own adventure game spirals into an uncanny reality in The Story.
Full of creepy suspense, these collected novellas are perfect for fans of Paul Tremblay, Stephen King, and Joe Hill.
BOOKS CAN BE DEADLY
In The Skin of Her Teeth, a cursed novel drives people to their deaths.
A delivery job turns deadly in The Dark Brothers' Last Ride.
In This Book Belongs to Olo, a lonely child has dangerous control over an usual pop-up book.
A choose-your-own adventure game spirals into an uncanny reality in The Story.
Full of creepy suspense, these collected novellas are perfect for fans of Paul Tremblay, Stephen King, and Joe Hill.
Audible Audio
First published October 11, 2022
220 people are currently reading
4190 people want to read
About the author
Ronald Malfi
74 books3,757 followersRonald Malfi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of many novels and novellas in the horror, mystery, and thriller genres. In 2011, his novel, Floating Staircase, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for best novel by the Horror Writers Association, and also won a gold IPPY award. In 2024, he was presented with the prestigious William G. Wilson Award for Adult Fiction by the Maryland Library Association. Perhaps his most well-received novel, Come with Me (2021), about a man who learns a dark secret about his wife after she's killed, has received stellar reviews, including a starred review from BookPage, and Publishers Weekly has said, "Malfi impresses in this taut, supernaturally tinged mystery... and sticks the landing with a powerful denouement. There’s plenty here to enjoy."
His most recent novels include Senseless (2025) and Small Town Horror (2024), both of which received favorable reviews and saw Malfi stretch his authorial voice.
Come with Me (2021) and Black Mouth (2022), tackle themes of grief and loss, and of the effects of childhood trauma and alcoholism, respectively. Both books have been critically praised, with Publishers Weekly calling Black Mouth a "standout" book of the year. These novels were followed by Ghostwritten (2022), a collection of four subtly-linked novellas about haunted books and the power of the written word. Ghostwritten received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called the book a "wonderfully meta collection...vibrantly imagined," and that "Malfi makes reading about the perils of reading a terrifying delight."
Among his most popular works is December Park, a coming-of-age thriller set in the '90s, wherein five teenage boys take up the hunt for a child murderer in their hometown of Harting Farms, Maryland. In interviews, Malfi has expressed that this is his most autobiographical book to date. In 2015, this novel was awarded the Beverly Hills International Book Award for best suspense novel. It has been optioned several times for film.
Bone White (2017), about a man searching for his lost twin brother in a haunted Alaskan mining town, was touted as "an elegant, twisted, gripping slow-burn of a novel that burrows under the skin and nestles deep," by RT Book Reviews, and has also been optioned for television by Fox21/Disney and Amazon Studios.
His novels Little Girls (2015) and The Night Parade (2016) explore broken families forced to endure horrific and extraordinary circumstances, which has become the hallmark for Malfi's brand of intimate, lyrical horror fiction.
His earlier works, such as Via Dolorosa (2007) and Passenger (2008) explored characters with lost or confused identities, wherein Malfi experimented with the ultimate unreliable narrators. He maintained this trend in his award-winning novel, Floating Staircase (2011), which the author has suggested contains "multiple endings for the astute reader."
His more "monstery" novels, such as Snow (2010) and The Narrows (2012) still resonate with his inimitable brand of literary cadence and focus on character and story over plot. Both books were highly regarded by fans and reviewers in the genre.
A bit of a departure, Malfi published the crime drama Shamrock Alley in 2009, based on the true exploits of his own father, a former Secret Service agent. The book was optioned several times for film.
Ronald Malfi was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977, the eldest of four children, and eventually relocated to Maryland, where he currently resides along the Chesapeake Bay.
When he's not writing, he's performing with the rock band VEER, who can be found at veerband.net and wherever you stream your music.
Visit
His most recent novels include Senseless (2025) and Small Town Horror (2024), both of which received favorable reviews and saw Malfi stretch his authorial voice.
Come with Me (2021) and Black Mouth (2022), tackle themes of grief and loss, and of the effects of childhood trauma and alcoholism, respectively. Both books have been critically praised, with Publishers Weekly calling Black Mouth a "standout" book of the year. These novels were followed by Ghostwritten (2022), a collection of four subtly-linked novellas about haunted books and the power of the written word. Ghostwritten received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called the book a "wonderfully meta collection...vibrantly imagined," and that "Malfi makes reading about the perils of reading a terrifying delight."
Among his most popular works is December Park, a coming-of-age thriller set in the '90s, wherein five teenage boys take up the hunt for a child murderer in their hometown of Harting Farms, Maryland. In interviews, Malfi has expressed that this is his most autobiographical book to date. In 2015, this novel was awarded the Beverly Hills International Book Award for best suspense novel. It has been optioned several times for film.
Bone White (2017), about a man searching for his lost twin brother in a haunted Alaskan mining town, was touted as "an elegant, twisted, gripping slow-burn of a novel that burrows under the skin and nestles deep," by RT Book Reviews, and has also been optioned for television by Fox21/Disney and Amazon Studios.
His novels Little Girls (2015) and The Night Parade (2016) explore broken families forced to endure horrific and extraordinary circumstances, which has become the hallmark for Malfi's brand of intimate, lyrical horror fiction.
His earlier works, such as Via Dolorosa (2007) and Passenger (2008) explored characters with lost or confused identities, wherein Malfi experimented with the ultimate unreliable narrators. He maintained this trend in his award-winning novel, Floating Staircase (2011), which the author has suggested contains "multiple endings for the astute reader."
His more "monstery" novels, such as Snow (2010) and The Narrows (2012) still resonate with his inimitable brand of literary cadence and focus on character and story over plot. Both books were highly regarded by fans and reviewers in the genre.
A bit of a departure, Malfi published the crime drama Shamrock Alley in 2009, based on the true exploits of his own father, a former Secret Service agent. The book was optioned several times for film.
Ronald Malfi was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977, the eldest of four children, and eventually relocated to Maryland, where he currently resides along the Chesapeake Bay.
When he's not writing, he's performing with the rock band VEER, who can be found at veerband.net and wherever you stream your music.
Visit
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 590 reviews
April 17, 2025
Ghostwritten is a collection of 4-novellas by one of the most compelling voices in Horror Fiction today, Ronald Malfi.
I didn't know anything about this collection going in, seeing Malfi's name on the cover was enough for me, but was so pleased to discover the connecting theme amongst the stories contained therein: BOOKS!
We all love books, don't we?
How about haunted books, evil books or murderous books? Color me intrigued! I would definitely check them out.
This collection starts out with a bang with The Skin of Her Teeth. I adored that story. It was giving me Secret Window, Secret Garden vibes and I was living for it. The tone and suspense of it all helped me to fly through it so quickly.
It was crazy fun!
The second and third stories, The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride and This Book Belongs to Olo, were both enjoyable as well. They were so dark, fast-moving and creative. How does he come up with this stuff?
With these middle two though, for me, I wasn't captivated to the same extent as I was with the first story. I began to think that maybe the first story would end up being my resounding favorite. Then I started the fourth and final story, aptly titled, The Story.
The Story involves a very dark web, twisted version of a Choose Your Own Adventure story. I was obsessed with those types of books when I was a kid.
I always wondered just what would happen if the choices I was making in the book actually had an effect on my real life. I guess Malfi once upon a time wondered the same thing...
I loved this one so much. It was horrendous in all the right ways. The way it ended, sheer perfection.
Overall, this was a completely enjoyable, sure to be memorable collection.
For me, since the first and fourth stories were 5-stars, and the second and third were around 3.5-stars, I decided to slice it right down the middle with a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ final rating. Also, I definitely recommend the audiobook!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Titan Books and Tantor Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
If you are looking for a creepy collection to pick up this Spooky Season, you should absolutely get your hands on Ghostwritten. There's something for everyone here!!
I didn't know anything about this collection going in, seeing Malfi's name on the cover was enough for me, but was so pleased to discover the connecting theme amongst the stories contained therein: BOOKS!
We all love books, don't we?
How about haunted books, evil books or murderous books? Color me intrigued! I would definitely check them out.
This collection starts out with a bang with The Skin of Her Teeth. I adored that story. It was giving me Secret Window, Secret Garden vibes and I was living for it. The tone and suspense of it all helped me to fly through it so quickly.
It was crazy fun!
The second and third stories, The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride and This Book Belongs to Olo, were both enjoyable as well. They were so dark, fast-moving and creative. How does he come up with this stuff?
With these middle two though, for me, I wasn't captivated to the same extent as I was with the first story. I began to think that maybe the first story would end up being my resounding favorite. Then I started the fourth and final story, aptly titled, The Story.
The Story involves a very dark web, twisted version of a Choose Your Own Adventure story. I was obsessed with those types of books when I was a kid.
I always wondered just what would happen if the choices I was making in the book actually had an effect on my real life. I guess Malfi once upon a time wondered the same thing...
I loved this one so much. It was horrendous in all the right ways. The way it ended, sheer perfection.
Overall, this was a completely enjoyable, sure to be memorable collection.
For me, since the first and fourth stories were 5-stars, and the second and third were around 3.5-stars, I decided to slice it right down the middle with a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ final rating. Also, I definitely recommend the audiobook!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Titan Books and Tantor Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
If you are looking for a creepy collection to pick up this Spooky Season, you should absolutely get your hands on Ghostwritten. There's something for everyone here!!
August 5, 2022
I loved “Come With Me” so when I saw this book of 4 novellas about books, manuscripts and stories, which all have a tie-in to one another-I had to request a copy!!
What I SHOULD HAVE paid attention to was that they are four HORROR stories-not my thing!
But, if short stories and horror are your jam-I am sure that YOU will find them more satisfying!
Malfi is a talented and creative author, no doubt!
Expected publication is October 4, 2022. Thank You to Edelweiss for providing a gifted copy.
What I SHOULD HAVE paid attention to was that they are four HORROR stories-not my thing!
But, if short stories and horror are your jam-I am sure that YOU will find them more satisfying!
Malfi is a talented and creative author, no doubt!
Expected publication is October 4, 2022. Thank You to Edelweiss for providing a gifted copy.
October 25, 2025
The book consists of four novellas, all surrounding the theme 'Books Can Be Deadly'.
The Skin of Her Teeth: 4/5
Literary agents Jack and Gloria's client Davis McElroy, a writer, is causing them problems. He is supposed to be writing a screenplay named 'The Skin of Her Teeth', based on a book by author John Fish, but they haven't heard from him. This means Gloria is going to have to take a trip to see him at his retreat. When she finds him, he is dishevelled and has an interesting tale to tell.
The premise of the story is about a possessed book that seems to send people either mad or leads them to their death. The origins of the book are eerie but also sad.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Dark Brothers' Last Ride: 3/5
Danny and Tommy Drake are brothers. We start off with them waiting for their mob boss to turn up. When he arrives, he gives them a package to deliver to an anonymous client: a book.
As they undertake their journey they encounter some strange scenarios. Tommy even starts to suffer physical effects, such as sudden bruising all over his body, which he believes is all to do with the book.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This Book Belongs to Olo: 4/5
An odd but intelligent boy called Olo gets bullied by the other kids. He just wants to have friends, so he invites all the kids to his birthday party even though they make fun of him.
Olo eventually turns to more extreme methods to make friends, with the help of a pop-up book he made.
Olo is a creepy kid, and the concept of this story is really interesting. It did get drawn out a bit in places, and I also wasn't sure about the ending, but nonetheless I liked this one.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Story: 3/5
When Grady gets a call from his friend Sam about the death of another friend, Taryn, he travels to identify the body at the mortuary and begins to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
This was probably my least favourite; the plot wasn't as spooky and was a bit unnecessarily convoluted. Also, it didn't strictly follow the theme of being about a book; it was more about a story. I felt this one fell more into the sci-fi category.
The Skin of Her Teeth: 4/5
Literary agents Jack and Gloria's client Davis McElroy, a writer, is causing them problems. He is supposed to be writing a screenplay named 'The Skin of Her Teeth', based on a book by author John Fish, but they haven't heard from him. This means Gloria is going to have to take a trip to see him at his retreat. When she finds him, he is dishevelled and has an interesting tale to tell.
The premise of the story is about a possessed book that seems to send people either mad or leads them to their death. The origins of the book are eerie but also sad.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Dark Brothers' Last Ride: 3/5
Danny and Tommy Drake are brothers. We start off with them waiting for their mob boss to turn up. When he arrives, he gives them a package to deliver to an anonymous client: a book.
As they undertake their journey they encounter some strange scenarios. Tommy even starts to suffer physical effects, such as sudden bruising all over his body, which he believes is all to do with the book.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This Book Belongs to Olo: 4/5
An odd but intelligent boy called Olo gets bullied by the other kids. He just wants to have friends, so he invites all the kids to his birthday party even though they make fun of him.
Olo eventually turns to more extreme methods to make friends, with the help of a pop-up book he made.
Olo is a creepy kid, and the concept of this story is really interesting. It did get drawn out a bit in places, and I also wasn't sure about the ending, but nonetheless I liked this one.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Story: 3/5
When Grady gets a call from his friend Sam about the death of another friend, Taryn, he travels to identify the body at the mortuary and begins to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
This was probably my least favourite; the plot wasn't as spooky and was a bit unnecessarily convoluted. Also, it didn't strictly follow the theme of being about a book; it was more about a story. I felt this one fell more into the sci-fi category.
November 11, 2022
4.5/5 stars!
Being that I love Ronald Malfi's work, when I saw this come up for request on NetGalley, I was all over it. Novellas are the perfect length for horror stories and this volume contains four of them. Color me happy!
Each novella is a tale about books and I enjoyed each and every one of them. I think my favorite though, has to be This Book Belongs to Olo. This is a serious creepfest about a boy that creates a house out of paper. It's almost like a pop up book, but this paper house is not a normal pop up book, that's for sure. It might have cool levers and handles that do things to the paper house, but what's even cooler is what those levers and handles do in real life.
The Skin of Her Teeth is a neat little tale of an author and his agent, another famous author, and a screenplay that just does not want to be written. What an imagination Malfi has!
The Dark Brothers' Last Ride was yet another compelling tale about, (you guessed it!), a book! Two brothers set out on what seems to be the easiest job of their lives. Deliver a book in a briefcase. Do not look in the briefcase. That's it! How Malfi came up with this tale, I have no idea, but it was wild, fun, and unpredictable. What's not to love?
The last story was called The Story. Grady discovers that his friend Taryn is dead and before you know it, we're hip deep in a choose-your-own-adventure type story. For whatever reason, this is the tale that did not fully connect with me.
Four novellas + all about books + Malfi's wonderful down to earth, relatable writing style=one hell of a collection that I can highly recommend!
*Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
Being that I love Ronald Malfi's work, when I saw this come up for request on NetGalley, I was all over it. Novellas are the perfect length for horror stories and this volume contains four of them. Color me happy!
Each novella is a tale about books and I enjoyed each and every one of them. I think my favorite though, has to be This Book Belongs to Olo. This is a serious creepfest about a boy that creates a house out of paper. It's almost like a pop up book, but this paper house is not a normal pop up book, that's for sure. It might have cool levers and handles that do things to the paper house, but what's even cooler is what those levers and handles do in real life.
The Skin of Her Teeth is a neat little tale of an author and his agent, another famous author, and a screenplay that just does not want to be written. What an imagination Malfi has!
The Dark Brothers' Last Ride was yet another compelling tale about, (you guessed it!), a book! Two brothers set out on what seems to be the easiest job of their lives. Deliver a book in a briefcase. Do not look in the briefcase. That's it! How Malfi came up with this tale, I have no idea, but it was wild, fun, and unpredictable. What's not to love?
The last story was called The Story. Grady discovers that his friend Taryn is dead and before you know it, we're hip deep in a choose-your-own-adventure type story. For whatever reason, this is the tale that did not fully connect with me.
Four novellas + all about books + Malfi's wonderful down to earth, relatable writing style=one hell of a collection that I can highly recommend!
*Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
November 4, 2022
Ronald Malfi's 'Ghostwritten' is a wonderful compilation of four ghost story novellas - each of which carries little bits and pieces of the previous story/stories into the next. They can be read as standalone's, however, I recommend reading them simultaneously and in order to fully appreciate.
✦1✦
'The Skin of Her Teeth', is a tale about a possessed book which has a mind of its own.
✦2✦
'The Dark Brothers' Last Ride', and my personal favorite, tells the story of two outlaw brothers' tasked with taking a briefcase containing a book on an exceptionally twisty/turny route - and must be followed exactly as plotted out for them - to a collector who will give them a huge payout upon delivery. The only catch? Do not handover or open the briefcase under any circumstances. Easy. What could possibly go wrong?...
✦3✦
'This Book Belongs to Olo' tells us the story of Olo, a socially awkward, highly intelligent, and excessively eerie little boy, who will go to any lengths to make friends. After the neighborhood kids - who constantly bully him - have finished gorging themselves on cake and trashing Olo's house, at his 10th birthday party he invites them to play hide-and-go-seek under the pretense that the winner will get $100 dollars. Little do they know what they in for when they all go scurrying off to find hiding places in his huge mansion - and Olo opens his pop-up book. Oh my...
✦4✦
'The Story' lets the reader choose between several options for what will happen next. If you don't choose correctly the consequences will be deadly...
As someone who does not generally gravitate towards ghost stories, I cannot emphasize how much I enjoyed 'Ghostwritten'. Every story was intriguing and exciting. Highly recommend.
✦1✦
'The Skin of Her Teeth', is a tale about a possessed book which has a mind of its own.
✦2✦
'The Dark Brothers' Last Ride', and my personal favorite, tells the story of two outlaw brothers' tasked with taking a briefcase containing a book on an exceptionally twisty/turny route - and must be followed exactly as plotted out for them - to a collector who will give them a huge payout upon delivery. The only catch? Do not handover or open the briefcase under any circumstances. Easy. What could possibly go wrong?...
✦3✦
'This Book Belongs to Olo' tells us the story of Olo, a socially awkward, highly intelligent, and excessively eerie little boy, who will go to any lengths to make friends. After the neighborhood kids - who constantly bully him - have finished gorging themselves on cake and trashing Olo's house, at his 10th birthday party he invites them to play hide-and-go-seek under the pretense that the winner will get $100 dollars. Little do they know what they in for when they all go scurrying off to find hiding places in his huge mansion - and Olo opens his pop-up book. Oh my...
✦4✦
'The Story' lets the reader choose between several options for what will happen next. If you don't choose correctly the consequences will be deadly...
As someone who does not generally gravitate towards ghost stories, I cannot emphasize how much I enjoyed 'Ghostwritten'. Every story was intriguing and exciting. Highly recommend.
October 4, 2022
In these four novellas Ronald Malfi uses the linking theme of books and there are some characters that reappear, a touch I really like.
In the first one, agents Jack Baer and Gloria Grossman meet to discuss screenplay writer Davis McElroy who is MIA and also missing his deadline for “The Skin of her Teeth“. This is a really good novella to “digest“ and one of my favourites in the collection. I really enjoy the touches of humour, the colourful characterisation and the creativity of the concept. I think the end is excellent though it sends a shiver down my spine. I really enjoy that this gives the feeling of an old black-and-white 40s/50s horror movie as it makes you laugh but is as creepy as all hell by the same token!
The second novella is The Dark Brothers Last Ride which centres on Danny and Tommy Drake who have a very strange mission to deliver a package to The Mesa Motel on the Oklahoma/Arkansas border. They have a map to follow and must not deviate from the route they are given. This one really contrasts with the first as it feels otherworldly, dream like, creepy and nightmarish. There are some very strange images and illusions a bit like I imagine an acid trip might be! It’s also darkly humorous which is a relief from the malevolence and the bizarre. The brothers last ride goes from odd to a bit weird to seriously weird to totally messed up.
It’s an old mixture but strangely works and I doubt I’ll forget some of the more creative aspects of it. How does Ronald Malfi actually get you to buying some of his ideas??
In the third one BEWARE accepting an INVITATION from young Bartholomew (Olo) Tiptree! In particular, refuse an invitation to play hide and seek in his home Helix House as you may live to regret it. Olo has made a book but it’s not just any book, it’s a book of his house. If you’re British you may remember the TV programme ‘Changing Rooms’. Let’s just say it’s a very unique version of that!
This is another clever but strange story, it also has a hallucinatory feel as in the last novella and it’s most certainly claustrophobic but it’s way more disturbing than that. This gives a whole new meaning to a haunted house. There is a lot to digest in this one especially on the mask that Olo chooses to wear.
The fourth one is called The Story and is my least favourite although it is extremely clever and true horror. This centres on a choose your own adventure story which has very dire consequences which the participants may or may not live to regret. This one spins my head in a multitude of directions so in my dizziness I’m not entirely convinced I totally understand it!
Overall, if you’re a fan of the horror genre these are clever novellas with each one focusing on a unique book you should definitely NOT read if you want to stay alive!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Titan Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
In the first one, agents Jack Baer and Gloria Grossman meet to discuss screenplay writer Davis McElroy who is MIA and also missing his deadline for “The Skin of her Teeth“. This is a really good novella to “digest“ and one of my favourites in the collection. I really enjoy the touches of humour, the colourful characterisation and the creativity of the concept. I think the end is excellent though it sends a shiver down my spine. I really enjoy that this gives the feeling of an old black-and-white 40s/50s horror movie as it makes you laugh but is as creepy as all hell by the same token!
The second novella is The Dark Brothers Last Ride which centres on Danny and Tommy Drake who have a very strange mission to deliver a package to The Mesa Motel on the Oklahoma/Arkansas border. They have a map to follow and must not deviate from the route they are given. This one really contrasts with the first as it feels otherworldly, dream like, creepy and nightmarish. There are some very strange images and illusions a bit like I imagine an acid trip might be! It’s also darkly humorous which is a relief from the malevolence and the bizarre. The brothers last ride goes from odd to a bit weird to seriously weird to totally messed up.
It’s an old mixture but strangely works and I doubt I’ll forget some of the more creative aspects of it. How does Ronald Malfi actually get you to buying some of his ideas??
In the third one BEWARE accepting an INVITATION from young Bartholomew (Olo) Tiptree! In particular, refuse an invitation to play hide and seek in his home Helix House as you may live to regret it. Olo has made a book but it’s not just any book, it’s a book of his house. If you’re British you may remember the TV programme ‘Changing Rooms’. Let’s just say it’s a very unique version of that!
This is another clever but strange story, it also has a hallucinatory feel as in the last novella and it’s most certainly claustrophobic but it’s way more disturbing than that. This gives a whole new meaning to a haunted house. There is a lot to digest in this one especially on the mask that Olo chooses to wear.
The fourth one is called The Story and is my least favourite although it is extremely clever and true horror. This centres on a choose your own adventure story which has very dire consequences which the participants may or may not live to regret. This one spins my head in a multitude of directions so in my dizziness I’m not entirely convinced I totally understand it!
Overall, if you’re a fan of the horror genre these are clever novellas with each one focusing on a unique book you should definitely NOT read if you want to stay alive!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Titan Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
April 21, 2025
"Ghosts haunt people, people generally don't haunt ghosts."
4.75 ⭐'s
Initial Thoughts
What the actual hell is going on with me? My third book in a row from the same author, after blasting through Ronald Malfi's sensational Bone White and then The Narrows. This is something I haven't done since my days of reading Stephen King and devouring the majority of his work within a year. Those were the days.
But funny I should mention Stephen King, as this author right here bares a lot of similarities. Ronald Malfi writes horror, bases a lot of his stories in small towns in the state he grew up in and then fills them with some well developed and interesting characters. Yes, he looks like the author I've been looking for now that King is writing stories that I'm just not that interested in. And by that I mean that I'm not a fan of Holly Gibney.
So my journey through this authors work continues with this collection of four novellas, Ghostwritten. They occur within the same universe, which is another similarity with Stephen King, and revolve around weird, wonderful and in some way cursed books. And who here doesn't get moist at the thought of books? I know I do! Give me a good book over a three-way with Megan Fox and Margot Robbie any day. I'm being honest...honest.
But it's been a while since I read one of these type of collections, which I absolutely love. I think the last one was that piece of five star awesomeness, Lovedeath by Dan Simmons. Ghostwritten is going to have to go some if it's going to live up to the high standard set by that one. But you know what? I'm going to give it a chance.
So let's go!
The Stories
The Skin of Her Teeth 3.75 ⭐'s
We begin with a wacky tale about a famous author’s masterpiece, which is being adapted into a screenplay. But things, as they often do, go horribly wrong. Literary agent]Gloria is trying her hardest to save the deal between her client, McElroy (who's writing the screenplay), and the movie's producers. But shes lost contact with him and the script is long overdue, which is pissing the people who are funding it right off.
The deadline is swift approaching (no pun intended) so Gloria decides to pay him a visit in his isolated retreat. But she finds some strange goings on when she gets there. Very strange indeed. There's some sort of evil presence, but that's enough from me as I'm not going to let the cat out the bag. Or book of the bookshelf is probably more apt. A pretty decent start to the collection.
The Dark Brother's Last Ride 4.5 ⭐'s
Second up is the story of Danny and Tommy Dark, a pair of criminals who are hired to deliver a rare, precious book to an anonymous client. Transporting items is their business and this semms something pretty lowkey compared to their standard fare. But as you've probably guessed, this is no ordinary book and there's something supernatural in store for the Dark brothers.
It starts with a warning about not opening the briefcase the book is stored in. Then there's a map they must follow. These are strict rules and no deviation can be tolerated. But the Dark Brothers have never been the type for hard and fast rules. And they're about to find out the hard way that there's always consequences for those that break said rules.
I really enjoyed this one. Great character development for such a short story and really enjoyed the family dynamic at play between the two brothers. It reminded me a bit of my own relationship with my own brother. But the less said about that the better.
This Book Belongs to Olo 4 ⭐'s
And then there's this one. A weird but highly creative piece that's more dark fantasy than horror. Although there was definitely some horrifying moments believe me.
It did start off a little slow. But that was necessary as there was a lot of background to build. Particularly for the main character of Olo, a lonely and dangerous child who was able to achieve something fantastical but also frightening with the aid of a pop up book. The poor lad, all he wants is a friend. Certainly one of the most memorable child characters I've come across.
Anyway, the story really starts to take shape when Olo invites the local kids to his birthday party at the big house he calls home. These are a pretty mean spirited bunch of moody teenagers, but they're getting a lot more than they bargained for. They're going to be good friends with little Olo whether they like it or not.
The Story 5⭐'s
Talk about saving the best for last, this one was sensational. OK, this has a lot to do with me being a big fan of the 'choose your own adventure' books of the 80s and 90s. But you know what? I don't give a f...I loved it.
In this one, Grady is investigating the suicide of his friend with benefits, Taryn. Yes he's feeling a little bit guilty and isn't that a lesson to us all on how we treat people. Particularly those we care about but act like we don't. Whoooah getting deep there. Is that a bit of introspection on my part? Most likely.
Anyway, Grady soon discovers that Taryn was investigating something herself. A Dark Web phenomenon called 'The Story.' Did this have anything to do with her death? Well guess f'in what? Good ole Grady is going to find out. And the further he digs, and the closer her gets to the centre of this mystery, the stranger things are going to get.
Absolutely fantastic! Did I say I enjoyed this story?
The Writing
Malfi reminded me of early Stephen King even before I read this collection. But now it's even more so. King is the master of these novella collections and it looks like Malfi is following in his footsteps. Maybe he's his long lost son? Either way I'm certainly not complaining.
There's some pretty wild and wacky ideas in Ghostwritten, that also reminded me of Clive Barker. Certainly what was contained in the Books of Blood. Malfi has a style that's not quite as artistic, but certainly as vivid and that can change depending on the style of narrative he's going for. But what doesn't change is the way he's able to crank up the tension and make things unsettling as the story develops.
Even in these shorter novellas he can make it a slow burn. Taking time to set things up and carefully construct the plot is something I really appreciate. It's a real skill and something that's difficult to do in these shorter pieces but something Malfi achieves in effortless fashion.
Final Thoughts
This was always going to be a winner for me. As I've already said I love these horror novella collections...and Ghostwritten was no different. But what stood out for me was that all of the entries were strong and I definitely enjoyed each one. Obviously to varying degrees, but that's to be expected. Yes my expectations were high, but I think they were exceeded.
It's a real demonstration of Malfi's skill and creativity as an author as he takes you on a wild and fantastic ride. Each story shares a common theme...books. But they're also very different in terms of plot and tone.
Something I found of real interest was what Malfi had to say about the first story, The Skin of Her Teeth. He wrote that one as a way of taking a break from two heavier novels he was writing at the time. Those were Come With Me and Black Mouth. But it was a way for him to relax a bit as an author and have fun. Then when he showed it to his publisher they suggested using it as part of a collection. Which is how Ghostwritten came about.
I think if you enjoy Stephen King’s earlier writing, particularly those novella collections, you’ll find that Malfi’s can give you a reminder of just how good they can be. Don't get me wrong, it's not Different Seasons level. But it is really, really good and definitely worth splashing some of your well earned dough on. Or not so well earned in my case. Stealing a living!
Last point before I go. All these stories were linked in some small, subtle way and has me thinking 'is Malfi on his way to creating some type of multiverse?' I hope so as it does bring a bit of extra fun to the reading experience. Particularly for us hardcore readers. You know what I mean.
So what's left to say other than Malfi is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. I'll definitely be jumping all over the rest of his collection. A must read for horror lovers just like me.
Thanks for reading and...cheers!
October 15, 2022
Fifth spooky read of the season!👻🍂
I'm usually not into novellas, but the premise intrigued me. In the end, Ghostwritten exceeded my expectations (especially the first half)! I loved the links between the different stories and the fact that they are all about books.
The Skin of Her Teeth
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
I was enthralled from the start! I loved the characters, the plot and the detailed ending (sometimes, novellas tend to end abruptly without enough explanations).
The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not perfect, but this creepy story totally deserves 5 stars because I had so much fun reading it!
This Book Belongs to Olo
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
The idea of this story was amazing! How come I didn't enjoy it more? I thought it dragged too much (and it was the longest novella). I still liked it!
The Story
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Really disappointed with the last novella... It feels like it was coming from another book.
Global rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Many thanks to Netgalley and Titan books for the ARC
I'm usually not into novellas, but the premise intrigued me. In the end, Ghostwritten exceeded my expectations (especially the first half)! I loved the links between the different stories and the fact that they are all about books.
The Skin of Her Teeth
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
I was enthralled from the start! I loved the characters, the plot and the detailed ending (sometimes, novellas tend to end abruptly without enough explanations).
The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not perfect, but this creepy story totally deserves 5 stars because I had so much fun reading it!
This Book Belongs to Olo
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
The idea of this story was amazing! How come I didn't enjoy it more? I thought it dragged too much (and it was the longest novella). I still liked it!
The Story
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Really disappointed with the last novella... It feels like it was coming from another book.
Global rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Many thanks to Netgalley and Titan books for the ARC
November 27, 2022
Ah, yes. Now he's done it. Ronald Malfi, that is. He has authored four fine novellas and packed them into one volume. Unsettling in the extreme with little doses here and there of true horror. Read them if you dare. If there are truly books out there that should not be read, then for the sake of all that is holy, do not post a sign stating "DO NOT READ" or even "DO NOT OPEN". It is too beguiling to dive on in; and it is just too tempting to "CLICK HERE". Think about what you are doing.
The Skin of Her Teeth - Here is a story that means business. We would probably all agree that some books have teeth, right? If having teeth is not out of the question,
The Dark Brothers' Last Ride - Special delivery takes on a whole new meaning here. Can't help but mention a bit that I could see so clearly - ... a Medusa tangle of jumper cables in the trunk of a car, mayhap lying in wait?
This Book Belongs to Olo - Olo Tiptree, odd name for a very strange little boy. This poor kid is never going to fit in. Not in a million years. All he wants is some friends, and he, with his sweaty little clown mask, intends to do what is necessary to make some.
The Story - This contribution was easily my favorite. Can a story really induce madness? Welcome to the dark underbelly of the Dark Web. Nope. No, thank you.
The Skin of Her Teeth - Here is a story that means business. We would probably all agree that some books have teeth, right? If having teeth is not out of the question,
The Dark Brothers' Last Ride - Special delivery takes on a whole new meaning here. Can't help but mention a bit that I could see so clearly - ... a Medusa tangle of jumper cables in the trunk of a car, mayhap lying in wait?
This Book Belongs to Olo - Olo Tiptree, odd name for a very strange little boy. This poor kid is never going to fit in. Not in a million years. All he wants is some friends, and he, with his sweaty little clown mask, intends to do what is necessary to make some.
The Story - This contribution was easily my favorite. Can a story really induce madness? Welcome to the dark underbelly of the Dark Web. Nope. No, thank you.
May 21, 2023
Ghostwritten is a superlative collection of four suspenseful novellas all set with a shared world and with a recurring theme, BOOKS!
'There is a history here—the history of us—that is so profound it feels like the air is different, that the colors are brighter, that the smells in this place have the power to transport you to a wholly different dimension.'
Previous to reading this I had only experienced Ronald Malfi's work through listening to audiobooks. Reading his work in print form was a far more immersive and enjoyable experience.
I think my enjoyment of these stories was for a large part due to them all connecting with me on some emotional or spiritual level. There was something in each story which I cannot define, yet felt strangely familiar and possibly comforting to me and with this still managed to retain an unsettling or malevolent presence.
This book transported me to other dark and mysterious worlds, although some turn out not too dissimilar to the one we live in. These stories explore the dark recesses of the human mind and made me imagine many strange, horrific or magical scenarios.
Malfi's writing was exceptional and has now cemented him as one of my favourite authors of the moment.
'Welcome to the Story! Your journey begins NOW!'
Below are my views and rating of each of the four novellas. I hope you enjoy reading these and that they inspire you enough to pick this outstanding collection of stories up.
THE SKIN OF HER TEETH ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A hugely captivating supernatural and psychological tale of possession and obsession.
'Like the rattling chains of Marley’s ghost, McElroy’s voice once again rose up in her head: It wasn’t just physical, he had told her. It was getting in my head, too. Twisting my thoughts. Waging war on an internal scale, like some kind of parasite.'
A twisted story about a cursed novel and its attempts to preserve itself at all costs.
This was one of those stories I simply could not get enough of. I am usually a fast reader but something about this work made me take my time and savour every single one of its twisted and malevolent words.
I could not help but draw a few comparisons with The Shinning on a few occasions. I guess this is mainly due to some of the themes which are involved in both of the stories. This is by no means a bad thing, in fact, quite the opposite.
The only negative I can throw at this novella is that at times I felt I had experienced elements of it before in other works, especially the one scene when the MC talks to a bookshop owner. That said, this didn't detract anything from my reading experience at all.
Overall I thought this was a delightfully creepy and hugely engrossing reading experience which ultimately left me wanting more. Malfi's writing is up there with the very best.
'Altering, Gloria thought. It was the word Finter had used, too: Whatever lives inside this book, it wants to remain. That is its sole purpose, do you hear? To remain. She doesn’t want to leave, and she certainly does not want to be altered. She does not want change.'
Ultimately my words can't quite describe how much I loved this story.
THE DARK BROTHERS’ LAST RIDE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A road trip story like no other!
'The shadows were swallowing him up. To Danny, that darkness seemed impossibly dense. He was suddenly overcome with the irrational fear that if his brother took one more step, he’d fall into that darkness and be lost forever.'
This is a curious story about two brothers who are on a mission to deliver a mysterious package.
I have to be truthful here, when starting this story I initially thought to myself that this was going to be the one dodgy story in this collection, but it turns out that as the story progressed my initial impressions were massively wide of the mark. This turned into one of the creepiest, most disturbing and psychologically messed up stories I have read in some time, if not ever.
This story got under my skin and conjured up such otherworldly and vivid imagery in my mind. It isn't that common for a story to make me feel uncomfortable or uneasy, this did that on numerous occasions, but somehow I can't quite pinpoint why this was the case. I guess my feeling this way is a testament to the quality of Malfi's writing skills within this story.
I love a story which really delves deeply into the human mind and our paranoid perceptions of this world and this is most definitely a story which delivers that and so much more.
'"It is more akin to reaching up into the far reaches of space and grabbing yourself a piece of the universe. A piece that creates life? A piece that brings about chaos? A piece to turn back time? Is a dusty old stone really just a stone, or is it one tiny piece of a much greater whole?”'
Deep, dark, menacing and completely out of this world. An amazing work of tense and paranoid fiction.
THIS BOOK BELONGS TO OLO ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wow! I can honestly say that I have never read a story quite like this before.
'A spiral staircase stood in the center of the foyer, an intricate monstrosity that climbed to the shadowed, cobwebbed corners of the house’s second story.'
An incredibly surreal and claustrophobic story about a reclusive boy and his mysterious pop-up book.
I have so much to say about this story so I will attempt to keep this short.
This Book Belongs To Olo is an exceptional piece of horror/fantasy writing on almost every level. It was one of those stories which would constantly twist and turn, one minute I had empathy for the MC and the next I would be thinking he is a terrible child. It is very rare for me to have such mixed feelings for a character but it says a lot about the storytelling that I have become so emotionally involved in the story.
As with the other stories in this book, the writing is quite simply breathtaking at times. Within this story, Malfi's writing borders on feeling almost Lovecraftian on occasions with his superbly atmospheric scene setting and then creating some immensely vivid and maddening thoughts for the characters, all leaving me completely immersed in this story's otherworldly aura.
I know, I am just rambling and will no doubt rewrite this soon enough. I enjoyed this story so much that I think it has scrambled my mind. . . or was it from spending too much time in Helix House?
'She kept claiming she’d crawled through a painting and into another dimension. Certainly sounded ridiculous when you said it out loud, but Peyton had no reason to disbelieve her.'
I am this novella's number-one fanboy right now!
THE STORY ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A great thriller/horror based on the premise of a pick-your-own adventure.
'It makes me sad to take all this in, because it strikes me as clear evidence of a declining humanity, a weakening of spirit, a person on the brink. This apartment is like a blazing neon sign warning someone—anyone—that its occupant is headed for disaster.'
This was my least favourite of the four stories in this book, mainly due to the first-person narrative style in this novella. I felt it lacked the literary flourishes which the other three novellas had in absolute spades. This is by no means me saying this was a bad story, quite to the contrary it was an exceptionally well-written and entertaining piece. I love how the writer Initially gently meanders, giving some background, lightly developing the characters and then all of a sudden POW instant madness. mindfuck!!!
This story made me think of movies such as The Ring and various found footage shows that I have seen over the years and had the same elements that I have loved within every one of these four stories, a strong sense of brooding presence lurking in the background and also a feeling of overwhelming madness and claustrophobia.
As I am sure I have said, I love stories that delve into the maddening mind, the chaotic, dark and oppressive all-encompassing thoughts. This novella did that with ease.
'The writing explodes from there, boils out, roils out, buckshot all over the walls, along the painted I-beams in the ceiling, scrawled like a mad genius’s mathematical equations on the hardwood floor, A Beautiful Mind gone haywire. A monsoon of words. An obliterating sandstorm of words.'
An absolute headfuck of a novella.
'I can climb through, his mind yammered, I can crawl all the way out into the yard and just run and not look back because something is wrong here something is messed up something is akin to the state of human happiness which is a wall impenetrable which is the disposition of mind and not of circumstance which is the little red invitation with a black smiley face which is—
In case I have not managed to express my feelings clearly in all of my writing, I will say this: I fucking LOVED every second of reading this book!
'There is a history here—the history of us—that is so profound it feels like the air is different, that the colors are brighter, that the smells in this place have the power to transport you to a wholly different dimension.'
Previous to reading this I had only experienced Ronald Malfi's work through listening to audiobooks. Reading his work in print form was a far more immersive and enjoyable experience.
I think my enjoyment of these stories was for a large part due to them all connecting with me on some emotional or spiritual level. There was something in each story which I cannot define, yet felt strangely familiar and possibly comforting to me and with this still managed to retain an unsettling or malevolent presence.
This book transported me to other dark and mysterious worlds, although some turn out not too dissimilar to the one we live in. These stories explore the dark recesses of the human mind and made me imagine many strange, horrific or magical scenarios.
Malfi's writing was exceptional and has now cemented him as one of my favourite authors of the moment.
'Welcome to the Story! Your journey begins NOW!'
Below are my views and rating of each of the four novellas. I hope you enjoy reading these and that they inspire you enough to pick this outstanding collection of stories up.
THE SKIN OF HER TEETH ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A hugely captivating supernatural and psychological tale of possession and obsession.
'Like the rattling chains of Marley’s ghost, McElroy’s voice once again rose up in her head: It wasn’t just physical, he had told her. It was getting in my head, too. Twisting my thoughts. Waging war on an internal scale, like some kind of parasite.'
A twisted story about a cursed novel and its attempts to preserve itself at all costs.
This was one of those stories I simply could not get enough of. I am usually a fast reader but something about this work made me take my time and savour every single one of its twisted and malevolent words.
I could not help but draw a few comparisons with The Shinning on a few occasions. I guess this is mainly due to some of the themes which are involved in both of the stories. This is by no means a bad thing, in fact, quite the opposite.
The only negative I can throw at this novella is that at times I felt I had experienced elements of it before in other works, especially the one scene when the MC talks to a bookshop owner. That said, this didn't detract anything from my reading experience at all.
Overall I thought this was a delightfully creepy and hugely engrossing reading experience which ultimately left me wanting more. Malfi's writing is up there with the very best.
'Altering, Gloria thought. It was the word Finter had used, too: Whatever lives inside this book, it wants to remain. That is its sole purpose, do you hear? To remain. She doesn’t want to leave, and she certainly does not want to be altered. She does not want change.'
Ultimately my words can't quite describe how much I loved this story.
THE DARK BROTHERS’ LAST RIDE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A road trip story like no other!
'The shadows were swallowing him up. To Danny, that darkness seemed impossibly dense. He was suddenly overcome with the irrational fear that if his brother took one more step, he’d fall into that darkness and be lost forever.'
This is a curious story about two brothers who are on a mission to deliver a mysterious package.
I have to be truthful here, when starting this story I initially thought to myself that this was going to be the one dodgy story in this collection, but it turns out that as the story progressed my initial impressions were massively wide of the mark. This turned into one of the creepiest, most disturbing and psychologically messed up stories I have read in some time, if not ever.
This story got under my skin and conjured up such otherworldly and vivid imagery in my mind. It isn't that common for a story to make me feel uncomfortable or uneasy, this did that on numerous occasions, but somehow I can't quite pinpoint why this was the case. I guess my feeling this way is a testament to the quality of Malfi's writing skills within this story.
I love a story which really delves deeply into the human mind and our paranoid perceptions of this world and this is most definitely a story which delivers that and so much more.
'"It is more akin to reaching up into the far reaches of space and grabbing yourself a piece of the universe. A piece that creates life? A piece that brings about chaos? A piece to turn back time? Is a dusty old stone really just a stone, or is it one tiny piece of a much greater whole?”'
Deep, dark, menacing and completely out of this world. An amazing work of tense and paranoid fiction.
THIS BOOK BELONGS TO OLO ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wow! I can honestly say that I have never read a story quite like this before.
'A spiral staircase stood in the center of the foyer, an intricate monstrosity that climbed to the shadowed, cobwebbed corners of the house’s second story.'
An incredibly surreal and claustrophobic story about a reclusive boy and his mysterious pop-up book.
I have so much to say about this story so I will attempt to keep this short.
This Book Belongs To Olo is an exceptional piece of horror/fantasy writing on almost every level. It was one of those stories which would constantly twist and turn, one minute I had empathy for the MC and the next I would be thinking he is a terrible child. It is very rare for me to have such mixed feelings for a character but it says a lot about the storytelling that I have become so emotionally involved in the story.
As with the other stories in this book, the writing is quite simply breathtaking at times. Within this story, Malfi's writing borders on feeling almost Lovecraftian on occasions with his superbly atmospheric scene setting and then creating some immensely vivid and maddening thoughts for the characters, all leaving me completely immersed in this story's otherworldly aura.
I know, I am just rambling and will no doubt rewrite this soon enough. I enjoyed this story so much that I think it has scrambled my mind. . . or was it from spending too much time in Helix House?
'She kept claiming she’d crawled through a painting and into another dimension. Certainly sounded ridiculous when you said it out loud, but Peyton had no reason to disbelieve her.'
I am this novella's number-one fanboy right now!
THE STORY ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A great thriller/horror based on the premise of a pick-your-own adventure.
'It makes me sad to take all this in, because it strikes me as clear evidence of a declining humanity, a weakening of spirit, a person on the brink. This apartment is like a blazing neon sign warning someone—anyone—that its occupant is headed for disaster.'
This was my least favourite of the four stories in this book, mainly due to the first-person narrative style in this novella. I felt it lacked the literary flourishes which the other three novellas had in absolute spades. This is by no means me saying this was a bad story, quite to the contrary it was an exceptionally well-written and entertaining piece. I love how the writer Initially gently meanders, giving some background, lightly developing the characters and then all of a sudden POW instant madness. mindfuck!!!
This story made me think of movies such as The Ring and various found footage shows that I have seen over the years and had the same elements that I have loved within every one of these four stories, a strong sense of brooding presence lurking in the background and also a feeling of overwhelming madness and claustrophobia.
As I am sure I have said, I love stories that delve into the maddening mind, the chaotic, dark and oppressive all-encompassing thoughts. This novella did that with ease.
'The writing explodes from there, boils out, roils out, buckshot all over the walls, along the painted I-beams in the ceiling, scrawled like a mad genius’s mathematical equations on the hardwood floor, A Beautiful Mind gone haywire. A monsoon of words. An obliterating sandstorm of words.'
An absolute headfuck of a novella.
'I can climb through, his mind yammered, I can crawl all the way out into the yard and just run and not look back because something is wrong here something is messed up something is akin to the state of human happiness which is a wall impenetrable which is the disposition of mind and not of circumstance which is the little red invitation with a black smiley face which is—
In case I have not managed to express my feelings clearly in all of my writing, I will say this: I fucking LOVED every second of reading this book!
January 5, 2023
It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on the death of an animal, animal cruelty, substance abuse, suicide, graphic depictions of death, body decomposition, psychological distress, child abuse, parental neglect, & others.
In the world of books, all things are true—all can be real. A book is a mystery holding the discarded fingerprints of those lonely dearly departed readers; it is a swamp of the cantankerous empyrean. Every story within this collection is a sweetly devious reminder of all the wonders held within the pages of a book. They remind the reader that safety in the imaginary is untrue—false security—we cannot escape the things we seek to hide from, they are there in the inky blotches of words once a seeping serpent of a thought, slithering through the mind of the author.
The Skin of Her Teeth
Gloria Grossman is a literary agent in New York City, she is in her forties & has no time for any sidetracks; no clients who deal with addiction, no persons derailed in their pursuits. Gloria is a person who is focused to the point of jeopardizing her own life & relationships. In David McElroy she sees the pay-day of her dreams. The screenwriter has been charged with adapting the highly popularized novel by John Fish, a project that has been in the works for longer than Gloria is aware of but which is to be met with its end before she has the chance to believe in the supernatural phenomena hidden in the words long ago written by the polarizing author himself.
There is something truly superb about Malfi’s writing that hooks me immediately. I found myself wondering how I was going to find Gloria’s character a comfort in this sad story about the collapse of the mental state that keeps us tethered in this realm of reality—the collective federation of the human species. Her character is at once someone the reader realizes they have no choice but to follow, as she is the main character in this short story, while simultaneously highlighting herself as an individual who seems to lack any apparent abilities to empathize with others. All the while, the writing style employed in this story kept me wanting to read; longing to know if Gloria might grant David some reprieve.
When Gloria arrives at David’s house in the secluded woods, his special place for working/writing, she comes upon the man in a state of duress. A normal reaction to this scene, or what one might hope from their fellow human being, would be the approach of kindness as David has evidently experienced some lapse in fortitude. Though Gloria assumes that David has had a substance abuse relapse, it is unfair to assume that this is undeniably true. It seems that Gloria wants to see the worst in people come to fruition so that she can move on without having to put forward any due diligence.
Do not mistake me, I do not think it is anyone’s responsibility to carry another person, no matter the circumstances, one’s own person must be responsible for one’s own healing process—whatsoever this might mean & entail. However, Gloria throws relationships to the side in a plight to see her ultimate goal achieved. We see this play out in her actions towards Rebecca, her partner. Why does she always feel the need to lie? Why lie regarding a situation you proclaim to have no patience to dabble in? Ultimately, she gets none of what she destructively sought.
I truly adored this story because it holds so many wonderful aspects of traditional, old horror. The grime that goops from the pages of the book, collapsing other entities to its will; the rancid smell of fluids seeping through the floor in an invisible fury; the antiquated bookshop; the morbid cast of characters; a tail spinning of gore & violence all leading to an end that sees the story hold no resolution, the demon lives on, forever.
The Dark Brother’s Last Ride
Danny Drake is also known as Danny ‘Dark’ to those who deal with him professionally. As something of a glamorized courier for the wanderers of shadowed corners, Danny has never escaped the detriment inflicted on him & his younger brother, Tommy, by their scaly abusive father. As a man in his thirties, Danny has acclimated himself to a life lived in a realm of ‘in-between’, never truly here nor there; somewhat transitioning between the parts of his life that he leans on to move forward. The capstone of all his shelters crumbles as both he & Tommy partake in one last ride together under the guise of delivering a very rare & valuable book.
Danny is a character that a person can feel tethered to, similar to how he might feel towards Tommy. Though one knows & acknowledges that his chosen profession is one that deals with the very unseemly aspect of human society, Danny appears to the reader as a moral compass across a desolate land. His character does not read as someone who necessarily revels in the actions he undertakes but rather, he is acting out of habit. This is seen during instances of recollection where Danny’s childhood memories flood the page in a deluge of horror; chased from his bed by a firearm-wielding father, strung-out on drugs, screeching about secrecy to his young children who have come to know nothing but terror at the hands of their only living parent.
Once again, Malfi has broached the reality between the fictional & non-fictional worlds to create a story that doubles as a marvel of sorrow. Not unlike the ‘other world’ in which Choptank awaits the delivery of the valued book, our own society is plagued by the shifting tenures of powers unbeknownst to the masses; sequestering identities through tender practice, overthrown tantrums, & perilous intentions. The abusive past that haunts Danny is one aspect of an otherwise jigsaw puzzle of morbid encounters the main character packs away in his anamnesis.
I particularly appreciated the resurgence of characters such as the troubled & umbrous George Lee Poach, as well as the vernacularly particular bookshop keeper known as Finter. Their appearances, though still tertiary in nature, brought a level of realism into this story, one that highlighted the base that was being upheld by hosting this story in such a nestled section of palpability. There are, certainly, aspects of this story that led me to wonder about the level of consistency, such as the gas level in the vehicle. However, this never took away from my enjoyment of the story. Rather, it brought a tinge of weightiness to the possibility that there could be other realms cozy & secretive, next to our own.
There will remain an aspect of me that feels sadness about Tommy’s death; a person who was simply never given the basis to live a life unplagued by the haunted figure of his demented father. I feel a tenderness towards him, similar to the one I have for Danny, as I view them both as figures stuck in the tar fields of their memories, cursed into the repetition of cataclysmic behaviours that distance themselves from each other & from the world.
This Book Belongs To Olo
Bartholomew (Olo) Tiptree is nine (9) years old, about to be ten (10) on the upcoming Saturday. Dawning his plastic clown face mask he stands ominously at the periphery of the local playground, watching all the other children interact. On this day, he hands them invitation cards to attend his birthday party—one that promises great surprises, prizes, & fun. However much the other children verbally accost him, Olo remains stoic, wearing a smile that could offtrack a train. Though these other children laugh & taunt Olo for things outside of his control—a dauntingly wealthy house on the hill, homeschooling, personal finance—they make their way to the house in which people have gone missing, only to be hidden in between the spot that marks a biological match to the world in which we all roam.
This story is difficult for me to review because it was my least favourite. This is not to say that it’s a bad story, only, that I didn’t much care for Olo & felt certain that there was no conclusive manner in which everyone might escape the dual realm he had fostered within the walls of Helix House. While reading this story I began to feel that it was very long & I wondered why we should be reading about Olo’s parental guardians so much when they mattered, seemingly, not at all. Did I think that his mother deserved to lose a child? Certainly not. However, I truly felt nothing towards her person nor did I seek to see her receive reprieve for what one might assume she may (or may not) be feeling.
Perhaps this is the point. Perhaps throughout this story, I was meant to feel as disconnected as Olo; troubled by the home life that sought to actively seclude him from the society that might have accepted his quirks—as we all have some aspects of our person which are truly bizarre—I felt pained with sadness for the child who never got the chance to develop. Yet, here was this same child committing atrocities in the hopes of finding himself, finally, surrounded by people who would not abandon him, who would remain as constant as the interminable clock that ticks all throughout our lives. Can I blame him for that? I don’t think so. It’s not that I actively seek to humanize the outlandish so much as I cannot rightfully look at this character & say that I believe they were capable of anything other than what they were doing.
I found the aspects of claustrophobia & entrapment particularly morbid—I appreciated their presence within the story very much. The resurgence of characters from other stories, seeping through various worlds as the baseball that Peyton threw into the glass window that knocked onto the roof of the Dark brother’s car; the literary agent; the versed section of the manuscript. I acknowledge that what sticks out in this story the most are the aspects that render it ambiguous. Does Olo’s mother have a similar ability? Is that why some people connected so strongly to an almost realistic Detective from her crime novels? Will Olo ever escape the ‘other world’? What awaits him & his mannequin friends in the universe of The Cleaner & his world-bending books?
Even having written that this was possibly my least favourite of the stories, I cannot fully believe that statement fulfills the definition of the category. Here I am remembering how otherworldly it felt reading a story where the simple picture book of a child catapulted them into a place where they knew no harm & where their actions were not ripening mouldy avocados under a blazing sun; Olo was simply a child within the mist. I cannot decide how I feel because I find myself reflecting on the absurd ways in which the characters were snatched from their freedoms. Most of all, I replay the entombment of Olo’s stepfather who will live in a mouse’s crypt for all of eternity.
The Story
What becomes of the parts of our life that we leave behind? Are our actions stagnant in a zone of redundancy where they experience scenes in abundance, without making their way with us to the present? Though there are parts of Grady he chose to leave in the past, he finds himself faced with the inability to change what he’s done; languidly looming the concavity of his conscious mind while his body rolls him through another set of circumstances, demanding of him once again to make a life-altering decision he can never take back. Grady is introduced to the reader as he sips a drink amongst a crowd in New York City. His former co-worker, Sammy, calls him in a panic; vomiting the news that Taryn has died by suicide. What follows is a mental bend in perception that results in Grady dying in a similar fashion.
Should I be asked, I might say that this was my favourite of all the stories within this book. I found Grady’s character to be particularly vivid; the traits that formed his person were quite overbearing whilst simultaneously allowing him to be a smeared bug’s body on an overheated windshield. His descent into ‘madness’—shall we say, or perhaps into the confines of his own regret—reveal itself slowly. At first glance, he appears to be a person who was able to move forward, even with the presence of recollection, a determined insouciance. Yet, all the while he was replaying scenes in his mind, acting out moments he desired to forget. What made Grady the perfect auctioneer of ‘The Story’ was indeed his ability to gauge his losses with great fortitude while remaining a victim of the sway of life as a drowned rock in a lowly riverbed.
It was shocking to see the “Choose Your Own Adventure Series” (1979) come into play, especially given the heavy hand technology plays in our world. I appreciated that ‘The Story’ was something that found the reader, seemingly removing the reader’s ability to actually choose their adventure & instead the premise chooses its actors. I am a sucker for concepts such as the one presented in this book. When a piece of nostalgia is presented to me in such a gruesome way I cannot help but become enamoured with the medium; what more is there to horror than to remind us of our proximity to the reality found within the pages?
As always I remain grateful to Malfi for taking the time to write such pointedly macabre stories. Brimmed with aged dedication & devilish prose. This particular story brings the reader to their own personal reflection in a pool of blue lagoons & entices them to drown in a monsoon of their own tears; wailing drearily into the abyss of all the unsaid words, ghostly desires, & second thoughts.
Thank you to NetGalley, Titan Books, & Ronald Malfi for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
In the world of books, all things are true—all can be real. A book is a mystery holding the discarded fingerprints of those lonely dearly departed readers; it is a swamp of the cantankerous empyrean. Every story within this collection is a sweetly devious reminder of all the wonders held within the pages of a book. They remind the reader that safety in the imaginary is untrue—false security—we cannot escape the things we seek to hide from, they are there in the inky blotches of words once a seeping serpent of a thought, slithering through the mind of the author.
The Skin of Her Teeth
Gloria Grossman is a literary agent in New York City, she is in her forties & has no time for any sidetracks; no clients who deal with addiction, no persons derailed in their pursuits. Gloria is a person who is focused to the point of jeopardizing her own life & relationships. In David McElroy she sees the pay-day of her dreams. The screenwriter has been charged with adapting the highly popularized novel by John Fish, a project that has been in the works for longer than Gloria is aware of but which is to be met with its end before she has the chance to believe in the supernatural phenomena hidden in the words long ago written by the polarizing author himself.
There is something truly superb about Malfi’s writing that hooks me immediately. I found myself wondering how I was going to find Gloria’s character a comfort in this sad story about the collapse of the mental state that keeps us tethered in this realm of reality—the collective federation of the human species. Her character is at once someone the reader realizes they have no choice but to follow, as she is the main character in this short story, while simultaneously highlighting herself as an individual who seems to lack any apparent abilities to empathize with others. All the while, the writing style employed in this story kept me wanting to read; longing to know if Gloria might grant David some reprieve.
When Gloria arrives at David’s house in the secluded woods, his special place for working/writing, she comes upon the man in a state of duress. A normal reaction to this scene, or what one might hope from their fellow human being, would be the approach of kindness as David has evidently experienced some lapse in fortitude. Though Gloria assumes that David has had a substance abuse relapse, it is unfair to assume that this is undeniably true. It seems that Gloria wants to see the worst in people come to fruition so that she can move on without having to put forward any due diligence.
Do not mistake me, I do not think it is anyone’s responsibility to carry another person, no matter the circumstances, one’s own person must be responsible for one’s own healing process—whatsoever this might mean & entail. However, Gloria throws relationships to the side in a plight to see her ultimate goal achieved. We see this play out in her actions towards Rebecca, her partner. Why does she always feel the need to lie? Why lie regarding a situation you proclaim to have no patience to dabble in? Ultimately, she gets none of what she destructively sought.
I truly adored this story because it holds so many wonderful aspects of traditional, old horror. The grime that goops from the pages of the book, collapsing other entities to its will; the rancid smell of fluids seeping through the floor in an invisible fury; the antiquated bookshop; the morbid cast of characters; a tail spinning of gore & violence all leading to an end that sees the story hold no resolution, the demon lives on, forever.
The Dark Brother’s Last Ride
Danny Drake is also known as Danny ‘Dark’ to those who deal with him professionally. As something of a glamorized courier for the wanderers of shadowed corners, Danny has never escaped the detriment inflicted on him & his younger brother, Tommy, by their scaly abusive father. As a man in his thirties, Danny has acclimated himself to a life lived in a realm of ‘in-between’, never truly here nor there; somewhat transitioning between the parts of his life that he leans on to move forward. The capstone of all his shelters crumbles as both he & Tommy partake in one last ride together under the guise of delivering a very rare & valuable book.
Danny is a character that a person can feel tethered to, similar to how he might feel towards Tommy. Though one knows & acknowledges that his chosen profession is one that deals with the very unseemly aspect of human society, Danny appears to the reader as a moral compass across a desolate land. His character does not read as someone who necessarily revels in the actions he undertakes but rather, he is acting out of habit. This is seen during instances of recollection where Danny’s childhood memories flood the page in a deluge of horror; chased from his bed by a firearm-wielding father, strung-out on drugs, screeching about secrecy to his young children who have come to know nothing but terror at the hands of their only living parent.
Once again, Malfi has broached the reality between the fictional & non-fictional worlds to create a story that doubles as a marvel of sorrow. Not unlike the ‘other world’ in which Choptank awaits the delivery of the valued book, our own society is plagued by the shifting tenures of powers unbeknownst to the masses; sequestering identities through tender practice, overthrown tantrums, & perilous intentions. The abusive past that haunts Danny is one aspect of an otherwise jigsaw puzzle of morbid encounters the main character packs away in his anamnesis.
I particularly appreciated the resurgence of characters such as the troubled & umbrous George Lee Poach, as well as the vernacularly particular bookshop keeper known as Finter. Their appearances, though still tertiary in nature, brought a level of realism into this story, one that highlighted the base that was being upheld by hosting this story in such a nestled section of palpability. There are, certainly, aspects of this story that led me to wonder about the level of consistency, such as the gas level in the vehicle. However, this never took away from my enjoyment of the story. Rather, it brought a tinge of weightiness to the possibility that there could be other realms cozy & secretive, next to our own.
There will remain an aspect of me that feels sadness about Tommy’s death; a person who was simply never given the basis to live a life unplagued by the haunted figure of his demented father. I feel a tenderness towards him, similar to the one I have for Danny, as I view them both as figures stuck in the tar fields of their memories, cursed into the repetition of cataclysmic behaviours that distance themselves from each other & from the world.
This Book Belongs To Olo
Bartholomew (Olo) Tiptree is nine (9) years old, about to be ten (10) on the upcoming Saturday. Dawning his plastic clown face mask he stands ominously at the periphery of the local playground, watching all the other children interact. On this day, he hands them invitation cards to attend his birthday party—one that promises great surprises, prizes, & fun. However much the other children verbally accost him, Olo remains stoic, wearing a smile that could offtrack a train. Though these other children laugh & taunt Olo for things outside of his control—a dauntingly wealthy house on the hill, homeschooling, personal finance—they make their way to the house in which people have gone missing, only to be hidden in between the spot that marks a biological match to the world in which we all roam.
This story is difficult for me to review because it was my least favourite. This is not to say that it’s a bad story, only, that I didn’t much care for Olo & felt certain that there was no conclusive manner in which everyone might escape the dual realm he had fostered within the walls of Helix House. While reading this story I began to feel that it was very long & I wondered why we should be reading about Olo’s parental guardians so much when they mattered, seemingly, not at all. Did I think that his mother deserved to lose a child? Certainly not. However, I truly felt nothing towards her person nor did I seek to see her receive reprieve for what one might assume she may (or may not) be feeling.
Perhaps this is the point. Perhaps throughout this story, I was meant to feel as disconnected as Olo; troubled by the home life that sought to actively seclude him from the society that might have accepted his quirks—as we all have some aspects of our person which are truly bizarre—I felt pained with sadness for the child who never got the chance to develop. Yet, here was this same child committing atrocities in the hopes of finding himself, finally, surrounded by people who would not abandon him, who would remain as constant as the interminable clock that ticks all throughout our lives. Can I blame him for that? I don’t think so. It’s not that I actively seek to humanize the outlandish so much as I cannot rightfully look at this character & say that I believe they were capable of anything other than what they were doing.
I found the aspects of claustrophobia & entrapment particularly morbid—I appreciated their presence within the story very much. The resurgence of characters from other stories, seeping through various worlds as the baseball that Peyton threw into the glass window that knocked onto the roof of the Dark brother’s car; the literary agent; the versed section of the manuscript. I acknowledge that what sticks out in this story the most are the aspects that render it ambiguous. Does Olo’s mother have a similar ability? Is that why some people connected so strongly to an almost realistic Detective from her crime novels? Will Olo ever escape the ‘other world’? What awaits him & his mannequin friends in the universe of The Cleaner & his world-bending books?
Even having written that this was possibly my least favourite of the stories, I cannot fully believe that statement fulfills the definition of the category. Here I am remembering how otherworldly it felt reading a story where the simple picture book of a child catapulted them into a place where they knew no harm & where their actions were not ripening mouldy avocados under a blazing sun; Olo was simply a child within the mist. I cannot decide how I feel because I find myself reflecting on the absurd ways in which the characters were snatched from their freedoms. Most of all, I replay the entombment of Olo’s stepfather who will live in a mouse’s crypt for all of eternity.
The Story
What becomes of the parts of our life that we leave behind? Are our actions stagnant in a zone of redundancy where they experience scenes in abundance, without making their way with us to the present? Though there are parts of Grady he chose to leave in the past, he finds himself faced with the inability to change what he’s done; languidly looming the concavity of his conscious mind while his body rolls him through another set of circumstances, demanding of him once again to make a life-altering decision he can never take back. Grady is introduced to the reader as he sips a drink amongst a crowd in New York City. His former co-worker, Sammy, calls him in a panic; vomiting the news that Taryn has died by suicide. What follows is a mental bend in perception that results in Grady dying in a similar fashion.
Should I be asked, I might say that this was my favourite of all the stories within this book. I found Grady’s character to be particularly vivid; the traits that formed his person were quite overbearing whilst simultaneously allowing him to be a smeared bug’s body on an overheated windshield. His descent into ‘madness’—shall we say, or perhaps into the confines of his own regret—reveal itself slowly. At first glance, he appears to be a person who was able to move forward, even with the presence of recollection, a determined insouciance. Yet, all the while he was replaying scenes in his mind, acting out moments he desired to forget. What made Grady the perfect auctioneer of ‘The Story’ was indeed his ability to gauge his losses with great fortitude while remaining a victim of the sway of life as a drowned rock in a lowly riverbed.
It was shocking to see the “Choose Your Own Adventure Series” (1979) come into play, especially given the heavy hand technology plays in our world. I appreciated that ‘The Story’ was something that found the reader, seemingly removing the reader’s ability to actually choose their adventure & instead the premise chooses its actors. I am a sucker for concepts such as the one presented in this book. When a piece of nostalgia is presented to me in such a gruesome way I cannot help but become enamoured with the medium; what more is there to horror than to remind us of our proximity to the reality found within the pages?
As always I remain grateful to Malfi for taking the time to write such pointedly macabre stories. Brimmed with aged dedication & devilish prose. This particular story brings the reader to their own personal reflection in a pool of blue lagoons & entices them to drown in a monsoon of their own tears; wailing drearily into the abyss of all the unsaid words, ghostly desires, & second thoughts.
Thank you to NetGalley, Titan Books, & Ronald Malfi for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2022
Novellas have become a favorite for me, and for good reason. There's just enough time to dive down into an intricate plot, but they're often tight enough, fast enough, and get right to the point of it. Put four scary ones together...what could be better?
The Skin of her Teeth Echoing what I said above, the setup provides just enough to get the ball rolling: A screenwriter off the rails, AWOL on a project with a deadline, and a literary agent tracking him down, only to find something bizarre. At this point, I'd expect the horror to take over the story, and the gore to ensue. But it's far smarter than that, with depth and variation of character that had me hooked.
The Dark Brother's Last Ride A precious book, a couple of middlemen, and a circuitous route to deliver it. Such a simple, yet strangely odd request for these two brothers, one who's good at fucking things up. Deliver the package. Don't look at it. Don't stray. Easier said than done on this road.
This Book Belongs to Olo A change in gears, like a change of seasons, the writing style here is tonally different, and so is this story. Olo is just an unnoticeable, nondescript, lonely boy who lives in a spiral mansion with places of his own creation, and one birthday on the way. Malfi mixes dark and humor so well.
The Story This final story is a rabbit-hole, a mystery that should never be followed, but tell that to Alice in Wonderland. It's simply impossible not to go down it, certainly for the reader. Unsettling scary is the best word choice I can use to describe. I love to read about the things outside of us that we cannot understand. They are often the most frightening.
Each of these four novellas are connected. At first I thought the links were only in the barest of sense - a character, a few words, a plot element - but realized in The Story that you could call it more (don't forget to read the author's afterward). Looking back now, it's almost too difficult to name a favorite novella among the four. I was ready to say the last one, mostly due to falling down the rabbit-hole right along with the protagonist, but being the last it's also the freshest. Each novella is horror in a varying sense of the word. All are written with a divergent writing voice with very cool changes in style. I will call all four about even.
The Skin of her Teeth Echoing what I said above, the setup provides just enough to get the ball rolling: A screenwriter off the rails, AWOL on a project with a deadline, and a literary agent tracking him down, only to find something bizarre. At this point, I'd expect the horror to take over the story, and the gore to ensue. But it's far smarter than that, with depth and variation of character that had me hooked.
The Dark Brother's Last Ride A precious book, a couple of middlemen, and a circuitous route to deliver it. Such a simple, yet strangely odd request for these two brothers, one who's good at fucking things up. Deliver the package. Don't look at it. Don't stray. Easier said than done on this road.
This Book Belongs to Olo A change in gears, like a change of seasons, the writing style here is tonally different, and so is this story. Olo is just an unnoticeable, nondescript, lonely boy who lives in a spiral mansion with places of his own creation, and one birthday on the way. Malfi mixes dark and humor so well.
The Story This final story is a rabbit-hole, a mystery that should never be followed, but tell that to Alice in Wonderland. It's simply impossible not to go down it, certainly for the reader. Unsettling scary is the best word choice I can use to describe. I love to read about the things outside of us that we cannot understand. They are often the most frightening.
Each of these four novellas are connected. At first I thought the links were only in the barest of sense - a character, a few words, a plot element - but realized in The Story that you could call it more (don't forget to read the author's afterward). Looking back now, it's almost too difficult to name a favorite novella among the four. I was ready to say the last one, mostly due to falling down the rabbit-hole right along with the protagonist, but being the last it's also the freshest. Each novella is horror in a varying sense of the word. All are written with a divergent writing voice with very cool changes in style. I will call all four about even.
October 12, 2022
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
FOUR novellas
about FOUR haunted books,
in ONE shared universe,
You will be hooked!
Ronald Malfi has quickly become one of my favorite go to writers when I’m in the mood to read creepy horror, and Ghostwritten is just that!
The Skin of Her Teeth, The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride, This Book Belongs to Olo, and The Story are a fantastic collection of ghost stories that really hit the spot this Halloween season!
Joe Hempel’s narration of the audiobook needs to be sped up, but he does a fantastic job as always.
I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Steven King!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 10/11/22
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor audio for the ARC of Ghostwritten in exchange for an honest review.
FOUR novellas
about FOUR haunted books,
in ONE shared universe,
You will be hooked!
Ronald Malfi has quickly become one of my favorite go to writers when I’m in the mood to read creepy horror, and Ghostwritten is just that!
The Skin of Her Teeth, The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride, This Book Belongs to Olo, and The Story are a fantastic collection of ghost stories that really hit the spot this Halloween season!
Joe Hempel’s narration of the audiobook needs to be sped up, but he does a fantastic job as always.
I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Steven King!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 10/11/22
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor audio for the ARC of Ghostwritten in exchange for an honest review.
October 10, 2022
myself asks
am i here?
i've lost myself
i fear
After the splendid novel "Come with me", Ronald Malfi is a A list author for me, and I will read everything this author has ever written and will write in the future. Thus, it was with much pleasure and anticipation that I started reading the new four novellas that form "Ghostwritten".
The first one, "The skin of her teeth" was my least favorite and was redeemed by the unexpected twist halfway through. "The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride" was mesmerizing and that end was seriously disturbing ! In the third novella "This Book Belongs to Olo" we meet the weirdest and creepiest child. It made me wonder what goes on in the mind of the author to come up with such an utterly strange and unsettling character ! Do I really want to know? "The Story" was my absolute favorite. Such a strange tale that I was almost too scared to read on.
It is far more in the horror realm than "Come with me" ever was, but is still very cleverly done and I also enjoyed the fact that all stories are interlinked by just the smallest fishhooks. Even though these are novellas, the author manages to flesh out real characters and complex storylines that are vivid and very graphic. Especially 'The Tale' would make a creepy movie. Brilliant !
A sincere and heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, Titan Books and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
am i here?
i've lost myself
i fear
After the splendid novel "Come with me", Ronald Malfi is a A list author for me, and I will read everything this author has ever written and will write in the future. Thus, it was with much pleasure and anticipation that I started reading the new four novellas that form "Ghostwritten".
The first one, "The skin of her teeth" was my least favorite and was redeemed by the unexpected twist halfway through. "The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride" was mesmerizing and that end was seriously disturbing ! In the third novella "This Book Belongs to Olo" we meet the weirdest and creepiest child. It made me wonder what goes on in the mind of the author to come up with such an utterly strange and unsettling character ! Do I really want to know? "The Story" was my absolute favorite. Such a strange tale that I was almost too scared to read on.
It is far more in the horror realm than "Come with me" ever was, but is still very cleverly done and I also enjoyed the fact that all stories are interlinked by just the smallest fishhooks. Even though these are novellas, the author manages to flesh out real characters and complex storylines that are vivid and very graphic. Especially 'The Tale' would make a creepy movie. Brilliant !
A sincere and heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, Titan Books and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2023
Ghostwritten was a collection of short stories by Ronald Malfi that deals with the subject of books!
If you love reading about creepy books, definitely check this one out. All four short stories were fantastically sinister, along with having great pacing and characters.
The Skin of Her Teeth - 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed this one, especially with the description of the book. It has a weird appearance and quality about the book that I loved.
Of the four short stories, this one felt the most like a creature feature type of tale.
The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride - 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Interesting characters, a tense plot and an otherworldly type of vibe to it. The ending felt right too.
This Book Belongs to Olo - 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was my favorite of the four.
It was creepy as hell, the pacing of the plot keeps building, and the originality of the story was fantastic. I can still see the unsettling imagery in my mind with the book, events that occur, and objects at the house.
The Story - 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great concept on what is really real and what’s part of a “story”. I loved the madness and uncertainty that keeps evolving while you read this one.
If you haven’t read Ronald Malfi yet, this would be an excellent book to start with. It will give you a good idea if you’ll enjoy his writing and story telling!
If you love reading about creepy books, definitely check this one out. All four short stories were fantastically sinister, along with having great pacing and characters.
The Skin of Her Teeth - 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed this one, especially with the description of the book. It has a weird appearance and quality about the book that I loved.
Of the four short stories, this one felt the most like a creature feature type of tale.
The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride - 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Interesting characters, a tense plot and an otherworldly type of vibe to it. The ending felt right too.
This Book Belongs to Olo - 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was my favorite of the four.
It was creepy as hell, the pacing of the plot keeps building, and the originality of the story was fantastic. I can still see the unsettling imagery in my mind with the book, events that occur, and objects at the house.
The Story - 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great concept on what is really real and what’s part of a “story”. I loved the madness and uncertainty that keeps evolving while you read this one.
If you haven’t read Ronald Malfi yet, this would be an excellent book to start with. It will give you a good idea if you’ll enjoy his writing and story telling!
September 23, 2022
4+ stars.
Wow! I really enjoyed that. This was a book comprising four loosely interconnected stories where some of the characters made appearances in more than one story and they were all about strange books or stories that had some weird otherworldly power. While none of the stories were scary as such, they all had Malfi’s signature talent of being disconcertingly creepy. While Malfi doesn’t slap you in the face with ‘jump scares’ each story was darker and creepier than the previous one. The last two were definitely very unsettling.
The first story - the Skin of Her Teeth was about a book that contained an evil entity. It was to be turned into a movie but the book defied all attempts to ‘change’ a single word and therefore any attempt to write a screenplay.
The second story - The Dark Brothers Last Ride is about two brothers, Danny and Tommy Drake being commissioned to deliver the book (from story 1) to a man called Choptank with very specific instructions - don’t open the briefcase, don’t stray from the convoluted route mapped out on a paper map for the journey (even though the direct route would have halved the journey time) and don’t talk about the assignment. To anyone! Well, Tommy is a hothead who doesn’ take direction well and things don’t end well for him.
The third story - This Book Belongs to Olo is about a very creepy kid who has made a three dimensional pop up book of his already weird house. I’m sure you all remember those kids books that you opened up and this diorama style thing popped up. Well Olo’s book was meticulously accurate but when he changed things in the book things changed for real in the house. Olo invited all the neighbourhood kids to his birthday party. It didn’t quite go as planned.
The last story - called simply The Story is impossible to describe but it was essentially about one of those ‘write your own ending’ stories only this was a game that would blow your mind and it was almost impossible to win. I am really coming appreciate this author’s talent for creating very unsettling, disturbing stories. Many thanks to Netgalley and Titan Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
Wow! I really enjoyed that. This was a book comprising four loosely interconnected stories where some of the characters made appearances in more than one story and they were all about strange books or stories that had some weird otherworldly power. While none of the stories were scary as such, they all had Malfi’s signature talent of being disconcertingly creepy. While Malfi doesn’t slap you in the face with ‘jump scares’ each story was darker and creepier than the previous one. The last two were definitely very unsettling.
The first story - the Skin of Her Teeth was about a book that contained an evil entity. It was to be turned into a movie but the book defied all attempts to ‘change’ a single word and therefore any attempt to write a screenplay.
The second story - The Dark Brothers Last Ride is about two brothers, Danny and Tommy Drake being commissioned to deliver the book (from story 1) to a man called Choptank with very specific instructions - don’t open the briefcase, don’t stray from the convoluted route mapped out on a paper map for the journey (even though the direct route would have halved the journey time) and don’t talk about the assignment. To anyone! Well, Tommy is a hothead who doesn’ take direction well and things don’t end well for him.
The third story - This Book Belongs to Olo is about a very creepy kid who has made a three dimensional pop up book of his already weird house. I’m sure you all remember those kids books that you opened up and this diorama style thing popped up. Well Olo’s book was meticulously accurate but when he changed things in the book things changed for real in the house. Olo invited all the neighbourhood kids to his birthday party. It didn’t quite go as planned.
The last story - called simply The Story is impossible to describe but it was essentially about one of those ‘write your own ending’ stories only this was a game that would blow your mind and it was almost impossible to win. I am really coming appreciate this author’s talent for creating very unsettling, disturbing stories. Many thanks to Netgalley and Titan Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
April 24, 2025
Please forgive me for any typos or things that don't make sense. I'm writing this review from my phone because I need to do a thought-dump before I lose my train of thought.
First of all, it's wonderful to have time to read with wild abandon. That hasn't happened for me in a while. I tore through most of this collection in the past 24 hours.
Overall, Ghostwriter was a wonderful collection of novellas by Malfi, all centered around the art of writing, books, authors, the written word, and its haunting effect.
Speaking of haunting, I shared a few highlights of passages I found quite haunting. I find Malfi's writing full of imagery. The stories come to life in my mind's eye as I read them.
While all four novellas were good, I feel like they progressively got better as they went. My personal favorite was the last one, named The Story. It had a surreal, haunting feel. I got strong House of Leaves vibes from it. What is real, what is imaginary, what is going on at all? And I just couldn't quit reading.
Overall, I give Ghostwritten 4 stars. I've been down a deep Malfi rabbit hole lately. I think it's time I head back to some Nordic horror/thrillers. Happy reading!
First of all, it's wonderful to have time to read with wild abandon. That hasn't happened for me in a while. I tore through most of this collection in the past 24 hours.
Overall, Ghostwriter was a wonderful collection of novellas by Malfi, all centered around the art of writing, books, authors, the written word, and its haunting effect.
Speaking of haunting, I shared a few highlights of passages I found quite haunting. I find Malfi's writing full of imagery. The stories come to life in my mind's eye as I read them.
While all four novellas were good, I feel like they progressively got better as they went. My personal favorite was the last one, named The Story. It had a surreal, haunting feel. I got strong House of Leaves vibes from it. What is real, what is imaginary, what is going on at all? And I just couldn't quit reading.
Overall, I give Ghostwritten 4 stars. I've been down a deep Malfi rabbit hole lately. I think it's time I head back to some Nordic horror/thrillers. Happy reading!
December 12, 2022
myself asks
am i here?
i've lost myself
i fear
Creepy no?
Another Malfi book, this one is sooo much better than Black Mouth, four novella length stories with an overall theme - the power that books might wield. The tales can be read as stand-alones but there are also tiny connections to each other, I love little details like this, it makes for an even more fun read. Engrossing, with some really creepy moments, I loved it, I definitely see more Malfi in my future, 5 stars.
am i here?
i've lost myself
i fear
Creepy no?
Another Malfi book, this one is sooo much better than Black Mouth, four novella length stories with an overall theme - the power that books might wield. The tales can be read as stand-alones but there are also tiny connections to each other, I love little details like this, it makes for an even more fun read. Engrossing, with some really creepy moments, I loved it, I definitely see more Malfi in my future, 5 stars.
September 14, 2022
I’m such a fan of Malfi's work that I read his books without checking descriptions or word count. And that’s huge for me.
Malfi is just that good at literary frights and this book is no exception. In fact, it’s one of his best yet.
We, the readers, know that book have power. They can transport, enlighten, change minds, etc. But that’s looking at the bright side of things…what about the obverse? What about the dark powers books might have?
That’s the essential premise here but what Malfi does with it is a thing of beauty. In one story after another he terrifies the readers with inked nightmares, alternate dimensions, and all the frightening things written between the lines.
Each story is original, unique, wildly imaginative and edge-of-your-seat thrilling. Malfi is really on top of his game here. Whatever darkness speaks to him must be saying all the right things.
I can’t possibly pick a favorite either – there are so many fascinating concepts here with the underlying idea that books are alive (and dangerous) in profoundly terrifying ways.
This book is safe, though. Surely. Go ahead and pick it up. You won’t want to put it down. Great read. Yes, I said it. Great. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
Malfi is just that good at literary frights and this book is no exception. In fact, it’s one of his best yet.
We, the readers, know that book have power. They can transport, enlighten, change minds, etc. But that’s looking at the bright side of things…what about the obverse? What about the dark powers books might have?
That’s the essential premise here but what Malfi does with it is a thing of beauty. In one story after another he terrifies the readers with inked nightmares, alternate dimensions, and all the frightening things written between the lines.
Each story is original, unique, wildly imaginative and edge-of-your-seat thrilling. Malfi is really on top of his game here. Whatever darkness speaks to him must be saying all the right things.
I can’t possibly pick a favorite either – there are so many fascinating concepts here with the underlying idea that books are alive (and dangerous) in profoundly terrifying ways.
This book is safe, though. Surely. Go ahead and pick it up. You won’t want to put it down. Great read. Yes, I said it. Great. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
November 14, 2022
The Skin of Her Teeth 3 stars
The Dark Brothers Last Ride2 stars
This Book Belongs to 'Olo' 4 stars
The Story 4 stars
Al the stories are memorable, but worth for the las two.
The Dark Brothers Last Ride2 stars
This Book Belongs to 'Olo' 4 stars
The Story 4 stars
Al the stories are memorable, but worth for the las two.
October 10, 2022
Kind of a creepy rendition of four different stories combined into this book by Ronald Malfi. The first story will give you reminders about King's book Rose Red, a story about an expanding house. This time a young friendless boy entraps people and family withing the walls of his constructed home.
The other stories run the gauntlet from a book that has very strange powers to a sort of find your own adventure gone awry story.
People who enjoy having tingles go down their spine and love the creepy books of the season might enjoy this one.
I listened to this book written by Ronald Malfi and thank him, Titan books, and NetGalley for a copy of these stories which publishes on October 11,2022.
The other stories run the gauntlet from a book that has very strange powers to a sort of find your own adventure gone awry story.
People who enjoy having tingles go down their spine and love the creepy books of the season might enjoy this one.
I listened to this book written by Ronald Malfi and thank him, Titan books, and NetGalley for a copy of these stories which publishes on October 11,2022.
November 5, 2022
Four Ronald Malfi horror novellas in one book with the slightest of links between them, but not enough of a link to prevent them from being ‘enjoyed’ as standalone. I generally like Malfi’s work, and these four were certainly worth the time, but none of them really grabbed hold of me or sparked off any emotional response — no anger, hatred, fear, love, surprise, terror, or repulsion. An OK read!
April 5, 2025
Ronald Malfi's "GHOSTWRITTEN" features four horror novellas, blending stories about books or manuscripts with Malfi's signature of supernatural themes. Each unique narrative stands out, connected by the common thread of the written word.
This collection by Malfi is remarkable, delivering tension and suspense without relying on cheap jump scares. It serves as an excellent introduction for newcomers to his distinctive style and voice, featuring facetious, tongue-in-cheek moments.
"The Skin of Her Teeth" follows Hollywood agent Gloria Grossman as she searches for a missing client, Screenwriter Davis McElroy, who was supposed to submit his script for the adaptation of John Fish's novel. Upon locating him, she finds McElroy in a state of mental distress, believing Fish's novel is sentient. Some stories just don't want Hollywood's editing.
"The Dark Brothers' Last Ride" explores how often we believe we are prepared for any situation, but this is not entirely accurate. Some questions we fear due to the answers. The story follows a duo, Danny Dark and Tommy Drake, who are tasked by their mob boss to deliver a case to Arizona, following a circuitous route on a map, no GPS, with three final instructions: never open the case, ignore strangers wanting to know what's inside, and if opened, never touch the contents. You know someone is not going to follow directions!
"This Book Belongs to Olo" examines the life of one weird, creepy, mask-wearing 10-year-old, Bartholomew (Olo) Tiptree. Olo, inspired by his parents who are both writers, chooses to create his own book, a pop-up book that serves as a detailed replica of his home and possesses the ability to perform extraordinary feats. "No friends" Olo decides to have a birthday party that no one wants to go to, but the lure of $100 to the winner of "Hide and Seek" is attractive. I found this to be more a "dark fantasy" or "YA horror" and a bit slower as there is more background to the story.
In "The Story", Grady seeks to uncover the reasons behind his ex-girlfriend Taryn's tragic suicide. Taryn had been delving into a dark web narrative called The Story. As Grady investigates the occurrences surrounding her death, the truth becomes increasingly unsettling. He’s soon pulled into a choose-your-own-adventure story with terrible consequences.
This collection offers compelling plots, well-developed characters, suspense and thrills, all cohesively linked by a consistent theme of the written word, which is impressive in itself. This is an excellent entry point for new fans, while long-time enthusiasts will surely appreciate the content.
The pen is truly mightier than the sword.
This collection by Malfi is remarkable, delivering tension and suspense without relying on cheap jump scares. It serves as an excellent introduction for newcomers to his distinctive style and voice, featuring facetious, tongue-in-cheek moments.
"The Skin of Her Teeth" follows Hollywood agent Gloria Grossman as she searches for a missing client, Screenwriter Davis McElroy, who was supposed to submit his script for the adaptation of John Fish's novel. Upon locating him, she finds McElroy in a state of mental distress, believing Fish's novel is sentient. Some stories just don't want Hollywood's editing.
"The Dark Brothers' Last Ride" explores how often we believe we are prepared for any situation, but this is not entirely accurate. Some questions we fear due to the answers. The story follows a duo, Danny Dark and Tommy Drake, who are tasked by their mob boss to deliver a case to Arizona, following a circuitous route on a map, no GPS, with three final instructions: never open the case, ignore strangers wanting to know what's inside, and if opened, never touch the contents. You know someone is not going to follow directions!
"This Book Belongs to Olo" examines the life of one weird, creepy, mask-wearing 10-year-old, Bartholomew (Olo) Tiptree. Olo, inspired by his parents who are both writers, chooses to create his own book, a pop-up book that serves as a detailed replica of his home and possesses the ability to perform extraordinary feats. "No friends" Olo decides to have a birthday party that no one wants to go to, but the lure of $100 to the winner of "Hide and Seek" is attractive. I found this to be more a "dark fantasy" or "YA horror" and a bit slower as there is more background to the story.
In "The Story", Grady seeks to uncover the reasons behind his ex-girlfriend Taryn's tragic suicide. Taryn had been delving into a dark web narrative called The Story. As Grady investigates the occurrences surrounding her death, the truth becomes increasingly unsettling. He’s soon pulled into a choose-your-own-adventure story with terrible consequences.
This collection offers compelling plots, well-developed characters, suspense and thrills, all cohesively linked by a consistent theme of the written word, which is impressive in itself. This is an excellent entry point for new fans, while long-time enthusiasts will surely appreciate the content.
December 5, 2022
"Books are magic, Olo, which makes writers the only true magicians, Dark, terrible magicians."
Oh, how true Malfi is about that!! This collection of novellas is magnificent. All four contain some element surrounding the world of the written word coming off the page and wreaking deadly havoc on a host of unsuspecting characters. Highly recommend!
Oh, how true Malfi is about that!! This collection of novellas is magnificent. All four contain some element surrounding the world of the written word coming off the page and wreaking deadly havoc on a host of unsuspecting characters. Highly recommend!
April 18, 2023
4.5 stars
A collection of four horror novellas with a theme of books. There wasn't a bad story in this collection, I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Would say the last two were my favourites. I like how they were connected and there were references to characters from the other stories in each novella. I look forward to reading more from this author.
A collection of four horror novellas with a theme of books. There wasn't a bad story in this collection, I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Would say the last two were my favourites. I like how they were connected and there were references to characters from the other stories in each novella. I look forward to reading more from this author.
March 9, 2025
Just finished the final of the four novellas in Ghostwritten. The last one, The Story, was by far my favorite. Although each of the four entries were well written and creepy as hell. I just love Ronald Malfi’s writing. He causes my own imagination to expand…if that makes sense to anyone haha. Looking forward to my next Malfi read for sure.
4 ⭐️s
4 ⭐️s
October 19, 2022
Ronald Malfi writes in the Acknowledgments: "The last two novels I wrote dealt with heavy themes -- grief/loss in COME WITH ME and addiction/childhood trauma in BLACK MOUTH... I wrote the first novella in this collection as a palate cleanser".
That's exactly what this novella collection felt like, a fresh palate cleanser. A break from the dreadful and dreary. Stephen King level imagination meshed with H.P. Lovecraft level in scope.
Though the last story did dish out some heavy grief, and shared the same vibes with COME WITH ME, the first three stories were just balls-to-the-wall, wonky suspense pieces. Straight out of a 90's Goosebumps book. But they were GOOD! They were so well written! They weren't cheesy and campy (well, okay, maybe they were...) but the writing was damn good, and the situations were convincing. One has to completely suspend disbelief and play along, and then Malfi will take you on a ride.
That's why I'm giving this 5-stars. At no point in the book was I able to really predict what's going to happen next. There isn't much foreshadow. It's just starting at Point A and moving forward. Each story begins simple enough; a meeting, a conversation, a gathering. An introduction to your characters. Slowly you're being led to the next situation, then the next, and things start getting stranger. On it goes from there.
I highly recommend this book to all horror fans, and especially Malfi fans. I'm not big on reading short story collections, or even novellas. I only chose this because I enjoyed Malfi's recent output, and I wanted to give this a chance. I'm soooo glad I did. This is probably my #1 book this spooky season.
That's exactly what this novella collection felt like, a fresh palate cleanser. A break from the dreadful and dreary. Stephen King level imagination meshed with H.P. Lovecraft level in scope.
Though the last story did dish out some heavy grief, and shared the same vibes with COME WITH ME, the first three stories were just balls-to-the-wall, wonky suspense pieces. Straight out of a 90's Goosebumps book. But they were GOOD! They were so well written! They weren't cheesy and campy (well, okay, maybe they were...) but the writing was damn good, and the situations were convincing. One has to completely suspend disbelief and play along, and then Malfi will take you on a ride.
That's why I'm giving this 5-stars. At no point in the book was I able to really predict what's going to happen next. There isn't much foreshadow. It's just starting at Point A and moving forward. Each story begins simple enough; a meeting, a conversation, a gathering. An introduction to your characters. Slowly you're being led to the next situation, then the next, and things start getting stranger. On it goes from there.
I highly recommend this book to all horror fans, and especially Malfi fans. I'm not big on reading short story collections, or even novellas. I only chose this because I enjoyed Malfi's recent output, and I wanted to give this a chance. I'm soooo glad I did. This is probably my #1 book this spooky season.
November 8, 2022
Well this was a fun time! Four novellas that have to do with haunted or cursed books? Count me in. Especially since every story is speculative/paranormal. I loved two and felt meh about two of the four stories in this collection. Malfis writing itself was magnificent though and I thought his stories were all super interesting. I do think this collection is worth checking out. But because I didn’t like two of the stories I can’t rate it higher than this.
This one is going to be longer since I’m going to give a short review of each novella and also the book as a whole!
The skin of her teeth- a novella about an evil book that quite literally can attack people, which I found really interesting how it went about that. It was a decently fun time, but I do think the pacing at the beginning for how many pages this story actually is, was a bit rough. I also would have liked more action, and less conversation between characters. On it’s own it’s like 3/5 maybe. It did have some gross/disturbing imagery too.
The dark brother’s last ride- a novella about two brothers who go on a quest to deliver a strange book. This one was quite cosmic and otherworldly. I really liked it and think anyone who enjoys really eerie exploration books would enjoy this. The creepy factor was really good and in this one malfi created another brotherly dynamic that I really loved (like in black mouth) and I just thought this story was great all around. 5/5 stars.
This book belongs to Olo- a novella about a creepy kid who has sinister power over a mysterious pop up book. I loved this one just as much as the dark brothers one, and it was just as eerie and cosmic. These two just have such an alien cosmic/ lovecraftian feel to them almost. This one also has really eerie vibes and atmosphere. When I say I want a creepy kid book…. THIS is exactly what I mean. it’s been a while since a creepy kid book has given me chills because they’re all the same. But this one is pretty creepy. 5/5 stars. Olo is a great grey character. His actions aren’t good, but to an extent you understand them. More awesome character work by malfi!
The story- a novella about some occult podcast hosts that get sucked into a choose your own adventure story that turns out to be an uncanny reality. This one has such potential but honestly I didn’t love it. Mainly because I really wasn’t sure what the point was by the end unless it was just hoping to confuse the reader and go “got you!” At the end. But really I was just waiting for something that…. Mattered to happen? I liked the vibes and the character work. It just felt like way too many pages were spent on that and not the actual story. The choose your own story part of this novella was soooo short. 3/5.
I of course love malfi and will continue to read him. As you can see none of the stories were awful out of the ones I didn’t like either, they just didn’t feel as developed as the two that I really liked. I also like that there were subtle Easter eggs that linked all the stories together!
Not sure what my next read from him will be. Suggestions?
This one is going to be longer since I’m going to give a short review of each novella and also the book as a whole!
The skin of her teeth- a novella about an evil book that quite literally can attack people, which I found really interesting how it went about that. It was a decently fun time, but I do think the pacing at the beginning for how many pages this story actually is, was a bit rough. I also would have liked more action, and less conversation between characters. On it’s own it’s like 3/5 maybe. It did have some gross/disturbing imagery too.
The dark brother’s last ride- a novella about two brothers who go on a quest to deliver a strange book. This one was quite cosmic and otherworldly. I really liked it and think anyone who enjoys really eerie exploration books would enjoy this. The creepy factor was really good and in this one malfi created another brotherly dynamic that I really loved (like in black mouth) and I just thought this story was great all around. 5/5 stars.
This book belongs to Olo- a novella about a creepy kid who has sinister power over a mysterious pop up book. I loved this one just as much as the dark brothers one, and it was just as eerie and cosmic. These two just have such an alien cosmic/ lovecraftian feel to them almost. This one also has really eerie vibes and atmosphere. When I say I want a creepy kid book…. THIS is exactly what I mean. it’s been a while since a creepy kid book has given me chills because they’re all the same. But this one is pretty creepy. 5/5 stars. Olo is a great grey character. His actions aren’t good, but to an extent you understand them. More awesome character work by malfi!
The story- a novella about some occult podcast hosts that get sucked into a choose your own adventure story that turns out to be an uncanny reality. This one has such potential but honestly I didn’t love it. Mainly because I really wasn’t sure what the point was by the end unless it was just hoping to confuse the reader and go “got you!” At the end. But really I was just waiting for something that…. Mattered to happen? I liked the vibes and the character work. It just felt like way too many pages were spent on that and not the actual story. The choose your own story part of this novella was soooo short. 3/5.
I of course love malfi and will continue to read him. As you can see none of the stories were awful out of the ones I didn’t like either, they just didn’t feel as developed as the two that I really liked. I also like that there were subtle Easter eggs that linked all the stories together!
Not sure what my next read from him will be. Suggestions?
July 16, 2025
3.25 ⭐️
Enjoyed two of the four novellas, but overall really solidified the fact that I just can’t get into any novella no matter how bad I want to! The narrator certainly didn’t do it any favors which I think impacted this pretty heavily too. :-(
Unless reading this physically makes a difference (which it very well could,) I can’t justify saying “you need to read this!”… unless you’re specifically looking for a short lil something to fill time
Enjoyed two of the four novellas, but overall really solidified the fact that I just can’t get into any novella no matter how bad I want to! The narrator certainly didn’t do it any favors which I think impacted this pretty heavily too. :-(
Unless reading this physically makes a difference (which it very well could,) I can’t justify saying “you need to read this!”… unless you’re specifically looking for a short lil something to fill time
November 12, 2022
Stupendous! Wonderful! Probably the best book I've read this year - and yes, this is November! Superbly written. Witty and insightful. Horror and mystery at its best. Four novellas, but each as meatily-packed as the heaviest, thickest novel. I loved it! (Also love that I own it.)
Four stories which revolve around a book or story. Yes, a book! A nefarious book, a weird book, a made-up book and a book which exists only online. Four great ideas packed with characters you will not forget, with authentic and contemporary dialogue, transitions which sweep effortlessly from page to page and never - never! - a dull moment. Here's a brief, but not spoilerage synopsis of each:
'The Skin of Her Teeth.' A literary agent goes looking for a client, a writer who's gone off to finish the screenplay of another writer's novel. Problem is, the writer's not reporting back. Answers no texts, emails, phone calls, nada. When she goes to check on him what she finds is - well it's complicated. Layered. Nothing is simple, but can a book, a story, a screenplay be evil? Possessed? Something worse? Read it and find out.
'The Dark Brothers' Last Ride.' Two young men who act as couriers for some not-so-nice-guys are bringing a book from Point X to Point Y - and with certain rules they must follow. But why? What gives? How can a book be so valuable, and hey, isn't that the girl we saw back at the bar and so...
So read it, and if you're a fan of HP Lovecraft, you're in for a real treat. Read with the lights on.
'This Book Belongs to Olo.' Olo is a boy, a little kid who's a bit 'off.' His mother's a big-deal horror writer; his stepdad would love to have just one of his published. Olo's 'made' a book, too. No, he hasn't written one - he's MADE one. And he's invited the local kids to his birthday part. OMG this one gives me the creeps just to write all that.
'The Story.' Remember those choose-your-own-adventure books? What if your adventure was more real than not and what if it existed only on the internet and what if it were so real you couldn't get out of the darn adventure? I probably said too much on this one, but it really gave my brain - and my imagination - a whirl.
Each story, totally unique. Each one different. But they do tie together in a kind of sideways and upside-down way. Fascinating altogether. A real gem of a book. I own it. I love it. I know I'm gonna re-read it.
Five Wonderful Stars.
Four stories which revolve around a book or story. Yes, a book! A nefarious book, a weird book, a made-up book and a book which exists only online. Four great ideas packed with characters you will not forget, with authentic and contemporary dialogue, transitions which sweep effortlessly from page to page and never - never! - a dull moment. Here's a brief, but not spoilerage synopsis of each:
'The Skin of Her Teeth.' A literary agent goes looking for a client, a writer who's gone off to finish the screenplay of another writer's novel. Problem is, the writer's not reporting back. Answers no texts, emails, phone calls, nada. When she goes to check on him what she finds is - well it's complicated. Layered. Nothing is simple, but can a book, a story, a screenplay be evil? Possessed? Something worse? Read it and find out.
'The Dark Brothers' Last Ride.' Two young men who act as couriers for some not-so-nice-guys are bringing a book from Point X to Point Y - and with certain rules they must follow. But why? What gives? How can a book be so valuable, and hey, isn't that the girl we saw back at the bar and so...
So read it, and if you're a fan of HP Lovecraft, you're in for a real treat. Read with the lights on.
'This Book Belongs to Olo.' Olo is a boy, a little kid who's a bit 'off.' His mother's a big-deal horror writer; his stepdad would love to have just one of his published. Olo's 'made' a book, too. No, he hasn't written one - he's MADE one. And he's invited the local kids to his birthday part. OMG this one gives me the creeps just to write all that.
'The Story.' Remember those choose-your-own-adventure books? What if your adventure was more real than not and what if it existed only on the internet and what if it were so real you couldn't get out of the darn adventure? I probably said too much on this one, but it really gave my brain - and my imagination - a whirl.
Each story, totally unique. Each one different. But they do tie together in a kind of sideways and upside-down way. Fascinating altogether. A real gem of a book. I own it. I love it. I know I'm gonna re-read it.
Five Wonderful Stars.
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