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The Clock Struck One
Spine chillingly twisted, this novella will take you to places in your nightmares you've never been before!
Tamara is a teenage girl who has just been forced to move to a new home in a new town away from her friends. But there’s something sinister about the new house, the new town and that enigmatic boy that lives down the street and as her new life unfurls to reveal a nightmare she never thought she’d experience, expect to be shocked and terrified by what she experiences.
This short but intense story will wind you up into a heart-racing spin and when it ends you’ll be lost for words with a conclusion you’d never anticipate.
Tamara is a teenage girl who has just been forced to move to a new home in a new town away from her friends. But there’s something sinister about the new house, the new town and that enigmatic boy that lives down the street and as her new life unfurls to reveal a nightmare she never thought she’d experience, expect to be shocked and terrified by what she experiences.
This short but intense story will wind you up into a heart-racing spin and when it ends you’ll be lost for words with a conclusion you’d never anticipate.
- GenresHorror
93 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
407 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 21, 2015
Tamara's family has moved from a nice home in the city to a dilapidated home in a small town. The house starts to speak to hear and stranger events start to occur all of which is unexplainable. The clock starts to tick backwards and images of a girl start to reappear and finally the monster. What can Tamara do? Who will believe her? The ending will tell you the answers to your questions. But, Tamara can not. A pleasant and surprising read.
Quote:
Another scream pierces the air and this time it is much closer. Very close indeed. The something that was following her has become many and has surrounded her. Closing in towards her; closer, closer, ever so closer and someone once more is screaming. Very close.
Quote:
Another scream pierces the air and this time it is much closer. Very close indeed. The something that was following her has become many and has surrounded her. Closing in towards her; closer, closer, ever so closer and someone once more is screaming. Very close.
September 26, 2015
This is my new horror novella that I hope will scare the pants off you. So far the general consensus from those who have read this book is that it's an enjoyable little read with a great twist ending.
July 3, 2015
Mind blowing! Thought I had this all figured as a typical haunted house story but no sir! It was a fast paced read that had my heart pumping in some places and goosebumps all over me in others. A scary little story I read in Just one night. The ending was great and totally unexpected too!! :-)
June 22, 2015
*I received a copy from author for my honest opinion.*
This is the second book that I've read by this author. I look forward to reading more from her. She had the knack for telling a story that just takes you in one direction, but in reality, it's not what it seems.
I read this story in less than an hour. I was totally engrossed within the pages and when the ending came about, I was totally amazed that it was completely different than what I expected.
This author has the ability to write a story with the unexpected happening. I love stories like this. It enables readers to enjoy the story, and "Wham" them of sorts to find that the story was not what it seems.
In this story, her world building and characters, as well as emotions and fears are created with intense imagery that ensnares the reader to quickly read the pages to see what happens. She can certainly tell a tale.
The pace, flow, and concept was outstanding without being overwhelmed. I could feel the emotions of the character: Tamara. Being a teenager is rough, but having to move, making new friends, and leaving the old friends behind can be tough. Add the strange occurrences and you start believing all kinds of things.
It is a short, very enjoyable read. I think readers who love an unexpected ending will enjoy this story.
Get the book and read it, then you can decide. Happy Reading!!!
This is the second book that I've read by this author. I look forward to reading more from her. She had the knack for telling a story that just takes you in one direction, but in reality, it's not what it seems.
I read this story in less than an hour. I was totally engrossed within the pages and when the ending came about, I was totally amazed that it was completely different than what I expected.
This author has the ability to write a story with the unexpected happening. I love stories like this. It enables readers to enjoy the story, and "Wham" them of sorts to find that the story was not what it seems.
In this story, her world building and characters, as well as emotions and fears are created with intense imagery that ensnares the reader to quickly read the pages to see what happens. She can certainly tell a tale.
The pace, flow, and concept was outstanding without being overwhelmed. I could feel the emotions of the character: Tamara. Being a teenager is rough, but having to move, making new friends, and leaving the old friends behind can be tough. Add the strange occurrences and you start believing all kinds of things.
It is a short, very enjoyable read. I think readers who love an unexpected ending will enjoy this story.
Get the book and read it, then you can decide. Happy Reading!!!
September 13, 2015
Firstly let me own up that I am not a fan of short stories or horror stories so for me to give this book a 3 star rating is a lot better than it sounds.
A fairly quick read that is understandably fast paced but the characters are very well defined and the story flows well. There are surprises and suspense and this well written novella had me gripped until the very end.
I am always interested to read new authors and it is very satisfying when they write as well as Helen Deakin. Maybe the book is not my normal genre but I still enjoyed it enough to realise that this is another very good young female writer that I am sure we will hear more of.
I was given a copy of this novella by the author in exchange for a honest review.
A fairly quick read that is understandably fast paced but the characters are very well defined and the story flows well. There are surprises and suspense and this well written novella had me gripped until the very end.
I am always interested to read new authors and it is very satisfying when they write as well as Helen Deakin. Maybe the book is not my normal genre but I still enjoyed it enough to realise that this is another very good young female writer that I am sure we will hear more of.
I was given a copy of this novella by the author in exchange for a honest review.
June 28, 2015
This is a very good story that seems to be looking for a niche - I try to classify it and it never quite seems right for the typical and obvious definitions.
The writing is strikingly eloquent, in fact it is so exotic and rich at times I found myself distracted from the story as I admired the craftsmanship of it. To say it shows a love of language in the author feels like an understatement. It is gloriously baroque and incredibly apt for the darkness this author seems to work with. Alas, as much as I swooned over the vocabulary at times it clashed with the characters - a modern family with a late teen protagonist. Rather cleverly it doesn't really detract as I feared it might at one point, but it did leave me feeling as if something even better was being held back from me.
The plot is solid. It feels more of a long short story than a novella and that allows the author some room to torment you. It delivers a sophisticated structure very gracefully - the author weaving some superb humour into the writhing storyline that kept me alert and intrigued. Like the best twists, you get caught up in them enough to forget the questions you were asking previously.
A brief and enjoyable read from an author who has me somewhat fascinated - well worth a read.
The author provided me with an electronic copy of this story for review.
The writing is strikingly eloquent, in fact it is so exotic and rich at times I found myself distracted from the story as I admired the craftsmanship of it. To say it shows a love of language in the author feels like an understatement. It is gloriously baroque and incredibly apt for the darkness this author seems to work with. Alas, as much as I swooned over the vocabulary at times it clashed with the characters - a modern family with a late teen protagonist. Rather cleverly it doesn't really detract as I feared it might at one point, but it did leave me feeling as if something even better was being held back from me.
The plot is solid. It feels more of a long short story than a novella and that allows the author some room to torment you. It delivers a sophisticated structure very gracefully - the author weaving some superb humour into the writhing storyline that kept me alert and intrigued. Like the best twists, you get caught up in them enough to forget the questions you were asking previously.
A brief and enjoyable read from an author who has me somewhat fascinated - well worth a read.
The author provided me with an electronic copy of this story for review.
October 26, 2015
The first thing I did as I started reading this book is turn on all the lights in the house. The story is about a girl named Tamara who moved with her family to a new home. She immediately starts hearing voices and seeing a vision of a girl with black hair and creepy eyes. She has trouble sleeping at night, because that is when the nightmares begin. The house is spooky and the author does an excellent job of describing the house in such vivid detail, I could see the spiderwebs, the dirty floors and hear the creaking of the stairs. Who is this girl Sarah, thst Tamara keeps reading about? Is Sarah talking to her from beyond ?
I was on the edge of my seat as I continued reading about the unusual things happening to Tamara. She isn't happy in the new town and misses her friends. She does seem to get excited when the time for her friends to visit gets closer. There are unexplainable sightings and noises coming from the walls that only Tamara can hear. Why doesn't her family hear these things? Is the house trying to tell Tamara something? Each chapter continues to get scarier and more intense. The ending was a big surprise and left me with lots of questions. I can only hope there is more to come in this eerie , masterfully written psychological thriller. Thanks for a good heartpounding story .
I received a copy of this book from Librarything for an honest review.
I was on the edge of my seat as I continued reading about the unusual things happening to Tamara. She isn't happy in the new town and misses her friends. She does seem to get excited when the time for her friends to visit gets closer. There are unexplainable sightings and noises coming from the walls that only Tamara can hear. Why doesn't her family hear these things? Is the house trying to tell Tamara something? Each chapter continues to get scarier and more intense. The ending was a big surprise and left me with lots of questions. I can only hope there is more to come in this eerie , masterfully written psychological thriller. Thanks for a good heartpounding story .
I received a copy of this book from Librarything for an honest review.
November 23, 2015
When Tamara and her family move to a new home, strange and scary things begin to happen - things that only Tamara can hear and see. But are they real?
The plot of the book is OK with some scary moments, but bleeding walls, wet floors, and clocks ticking backwards are not really new, and the main twist was figured out soon. Also, I did not really care for the characters. The introduction of Tamara and her family read like your typical outsider teen novel - the misunderstood and ignored black sheep of the family, whining about the injustice of having to move away from her friends and her siblings which are always favored by their parents. And - of course - Tamara has to move into the smallest bedroom of all.
While the writing was flawless, it somehow felt simple, like a book written for readers who actually are too young for this story. Or maybe it's me being too old...
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
The plot of the book is OK with some scary moments, but bleeding walls, wet floors, and clocks ticking backwards are not really new, and the main twist was figured out soon. Also, I did not really care for the characters. The introduction of Tamara and her family read like your typical outsider teen novel - the misunderstood and ignored black sheep of the family, whining about the injustice of having to move away from her friends and her siblings which are always favored by their parents. And - of course - Tamara has to move into the smallest bedroom of all.
While the writing was flawless, it somehow felt simple, like a book written for readers who actually are too young for this story. Or maybe it's me being too old...
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
June 24, 2015
The Clock Struck One had me gripped from the first page! So many twists and i did not for one minute guess the ending. I'm so pleased to have had the opportunity to read Helen Deakin's novella in exchange for an honest review. I can honestly say that this is one of the best novella's that I have read in a long time. So much was packed into this story and do hope to read more of Helen's books.
August 3, 2015
Creepy, scary and skin crawly (nice term right but it fits this one, LOL)!
What a great main character! Tamara is a typical teenage girl....or is she? This is not your typical ghost story...this one has a few unexpected twists and turns.
This book was given to me for my honest review and I honestly thought is was great!
What a great main character! Tamara is a typical teenage girl....or is she? This is not your typical ghost story...this one has a few unexpected twists and turns.
This book was given to me for my honest review and I honestly thought is was great!
September 1, 2015
I received a eBook copy of this book from the author for a honest review. I enjoyed reading this short read...very descriptive and shocking...
Want to read
August 6, 2015great twists and amazing detail... would definitely recommend it!
June 24, 2015
3.5
I received a PDF of this book for an honest review!
Time for an honest review. It really was a good book and a quick read.
Reminded me of R.L Stine Fear Street books and I loved them when I was younger! :)
However, with it only being 100 pages and the font being so big I thought I was reading a book about a girl who was about 10 or 11 years old. I was shocked a few pages in when I found out her sister was 19 and she was 17. That really kind of threw me off.
I kind of feel like it a super deep book that needed to be written with many more pages and words; because it would match the ending much more nicely.
I feel like the shortness of it was masking some of the Author's writing skill and here is an example:
I really liked the description of the boy down the street
"He didn't seem like your atypical emo kid--he was somehow deeper than that. Like the calm waves of the ocean on a quit windless night when you can see the dark ripples on the surface are clearly hiding some deeper more sinister secrets below.
This literally gave me heebie-jeebies
"Her skin began to crawl as if suddenly infesed with a thousand squirming maggots, buried just beneath her skin; the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood at attention like tiny little soldiers"
I received a PDF of this book for an honest review!
Time for an honest review. It really was a good book and a quick read.
Reminded me of R.L Stine Fear Street books and I loved them when I was younger! :)
However, with it only being 100 pages and the font being so big I thought I was reading a book about a girl who was about 10 or 11 years old. I was shocked a few pages in when I found out her sister was 19 and she was 17. That really kind of threw me off.
I kind of feel like it a super deep book that needed to be written with many more pages and words; because it would match the ending much more nicely.
I feel like the shortness of it was masking some of the Author's writing skill and here is an example:
I really liked the description of the boy down the street
"He didn't seem like your atypical emo kid--he was somehow deeper than that. Like the calm waves of the ocean on a quit windless night when you can see the dark ripples on the surface are clearly hiding some deeper more sinister secrets below.
This literally gave me heebie-jeebies
"Her skin began to crawl as if suddenly infesed with a thousand squirming maggots, buried just beneath her skin; the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood at attention like tiny little soldiers"
November 15, 2015
Another novella checked off my list. Thank you Helen Deakin for the free copy. Now to start my review, when I first started reading this, I was completely not into it. I thought about ending it after the first 2 chapters because I wasn't impressed. The writing style is what I considered teenager style. I pushed through and started to like it. When it got to where she was walking from town in the middle of the night and the old woman, that scared me, along with when she was in the bath tub. I was reading it around my kids bedtime and I had to stop and keep my kids up later than usual because I was creeped out.
The ending was not my favorite. I wish there was more on the guy Josh and how Sarah-Tamara got into the situation. Who was the old lady? Usually this is the reason I don't read novella's because there are always questions after. It has an amazing creep factor!!! At the end where the author note is, I read where she had written it in her teenage years and it made a lot of sense to the writing style. The dialect threw me off and it was one of the reason I was cringing at it in the beginning.
The ending was not my favorite. I wish there was more on the guy Josh and how Sarah-Tamara got into the situation. Who was the old lady? Usually this is the reason I don't read novella's because there are always questions after. It has an amazing creep factor!!! At the end where the author note is, I read where she had written it in her teenage years and it made a lot of sense to the writing style. The dialect threw me off and it was one of the reason I was cringing at it in the beginning.
June 27, 2015
This was a pretty good short story. I enjoyed it. Wasn't expecting that ending, that's for sure. Nice twist.
Throughout the story I was figuring that this was going to be a typical haunting/killer ghost/end of story, but I was pleasantly surprised at the end.
I was given a copy of this book to read and review by the author. Thank you, Helen, for the chance to read this book.
3.75 stars out of 5, rounded up to 4 out of 5 stars.
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
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Throughout the story I was figuring that this was going to be a typical haunting/killer ghost/end of story, but I was pleasantly surprised at the end.
I was given a copy of this book to read and review by the author. Thank you, Helen, for the chance to read this book.
3.75 stars out of 5, rounded up to 4 out of 5 stars.
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2...
http://lisasandberg88.wordpress.com/
http://thezeroshour.com/
https://m.facebook.com/lisa.sandberg8...
https://m.facebook.com/thezeroshour?r...
http://1988lisa1988.tumblr.com/
Twitter - @1988Lisa1988
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1NU...
July 4, 2015
*I received a copy of this novella from the author for an honest review*
I enjoyed this novella for a quick read, but as someone who has majored in psychology and will be a school psychologist soon, I have some trouble with Sarah's mental diagnosis. Schizophrenia would explain the delusions that she has, but it does not have anything to do with separate personalities--that is a completely different diagnosis called Dissociative Identity Disorder. Otherwise, I really enjoyed your style of writing and could not stop reading until I was finished. I was not expecting the end at all, which made me like it so much more.
I enjoyed this novella for a quick read, but as someone who has majored in psychology and will be a school psychologist soon, I have some trouble with Sarah's mental diagnosis. Schizophrenia would explain the delusions that she has, but it does not have anything to do with separate personalities--that is a completely different diagnosis called Dissociative Identity Disorder. Otherwise, I really enjoyed your style of writing and could not stop reading until I was finished. I was not expecting the end at all, which made me like it so much more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2015
This was sent to me by the author as a Goodreads FIRST READ and I'm thrilled to have been allowed to read a .pdf version of this novella!
I don't want to give anything away - except to say that this is VERY worth the read! WONDERFULLY written and exciting! I thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to pick up a published copy to re-read in the future.
If you enjoy stories that are well-written, flow smoothly and are wonderful reads, please pick this one up! I rarely give out "5" star ratings, but felt that this little gem deserved it!!
I don't want to give anything away - except to say that this is VERY worth the read! WONDERFULLY written and exciting! I thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to pick up a published copy to re-read in the future.
If you enjoy stories that are well-written, flow smoothly and are wonderful reads, please pick this one up! I rarely give out "5" star ratings, but felt that this little gem deserved it!!
August 6, 2015
This novella is absolutely AWESOME!!!!!! I loved it!!!! The protagonist is a Senior in high school with a bad, bratty attitude. I wanted to scream "Get over yourself, already! The world doesn't revolve around you." You know the cliché. I never expected a short story to pack such a punch. This one socked me in the gut. The hairs on the back of my head stood up. Helen is a very imaginative and talented author. I'm looking forward to so much more from her.
I was given a free copy of this book so that I could read it and give my honest review.
I was given a free copy of this book so that I could read it and give my honest review.
May 25, 2016
I was given an advanced reading copy by the author.
Short, sweet and to the point, this is a spooky campfire story taking printed form. Female protagonist, "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark"-esque twist, and a dilapidated old house on a crooked street. Clocking in (heh-heh, clocking) at only about 100 pages in the ebook format, it's a quick read and if you're looking for a quick creepy read, why not give it a shot?
Short, sweet and to the point, this is a spooky campfire story taking printed form. Female protagonist, "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark"-esque twist, and a dilapidated old house on a crooked street. Clocking in (heh-heh, clocking) at only about 100 pages in the ebook format, it's a quick read and if you're looking for a quick creepy read, why not give it a shot?
June 22, 2015
I was given this book as an ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.
OMG!! My heart is still racing. This book is awesome! Definitely not what I expected.
Just as I thought I had things figured - 'BAM' - another twist and I'm left wondering what next.
The writing is brilliant, the story executed just right and you can't help getting drawn into Tamara's world.
All I can say is WOW! - Well done Helen - hit the nail just right with this one.
OMG!! My heart is still racing. This book is awesome! Definitely not what I expected.
Just as I thought I had things figured - 'BAM' - another twist and I'm left wondering what next.
The writing is brilliant, the story executed just right and you can't help getting drawn into Tamara's world.
All I can say is WOW! - Well done Helen - hit the nail just right with this one.
October 26, 2015
I really enjoyed the book. The only problem I had with the book was it seemed awesome and than it ended with her being in the mental ward. There was no reason that lead up to the girl being in the mental hospital and why she would dream up the delusion of the haunted house. I wish there was more to the book after the hospital. But it was a pretty great book and had me a little freaked reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2015
This is a cleverly written short story. Only because of my background did I have the slight idea where it was going. It was creepy and spooky at times. I was so impressed it would be exciting to maybe not have this story end here! I see all sorts of possibilities. I am truly looking forward to reading more from Helen Deakin.
September 7, 2015
Short, kind of spooky, ghost story that I thought was just okay. It got boring for me about halfway through, so I skimmed the rest. I kept asking myself why she didn't tell her parents what she was seeing or feeling? Alot of it didn't make sense until the end, but by then I was just glad it was over.
September 18, 2015
An interesting horror story with quite an unexpected twist at the end.
Although I didn't always appreciate the writing style, any doubts I had were totally explained, when I realised what a young age the writer was when she completed the book.
Although I didn't always appreciate the writing style, any doubts I had were totally explained, when I realised what a young age the writer was when she completed the book.
December 21, 2015
I won this eBook through Library thing giveaway. I am very happy with it.
Good book with an easy writing style. It has creepy moments which I pretty liked it. Ending was absolutely good. I need to check out other books by this author.
I recommend it to people who want a fast, scary read.
Good book with an easy writing style. It has creepy moments which I pretty liked it. Ending was absolutely good. I need to check out other books by this author.
I recommend it to people who want a fast, scary read.
June 29, 2015
A creepy little haunted house tale. This book was written very simplistically but with some great imagery and a good twist ending.
July 26, 2015
Good short story , very fast read. I enjoyed this book very much and was totally surprised by the ending .
I look forward to reading more books by Helen Deakin
I look forward to reading more books by Helen Deakin
September 10, 2015
This was a Goodreads First Read which the author kindly sent me for a review. Fast paced
October 17, 2020
OMG!!! If you are looking for something to scare your pants off and make you want to sleep with the lights on for the rest of your life then you need to read this.
Young girl moves into a new home in a new town and everything is strange and terrifying. Strange things are happening and it's becoming obvious really fast everything about the house and the town is all wrong. This is more of a YA novella but I loved it. Yes the haunted house theme, the overlooked middle child thing is a bit cliche but the author has given a story so creepy and great it does not matter and besides, the middle child thing is a real life problem. I know because I'm an overlooked middle child too hehehe.
And the twist at the end!!!! Holy smokes I don't think anyone could see that coming because wow!
Young girl moves into a new home in a new town and everything is strange and terrifying. Strange things are happening and it's becoming obvious really fast everything about the house and the town is all wrong. This is more of a YA novella but I loved it. Yes the haunted house theme, the overlooked middle child thing is a bit cliche but the author has given a story so creepy and great it does not matter and besides, the middle child thing is a real life problem. I know because I'm an overlooked middle child too hehehe.
And the twist at the end!!!! Holy smokes I don't think anyone could see that coming because wow!
January 10, 2018
You can tell this was an early writing from a serious budding author. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I was surprised by the ending. Thanks for sharing your story Helen. I look forward to hearing and reading more from you!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews