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Waiting Room
Christina finds herself stuck in a hole, as her nightmares become endless. While others think she's losing her mind, she tries to escape from all the pain and confusion, only to find herself waiting at a strange and old room. Lost between what is real or just an illusion, she'll seek the answers needed in order to survive. Will the nightmares ever end? As she stares at the moths flying all around her, she holds on to the number in her hand, and waits.
102 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
2 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
W.J. Cintron
6 books79 followersW.J. Cintron has been exploring through the art of writing since she was a little girl. She loves to write unexpected endings, plot twists, and eerie mysteries. She also enjoys writing flash fictions, poems, screenplays, and blogs. Her favorite genres are horror, gothic, psychological thrillers, LGBTQIAP+ and romance.
Other than writing she works in the film industry as a freelance editor, SFX makeup artist and screenwriter.
This is her second novel, co-written in collaboration with Jean Nasser.
Other than writing she works in the film industry as a freelance editor, SFX makeup artist and screenwriter.
This is her second novel, co-written in collaboration with Jean Nasser.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 16, 2020
I read this in a sitting and it literally only took me 3 hours to finish it. It is not the first time I've read it, but it's the first time I've written a detailed review of it, so here it goes.
If you pick this up, it'll be the quickest, yet most elaborate read of your life. This book is beautifully written and it depicts the circumstances of pain and depression in the most brutally honest of ways. In terms of the genre, I'd say this is a psychological thriller, however, it is so much more than that. It has strong gothic/paranormal elements glazed throughout. It also has brief horror tropes scattered here and there but the overall story is far from being such. I honestly can't help but get slight Stephen King, M. Night Shyamalan, and Gillian Flynn vibes from this.
If you hate psychological books with predictable twists, I bet you, you will never be able to predict the major plot twist on this one. Trust me, I'm not easily fooled by these types of books, but this one got me when I first ever read it.
I love the imagery of the title-acclaimed waiting room, and every time I was driven into this recurring setting, I couldn't help but feel a sense of discomfort and awkwardness. It's a gloomy, dark, and old setting, which is just what I expected.
What I love most about this book is that every letter and period is written for a reason and with passion, whether it is to keep the reader at the edge of their seats or to give clues as to what is going on under the rug. That being said, Cintron loves to use many things as symbolism to trick the mind of the reader. While many thriller writers do this with creepy dolls and weapons, Cintron achieves this with animals such as moths and owls, and rust.
Cintron does an excellent job at introducing and developing characters. As a reader, I end up having an interaction and love for even the most minor characters, which is something I always look for when I pick up a book. Christina, our protagonist, is one of my favorite and quite possibly the most underrated protagonist in the history of fiction. There wasn't one emotion I didn't feel, whether it was her pain, sadness, agony, and her brief moments of joy.
Compared to most psychological thrillers, this one fully touches base with domestic violence, abusive relationships, and the way it shatters the heart and faith of the victim, even after the physical battle has ended. I can tell that this book was a catharsis for Cintron, as it is an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. In the moments of suspense and action, Cintron does a great job at putting the reader in the protagonist's shoes with her eccentric, yet matter-of-fact choice of vocabulary, which is mostly seen in YA dystopian fiction, and rarely seen in these types of novels.
Judging by my high praise, you can tell this is almost near perfect in my personal enjoyment. However, there are a few critical details I must highlight.
-- Cintron sometimes gets in the habit of writing long prose based on one thought and that surrounds most of the first few chapters before the rest of the story and experimental suspense flows like a river. This almost reminds me of Don DeLillo's most notable work. For example, there is one snippet in the beginning of the story where Cintron elaborates on how the touch of different hands may have an emotional effect on a person, or how abusive men are like vultures. In other words, the pace might slow down a bit during the first few chapters. But it doesn't last long.
-- There is a small detail at the very end which should've been elaborated on a LOT more. You'll see what I mean once you've read through the whole thing.
-- Yes, it could've been longer, however, I do like how condensed and to-the-point the story is.
I must say, that it saddens me how underrated this gem is, therefore, my major fear is that a reader, new to Cintron's unique style, might put down the book due to some of the confusing tropes and the prose. If you are interested in reading this, I plead you to PLEASE keep reading, even through the brief moments where the ranty prose might seem tedious. I can assure you, you've read far more boring stuff in Steinbeck novels.
This is a great book, and once you've started reading through the most suspenseful and mysterious moments, you will be left with a consuming desire to know what the heck is going on.
8/10
If you pick this up, it'll be the quickest, yet most elaborate read of your life. This book is beautifully written and it depicts the circumstances of pain and depression in the most brutally honest of ways. In terms of the genre, I'd say this is a psychological thriller, however, it is so much more than that. It has strong gothic/paranormal elements glazed throughout. It also has brief horror tropes scattered here and there but the overall story is far from being such. I honestly can't help but get slight Stephen King, M. Night Shyamalan, and Gillian Flynn vibes from this.
If you hate psychological books with predictable twists, I bet you, you will never be able to predict the major plot twist on this one. Trust me, I'm not easily fooled by these types of books, but this one got me when I first ever read it.
I love the imagery of the title-acclaimed waiting room, and every time I was driven into this recurring setting, I couldn't help but feel a sense of discomfort and awkwardness. It's a gloomy, dark, and old setting, which is just what I expected.
What I love most about this book is that every letter and period is written for a reason and with passion, whether it is to keep the reader at the edge of their seats or to give clues as to what is going on under the rug. That being said, Cintron loves to use many things as symbolism to trick the mind of the reader. While many thriller writers do this with creepy dolls and weapons, Cintron achieves this with animals such as moths and owls, and rust.
Cintron does an excellent job at introducing and developing characters. As a reader, I end up having an interaction and love for even the most minor characters, which is something I always look for when I pick up a book. Christina, our protagonist, is one of my favorite and quite possibly the most underrated protagonist in the history of fiction. There wasn't one emotion I didn't feel, whether it was her pain, sadness, agony, and her brief moments of joy.
Compared to most psychological thrillers, this one fully touches base with domestic violence, abusive relationships, and the way it shatters the heart and faith of the victim, even after the physical battle has ended. I can tell that this book was a catharsis for Cintron, as it is an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. In the moments of suspense and action, Cintron does a great job at putting the reader in the protagonist's shoes with her eccentric, yet matter-of-fact choice of vocabulary, which is mostly seen in YA dystopian fiction, and rarely seen in these types of novels.
Judging by my high praise, you can tell this is almost near perfect in my personal enjoyment. However, there are a few critical details I must highlight.
-- Cintron sometimes gets in the habit of writing long prose based on one thought and that surrounds most of the first few chapters before the rest of the story and experimental suspense flows like a river. This almost reminds me of Don DeLillo's most notable work. For example, there is one snippet in the beginning of the story where Cintron elaborates on how the touch of different hands may have an emotional effect on a person, or how abusive men are like vultures. In other words, the pace might slow down a bit during the first few chapters. But it doesn't last long.
-- There is a small detail at the very end which should've been elaborated on a LOT more. You'll see what I mean once you've read through the whole thing.
-- Yes, it could've been longer, however, I do like how condensed and to-the-point the story is.
I must say, that it saddens me how underrated this gem is, therefore, my major fear is that a reader, new to Cintron's unique style, might put down the book due to some of the confusing tropes and the prose. If you are interested in reading this, I plead you to PLEASE keep reading, even through the brief moments where the ranty prose might seem tedious. I can assure you, you've read far more boring stuff in Steinbeck novels.
This is a great book, and once you've started reading through the most suspenseful and mysterious moments, you will be left with a consuming desire to know what the heck is going on.
8/10
February 6, 2018
The writing advice ‘Emotion in the writer, emotion in the story’ applies perfectly to this novel as emotion drips from its every page. The main character Christina has had a traumatic relationship from which she has come out with disturbing, PTSD-type symptoms. She blacks out and doesn’t remember things. Moreover, she sees people or spirits others do not see, some as the result of her earlier reincarnation. The waiting room is the place where she waits to see her therapist. Will Christina recover? This is for the reader to find out.
As a character, one cannot help but feel for Christina. The strength of her characterization despite the adversity her soul is experiencing makes her a powerful protagonist. Plus, the emotional aspect in the telling of this story adds to its flair.
This story is written mostly from the third-person point of view, however by an unreliable storyteller. The book reads as if it is in an experimental genre as where each scene or event stops and the other begins is usually unclear.
It might be my lack of understanding, but I had to go and read some things twice in order to write a fair review for this author. Once I got to know the plot, I found it to be thought-provoking and highly imaginative. Also, the vocabulary and descriptions cannot be better, given the subject of the novel. The changing perspectives, however without a warning, make the reading interesting but difficult.
In my opinion, this novel could be made stronger by hinting at or providing, in the first chapter or a prolog, a captivating hook and some information about Christina’s difficult case. My fear is, despite the strong plot, some readers may become confused and stop reading.
As a character, one cannot help but feel for Christina. The strength of her characterization despite the adversity her soul is experiencing makes her a powerful protagonist. Plus, the emotional aspect in the telling of this story adds to its flair.
This story is written mostly from the third-person point of view, however by an unreliable storyteller. The book reads as if it is in an experimental genre as where each scene or event stops and the other begins is usually unclear.
It might be my lack of understanding, but I had to go and read some things twice in order to write a fair review for this author. Once I got to know the plot, I found it to be thought-provoking and highly imaginative. Also, the vocabulary and descriptions cannot be better, given the subject of the novel. The changing perspectives, however without a warning, make the reading interesting but difficult.
In my opinion, this novel could be made stronger by hinting at or providing, in the first chapter or a prolog, a captivating hook and some information about Christina’s difficult case. My fear is, despite the strong plot, some readers may become confused and stop reading.
January 26, 2018
**Might contain Spoilers**
I'm sorry, but this book wasn't for me. I did finish it, and there are a few things that I liked which I have mentioned below, but since it's more of a personal preference rather than the actual overall book, I'm rating it a 4.0. This, for me, was a disturbing read. I don't really do well with psychological-horror.
The things I liked about it are:
1. The plot and the description is perfect. It intrigues the reader and pulls her completely into the story.
2. I liked the diary-journal entry idea as well as the normal third-person perspective from which most of the chapters were written.
3. The description and the vocabulary - very well chosen and vivid.
4. The flow of the story.
I would definitely recommend this to a friend who's a fan of movies like Silence of the Lambsor Psycho.
I'm sorry, but this book wasn't for me. I did finish it, and there are a few things that I liked which I have mentioned below, but since it's more of a personal preference rather than the actual overall book, I'm rating it a 4.0. This, for me, was a disturbing read. I don't really do well with psychological-horror.
The things I liked about it are:
1. The plot and the description is perfect. It intrigues the reader and pulls her completely into the story.
2. I liked the diary-journal entry idea as well as the normal third-person perspective from which most of the chapters were written.
3. The description and the vocabulary - very well chosen and vivid.
4. The flow of the story.
I would definitely recommend this to a friend who's a fan of movies like Silence of the Lambsor Psycho.
February 16, 2017
I read this book in a sitting and believe me when I say it is AWESOME! You won't regret giving it a try. I couldn't put it down. The storyline is very interesting and it is delivered in a great way! Great book!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews