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Eerie Basin
An old haunt in a once-derelict Brooklyn neighborhood harbors terrifying secrets in a wickedly chilling short story by Ivy Pochoda, the award-winning author of Ecstasy.
Erin tends bar at the last dive left in gentrified Red Hook, Brooklyn, where old-timers spin tales of the bar’s legacy and the waterfront’s crime-ridden past. Her boss, Jimmy, a real estate magnate responsible for much of the neighborhood’s shiny transformation, also has a story to share. Back when he was a struggling beat cop, two neglected boys introduced him to an ancient creature that made Jimmy’s dreams come true. Nightmares too. Erin doesn’t believe a word. The bar is her life. But this bar at the end of the world is also home to a deadly stowaway. And it’s looking for a new host.
Erin tends bar at the last dive left in gentrified Red Hook, Brooklyn, where old-timers spin tales of the bar’s legacy and the waterfront’s crime-ridden past. Her boss, Jimmy, a real estate magnate responsible for much of the neighborhood’s shiny transformation, also has a story to share. Back when he was a struggling beat cop, two neglected boys introduced him to an ancient creature that made Jimmy’s dreams come true. Nightmares too. Erin doesn’t believe a word. The bar is her life. But this bar at the end of the world is also home to a deadly stowaway. And it’s looking for a new host.
72 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2025
3682 people are currently reading
3089 people want to read
About the author
Ivy Pochoda
11 books793 followersIvy Pochoda is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Visitation Street published by Ecco / Dennis Lehane Books. Visitation Street was chosen as an Amazon Best Book of the Month, Amazon Best Book of 2013, and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Huffington Post, Self, and House & Garden. Her first novel The Art of Disappearing, was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2009. She has a BA from Harvard College in Classical Greek and an MFA from Bennington College in fiction. Ivy grew up in Brooklyn, NY and currently lives in downtown Los Angeles with her husband Justin Nowell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 882 reviews
October 7, 2025
I pretty much had to read this story because I had a close friend in college who lived in Red Hook. It was still a fairly sketchy neighborhood back then (this was in the late 90s and it's gentrified a lot since — there's an IKEA now), although I never had any issues and I mainly just remember it being a PITA to get to via public transportation. It's obvious that the author has some knowledge of the area, because the “old cable car behind the Fairway” is a real thing (although I don't believe the store is a Fairway anymore) and there actually was a shooting there that killed a school principal in 1992 or so. I'm sure there are other real life details mixed in with the fiction, too, but I'm not familiar enough with the area to recognize them. But, anyway, it's always fun when a story is set in a place I've actually been to.
The story itself is creepy and involves some Indonesian folklore. The folklore isn't particularly fleshed out, mind you — the most you get is a few sentences of information from a woman drinking at a bar — but it's there. There are no major twists and turns and I daresay that a decent number of readers will guess the ending well in advance, but it was entertaining enough for the short amount of time it took me to read it.
3.55 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing me with a copy of this story to review. It's available on Amazon now.
The story itself is creepy and involves some Indonesian folklore. The folklore isn't particularly fleshed out, mind you — the most you get is a few sentences of information from a woman drinking at a bar — but it's there. There are no major twists and turns and I daresay that a decent number of readers will guess the ending well in advance, but it was entertaining enough for the short amount of time it took me to read it.
3.55 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing me with a copy of this story to review. It's available on Amazon now.
October 14, 2025
Changes Are Coming
to Red Hook...
EERIE BASIN: A Short Story
by Ivy Pochoda
4 stars. There's a bar at the end of the world called Lily's on a street that was once cobbled. Where you can see the old docks in the Eerie Basin...
Before all the coffee bars and bistros...
Before the dive bars became cocktail lounges...
Lily's is a relic of the last days of the real Red Hook in Brooklyn, NY. Where the old stories turned into legends...
Tonight, the regulars have crowded into Lily's to say goodbye to Jimmy Dikeman, the ex-cop who, in his day, reinvented Red Hook...
And saved it...
At midnight, Lily's will be giving him a toast and a big send-off farewell since he owns most of the town...
Jimmy is retiring to Florida...
Erin, the bartender, wants to buy Lily's, but Jimmy won't sell it to her. He's even thinking about demolishing the place...
One last time...
Jimmy tells Erin the story of how he, low on cash, came to own most of Red Hook, and his bargain with the creature known as a jenglot...
How he promised the destitute people of the little harbor town that changes were coming to Red Hook...
This was a very atmospheric short story that takes place in the small town's oldest dive bar. The creature, the jenglot, is a real creature of Indonesian folklore. I had never heard of it, but Google had a lot to say about it.
The dive bar's setting made me feel like I was one of the regulars listening to Jimmy's story.
Recommended as a perfect short read for Halloween night!
to Red Hook...
EERIE BASIN: A Short Story
by Ivy Pochoda
4 stars. There's a bar at the end of the world called Lily's on a street that was once cobbled. Where you can see the old docks in the Eerie Basin...
Before all the coffee bars and bistros...
Before the dive bars became cocktail lounges...
Lily's is a relic of the last days of the real Red Hook in Brooklyn, NY. Where the old stories turned into legends...
Tonight, the regulars have crowded into Lily's to say goodbye to Jimmy Dikeman, the ex-cop who, in his day, reinvented Red Hook...
And saved it...
At midnight, Lily's will be giving him a toast and a big send-off farewell since he owns most of the town...
Jimmy is retiring to Florida...
Erin, the bartender, wants to buy Lily's, but Jimmy won't sell it to her. He's even thinking about demolishing the place...
One last time...
Jimmy tells Erin the story of how he, low on cash, came to own most of Red Hook, and his bargain with the creature known as a jenglot...
How he promised the destitute people of the little harbor town that changes were coming to Red Hook...
This was a very atmospheric short story that takes place in the small town's oldest dive bar. The creature, the jenglot, is a real creature of Indonesian folklore. I had never heard of it, but Google had a lot to say about it.
The dive bar's setting made me feel like I was one of the regulars listening to Jimmy's story.
Recommended as a perfect short read for Halloween night!
October 25, 2025
Lily's is a bar in the town of Red Hook that has been around for as long as anyone can remember. Erin has worked there for 20 years, and it's all she knows; it's practically her life. Jimmy, her boss, is moving to Florida, and Erin wants to buy the bar from him, but for some reason he is resistant to her offer. Much to Erin's horror, he is even contemplating demolishing it.
On his farewell send-off at the bar, Jimmy narrates to Erin a tale of how he started out as a cop. When on a raid some years before, he runs into 2 brothers who seem to be in possession of some kind of... weird creature. He also reflects on how he came to own the bar and the room upstairs.
The story then switches between Erin's and Jimmy's points of view.
The creature, or Jenglot, was a creepy little thing from Indonesian folklore. It also had a hidden benefit to whoever owned it; this came at a price, of course. Just as a side note, I looked it up to double-check that it is an actual entity in folklore, and indeed it is; its image, though, was slightly different from what I had in my imagination when I was reading.
There is never much room to build depth in these short stories, but to be fair, this wasn't bad at all, if not a bit predictable towards the end. Nice quick horror read, ideal for spooky season!
On his farewell send-off at the bar, Jimmy narrates to Erin a tale of how he started out as a cop. When on a raid some years before, he runs into 2 brothers who seem to be in possession of some kind of... weird creature. He also reflects on how he came to own the bar and the room upstairs.
The story then switches between Erin's and Jimmy's points of view.
The creature, or Jenglot, was a creepy little thing from Indonesian folklore. It also had a hidden benefit to whoever owned it; this came at a price, of course. Just as a side note, I looked it up to double-check that it is an actual entity in folklore, and indeed it is; its image, though, was slightly different from what I had in my imagination when I was reading.
There is never much room to build depth in these short stories, but to be fair, this wasn't bad at all, if not a bit predictable towards the end. Nice quick horror read, ideal for spooky season!
September 6, 2025
Well, that was strange. If you like weird and creepy then this would be a good Halloween read.
Amazon Prime First Reads Bonus short story
Amazon Prime First Reads Bonus short story
September 1, 2025
Well that was weird… I feel like there was a hidden message behind it all that there are consequences to greed, but that was a very strange story.
I feel like it is worth a read just by how strange it is. I didn’t find it scary just wild and weird, but it wasn’t bad.
Thank you to Amazon First Reads for the free advance copy.
I feel like it is worth a read just by how strange it is. I didn’t find it scary just wild and weird, but it wasn’t bad.
Thank you to Amazon First Reads for the free advance copy.
October 10, 2025
Erin has tended bar at Lily's in Red Hook, NY for the last twenty years. The owner, Jimmy, is retiring down to Florida and leaving it all behind. Erin proposes to Jimmy that she purchase the bar. Jimmy refuses her. Tells her a story of why he will never sell it to her. Why he'd rather tear the place down.
And what a horrifying story he tells her. 😨
I have to say I am surprised with the low rating of this novella because I found it super atmospheric and creepy. It's one of the best stories I've read this spooky season. Part of me wishes this had been a full length novel, that's how much I was enjoying it, but perhaps it was the concise page count that made this story so effective. There was no fluff, filler, or side plots to distract you. Just damn good storytelling. 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for my complimentary copy.
And what a horrifying story he tells her. 😨
I have to say I am surprised with the low rating of this novella because I found it super atmospheric and creepy. It's one of the best stories I've read this spooky season. Part of me wishes this had been a full length novel, that's how much I was enjoying it, but perhaps it was the concise page count that made this story so effective. There was no fluff, filler, or side plots to distract you. Just damn good storytelling. 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for my complimentary copy.
October 26, 2025
Very “meh”
October 12, 2025
This was eerie and entertaining.
An excellent Halloween read, creepy and short. Nice little one sit read to start off my chilly October morning. It put me in the mood for more creepy reads.
An excellent Halloween read, creepy and short. Nice little one sit read to start off my chilly October morning. It put me in the mood for more creepy reads.
September 3, 2025
Eerie down in Erie
Review of the Amazon First Reads Kindle eBook edition (September 1, 2025), released in advance of the official publication by Amazon Original Stories in eBook format & by Audible Originals in audio format (October 1, 2025).
I've mostly tried to shy away from Amazon First Reads and Original Stories this year, but once in a while I am still drawn back. Such was the case this month when I saw that Ivy Pochoda was the writer of the monthly Bonus Short Story. Having enjoyed Pochoda in the past (see below under Trivia and Links) I didn't hesitate.
In Eerie Basin she returns to her Brooklyn roots, specifically the Red Hook neighbourhood overlooking the man-made Erie Basin harbour to its south. The homophonic twist change in the title to "Eerie" signals that this will be more of a haunting or horror tale.
NYPD cop Jimmy is having a retirement/farewell party at the Red Hook bar that he owns before heading off to Florida. The bar manager Erin is hoping to buy the business and has been saving up for that over time. Jimmy is adamant that he won't sell and would rather burn the place down, due to a secretive reason for his sideline business success in real estate over the years. Gradually the creepy story behind that success is revealed (no spoilers from me).
I was very satisfied with this horror inflected tale from Pochoda, who has written mostly noir and crime in the past.
Trivia and Links
Writer Ivy Pochoda (who was a professional squash player in earlier life) is the author of several noirish novels, the most popular to date are These Women (2020) and Visitation Street (2013). I gave both of them 4-star ratings in reviews here and here. I also enjoyed an earlier Amazon Original Story Jackrabbit Skin (2024) which I reviewed here.
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
Review of the Amazon First Reads Kindle eBook edition (September 1, 2025), released in advance of the official publication by Amazon Original Stories in eBook format & by Audible Originals in audio format (October 1, 2025).
I've mostly tried to shy away from Amazon First Reads and Original Stories this year, but once in a while I am still drawn back. Such was the case this month when I saw that Ivy Pochoda was the writer of the monthly Bonus Short Story. Having enjoyed Pochoda in the past (see below under Trivia and Links) I didn't hesitate.
In Eerie Basin she returns to her Brooklyn roots, specifically the Red Hook neighbourhood overlooking the man-made Erie Basin harbour to its south. The homophonic twist change in the title to "Eerie" signals that this will be more of a haunting or horror tale.
NYPD cop Jimmy is having a retirement/farewell party at the Red Hook bar that he owns before heading off to Florida. The bar manager Erin is hoping to buy the business and has been saving up for that over time. Jimmy is adamant that he won't sell and would rather burn the place down, due to a secretive reason for his sideline business success in real estate over the years. Gradually the creepy story behind that success is revealed (no spoilers from me).
I was very satisfied with this horror inflected tale from Pochoda, who has written mostly noir and crime in the past.
Trivia and Links
Writer Ivy Pochoda (who was a professional squash player in earlier life) is the author of several noirish novels, the most popular to date are These Women (2020) and Visitation Street (2013). I gave both of them 4-star ratings in reviews here and here. I also enjoyed an earlier Amazon Original Story Jackrabbit Skin (2024) which I reviewed here.
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
October 2, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
Erin tends to the bar where old souls go for a drink and reminisce about the old days of crime and glory in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Her boss, Jimmy, is leaving and plans on getting rid of the bar, but Erin longs to make it her own. Besides, it’s the only thing she has left. So when she lays out her proposition of buying the place to her boss, he refuses–and it’s not because of the money. There was always a reason why his sudden and odd success felt eerie to some, and it could be the reason the bar creaks and croaks late at night when everyone is gone…
This story had so much potential. It sounds fascinating. The story itself was actually quite intriguing, and that cover is so cool. But it lacked…lore? Substance? I was thinking of what could have been added to make this all the more eerie and scary, without making it longer than it needs to be. Is it because I’ve been watching too many horror movies lately? Probably, but I was hoping for thrills and chills that made me shake in my boots. Instead, I got a, “Huh. That’s…interesting.” It was such a letdown, but at least it cured my reading slump! ☺👍🏼
Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the free arc! All opinions and statements are my own.
❗Content Warnings❗
Death, blood, & murder
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No
#EerieBasin #NetGalley
Erin tends to the bar where old souls go for a drink and reminisce about the old days of crime and glory in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Her boss, Jimmy, is leaving and plans on getting rid of the bar, but Erin longs to make it her own. Besides, it’s the only thing she has left. So when she lays out her proposition of buying the place to her boss, he refuses–and it’s not because of the money. There was always a reason why his sudden and odd success felt eerie to some, and it could be the reason the bar creaks and croaks late at night when everyone is gone…
This story had so much potential. It sounds fascinating. The story itself was actually quite intriguing, and that cover is so cool. But it lacked…lore? Substance? I was thinking of what could have been added to make this all the more eerie and scary, without making it longer than it needs to be. Is it because I’ve been watching too many horror movies lately? Probably, but I was hoping for thrills and chills that made me shake in my boots. Instead, I got a, “Huh. That’s…interesting.” It was such a letdown, but at least it cured my reading slump! ☺👍🏼
Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the free arc! All opinions and statements are my own.
❗Content Warnings❗
Death, blood, & murder
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No
#EerieBasin #NetGalley
September 9, 2025
I don’t know what this was, but it wasn’t good. I liked it up until the introduction of the “supernatural” weird thingy that wasn’t just a dead cat. Like wtf?
November 26, 2025
‘It was easy until it wasn’t. That’s what I’m telling you. Once you start you can’t stop.’
September 1, 2025
Definitely eerie and creepy.
November 7, 2025
I don't normally read much horror but this was a bonus short story from Amazon First Reads and it seemed like a good one for close to Halloween. It was a creepy little story and very descriptive, so much so that I gave myself a small nightmare after forming a picture of the Jenglot based on the author's description. What's really strange is that this is the second time recently that the abandoned sugar factory in Brooklyn has surfaced in a book I read. Domino sugar refinery I believe. Interesting information about the Red Hook neighbourhood in Brooklyn.
Thanks to Amazon First Reads for the opportunity to read this short story. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thanks to Amazon First Reads for the opportunity to read this short story. All opinions expressed are my own.
September 29, 2025
Eerie Basin by Ivy Pochoda is the perfect spooky horror story to pick up just in time for Halloween. The premise is dark and chilling: what happens when you sell your soul to a strange little creature who promises to give you everything you’ve ever wanted—only to slowly suck the life out of you?
Pochoda builds an atmosphere that is eerie and unsettling from the start. The tension creeps up on you, and the more you read, the more you feel the dread tightening around the characters. It’s one of those stories that feels both fantastical and deeply unsettling because of the truth at its core: the price of getting everything you want is rarely worth paying.
This was an excellent read—fast, creepy, and memorable. Horror fans, especially those looking for something fresh and sinister for the Halloween season, will really enjoy it.
Pochoda builds an atmosphere that is eerie and unsettling from the start. The tension creeps up on you, and the more you read, the more you feel the dread tightening around the characters. It’s one of those stories that feels both fantastical and deeply unsettling because of the truth at its core: the price of getting everything you want is rarely worth paying.
This was an excellent read—fast, creepy, and memorable. Horror fans, especially those looking for something fresh and sinister for the Halloween season, will really enjoy it.
December 28, 2025
Creepy good.
Extremely bizarre.
Horror.
This is an Amazon Prime Short Reads book.
Extremely bizarre.
Horror.
This is an Amazon Prime Short Reads book.
Read
September 11, 2025Turns out the real horror is realizing your big break comes with a side of existential regret and a lifetime supply of bad karma.
September 11, 2025
2.5⭐
I obtained this short story via Amazon First Reads and apparently it was commissioned specially for that program ( Very rare tip of the hat for Amazon. I approve of anything that pays authors to write).
The story is an update on the classic " The Monkey's Paw" - evil object grants wishes. It's fairly well written although the plot is obvious from the start. Pochoda's a deft hand at creating spooky atmosphere. I'll likely take a look at one of her longer works, although Horror is not a favorite genre for me. Anyway, the price was right.
I obtained this short story via Amazon First Reads and apparently it was commissioned specially for that program ( Very rare tip of the hat for Amazon. I approve of anything that pays authors to write).
The story is an update on the classic " The Monkey's Paw" - evil object grants wishes. It's fairly well written although the plot is obvious from the start. Pochoda's a deft hand at creating spooky atmosphere. I'll likely take a look at one of her longer works, although Horror is not a favorite genre for me. Anyway, the price was right.
September 10, 2025
That was just creepy and weird. Book had lots of potential until the blood sucking thing was introduced.
December 13, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
September 4, 2025
2.5 stars, it was interesting to begin with but ended up being lacklustre
October 15, 2025
I’d come across the area named Red Hook – an historic waterfront district in northwest Brooklyn – once before, in Pochoda’s novel Visitation Street. From this, I knew it to be a place that had a working class history, somewhere a number of large public housing projects stood. Here, we learn the story of a wealthy man who is about to leave this place, having made his fortune through property development. A bar he owns here is run by a woman who hopes to be able to purchase it from him as he departs. But he seems reluctant to sell, for reasons he’s rather sketchy about. Gradually, we learn the reasons why.
The character development is excellent, and the dialogue is as sharp as Pochoda always provides. But this tale is a departure from her previous work in that there’s a distinct horror element here. Horror isn’t my thing, and I therefore took a little less from how events played out than other readers might. But it’s certainly a well written and a, nonetheless, interesting piece from a writer I much admire.
I purchased an e-copy of this tale and also received a competently narrated audio version from Brilliance Publishing in return for an honest review.
The character development is excellent, and the dialogue is as sharp as Pochoda always provides. But this tale is a departure from her previous work in that there’s a distinct horror element here. Horror isn’t my thing, and I therefore took a little less from how events played out than other readers might. But it’s certainly a well written and a, nonetheless, interesting piece from a writer I much admire.
I purchased an e-copy of this tale and also received a competently narrated audio version from Brilliance Publishing in return for an honest review.
September 5, 2025
BOOK REPORT
Good story, but didn’t quite evoke the level of anxiety/psychological terror for which I was hoping, so 3 stars trending downward.
I certainly did identify with the bartender.
And, will definitely give Ivy Pochoda another try.
Now, I’m going to get into spoiler territory.
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!
Scroll down if you want to know more…….
Keep scrolling…..
Scroll, scroll, scroll…………..
Surely to goodness that put enough space to prevent you from accidentally reading the spoiler. Which is….
OMIGOSH Y’ALL! I actually had a jenglot ( https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Jenglot ), or at least the head of one (or something an awful lot like it) in my home in Natchez, Mississippi, in the early 1990s.
I have absolutely zero recollection as to how I acquired the thing. At the time, I thought it was more like just your average shrunken human head of Ecuadorian or African descent. You know, the normal thing a young woman in her early 20s, who was then a member of a “prestigious” garden club, uses to decorate the first house she bought.
I guess maybe I was fresh off a watching of Apocalypse Now ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078788/ ) when I got it?
Anywhoodles, that was a stretch when my life was pretty much going to hell in a handbasket, on multiple fronts. (Another spoiler alert: Things didn’t turn around until 1995, which was about four years later.)
One day, after something particularly bad had happened (no memory of exactly what), I came home, saw the thing I _think_ on a decorative shelf in the parlor (or maybe it was on the TV stand in the room used as a den?), and thought: “THAT! That can’t be doing my karma ANY good.”
So I disposed of it.
I wish I could remember how. I’m sure I did something more notable than just throwing it in the kitchen garbage can, but maybe not?
Anyway, I _think_ maybe things got a little bit better after that, which enabled me to continue lying to myself about all manner of things for a few years.
Ah, memories.
Good story, but didn’t quite evoke the level of anxiety/psychological terror for which I was hoping, so 3 stars trending downward.
I certainly did identify with the bartender.
And, will definitely give Ivy Pochoda another try.
Now, I’m going to get into spoiler territory.
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!
Scroll down if you want to know more…….
Keep scrolling…..
Scroll, scroll, scroll…………..
Surely to goodness that put enough space to prevent you from accidentally reading the spoiler. Which is….
OMIGOSH Y’ALL! I actually had a jenglot ( https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Jenglot ), or at least the head of one (or something an awful lot like it) in my home in Natchez, Mississippi, in the early 1990s.
I have absolutely zero recollection as to how I acquired the thing. At the time, I thought it was more like just your average shrunken human head of Ecuadorian or African descent. You know, the normal thing a young woman in her early 20s, who was then a member of a “prestigious” garden club, uses to decorate the first house she bought.
I guess maybe I was fresh off a watching of Apocalypse Now ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078788/ ) when I got it?
Anywhoodles, that was a stretch when my life was pretty much going to hell in a handbasket, on multiple fronts. (Another spoiler alert: Things didn’t turn around until 1995, which was about four years later.)
One day, after something particularly bad had happened (no memory of exactly what), I came home, saw the thing I _think_ on a decorative shelf in the parlor (or maybe it was on the TV stand in the room used as a den?), and thought: “THAT! That can’t be doing my karma ANY good.”
So I disposed of it.
I wish I could remember how. I’m sure I did something more notable than just throwing it in the kitchen garbage can, but maybe not?
Anyway, I _think_ maybe things got a little bit better after that, which enabled me to continue lying to myself about all manner of things for a few years.
Ah, memories.
December 10, 2025
A very paranormal horror novel. Very different from my normal read but nonetheless intriguing. Since it's a short story it's hard to have character development, but the plot was solid and I enjoyed the past/present with the dual POV.
tough book for cat lovers though :(
thank you to NetGalley, the author Ivy Pochoda, and Brilliance Publishing
tough book for cat lovers though :(
thank you to NetGalley, the author Ivy Pochoda, and Brilliance Publishing
September 5, 2025
・❥・ ❝After all, what is a little blood?❞
彡 3.25 ✨
In this short, horror story we follow two perspectives — Erin and Jimmy — as they navigate Jimmy’s decision to leave Red Hook behind and subsequently leave ‘Lily’s’ bar. I knew nothing about the story or the author before seeing as part of Amazon’s First Reads, so I decided to check it out based on the description alone. Also the autumnal season is perfect for spooky reads. 👀
The atmosphere is eerie and dark, bleak and full of dread, that sensation that something is coming soon, that something is about to happen. I viewed this short story as a discussion of greed. Of how far one is willing to go to achieve their goals and deepest, darkest desires. The greed becomes this living, breathing organism, this dreadful and fearsome entity. And seeks sustenance, it craves more. The story also discusses society and societal conditions for groups who are less privileged, who have to survive in an environment that resembles a ticking bomb ready to detonate. Who looks after them? Who helps them endure? Where does all this power go?
I enjoyed this! It was an ideal read for the spooky season — nothing too extraordinary for me personally but still enjoyable! I would recommend if it’s your sort of thing. 🥀🌤️
・❥・ ❝There’s a bar at the end of the world. Or at least what people used to consider the end of the world until you all showed up.❞
彡 3.25 ✨
In this short, horror story we follow two perspectives — Erin and Jimmy — as they navigate Jimmy’s decision to leave Red Hook behind and subsequently leave ‘Lily’s’ bar. I knew nothing about the story or the author before seeing as part of Amazon’s First Reads, so I decided to check it out based on the description alone. Also the autumnal season is perfect for spooky reads. 👀
The atmosphere is eerie and dark, bleak and full of dread, that sensation that something is coming soon, that something is about to happen. I viewed this short story as a discussion of greed. Of how far one is willing to go to achieve their goals and deepest, darkest desires. The greed becomes this living, breathing organism, this dreadful and fearsome entity. And seeks sustenance, it craves more. The story also discusses society and societal conditions for groups who are less privileged, who have to survive in an environment that resembles a ticking bomb ready to detonate. Who looks after them? Who helps them endure? Where does all this power go?
I enjoyed this! It was an ideal read for the spooky season — nothing too extraordinary for me personally but still enjoyable! I would recommend if it’s your sort of thing. 🥀🌤️
・❥・ ❝There’s a bar at the end of the world. Or at least what people used to consider the end of the world until you all showed up.❞
September 20, 2025
This was a free prime first reads - read in less than an hour. I was gripped, very eerie & creepy but I enjoyed it. Totally not my usual genre but enjoyed it!
October 6, 2025
This story seemed like it was having a bit of an identity crisis. Part urban crime thriller, part mafia historical fiction, and part supernatural horror? Not really enough of any of them to be classified as any one thing, but also not mixed well enough for it to gel into a cohesive whole either. It’s a solid two. About what I expect from most Amazon Originals, for better or worse.
December 31, 2025
Eerie Basin by Ivy Pochoda is one of those books that you can tell is important and artsy and deep… even when you’re not entirely sure what’s going on half the time.
The atmosphere is heavy, strange, and unsettling — which I actually appreciated. The writing is strong and the mood is nailed. But the story itself moves in that slow, deliberate, “trust me, I’m building something” kind of way that sometimes made me want to gently shake the pages and whisper, “Are we getting there soon?”
There were moments I was fully locked in…
and moments I was very aware of how many pages were left.
It’s the kind of book you admire more than you love. I respected the craft, enjoyed the eerie vibes, and definitely stayed curious, but I never quite reached that “I’m obsessed” level of connection.
Final verdict: 3 stars.
Intriguing, atmospheric, a little exhausting — and clearly not written for people with zero patience (hi, it’s me).
The atmosphere is heavy, strange, and unsettling — which I actually appreciated. The writing is strong and the mood is nailed. But the story itself moves in that slow, deliberate, “trust me, I’m building something” kind of way that sometimes made me want to gently shake the pages and whisper, “Are we getting there soon?”
There were moments I was fully locked in…
and moments I was very aware of how many pages were left.
It’s the kind of book you admire more than you love. I respected the craft, enjoyed the eerie vibes, and definitely stayed curious, but I never quite reached that “I’m obsessed” level of connection.
Final verdict: 3 stars.
Intriguing, atmospheric, a little exhausting — and clearly not written for people with zero patience (hi, it’s me).
October 23, 2025
Rating: 3 stars
Length: 72 pages
A very short story that packs a chill. Perfect for a Halloween quick read.
SUMMARY: Erin tends bar at the last dive left in gentrified Red Hook, Brooklyn, where old-timers spin tales of the bar’s legacy and the waterfront’s crime-ridden past. Her boss, Jimmy, a real estate magnate responsible for much of the neighborhood’s shiny transformation, also has a story to share. Back when he was a struggling beat cop, two neglected boys introduced him to an ancient creature that made Jimmy’s dreams come true. Nightmares too. Erin doesn’t believe a word. The bar is her life. But this bar at the end of the world is also home to a deadly stowaway. And it’s looking for a new host.
Length: 72 pages
A very short story that packs a chill. Perfect for a Halloween quick read.
SUMMARY: Erin tends bar at the last dive left in gentrified Red Hook, Brooklyn, where old-timers spin tales of the bar’s legacy and the waterfront’s crime-ridden past. Her boss, Jimmy, a real estate magnate responsible for much of the neighborhood’s shiny transformation, also has a story to share. Back when he was a struggling beat cop, two neglected boys introduced him to an ancient creature that made Jimmy’s dreams come true. Nightmares too. Erin doesn’t believe a word. The bar is her life. But this bar at the end of the world is also home to a deadly stowaway. And it’s looking for a new host.
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