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End of the Line

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This is an alternate cover edition for B01N7LGRLR

Caroline McCandless sleeps on the train so her daughter, Maeve, having no one to talk to, makes a sinister new friend.

21 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2017

4 people want to read

About the author

Steven Penny

2 books19 followers

Writing since he was a teenager, having been captivated by Goosebumps, Point Horror and Stephen King. He finally took the plunge and self-published his first work, the short story End of the Line in December 2016.

Certified Tower junkie.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Profile Image for Cristina .
128 reviews18 followers
February 7, 2017
Creepy, weird and entertaining with important and hard to accept messages about society nowadays.


My star rating system:
★★★★ - I really liked this book and I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Bee.
83 reviews80 followers
June 24, 2020
Meet Maeve O'Grady, just eight years old but already well acquainted with the harsher realities of life. Her workaholic mother and womanizing father fight incessantly despite their separation, but Maeve still loves them both equally. After another switching off between her parents, Maeve rides the train home with her mother. As she dozes, Maeve encounters a mysterious figure with more knowledge than he could possibly have.

End of the Line is a fast-paced story that shows the reality of a child living between two homes with parents that have only their child in common. My heart ached for Maeve, who was deprived of the ability to experience the world as the child she was. Instead, she spends her days performing a balancing act, trying to mediate the problems of the adults who were supposed to care for her above all else. The situation reaches a crescendo as Maeve is left to reflect alone as her mother sleeps on the train. Revelations come pouring out and the world turns on its side in a sinister twist that hits like a blow to the gut.

I received my copy of End of the Line from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Rosie.
Author 10 books56 followers
February 7, 2017
Eight year old Maeve O’Grady yearns for days gone by, when there was love and peace between her parents. Living with her mother, Caroline McCandless, on weekdays and with her father, Dave O’Grady, on weekends, the only thing Maeve ever witnesses between them is scathing remarks filled with hatred, as they use their daughter as leverage against each other. Being a fan of reading, Maeve loves nothing more than to immerse herself in her books, and spends countless hours at Belfast library, determined to escape their constant fighting. Over time, an inner voice tells Maeve that she is worthless and invisible, as Maeve withdraws inside her own mind more and more, trying to create a world of love and peace between the two people she loves the most. When her parents aren't watching, Maeve encounters a man on a train who is able to penetrate her mind, leading to the ultimate tragedy.

It took some time for me to get my breath back after reading Steve Penny’s short story, which gives amazing insight into the mind of a young child with the weight of the world on her shoulders, when she should be doing nothing more than loving and enjoying life. So many times, parents don’t see the damage that their arguing and fighting is doing to their own children until it is too late. Whilst I smiled at Maeve’s love of books, the shocking ending of this one took me by surprise, stirring up a lot of sadness, grief and horror. End of the Line is a book of true finality, both emotional and physical, in the terrifying world we live in today. Steve Penny has easily conveyed the inner and outer workings of two bitter parents and the innocence of a child, so completely devastated and destroyed by their words, to the point where she feels invisible. Children cannot see what their parents feel or think, but can see (and sometimes hear) their outward exchanges. I take my hat off to any author who is able to project such highly conflicting feelings into words, and recommend this read to those over the age of 18 years who are not afraid of graphically confronting subject matter.

- Rosie Malezer for Readers’ Favorite
Profile Image for Tony Parsons.
4,156 reviews96 followers
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January 16, 2017
Belfast, Ireland. Maeve O’Grady (daughter, narrator), was getting quite accustomed to the Exchange, between Mrs. Caroline McCandless (mum, divorced, work-a-holic), & Mr. Dave O’Grady dad).
Fast forward; what happened at Europa Hotel?

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. Wow, a very well written psychological thriller (short story) book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great psychological thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued? A very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Profile Image for Ivana.
385 reviews38 followers
March 16, 2020
End of the Line by Steven Penny is a gripping short story. With some elements of thriller and horror we are introduced to a little girl called Maeve. She is a child of divorced parents, Caroline McCandless and Dave O'Grady, who are both quite troubled in their own ways. Caroline is a workaholic, while Dave spends most of his free time with several women. But those are just arguments they have against each other while arguing about something far more important - their daughter Maeve.

As time passes Maeve becomes more and more distant from them both as she feels she is the sole reason her parents are fighting. This only makes the problem worse and worse, until it all comes to a horribly spectacular finish which is quite literally felt, not read.

End of the Line tells us the story of a sad little girl. It tells us about the seriousness of mental health and the lack of it, but at the same time makes us question what is real and what is not.

This groundbreaking short story was provided to me by the author himself in exchange for an honest review. And an honest review I have provided you all with. Take a moment to read this amazing short story and discover what it may mean to you!

https://bookprejudice.wordpress.com/2...
Profile Image for Mandy.
4,725 reviews46 followers
March 23, 2017
I voluntarily reviewed this book and I have not been compensated in any way.

Maeve makes a new friend while her mother sleeps on the train.

This was a lovely story that was full of flowing descriptions of the people and the emotions involved in the story. It wasn't obvious how the story was going to end until you were there so you were left guessing. I loved the idea and the plot involved in the story. Who knows - maybe that really happens in real life? We'll never know.
Profile Image for Ralph Jones.
Author 30 books27 followers
February 7, 2017
An entertaining and sad short story. It's well written and has a good flow. I'm not sure if this is the author's first book, but if so I think it's a very encouraging effort and I would like to see him attempt a more substantial work in future. For less than the price of a cup of coffee this is well worth a read and will fill that half an hour before the Temazepam kicks in.
Profile Image for Misty.
Author 3 books841 followers
January 5, 2017
Loved this tiny tale. I knew it was a short story going in, but I still wished it was longer. :)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews

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