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splinter
Some family secrets should go to the grave. In the tiny town of Milnor, ND, Adam struggles to bring some measure of normalcy to his life, after a tragic event left him confined to a wheelchair, twenty-one years earlier. His sister, Ada, fills his days with psychological torment and disappears for days at a time. Is it sibling rivalry, or something more sinister? A psychiatrist, in his relentless search for the truth, gets caught up in the unexpected. Splinter will keep you guessing right to the end!
66 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2017
30 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Michael Bussa
16 books13 followersMichael Bussa grew up in Schiller Park, IL, a small suburb of Chicago. Having an inordinate love of aviation, as a child, he always believed he would grow up to become a pilot. "I was always fascinated with the idea that something that large could leave the ground so gracefully, and stay in the air," he says. "I mean, if I jumped off a cliff with my arms spread like a bird, I'd plummet to my death!"
His earliest work was a short story, written in the third grade, entitled, "Cars Can go One Hundred and Twenty." It was a hit with teachers and students, alike, and Michael was hooked on penning for entertainment. As an adult, he has found his niche writing short stories -- he writes them in a twisted way that would make even Hitchcock take notice!
His earliest work was a short story, written in the third grade, entitled, "Cars Can go One Hundred and Twenty." It was a hit with teachers and students, alike, and Michael was hooked on penning for entertainment. As an adult, he has found his niche writing short stories -- he writes them in a twisted way that would make even Hitchcock take notice!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 23, 2017
A pleasant hour’s reading. This is a short story…but packed with punch. In this mini psychological thriller, Adam has been wheelchair-bound for twenty-one years after a tragic incident and lives with Ada, his sister. His psychiatrist wants to help this young man who has remained troubled, seemingly traumatised by the event. Believing that finding out what actually happened will help this young man, he makes every effort to uncover the truth. But it’s not plain sailing.
Writing a short story requires technique. There isn’t much time to captivate the reader and every sentence has to count. There still has to be a start, a middle, an end, the plot has to have some meat on it, and the reader has to care about the character. With the requirement of economy of words, they have to be carefully chosen.
Bussa has achieved all of the above in little under eight thousand words and managed even to throw in suspense. There are a couple of twists. I’ll be honest…I did actually guess them early on, but I must stress this wasn’t because they were obvious...more like an intelligent guess!
If you like short stories and psychological thrillers, you need look no further.
Writing a short story requires technique. There isn’t much time to captivate the reader and every sentence has to count. There still has to be a start, a middle, an end, the plot has to have some meat on it, and the reader has to care about the character. With the requirement of economy of words, they have to be carefully chosen.
Bussa has achieved all of the above in little under eight thousand words and managed even to throw in suspense. There are a couple of twists. I’ll be honest…I did actually guess them early on, but I must stress this wasn’t because they were obvious...more like an intelligent guess!
If you like short stories and psychological thrillers, you need look no further.
July 11, 2018
Really intense twisty crazy story! The characters will capture you, and the story will consume you. So twisted! Really enjoyed the writing, story, and narration. Great stuff, would definitely recommend it to others! :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
May 10, 2017
I never, ever, ever give the least credibility to a review of one star, when the reader doesn't explain what it is that they didn't like.
That having been said, I read Splinter in its entirety. I can honestly say that this story takes hold from the beginning, and leads you to an ending that you are not likely to see coming. If you like psychological, suspense and surprises, this is a well-told story. It's like a puzzle and the author masterfully holds the last two pieces until the end. I loved this story! I reread it and loved it the second time! I haven't heard of this author but he has a number of other short stories that I'll be reading to see if this was just a one-time score. Excellent story!
(By the way, I am a licensed social worker. My theory about people who rate a story with one-star without any explanation is that they didn't like how the author was able to catch them off guard. This is an A-type personality).
That having been said, I read Splinter in its entirety. I can honestly say that this story takes hold from the beginning, and leads you to an ending that you are not likely to see coming. If you like psychological, suspense and surprises, this is a well-told story. It's like a puzzle and the author masterfully holds the last two pieces until the end. I loved this story! I reread it and loved it the second time! I haven't heard of this author but he has a number of other short stories that I'll be reading to see if this was just a one-time score. Excellent story!
(By the way, I am a licensed social worker. My theory about people who rate a story with one-star without any explanation is that they didn't like how the author was able to catch them off guard. This is an A-type personality).
May 6, 2017
I LOVED THIS STORY! I have read two other stories by this author and I want to make clear that I think he writes well, but he does it simply. What I mean is that he doesn't waste several sentences on unnecessary words, or get carried away, "Waxing poetic," he keeps the reading straightforward, simple and easy to digest.
That having been said, this story took me completely by surprise. It has a good steady pace that is never boring. Scenes are tight with good, meaningful dialogue that is necessary. Much of the story is a race against time. Just when you're hit with one twist, he slams you with the ending that you won't see coming. I am hooked on this author!
That having been said, this story took me completely by surprise. It has a good steady pace that is never boring. Scenes are tight with good, meaningful dialogue that is necessary. Much of the story is a race against time. Just when you're hit with one twist, he slams you with the ending that you won't see coming. I am hooked on this author!
June 18, 2018
This story feels like it has twists within twists. The characters are an odd bunch, all of them, not just Adam. Also no one seems to know what's going on, it's like everyone is groping along in the dark. Speaking of dark, the whole story as a sinister feel to it and I felt like I was just waiting for something to happen.
Very entertaining, I was captured from beginning to end.
The narration is good, the character voices are clear and recognizable, for me the delivery was a bit disjointed, the phrasing was just a bit off.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and/or narrator and/or publisher and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
Very entertaining, I was captured from beginning to end.
The narration is good, the character voices are clear and recognizable, for me the delivery was a bit disjointed, the phrasing was just a bit off.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and/or narrator and/or publisher and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
July 9, 2018
Disclaimer.
I had requested and received audible version of this book for free from the author, in exchange for an unbiased review.
What I liked about the book -
It's a good, short psychological thriller / horror story that kept me hooked till the end. It was creepy and I was tense throughout the 1 hour runtime. It manages to pack a twist that I didn't see coming.
What I disliked about the book -
Nothing specific that I can think of.
Narration -
Narration by JK Carpenter was a good match for the content. It build uncanny atmosphere for the perfect delivery of the story.
I had requested and received audible version of this book for free from the author, in exchange for an unbiased review.
What I liked about the book -
It's a good, short psychological thriller / horror story that kept me hooked till the end. It was creepy and I was tense throughout the 1 hour runtime. It manages to pack a twist that I didn't see coming.
What I disliked about the book -
Nothing specific that I can think of.
Narration -
Narration by JK Carpenter was a good match for the content. It build uncanny atmosphere for the perfect delivery of the story.
April 27, 2019
Always spoiler free. I thought this story was mundane and predictable. I kept reading just to see if I was right about the ending because I thought it couldn't possibly be that easy to figure it out. I was wrong. It could have been classified as dark but it barely qualified as dark. It definitely didn't seem like horror to me. I did give it 3 stars because it had some interesting things designed to throw off the readers conclusion, they just didn't throw me off. Based on other great reviews, I guess I just made a lucky guess. My experience makes me not recommend the story. However, I see a lot of people really did enjoy it.
May 10, 2017
Wow! I was caught off guard and that almost never happens! I can only say read it for yourself. I like the moments of dialog between the doctors, but I'm saying too much already. What I will say is that as long as you don't look for every question to be answered the twists will completely fulfill your experience. This is like those stories in the 60's and 70's where everything didn't have to end well. Too many books and movies provide a happy ending, something that is completely unrealistic. I was entertained by this one!
May 19, 2017
Full honesty with no spoilers offered here. This story is not a literary work of genius. But, I am giving this one a full five stars because it doesn't need to be. Splinter can stand on its entertainment value alone. It's easy, fun and even compelling! How much more does a reader need for a story to be worthy of reading. The story isn't "water tight, " but here again, doesn't need to be. I recommend it to anyone who just likes a story that will entertain, and keep you guessing -- this one did both for me.
May 10, 2017
I found this one free a couple days ago and I when I saw the main character had my name well I just couldn't pass it up. Kind of a twisted story with some mystery that the reader doesn't fully uncover. But I'm giving it 4 stars deservedly because the author writes this unbelievable story pretty believably.
There is a good surprise ending that actually made me slap my own forehead and say, "How in the world didn't I see this coming!" Any story that does that to me gets at least 4 stars!
There is a good surprise ending that actually made me slap my own forehead and say, "How in the world didn't I see this coming!" Any story that does that to me gets at least 4 stars!
June 17, 2018
Splinter was a good quick read by Michael Bussa. Adam was confined to a wheelchair after a tragic accident. His sister Ada torments his every day but isn't always around. Adam's psychiatrist tries to help Adam but it may cost him everything. I enjoyed this book and all of it's twists and turns.
June 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW.......
This story sucked. I didn't really get it. Was Aida and Adam the same person? Was it a split personality thing or just pretend? It needed clarity and depth to the story. I really did not like this story
NARRATOR REVIEW.....
The narrator was not all that great to listen to.
This story sucked. I didn't really get it. Was Aida and Adam the same person? Was it a split personality thing or just pretend? It needed clarity and depth to the story. I really did not like this story
NARRATOR REVIEW.....
The narrator was not all that great to listen to.
February 18, 2019
Good read
I liked the story line it kept me guessing, thrilled from the very beginning! I would like to see more from this author!
I liked the story line it kept me guessing, thrilled from the very beginning! I would like to see more from this author!
May 1, 2017
Readers get to meet Adam, an extraordinary young man with a few mental problems, of course that could happen to anyone. At 7 years old, Adam has a doctor helping him, although the issues are deep, complex and a bit unnerving. When Adam is older, a new doctor steps in to help. In Milnor, North Dakota, Dr, Vann is mystified by Adam's past and as he digs into the strangeness, readers are lucky enough to follow along in this twisted mystery thriller. I really enjoyed this short story from Michael Bussa, an author, whose stories, readers are going to love.
January 11, 2018
Check out this review, and many more, on my blog https://jessjesinghaus.wordpress.com
Sometimes in the midst of our crazy and hectic lives we just need to sink our teeth into a morsel of a short story... Something to distract us from our day-to-day toil but without the commitment of hundreds of pages. We just want a quick escape. Well, if you’re in that sort of a reading mood, look no further than “Splinter” by Michael Bussa, a deftly crafted psychological suspense short story that’s sure to surprise you in the final pages.
In Splinter we are introduced to Adam, his devious and possibly abusive sister-slash-caretaker Ada, and Adam’s mental health provider Dr. Vann. Adam’s past is shrouded in mystery, the only clearly known item is that when he was a young child there was a tragic altercation involving Adam’s father and as a result Adam is now confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. Now an adult, Adam’s mental state is precarious to say the least. His interactions with Dr. Vann were short, but within them we get a sense of how truly lost this young man is.
Michael Bussa exhibits an efficiency of prose in Splinter that not only conveys the nuts and bolts of the story but still generates ample emotion. It’s the true mark of an excellent short story author when, after reading those final words, you want to flip back to the first page just to scrutinize the clues: Mr. Bussa accomplished this in spades! Splinter is a highly enjoyable and fast read, sure to please.
**Reviewed for Readers' Favorite**
Sometimes in the midst of our crazy and hectic lives we just need to sink our teeth into a morsel of a short story... Something to distract us from our day-to-day toil but without the commitment of hundreds of pages. We just want a quick escape. Well, if you’re in that sort of a reading mood, look no further than “Splinter” by Michael Bussa, a deftly crafted psychological suspense short story that’s sure to surprise you in the final pages.
In Splinter we are introduced to Adam, his devious and possibly abusive sister-slash-caretaker Ada, and Adam’s mental health provider Dr. Vann. Adam’s past is shrouded in mystery, the only clearly known item is that when he was a young child there was a tragic altercation involving Adam’s father and as a result Adam is now confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. Now an adult, Adam’s mental state is precarious to say the least. His interactions with Dr. Vann were short, but within them we get a sense of how truly lost this young man is.
Michael Bussa exhibits an efficiency of prose in Splinter that not only conveys the nuts and bolts of the story but still generates ample emotion. It’s the true mark of an excellent short story author when, after reading those final words, you want to flip back to the first page just to scrutinize the clues: Mr. Bussa accomplished this in spades! Splinter is a highly enjoyable and fast read, sure to please.
**Reviewed for Readers' Favorite**
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews