Ninety Eight Point Eight

by Krista Candela

Mama wasn't always scared of me.

Oliver remembers when things were different. When Mama would hold him, dress him up for videos, tell everyone how special he was. Now he spends his days in the basement, in a room with padded walls and a door that locks from the outside. Mama says it’s for his own good. That he’s getting too big, too strong, and too dangerous. When Case Officer, Kim arrives asking questions Mama doesn’t want to answer, everything changes. Oliver isn’t allowed to exist anymore, not officially. Not according to the death certificate Mama forged, or the plan she’s hatched to keep him hidden forever. But isolation changes people. Hunger changes them more. And Oliver has been so very, very hungry.

Told through multiple perspectives, this slow-burn psychological horror novel builds to a shocking revelation that will make you question everything you’ve read. This is a story about the lengths a mother will go to protect what she loves, and what happens when that protection becomes a prison.

Genres: Psychological Horror

152 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 9, 2025

Reviews

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Everyone's useless when you actually need them,” (p. 28).

“That's what real friends do. They don't judge. They don't ask questions. They just help,” (p. 106).

“Smile the right way, say the right words, and they'll write their own story about you,” (p. 107).

I enjoyed this creepy little book. But I suspected the twist from the subtle hints we got. I think had I not have seen the documentary that is basically this story that I wouldn’t have guessed it.

Also the Heather and Randy affair? Ummm ANY OTHER NAMES PLS? 😂😭😭😭😭 My dad’s name. So just nope.

A short and fun read.




——SPOILER ‼️———












WARNING …














WARNING..







——SPOILER BELOW——

Okay. Chimp Crazy doc story 😂 if you loved this book then you NEED to watch Chimp Crazy on Netflix. It’s INSANE!

[George J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

very oddly entertaining

I liked the fact that each chapter was written from the perspective of each character. Then the bombshell in the middle of the book which made me have to finish it quicker. Thanks again Kathryn

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those “did I finish it or did it finish me” books that I still enthusiastically recommend! Krista Candela is a children’s book author and this is her first time writing horror! I'm beyond impressed and I can't wait to read more horror from her.

This is an easy book to spoil but let’s just say it’s about toxic mothering. It’s also based on a true story and there’s a docu-series about it 👀

Read if you like:
- psychological horror/crime thrillers
- unhinged but vulnerable & hilarious 1st p POV
- great female villain origin story
- fast paced short books
- creeping dread, dark humor, shock & emotion

more on my booktube https://youtu.be/Xa_qVctTmxw

[Megan White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wild ride!

I went in blind, drawn in by the title and cover art. This was artfully written and got me hooked from the first page! Very splatterpunk-esque with plenty of psychologically thrilling plot points!

[Luis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting, but heartbreaking

I read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi, but this popped up on my timeline and I thought I'd give it a try.
Spoilers


The book lined up as a suspense and horror, but the horror was having to be in the mind of an insane women torturing an animal.
I did spend the first half wondering if it was going to be a twist, a dark look at Austism and neglectful parenting, or fun zombie shenanigans. And then the ape ripped people up and I realized how terrifying that could be.
Not something I'd go out of my way to recommend to folks, but definitely impactful.

[Carrie Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝑴𝒂𝒎𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆.

Oh, my heart. I'm so glad I didn't read any spoilers for this one because that twist came like a sucker punch and knocked the wind out of me. Told from alternating points of view, this is the story of Sherry, a woman who had everything--a happy marriage, a successful business, and more money than she could spend. Then she became a mother, and everything changed. Determined to be the best mother she could, Sherry went overboard. The end result surely triggered a mental break, and Sherry took part in a black market adoption and brought home Oliver.

Oliver's chapters were hard to read as they were written in very much the same vein as Mella in Angel Van Atta's IN THE TALL TREES. Innocent, childlike, and vulnerable. And we all know in books like these what happens to those who possess those traits. Oliver remembers when he was little and Mama would hold him, dress him up for videos, and tell everyone how special he was. But now he spends his days in the basement, locked in a cage. Mama says he's too strong and too dangerous. Everything changes when a case officer arrives asking questions Mama doesn’t want to answer, and she decides that Oliver can't exist anymore--at least on paper.

Prepare yourself for abject sadness and cruelty that is unfortunately a 'ripped from the headlines' experience. Definite triggers in this one that many avoid, and if you need to know, send me a DM. Highly recommended. I grabbed this one from KU.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This popped up on my FB feed today and it looked interesting. Seeing how it was available on kindle unlimited and it was a shorter read (2.5hrs) I said sure! I didn’t pay much mind to the cover, just glancing at it.

I was hooked as soon as I started reading. I enjoyed the different POV and appreciate them in a book. Quickly being kickstarted into the protective mom of a special needs child that I am, my heart broke for Oliver. So many things went through my mind and I went through a wealth of emotions. I also knew mama was not stable. It was not long before that i put two and two together. Some may poo poo that it happens ina book so quickly but it’s still not entirely clear to the reader. Anyway, I knew that Oliver was not who some may think he is. My heart broke regardless and I needed to know what eventually happened. Do all stories have happy endings no, do I want one? Yes! Do some stories deserve a more realistic approach at the expense of said ending? Yup. It’s satisfyingly heartbreaking, and disturbing. I took partial stat away for the congestion my tears created within my skull ha ha! I read to escape and not cry goshdarngit ha!

This was a great surprise read today and I look forward to her other works in the future! Now I want to save primates!

[Lady W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased the physical copy of this book and will be bringing it into the used bookstore so that someone else can read it!

This is a really good fast read. I read it in less than 2 hours.

I figured out the (twist?) on the first page. I immediately guessed it and then looked at the cover to confirm my suspicions. I didn’t know it was a twist until reading other people reviews. I thought we were all supposed to realize that Oliver was a chimpanzee from the beginning. If we’re not supposed to know that Oliver is a chimpanzee.. then the cover needs to be changed.

It reminded me of Creepshow or Tales from the Darkside with that ending with Sherry.

But, still 4 stars! It was really good.

[Laura Lindemulder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. it does pull at your heart.

The twist in the middle will make you go wait, what?

I recommend it. Hold on to your kids, humans or pets a little closer after reading this.

[Erica smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book made me want to hold my dog and kids a little bit more . from the description I had a feeling it would be sad , but I didn't expect to feel this way . well written , good book

[Eddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

what the fuck (positive)

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect with this novella. I could see this impacting people with children more. It was really a heartbreaking story and I was hooked, wanting to know how things would end

[Reading_RainRho · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a ride

I don’t want to spoil it but it grabs you by the neck and doesn’t let go until you’re nauseous, crying, and even then too stunned to speak.

[Elizabeth Prater · Rating 4 out of 5]

oliver😭😭

[Tara Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a 3.5.

[dani]

This one definitely left me speechless (I just wish the cover was different because I feel like that gave away the twist)

[Elyssa Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so unique! Blown away this author has only done children’s books prior to this, what a great first horror novel!!

[Aura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know this book is supposed to be horror, the horror of being loved too much, of loving too much but man was it sad. I wasnt expecting to cry.

[Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the “twist” was spoiled by the cover, this was still both riveting and heartbreaking. I couldn’t put it down.

[ChyenneReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deliciously gory and everyone gets what they deserve in the end, except sweet baby Oliver

[Danielle Goldman · Rating 3 out of 5]

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I feel like the cover of this book gave away what was supposed to be the "twist" of the book. a few chapters in things felt off and I guessed that'd be it, and I was right. A different cover would have made the twist be a bigger shock and likely have made it 4* vs 3* for me. It was an interesting concept though.