What do you think?
Rate this book
Sour Candy
At first glance, Phil Pendleton and his son Adam are just an ordinary father and son, no different from any other. They take walks in the park together, visit county fairs, museums, and zoos, and eat together overlooking the lake. Some might say the father is a little too accommodating given the lack of discipline when the child loses his temper in public. Some might say he spoils his son by allowing him to set his own bedtimes and eat candy whenever he wants. Some might say that such leniency is starting to take its toll on the father, given how his health has declined.
What no one knows is that Phil is a prisoner, and that up until a few weeks ago and a chance encounter at a grocery store, he had never seen the child before in his life.
What no one knows is that Phil is a prisoner, and that up until a few weeks ago and a chance encounter at a grocery store, he had never seen the child before in his life.
84 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 13, 2015
696 people are currently reading
34348 people want to read
About the author
Kealan Patrick Burke
194 books2,323 followersHailed by Booklist as “one of the most clever and original talents in contemporary horror,” Kealan Patrick Burke was born and raised in Ireland and emigrated to the United States a few weeks before 9/11.
Since then, he has written six novels, among them the popular southern gothic Kin, and over two hundred short stories and novellas, many of which are in various stages of development for film/TV.
A five-time nominee, Burke won the Bram Stoker Award in 2005 for his coming-of-age novella The Turtle Boy, the first book in the acclaimed Timmy Quinn series.
As editor, he helmed the anthologies Night Visions 12, Taverns of the Dead, and Quietly Now, a tribute anthology to one of Burke’s influences, the late Charles L. Grant.
More recently, he wrote the screenplays for Sour Candy (based on his novella), and the remake of the iconic horror film The Changeling (1980), for producer Joel B. Michaels.
He also adapted Sour Candy as a graphic novel for John Carpenter's Night Terrors.
His most recent release is Cottonmouth, a prequel to Kin. The Widows of Winding Gale, a maritime horror novel set in Ireland, is due for release in October as a signed limited edition from Earthling Publications.
Kealan is represented by Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House.
He lives in Ohio with a Scooby Doo lookalike rescue named Red.
Since then, he has written six novels, among them the popular southern gothic Kin, and over two hundred short stories and novellas, many of which are in various stages of development for film/TV.
A five-time nominee, Burke won the Bram Stoker Award in 2005 for his coming-of-age novella The Turtle Boy, the first book in the acclaimed Timmy Quinn series.
As editor, he helmed the anthologies Night Visions 12, Taverns of the Dead, and Quietly Now, a tribute anthology to one of Burke’s influences, the late Charles L. Grant.
More recently, he wrote the screenplays for Sour Candy (based on his novella), and the remake of the iconic horror film The Changeling (1980), for producer Joel B. Michaels.
He also adapted Sour Candy as a graphic novel for John Carpenter's Night Terrors.
His most recent release is Cottonmouth, a prequel to Kin. The Widows of Winding Gale, a maritime horror novel set in Ireland, is due for release in October as a signed limited edition from Earthling Publications.
Kealan is represented by Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House.
He lives in Ohio with a Scooby Doo lookalike rescue named Red.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,015 reviews
October 16, 2025
I loved reading Sour Candy. This feels weird to say due to its hella dark and disturbing content, but alas, it's true.
Horrifying, grisly, stomach-churning and haunting; I loved every minute of it.
I mean, what can I say, it's what I like. It's who I am.
Sour Candy was my Halloween night read in 2020. I lit a pumpkin-scented candle, grabbed an adult beverage, snuggled into my bed and read it from start to finish.
Coming in under 100-pages, this novella packs a lot into so few pages.
Phil Pendleton has his head in the clouds, straight off a hot night with his lady, as he enters his local Wal-Mart looking to buy them chocolates.
As he stands in the candy aisle making his choices, he hears a blood-curdling scream.
Glancing over he notices an ill-behaved child, pitching a fit, as often occurs in Wal-Mart, and a bedraggled mother who looks to be at the end of her rope.
When a manager intervenes, the situation escalates.
Phil tries to assist, but no good deed goes unpunished. That's the last moment of normalcy Phil will have.
Certain aspects of that, and the debilitating health effects that followed, reminded me of Thinner. I love Thinner, so comparing these is absolutely a compliment.
I also loved how Burke built the intensity in this. The story gets more strange as it goes along, and with that, the horrific nature builds and builds.
Playing off the classic creepy kid trope, this story took that to the next level. I was horrified for Phil.
I highly recommend this novella to anyone who enjoys a quick and memorable horror story!
You know who you are.
Horrifying, grisly, stomach-churning and haunting; I loved every minute of it.
I mean, what can I say, it's what I like. It's who I am.
Sour Candy was my Halloween night read in 2020. I lit a pumpkin-scented candle, grabbed an adult beverage, snuggled into my bed and read it from start to finish.
Coming in under 100-pages, this novella packs a lot into so few pages.
Phil Pendleton has his head in the clouds, straight off a hot night with his lady, as he enters his local Wal-Mart looking to buy them chocolates.
As he stands in the candy aisle making his choices, he hears a blood-curdling scream.
Glancing over he notices an ill-behaved child, pitching a fit, as often occurs in Wal-Mart, and a bedraggled mother who looks to be at the end of her rope.
When a manager intervenes, the situation escalates.
Phil tries to assist, but no good deed goes unpunished. That's the last moment of normalcy Phil will have.
Certain aspects of that, and the debilitating health effects that followed, reminded me of Thinner. I love Thinner, so comparing these is absolutely a compliment.
I also loved how Burke built the intensity in this. The story gets more strange as it goes along, and with that, the horrific nature builds and builds.
Playing off the classic creepy kid trope, this story took that to the next level. I was horrified for Phil.
I highly recommend this novella to anyone who enjoys a quick and memorable horror story!
You know who you are.
July 19, 2024
A Terrible Father.
Phil’s life is a pleasure and a dream. His girlfriend, Lori, is a perfect fit for him.
One day she sends him to the store for chocolate candy. They plan to spend the day snuggling and eating chocolate while watching TV.
At the supermarket his attention, just like everyone else’s, is drawn to a noisy child having a tantrum.
He is glad to be rid of the scene. Now he needs to get home before his chocolate ice cream melts.
But wait a minute…it looks like his perfect day isn’t going to be perfect.
Four stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Phil’s life is a pleasure and a dream. His girlfriend, Lori, is a perfect fit for him.
One day she sends him to the store for chocolate candy. They plan to spend the day snuggling and eating chocolate while watching TV.
At the supermarket his attention, just like everyone else’s, is drawn to a noisy child having a tantrum.
He is glad to be rid of the scene. Now he needs to get home before his chocolate ice cream melts.
But wait a minute…it looks like his perfect day isn’t going to be perfect.
Four stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 19, 2022
I haven't read a ton of horror books but this was a good gone!
No open ending, a creepy kid and some uncomfortable moments that made me close the books... Recommend!
No open ending, a creepy kid and some uncomfortable moments that made me close the books... Recommend!
October 21, 2021
74 pages of supernatural gaslighting in which aaaaaancient beeeeeings pull a parent trap on happily childless everyman phil pendleton—shoehorning an eight-year-old demon shriek of a child into his life with wide-eyed disingenuity, “who, dis? he is ur child, don’t u remember? everyone eeeeelse in ur life remembers him! also, he's in ur photographs haha we’re so bad!!!”
so phil is saddled with this creature who calls him “daddy” and drags him to all of those child-distracting places like museums and parks and science centers and the like where, once a day, unprovoked and without warning, he will become that kid—the tantrum filling a public place, scattering everyone in the vicinity except the helpless parent tethered to the situation, shattering inward.
and it takes its toll.
i mean, there’s plenty of other horrific things happening to poor phil, including a sudden allergy to all food except sour candy, which diet contributes to the physical decline described in the book’s bomb-ass first line: Four months to the day he first encountered the boy at Walmart, the last of Phil Pendleton’s teeth fell out.
but scoop out the lovecraftian horn'ed beast bits, and it’s a cautionary tale reminding you that parenthood is exhausting and children are parasites. oh, but only if it is a deeeemon child. not your little punkin’. really, your kid is aces. not creepy at all.
anyway, we can all agree that i would be a lousy mother and also that taking candy from strangers is a terrible idea,even especially if the stranger is a nattily-dressed little boy.
come to my blog!!
so phil is saddled with this creature who calls him “daddy” and drags him to all of those child-distracting places like museums and parks and science centers and the like where, once a day, unprovoked and without warning, he will become that kid—the tantrum filling a public place, scattering everyone in the vicinity except the helpless parent tethered to the situation, shattering inward.
and it takes its toll.
i mean, there’s plenty of other horrific things happening to poor phil, including a sudden allergy to all food except sour candy, which diet contributes to the physical decline described in the book’s bomb-ass first line: Four months to the day he first encountered the boy at Walmart, the last of Phil Pendleton’s teeth fell out.
but scoop out the lovecraftian horn'ed beast bits, and it’s a cautionary tale reminding you that parenthood is exhausting and children are parasites. oh, but only if it is a deeeemon child. not your little punkin’. really, your kid is aces. not creepy at all.
anyway, we can all agree that i would be a lousy mother and also that taking candy from strangers is a terrible idea,
come to my blog!!
February 3, 2018
"Four months to the day he first encountered the boy at Walmart, the last of Phil Pendleton's teeth fell out."
Phil Pendleton and his son Adam have a typical father-son relationship, although perhaps Phil is a bit too lenient with Adam - he is allowed to set his own bedtime, eat as much candy as he wants. However, what no one knows is that until a few weeks previous Phil had never seen the child before in his life.
It blows my mind how Burke manages to pack so much into such a small number of pages. I THINK Burke might just be the King of Novellas – this is an official title and I’m coining it for him. Having read Blanky and Kin towards the end of last year, I was pretty excited to read Sour Candy as I am a huge fan of both Burke's writing and his ability to tell horror stories that are unique and memorable. And Sour Candy does not disappoint.
From the very first page, Burke manages to build this palpable sense of dread and it remains throughout the entirety of the story. I mean, a screaming child in a store is everyone's worst nightmare, but when that same strange kid (who is creepily dressed) shows up in your house acting like he's your son... shit gets even scarier. His photo is on your wall, there are photos of you together on your Facebook... it really is enough to send shivers down your spine. It's like some kind of weird, fucked-up Twilight Zone. And it's brilliant! Is this actually happening or has our protagonist lost his mind? The decline of his mental and physical health is terrifying, giving rise to an incredible psychological horror story. I also love how, like King, Burke generally writes about relatively normal everyday people, and places them into extraordinary situations.
The introduction of the elders really enhances the creep factor, and the disturbingly haunting cover will start to make a lot more sense. However, once again, Burke leaves me wanting more! I want to know more about the elders, more about Adam's previous "parents", just more, more, more! There isn't much more I can say other than I loved, loved, loved it! Burke deserves all the praise he gets, and he is very quickly becoming one of my favourite horror authors. Pick up a copy if you want to develop a lifelong aversion to sour candy... 5 stars!
Phil Pendleton and his son Adam have a typical father-son relationship, although perhaps Phil is a bit too lenient with Adam - he is allowed to set his own bedtime, eat as much candy as he wants. However, what no one knows is that until a few weeks previous Phil had never seen the child before in his life.
It blows my mind how Burke manages to pack so much into such a small number of pages. I THINK Burke might just be the King of Novellas – this is an official title and I’m coining it for him. Having read Blanky and Kin towards the end of last year, I was pretty excited to read Sour Candy as I am a huge fan of both Burke's writing and his ability to tell horror stories that are unique and memorable. And Sour Candy does not disappoint.
From the very first page, Burke manages to build this palpable sense of dread and it remains throughout the entirety of the story. I mean, a screaming child in a store is everyone's worst nightmare, but when that same strange kid (who is creepily dressed) shows up in your house acting like he's your son... shit gets even scarier. His photo is on your wall, there are photos of you together on your Facebook... it really is enough to send shivers down your spine. It's like some kind of weird, fucked-up Twilight Zone. And it's brilliant! Is this actually happening or has our protagonist lost his mind? The decline of his mental and physical health is terrifying, giving rise to an incredible psychological horror story. I also love how, like King, Burke generally writes about relatively normal everyday people, and places them into extraordinary situations.
The introduction of the elders really enhances the creep factor, and the disturbingly haunting cover will start to make a lot more sense. However, once again, Burke leaves me wanting more! I want to know more about the elders, more about Adam's previous "parents", just more, more, more! There isn't much more I can say other than I loved, loved, loved it! Burke deserves all the praise he gets, and he is very quickly becoming one of my favourite horror authors. Pick up a copy if you want to develop a lifelong aversion to sour candy... 5 stars!
January 8, 2023
**4.5**
Reading Vlog/Review: https://youtu.be/O-9LRj4gqBM
I loved this!! It’s psychologically effed up. And, honestly, that’s my favorite.
The ending was just okay but the rest is perfect.
Reading Vlog/Review: https://youtu.be/O-9LRj4gqBM
I loved this!! It’s psychologically effed up. And, honestly, that’s my favorite.
The ending was just okay but the rest is perfect.
July 22, 2020
3.5 stars
Apparently, no one told Phil Pendleton to never take candy from strangers, especially in a Walmart and especially if that candy is sour. Because if you do, it will leave a bad taste in your mouth!
Phil and his son are a picture-perfect example of a father-son duo. They look so happy together on their walks and museum excursions. No one would know that things are not as they seem. Until a couple of weeks ago, Phil's life was entirely different. He didn't have a son and is now a prisoner in his own home.
This is a chilling and fast-moving novella that will not leave a bad taste in your mouth! It's short and delivers on tension and creepiness. Things go from good to bad to worse fast.
March 18, 2025
Creepy and horrifying. Turns out that your mother was right about never taking candy from strangers, but not necessarily for the reasons you might think. 3.7 stars, rounded up.
November 16, 2015
You know what? All I'm going to say about this novella is: This is one fucked up story. You should read it. (Oh, and I love you, KPB!)
September 26, 2025
“Tomorrow’s the day I try to kill you.”
“Goodnight, Daddy.”
“Goodnight, son.”
Woooo! YES, Burke, YES! This was a blast to read! This hit that sweet spot for a fun horror quickie. Love the cover art! 🔥
“Goodnight, Daddy.”
“Goodnight, son.”
Woooo! YES, Burke, YES! This was a blast to read! This hit that sweet spot for a fun horror quickie. Love the cover art! 🔥
September 26, 2024
Mora's Coming...
SOUR CANDY
by Kealan Patrick Burke
No spoilers. 5 stars. Phil Pendleton was in the candy aisle of Walmart. His girlfriend Lori sent him to get lots of chocolate for their lazy TV marathon at his home...
While Phil was picking out some choice chocolates, a child in his aisle started screaming...
His mother ignored him and reached for bags and bags of sour candy...
She looked stressed out...
Later, as Phil was driving home, he got into a car accident; a pileup of several cars, one of which was the car driven by the child's mother...
The child's mother exited her car and threw herself in front of an on-coming car. Before she died, the woman gave Phil a piece of sour candy and cryptically whispered...
Yours now...
Phil had entered the Twilight Zone...
And Mora's coming...
I would classify this story as horror/sci-fi. I've had this little novella (about 67 pages) for some time now. Although the premise sounded intriguing, I was slow to read it because it was so short, opting instead for full-length novels. Well, good things sometimes come in small packages.
This story was excellent!
SOUR CANDY
by Kealan Patrick Burke
No spoilers. 5 stars. Phil Pendleton was in the candy aisle of Walmart. His girlfriend Lori sent him to get lots of chocolate for their lazy TV marathon at his home...
While Phil was picking out some choice chocolates, a child in his aisle started screaming...
His mother ignored him and reached for bags and bags of sour candy...
She looked stressed out...
Later, as Phil was driving home, he got into a car accident; a pileup of several cars, one of which was the car driven by the child's mother...
The child's mother exited her car and threw herself in front of an on-coming car. Before she died, the woman gave Phil a piece of sour candy and cryptically whispered...
Yours now...
Phil had entered the Twilight Zone...
And Mora's coming...
I would classify this story as horror/sci-fi. I've had this little novella (about 67 pages) for some time now. Although the premise sounded intriguing, I was slow to read it because it was so short, opting instead for full-length novels. Well, good things sometimes come in small packages.
This story was excellent!
August 25, 2025
”Four months to the day he first encountered the boy at Walmart, the last of Phil Pendelton’s teeth fell out”.
That is the quote this novella opens on, and is the perfect, succinct description of how this story plays out.
It is a creepy, unnerving, nasty, short horror tale. Which is exactly what I want from a horror.
Burke has a knack for writing mystery and a sense of foreboding into his stories and this is a great example of exactly that. You feel the sense of dread in the pit of your stomach. You don’t want to put it down until its reaches its nail biting conclusion.
One day, a guy called Phil visit his local grocery store and sees a young boy having a tantrum over wanting some candy with his bedraggled mother. The kid then offers Phil a piece of candy.
Later, Phil is in a car crash and the car that his collided with is the same woman he saw in the store. But there is a lack of small child with her.
Upon returning home, things aren’t as they seem. The police inform him that the kid he described as being with the woman to them, answered the door of his home. And they happen to have a whole backstory to corroborate that this is Phil’s child, Adam.
This leaves Phil questioning his sanity but he is certain that this is not his child. But now there are photographs of Phil and Adam together over the years on the walls of the house. However, Adam appears to be wearing the same outfit in all of them and doesn’t seem to age.
So who or what exactly is Adam, and what does he have in store for Phil? 💀🍬
That is the quote this novella opens on, and is the perfect, succinct description of how this story plays out.
It is a creepy, unnerving, nasty, short horror tale. Which is exactly what I want from a horror.
Burke has a knack for writing mystery and a sense of foreboding into his stories and this is a great example of exactly that. You feel the sense of dread in the pit of your stomach. You don’t want to put it down until its reaches its nail biting conclusion.
One day, a guy called Phil visit his local grocery store and sees a young boy having a tantrum over wanting some candy with his bedraggled mother. The kid then offers Phil a piece of candy.
Later, Phil is in a car crash and the car that his collided with is the same woman he saw in the store. But there is a lack of small child with her.
Upon returning home, things aren’t as they seem. The police inform him that the kid he described as being with the woman to them, answered the door of his home. And they happen to have a whole backstory to corroborate that this is Phil’s child, Adam.
This leaves Phil questioning his sanity but he is certain that this is not his child. But now there are photographs of Phil and Adam together over the years on the walls of the house. However, Adam appears to be wearing the same outfit in all of them and doesn’t seem to age.
So who or what exactly is Adam, and what does he have in store for Phil? 💀🍬
August 28, 2020
A tight 72 pages, read in one sitting. For me, better than Kin, but a low bar. I was feeling good about the decision to give this author another chance, then we learned why the child exists, and I was done. Against better judgment, I think I’m going to ready Blanky...
July 4, 2021
4.5 Stars ⭐️
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
July 1, 2021
4.5 Stars
Now, whenever I eat sour candies, I will think of this story....
This was such a gripping little novella that pulled me right in. The little boy in this story was just SO creepy! The story was just so dark and depressing. I highly recommend this sickly story to any avid horror readers.
Now, whenever I eat sour candies, I will think of this story....
This was such a gripping little novella that pulled me right in. The little boy in this story was just SO creepy! The story was just so dark and depressing. I highly recommend this sickly story to any avid horror readers.
August 21, 2018
I really loved this one!
For a horror novella, Sour Candy was the perfect length! It had an interesting plot, excellent writing and was damn creepy!
The plot starts off with Phil Pendleton grocery shopping and experiences a cringe worthy experience in the store. A child is screaming hysterically at his mother for sour candy. After this meeting, Phil's life changes drastically and horrifying by this little boy.
Looking forward to reading more from Kealan Patrick Burke! What an imagination this guy has. Bravo Burke!!
For a horror novella, Sour Candy was the perfect length! It had an interesting plot, excellent writing and was damn creepy!
The plot starts off with Phil Pendleton grocery shopping and experiences a cringe worthy experience in the store. A child is screaming hysterically at his mother for sour candy. After this meeting, Phil's life changes drastically and horrifying by this little boy.
Looking forward to reading more from Kealan Patrick Burke! What an imagination this guy has. Bravo Burke!!
December 26, 2017
This is my second stand alone novella that I've read by Kealan Patrick Burke, the first being "Blanky" which I read on Halloween night and it sparked an instant-fan binge read of a novel, "KIN" and a collection of short stories called, "Milestone".
So it's an understatement to say that I *loved* Sour Candy.
This is horror at its best and I'll tell you why: As a HUGE fan of the genre, I can usually guess within the first chapter or so, where the gut punches are going to be--is this one going to be level me with gratuitous torture or pain? Is this going to be a haunting that gaslights the protagonist into madness? Will there be demonic elements that unsettle me? Possession?
This one blindsided me.
I thought it was going in a certain direction but then it flipped the story on its head and went somewhere else. It gave me hope, a fleeting feeling of "oh, I'm familiar with this and everything is going to be OK" and then it ripped the rug out from under me and stole my breath!
What a wonderfully disturbing read this was. Insidious, mind-bending, quiet in its strength and just plain horrifying. Well played, Mr. Burke.
So it's an understatement to say that I *loved* Sour Candy.
This is horror at its best and I'll tell you why: As a HUGE fan of the genre, I can usually guess within the first chapter or so, where the gut punches are going to be--is this one going to be level me with gratuitous torture or pain? Is this going to be a haunting that gaslights the protagonist into madness? Will there be demonic elements that unsettle me? Possession?
This one blindsided me.
I thought it was going in a certain direction but then it flipped the story on its head and went somewhere else. It gave me hope, a fleeting feeling of "oh, I'm familiar with this and everything is going to be OK" and then it ripped the rug out from under me and stole my breath!
What a wonderfully disturbing read this was. Insidious, mind-bending, quiet in its strength and just plain horrifying. Well played, Mr. Burke.
November 19, 2015
In Sour Candy, Kealan Patrick Burke weaves a dread inducing psychological horror novella that seriously wreaks mayhem with your sanity.
Phil Pendleton was more than willing to pay a visit to Wal-Mart to restock on chocolate sex rewards, the memory of Lori in pink silk undies (with leather paddle and ball gag, fun times) and hot shagging fresh in his mind. When the kid screamed like a banshee and shattered his love lust euphoria.
An unsettling scream queen style screech from a boy no less and something strange is about to take place. A mind fuck of phantasmagoric and inexplicable proportion starts in the Sour Candy section. This isn't the last time Phil will see this young boy but he'll wish it was, with every ounce of his soul.
Next up Phil is involved in a car accident and the driver of the other car, yep it's the boy’s Mother.
'Marsh studied him as one might a particularly exotic species of insect. “I’m asking you all of this, Mr. Pendleton, because when the officers went to your house, the child you just described seeing with Mrs. Bennings is the one who opened the door.”
A true Woah! WTF moment and Phil, well Phil's life is suddenly changed and me, I'm tripping. Kealan Patrick Burke never disappoints and just to reassure you, there is definitely no horror of the ball gag variety, Sour Candy is one of the best psychical horror novellas I've read and KPB is pretty fucking awesome.
A 4.5* rating and also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
Phil Pendleton was more than willing to pay a visit to Wal-Mart to restock on chocolate sex rewards, the memory of Lori in pink silk undies (with leather paddle and ball gag, fun times) and hot shagging fresh in his mind. When the kid screamed like a banshee and shattered his love lust euphoria.
An unsettling scream queen style screech from a boy no less and something strange is about to take place. A mind fuck of phantasmagoric and inexplicable proportion starts in the Sour Candy section. This isn't the last time Phil will see this young boy but he'll wish it was, with every ounce of his soul.
Next up Phil is involved in a car accident and the driver of the other car, yep it's the boy’s Mother.
'Marsh studied him as one might a particularly exotic species of insect. “I’m asking you all of this, Mr. Pendleton, because when the officers went to your house, the child you just described seeing with Mrs. Bennings is the one who opened the door.”
A true Woah! WTF moment and Phil, well Phil's life is suddenly changed and me, I'm tripping. Kealan Patrick Burke never disappoints and just to reassure you, there is definitely no horror of the ball gag variety, Sour Candy is one of the best psychical horror novellas I've read and KPB is pretty fucking awesome.
A 4.5* rating and also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
December 27, 2018
This was a very creepy, short read. I read it really late at night which added to the suspense. I would like to read more form this author!
May 8, 2024
4.5
A chilling and terrifying story.
In a situation in which every rational person is telling you a fact and you’re the one who denies it, doesn’t that make you the one most likely wrong?
Phil’s perfect, sweet and normal day turns to hell when he goes to a store to buy chocolates, but ends up taking a sour candy offered by a seemingly cantankerous child.
A chilling and terrifying story.
In a situation in which every rational person is telling you a fact and you’re the one who denies it, doesn’t that make you the one most likely wrong?
Phil’s perfect, sweet and normal day turns to hell when he goes to a store to buy chocolates, but ends up taking a sour candy offered by a seemingly cantankerous child.
September 30, 2024
That’s one hell of a good short hellish read!
Just pick up this book and you will be thoroughly entertained. The ending is a bit disappointing though. However, the author is smart and it shows!
Just pick up this book and you will be thoroughly entertained. The ending is a bit disappointing though. However, the author is smart and it shows!
August 23, 2025
Sour Candy is a super quick and fun read. It's got plenty of creepy kid vibes mixed with Lovecraft vibes. The story moved swiftly and kept me engaged.
Please don't ever accept candy from strangers, my friends. Especially if it's sour candy.
Four sweet and sour stars from me!
Please don't ever accept candy from strangers, my friends. Especially if it's sour candy.
Four sweet and sour stars from me!
April 22, 2020
My oh my does this little novella ever pack one hell of a punch! This is by far one of the creepiest and most unsettling books I’ve read in a long time and it was absolutely delicious! Right from the beginning I felt a mounting sense of dread and it only grew from there. Something about creepy kids terrifies me like nothing else can and this story takes creepy kids to a whole new horrifying level! And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at sour candy the same way after reading this, just thinking about it gives me shivers and makes me want to run far away as fast as I possibly can. Oh and remember friends, don’t take candy from strangers. Especially not kid strangers.
June 6, 2023
Ugh. This book is creepy and gave me the chills for all the wrong reasons.
Phil Pendleton's life is perfect. Until a Mother and son at a Walmart changed his entire life in an instant.
I don't really dig the "evil child trope" that much so it was really hard for me to get into this, however, I'd say that for a novella with this complex plot, I liked it a bit. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Phil and his predicament, I mean, he lost everything and he's not even a bad person.
Well, kids are scary, evil or not
Phil Pendleton's life is perfect. Until a Mother and son at a Walmart changed his entire life in an instant.
I don't really dig the "evil child trope" that much so it was really hard for me to get into this, however, I'd say that for a novella with this complex plot, I liked it a bit. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Phil and his predicament, I mean, he lost everything and he's not even a bad person.
Well, kids are scary, evil or not
November 1, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Our story here begins like so many others. A simple trip to the store and an encounter with a frazzled mother and her charming youngster . . . .
When our main character Phil fails to give what the kid was just begging for . . . .
He’s left with a simple, yet ominous message by the child’s mother . . .
“Yours now.”
And so begins life with Adam . . . .
Yeah, I’m just not a fan of short stories. I don’t know what to tell you. I appreciate the mindfuckery contained in this one, but I wanted more. Many people really dig this, though, so if you have Kindle Unlimited it’s worth the zero dollars you will spend to find out what side of the fence you land on. If you’re poor (and iron-stomached) like me, you might want to opt for the full-length novel Kin instead.
Our story here begins like so many others. A simple trip to the store and an encounter with a frazzled mother and her charming youngster . . . .
When our main character Phil fails to give what the kid was just begging for . . . .
He’s left with a simple, yet ominous message by the child’s mother . . .
“Yours now.”
And so begins life with Adam . . . .
Yeah, I’m just not a fan of short stories. I don’t know what to tell you. I appreciate the mindfuckery contained in this one, but I wanted more. Many people really dig this, though, so if you have Kindle Unlimited it’s worth the zero dollars you will spend to find out what side of the fence you land on. If you’re poor (and iron-stomached) like me, you might want to opt for the full-length novel Kin instead.
November 16, 2015
The story SOUR CANDY, by Kealan Patrick Burke, is perhaps the best psychological horror novella that I have read, to date, in 2015!
Phil Pendleton is a man living a happy life with his girlfriend, Lori, when an innocent encounter with a woman and boy at Walmart send him spiraling into near mental insanity. On the way home, a fender-bender begins to show Phil just how MUCH has changed. . . Suddenly, Phil finds the boy from the store at his home,and everyone around informing him that this is his son, Adam.
“In a situation in which every rational person is telling you a fact and you’re the one who denies it, doesn’t that make you the one most likely wrong?”
From that moment on, Phil finds himself in the midst of a Twilight Zone nightmare, where escape is not an option. “He felt trapped in a bizarre otherworld in which everything was crooked, but the harder he fought to extricate himself, the more tangled he became.”
Burke effortlessly controls the circumstances of Pendleton’s new “life”, even bringing in some Lovecraftian themes. The emotional and mental torment Phil goes through, I found more chilling in nature than any sort of “physical” torture. We see first hand the slowly diminishing control that he retains on his sanity, and begin to wonder that if he were able to extract himself from this sham of an existence, would he ever be able to truly “live” again.
Even with the way Phil’s resolve slowly weakens into an almost acceptance of his situation, I was shocked at the casual tone in which Burke presents the following statement: “Four months to the day he first encountered the boy at Walmart, the last of Phil Pendleton’s teeth fell out.”
Rather than minimize the horror, the blandly stated fact really intensified the fear, anguish and horror that I felt. Kealan Patrick Burke is able to masterfully manipulate the reader’s emotions with such apparent ease. This is a quality I feel that make his books so effective, and so memorable.
There is no question that I will be eagerly reading everything that Burke puts into print!
Phil Pendleton is a man living a happy life with his girlfriend, Lori, when an innocent encounter with a woman and boy at Walmart send him spiraling into near mental insanity. On the way home, a fender-bender begins to show Phil just how MUCH has changed. . . Suddenly, Phil finds the boy from the store at his home,and everyone around informing him that this is his son, Adam.
“In a situation in which every rational person is telling you a fact and you’re the one who denies it, doesn’t that make you the one most likely wrong?”
From that moment on, Phil finds himself in the midst of a Twilight Zone nightmare, where escape is not an option. “He felt trapped in a bizarre otherworld in which everything was crooked, but the harder he fought to extricate himself, the more tangled he became.”
Burke effortlessly controls the circumstances of Pendleton’s new “life”, even bringing in some Lovecraftian themes. The emotional and mental torment Phil goes through, I found more chilling in nature than any sort of “physical” torture. We see first hand the slowly diminishing control that he retains on his sanity, and begin to wonder that if he were able to extract himself from this sham of an existence, would he ever be able to truly “live” again.
Even with the way Phil’s resolve slowly weakens into an almost acceptance of his situation, I was shocked at the casual tone in which Burke presents the following statement: “Four months to the day he first encountered the boy at Walmart, the last of Phil Pendleton’s teeth fell out.”
Rather than minimize the horror, the blandly stated fact really intensified the fear, anguish and horror that I felt. Kealan Patrick Burke is able to masterfully manipulate the reader’s emotions with such apparent ease. This is a quality I feel that make his books so effective, and so memorable.
There is no question that I will be eagerly reading everything that Burke puts into print!
February 25, 2021
This 84 page novella was dark and fast-paced with an interesting and unique plot.
The writing was good although I prefer character-driven books but given that this is a novella, it ticks all the boxes as a short plot-driven story.
A perfect quick read before bed, which is what I used it for.
🍬
Think I'll try 'Kin' next, when I get around to reading another from this author.
The writing was good although I prefer character-driven books but given that this is a novella, it ticks all the boxes as a short plot-driven story.
A perfect quick read before bed, which is what I used it for.
🍬
Think I'll try 'Kin' next, when I get around to reading another from this author.
December 16, 2025
This is a depressing, miserable book but it is a decent read. I cannot even begin to fathom the feeling of not having any control of my life. The misery of a child, who identifies himself as my son, having complete control of me. And making life more miserable, all my friends and neighbors act as if this child has been my son since birth. Is there no resolution?
This is not a happy story and the reader will not walk away giddy after the last page is turned. But in spite of all of this the book has a certain pull…a need to be read. Enjoy the read my fellow GR friends.
This is not a happy story and the reader will not walk away giddy after the last page is turned. But in spite of all of this the book has a certain pull…a need to be read. Enjoy the read my fellow GR friends.
August 8, 2020
"Four months to the day he first encountered the boy at Walmart, the last of Phil Pendleton's teeth fell out."
Phil Pendleton is a man living a happy life with his girlfriend, Lori, when an innocent encounter with a woman and boy at Walmart send him spiralling into near mental insanity. On the way home, a fender-bender begins to show Phil just how MUCH has changed. . . Suddenly, Phil finds the boy from the store at his home,and everyone around informing him that this is his son, Adam.
For a horror novella, Sour Candy was the perfect length! It had an interesting plot, excellent writing and was damn creepy! Right from the beginning I felt a mounting sense of dread and it only grew from there.
Burke effortlessly controls the circumstances of Pendleton’s new “life”, even bringing in some classic horror themes. The emotional and mental torment Phil goes through, I found more chilling in nature than any sort of “physical” torture. We see first hand the slowly diminishing control that he retains on his sanity, and begin to wonder that if he were able to extract himself from this sham of an existence, would he ever be able to truly “live” again.
Rather than minimize the horror, the blandly stated fact really intensified the fear, anguish and horror that I felt. Burke is able to masterfully manipulate the reader’s emotions with such apparent ease. This was my first dive into the world of Burke and I'm fascinated and intrigued to explore more of this author's work in the future.
Don't miss out on this one. It is fiendishly delicious! A perfect treat for y'all horror fans!
Phil Pendleton is a man living a happy life with his girlfriend, Lori, when an innocent encounter with a woman and boy at Walmart send him spiralling into near mental insanity. On the way home, a fender-bender begins to show Phil just how MUCH has changed. . . Suddenly, Phil finds the boy from the store at his home,and everyone around informing him that this is his son, Adam.
For a horror novella, Sour Candy was the perfect length! It had an interesting plot, excellent writing and was damn creepy! Right from the beginning I felt a mounting sense of dread and it only grew from there.
Burke effortlessly controls the circumstances of Pendleton’s new “life”, even bringing in some classic horror themes. The emotional and mental torment Phil goes through, I found more chilling in nature than any sort of “physical” torture. We see first hand the slowly diminishing control that he retains on his sanity, and begin to wonder that if he were able to extract himself from this sham of an existence, would he ever be able to truly “live” again.
Rather than minimize the horror, the blandly stated fact really intensified the fear, anguish and horror that I felt. Burke is able to masterfully manipulate the reader’s emotions with such apparent ease. This was my first dive into the world of Burke and I'm fascinated and intrigued to explore more of this author's work in the future.
Don't miss out on this one. It is fiendishly delicious! A perfect treat for y'all horror fans!
October 14, 2020
This story is 74 pages of pure anxiety and I fucking loved it!! Sadly I can't say much about it because I don't want to give anything away, but I loved this novella so much. It's about this man named Phil and his son Adam who seem to be just an ordinary family, going to zoos and parks and family outings. Phil seems to be a single father who is struggling to juggle a home life and job and its taking a toll on him with his health declining. But what people don't realize is up until a few weeks ago, Phil has never seen the boy before in his life.
This novella is beautifully written with amazing story telling that fits a few months time into such a short story. It can easily be finished in a single day, or even a single sitting. It grabs you and won't let go till you reach the very last word. This novella is also perfect for someone who wants a good scary read but doesn't want to commit a lot of time to it.
This novella is beautifully written with amazing story telling that fits a few months time into such a short story. It can easily be finished in a single day, or even a single sitting. It grabs you and won't let go till you reach the very last word. This novella is also perfect for someone who wants a good scary read but doesn't want to commit a lot of time to it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,015 reviews