What do you think?
Rate this book
The Prisoners of Stewartville
Everyone knew about Stewartville's dark history. The mining war that led to the prisons. The prisons that brought the corruption. The drugs and the crime. It was no secret that something was wrong with the place.What we didn't know was why. Then Denny and I found that tunnel in his basement. And what we learned—what everyone learned—is that there's no escaping the ghosts of your past. But let me start at the beginning...
157 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 25, 2020
7 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
February 25, 2020
Bravo to Shannon Felton on this, her debut novella! After reading her short story in MIDNIGHT AT THE GRAVEYARD, I was super excited to read more from this author and she did not disappoint!
Beneath a dying town, whose only means of support is the prison, a young man and his friend discover hidden tunnels one night when a brick fell out of the basement wall. From that point on, something seems to spread throughout this already bleak place. Were these tunnels used by escaped prisoners? What's causing the noises in the walls townsfolk are now hearing? You'll have to read this to find out!
Stewartville as a town rang true to me. There are several places here in the northeast that have dwindled to nothing as manufacturing jobs have been moved overseas. Just driving through some of these places you feel suffocated with despair. There is also a severe opioid crisis going on in several of these towns as well. In this manner, Stewartville became an all too well known character in this tale. The despair....the grayness...it became an entity of its own.
Ms. Felton has demonstrated a command of language and characterization that, I'm sure, will hold her in good stead as she, (hopefully?), continues her career in dark fiction. As far as I'm concerned? You can sign me up right now for anything she writes in the future!
Highly recommended!
Available today, here: https://amzn.to/3c6SPAr
*Thanks to Silver Shamrock Publishing for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
Beneath a dying town, whose only means of support is the prison, a young man and his friend discover hidden tunnels one night when a brick fell out of the basement wall. From that point on, something seems to spread throughout this already bleak place. Were these tunnels used by escaped prisoners? What's causing the noises in the walls townsfolk are now hearing? You'll have to read this to find out!
Stewartville as a town rang true to me. There are several places here in the northeast that have dwindled to nothing as manufacturing jobs have been moved overseas. Just driving through some of these places you feel suffocated with despair. There is also a severe opioid crisis going on in several of these towns as well. In this manner, Stewartville became an all too well known character in this tale. The despair....the grayness...it became an entity of its own.
Ms. Felton has demonstrated a command of language and characterization that, I'm sure, will hold her in good stead as she, (hopefully?), continues her career in dark fiction. As far as I'm concerned? You can sign me up right now for anything she writes in the future!
Highly recommended!
Available today, here: https://amzn.to/3c6SPAr
*Thanks to Silver Shamrock Publishing for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
March 13, 2020
THE PRISONERS OF STEWARTVILLE is the first novella I have read by author Shanon Felton. Previously I had read--and loved--a short story of hers. This introduction into a longer work shows that she has what it takes to formulate a great tale in multiple formats.
"People moved to Stewartville for three reasons and three reasons only: they worked for the prisons, they had family in the prisons, or they were in prison."
The atmosphere in this story could not have been more perfect, in my humble opinion. Not only did Felton capture the depression and desolation of the prison, but the entire town that revolves around it. With that as a focal point, it's difficult to imagine anything good in this town.
"There might be three reasons to move to Stewartville but the natives, like myself, stayed because of just one: we'd lost the will to leave . . ."
The prevailing sense of something . . . unnatural . . . was so easy to latch onto here. When the characters feel/say odd things, they are "believable" in this context.
". . . You know you're in Stewartville when weird is normal . . ."
It's their day-to-day interactions that lead the reader to be able to take that extra leap and believe in the . . . .disturbing . . . incidents and the steps leading up to each. I loved the way Felton paved the way for the inexplicable by building a "legend", of sorts, all from the ground up in this town.
"Inmates had built most of the buildings in Stewartville, and I imagine they cemented every brick laid in place with dark and hateful thoughts . . . "
Overall, a very impressive and imaginative novella that left me thinking over the various events after I'd finished reading. The answers aren't spoon-fed to you here, but rather the writing invites you to become a part of this town for a spell and see what your own interpretations are.
"There is something about this place. Something that locks us all in a prison, chained to the sins and mistakes of the past . . . "
I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
Recommended.
Available now: https://amzn.to/38NrDDR
"People moved to Stewartville for three reasons and three reasons only: they worked for the prisons, they had family in the prisons, or they were in prison."
The atmosphere in this story could not have been more perfect, in my humble opinion. Not only did Felton capture the depression and desolation of the prison, but the entire town that revolves around it. With that as a focal point, it's difficult to imagine anything good in this town.
"There might be three reasons to move to Stewartville but the natives, like myself, stayed because of just one: we'd lost the will to leave . . ."
The prevailing sense of something . . . unnatural . . . was so easy to latch onto here. When the characters feel/say odd things, they are "believable" in this context.
". . . You know you're in Stewartville when weird is normal . . ."
It's their day-to-day interactions that lead the reader to be able to take that extra leap and believe in the . . . .disturbing . . . incidents and the steps leading up to each. I loved the way Felton paved the way for the inexplicable by building a "legend", of sorts, all from the ground up in this town.
"Inmates had built most of the buildings in Stewartville, and I imagine they cemented every brick laid in place with dark and hateful thoughts . . . "
Overall, a very impressive and imaginative novella that left me thinking over the various events after I'd finished reading. The answers aren't spoon-fed to you here, but rather the writing invites you to become a part of this town for a spell and see what your own interpretations are.
"There is something about this place. Something that locks us all in a prison, chained to the sins and mistakes of the past . . . "
I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
Recommended.
Available now: https://amzn.to/38NrDDR
February 14, 2021
The Prisoners of Stewartville is a beautifully written novella about a town buried beneath a cloud of despair and desperation. Getting out alive and healthy doesn’t really happen in Stewartville. You either work in the prison, have an incarcerated relative or become an inmate yourself. But our young narrator Casey hopes to get out of the stifling grasp of its looming presence someday.
The book begins when our young narrator and his friend Denny, who is very new to this awful town, discover a big black hole in Denny’s basement when his mom tosses her steel-toed workboot at Denny’s head but misses and knocks some bricks loose instead. What’s a boy to do but investigate this possible portal to hell?! But Casey has lived here his entire life and he knows with every bone in his body that nothing good can come out of crawling into that hole and he Hell Noes himself right out of that basement because he’s unwilling to tempt fate and discover something so terrible that it had to be bricked up! Soon after everything gets even shittier and creepier.
This novella set me up for a spooky boyhood adventure and some of the dialogue was hilariously delightful but what actually occurs is much more insidious and painfully emotional than I ever imagined and to say much else will ruin it so I won’t be the jerk who does that today.
There’s a lot going on in this town and none of it is good. It’s a bleak and brutal read about a town infested with poverty, hopelessness, and despair. You’ll care about the narrator, you’ll hope he’s able to overcome everything thrown at him and you’ll probably want to crawl into a big ball of sad quite a few times as the story unfolds and everything he’s really dealing with here is revealed.
This well thought out and excellently written debut is one that I can easily recommend to dark fiction fans. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½ stars.
The book begins when our young narrator and his friend Denny, who is very new to this awful town, discover a big black hole in Denny’s basement when his mom tosses her steel-toed workboot at Denny’s head but misses and knocks some bricks loose instead. What’s a boy to do but investigate this possible portal to hell?! But Casey has lived here his entire life and he knows with every bone in his body that nothing good can come out of crawling into that hole and he Hell Noes himself right out of that basement because he’s unwilling to tempt fate and discover something so terrible that it had to be bricked up! Soon after everything gets even shittier and creepier.
This novella set me up for a spooky boyhood adventure and some of the dialogue was hilariously delightful but what actually occurs is much more insidious and painfully emotional than I ever imagined and to say much else will ruin it so I won’t be the jerk who does that today.
There’s a lot going on in this town and none of it is good. It’s a bleak and brutal read about a town infested with poverty, hopelessness, and despair. You’ll care about the narrator, you’ll hope he’s able to overcome everything thrown at him and you’ll probably want to crawl into a big ball of sad quite a few times as the story unfolds and everything he’s really dealing with here is revealed.
This well thought out and excellently written debut is one that I can easily recommend to dark fiction fans. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½ stars.
February 13, 2020
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
“There’s only three reasons people move to Stewartville.”
With the opening paragraph, Felton cuts through the gristle and lays out a bleak and sorrow filled existence and good lord did this book resonate with me.
Where I grew up, there wasn’t a physical prison. No, the village I lived in and the town thirty minutes away (the big city to me when I was young!) was our prison.
You’d see it every day. The former jock now working for the village. The cool kids still living at home a decade later, doped out of their minds while they banged their way through the women in the town. The village I grew up in had a population of 100-150. The town nearest us – population 3000. Now it sits around 5000. It’s an odd place to visit because I will run into people in every single store I go into that I went to elementary school or high school with.
The story within this book, is simple. Our main character has a friend, Denny. New guy to town, his mom works at the prison (one of the three reasons to more there – someone works at the prison). One day, while playing video games in the basement, Denny’s mom comes home angry. She throws her steel toe boots at her son, missing with the second boot, which hits the wall and knocks a brick free. The two boys see there’s a space behind the wall, a tunnel.
From this point on, Felton paints the bleakest picture of small-town life. Where bad news travels fast and life can change for everyone in the blink of an eye. Between hearing scratches behind the walls and becoming addicted to a substance to escape the certainty of having no hope, no future, Felton created some truly amazing characters.
One thing that I really enjoyed was how Felton ensured to weave people’s histories throughout. This is something paramount in a story that’s based in a rural, tiny location. Everyone knows everyone and they all have history. Every young citizen of a small place has been friends with every other young person at one time or another. They may no longer be friends, but at one point they were. This was done fantastically.
Silver Shamrock keeps knocking releases out of the park, but ‘The Prisoners of Stewartville’ may well be my favourite release of theirs so far.
This is one that I’ll be recommending to everyone and I’ve added it to my list of books I’m positive will make my ‘Best Reads of 2020 List.’
Outstanding.
“There’s only three reasons people move to Stewartville.”
With the opening paragraph, Felton cuts through the gristle and lays out a bleak and sorrow filled existence and good lord did this book resonate with me.
Where I grew up, there wasn’t a physical prison. No, the village I lived in and the town thirty minutes away (the big city to me when I was young!) was our prison.
You’d see it every day. The former jock now working for the village. The cool kids still living at home a decade later, doped out of their minds while they banged their way through the women in the town. The village I grew up in had a population of 100-150. The town nearest us – population 3000. Now it sits around 5000. It’s an odd place to visit because I will run into people in every single store I go into that I went to elementary school or high school with.
The story within this book, is simple. Our main character has a friend, Denny. New guy to town, his mom works at the prison (one of the three reasons to more there – someone works at the prison). One day, while playing video games in the basement, Denny’s mom comes home angry. She throws her steel toe boots at her son, missing with the second boot, which hits the wall and knocks a brick free. The two boys see there’s a space behind the wall, a tunnel.
From this point on, Felton paints the bleakest picture of small-town life. Where bad news travels fast and life can change for everyone in the blink of an eye. Between hearing scratches behind the walls and becoming addicted to a substance to escape the certainty of having no hope, no future, Felton created some truly amazing characters.
One thing that I really enjoyed was how Felton ensured to weave people’s histories throughout. This is something paramount in a story that’s based in a rural, tiny location. Everyone knows everyone and they all have history. Every young citizen of a small place has been friends with every other young person at one time or another. They may no longer be friends, but at one point they were. This was done fantastically.
Silver Shamrock keeps knocking releases out of the park, but ‘The Prisoners of Stewartville’ may well be my favourite release of theirs so far.
This is one that I’ll be recommending to everyone and I’ve added it to my list of books I’m positive will make my ‘Best Reads of 2020 List.’
Outstanding.
March 18, 2020
I loved this book! It's hard to believe that this is Shannon Felton's debut novel. Her style and the way she wields words suggests a well-honed skill.
Consider this passage from her novel:
"We dragged our feet down sidewalks cracked and choked with weeds, past abandoned storefronts and a market that smelled like old stale blood, and into neighborhoods with nothing but dirt front yards and rusted chain-link fences. But the misery itself? That was like helium, lighter than air, and it quivered above us in the wide open sky so you couldn’t even lift your head in prayer without having to face it."
Beautiful and effective use of language to paint a picture. Felton drew me into the world and horror of Stewartville and I was sad when I reached the end. I wanted the story to go on.
"The Prisoners of Stewartville" tells the story of the locals, most of whom either work for the prisons, are in prison, or have family in prison. The prisons form the bulk of the local economy and dominate the landscape. Stewartville is a grim place to live, a town plagued by drugs and violent crime. As the story progresses, the protagonist gradually becomes aware of the dark undercurrent controlling and directing the events taking place in Stewartville. It's a harsh and often a violent and bloody tale, and I found myself unable to put it down. I, much like the protagonist, found myself swept inexorably toward the climax.
I've got a list of writers for whom I make an effort to buy and read their new releases. After reading "Devil's Dip", a story that appeared in "Midnight in the Graveyard," and "The Prisoners of Stewartville," Shannon Felton is going on that list. I give this book five stars and my highest recommendation.
Disclaimer: I was provided an electronic advance reading copy of the novel by the publisher in return for a review. I received no monies or any form of compensation other an electronic copy of the book. The opinions stated herein are my own.
Consider this passage from her novel:
"We dragged our feet down sidewalks cracked and choked with weeds, past abandoned storefronts and a market that smelled like old stale blood, and into neighborhoods with nothing but dirt front yards and rusted chain-link fences. But the misery itself? That was like helium, lighter than air, and it quivered above us in the wide open sky so you couldn’t even lift your head in prayer without having to face it."
Beautiful and effective use of language to paint a picture. Felton drew me into the world and horror of Stewartville and I was sad when I reached the end. I wanted the story to go on.
"The Prisoners of Stewartville" tells the story of the locals, most of whom either work for the prisons, are in prison, or have family in prison. The prisons form the bulk of the local economy and dominate the landscape. Stewartville is a grim place to live, a town plagued by drugs and violent crime. As the story progresses, the protagonist gradually becomes aware of the dark undercurrent controlling and directing the events taking place in Stewartville. It's a harsh and often a violent and bloody tale, and I found myself unable to put it down. I, much like the protagonist, found myself swept inexorably toward the climax.
I've got a list of writers for whom I make an effort to buy and read their new releases. After reading "Devil's Dip", a story that appeared in "Midnight in the Graveyard," and "The Prisoners of Stewartville," Shannon Felton is going on that list. I give this book five stars and my highest recommendation.
Disclaimer: I was provided an electronic advance reading copy of the novel by the publisher in return for a review. I received no monies or any form of compensation other an electronic copy of the book. The opinions stated herein are my own.
February 6, 2020
This is Shannon Felton's debut novel but I was lucky enough to have a previous taste of her work in an anthology called Midnight In The Graveyard. If you haven't read that one you should. She had a great story in there called Devil's Dip.
Anyway, about this book.
It is told from the point of view of Casey, a teen who lives in a run down trailer park with his brother Shane and his elderly grandmother. It's just the three of them ever since mom got sent to prison for her drug habit. Shane works in the cement plant, and Casey is still in high school.
The first word that comes to mind in describing the town of Stewartville is bleak. What else can you say about a town that grew around a prison? Pretty much everyone who lives in Stewartville is there because they work in the prison, or have family in prison, or are inmates themselves. There's nothing much to do but get drunk or high and sometimes both. There's a long history of murder and mayhem here, and very little hope, so just to be clear this was no happy place even before Casey and his best friend Denny found the tunnel in Denny's basement. Once they did, Denny became obsessed with finding out what was inside and where it would lead to. Maybe if he had left it alone a lot of people would still be alive. Maybe not, because there was already something wrong with Stewartville, even before those scratching noises started in the walls.
I can scarcely believe this was a first novel. Shannon Felton is already quite adept at bringing her characters to life and weaving suspenseful tales.
I received an advance copy for review.
Anyway, about this book.
It is told from the point of view of Casey, a teen who lives in a run down trailer park with his brother Shane and his elderly grandmother. It's just the three of them ever since mom got sent to prison for her drug habit. Shane works in the cement plant, and Casey is still in high school.
The first word that comes to mind in describing the town of Stewartville is bleak. What else can you say about a town that grew around a prison? Pretty much everyone who lives in Stewartville is there because they work in the prison, or have family in prison, or are inmates themselves. There's nothing much to do but get drunk or high and sometimes both. There's a long history of murder and mayhem here, and very little hope, so just to be clear this was no happy place even before Casey and his best friend Denny found the tunnel in Denny's basement. Once they did, Denny became obsessed with finding out what was inside and where it would lead to. Maybe if he had left it alone a lot of people would still be alive. Maybe not, because there was already something wrong with Stewartville, even before those scratching noises started in the walls.
I can scarcely believe this was a first novel. Shannon Felton is already quite adept at bringing her characters to life and weaving suspenseful tales.
I received an advance copy for review.
June 21, 2020
What differentiates The Prisoners of Stewartville from the normal fare is how dark it is. Stewartville is not the home of June and Ward Cleaver; it’s already a haunted place long before the horror enters the scene. This is a place that is dominated by a prison where all of the residents expect to end up one day as either an employee or a resident.
You can read Jennifer's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Jennifer's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
May 17, 2020
Silver Shamrock has done it again. The Prisoners of Stewartville is another harrowing but fantastic release from this indie press. The story, written by Author Shannon Felton, focuses on the small town of Stewartville and the people confided there. I say confided because no one leaves Stewerville. You just end up in the Towns biggest income source, the prisons. Or you end up returning back to the Earth, six feet deep.
This book had me hooked from start to finish. Shannon does an exceptional job at blending genres within her novella. We follow our main character around the town, learning of its residents and darkest secrets, as everything slowly spirals out of control.
I really enjoyed the cast in this story. Every Character is written with strong personality and distinctiveness. I became invested in almost everyone quickly after meeting them, feeling as if I was growing a friendship with some of them.
These characters remind me a lot of the people I grew up with, as does the story. This may have something to do with how invested I felt as we progress towards the end. This story felt hand crafted for me. The pages are easy to fly through with Feltons writing. We have short chapters and a quickly placed story that you won’t be able to finish fast enough. The creeps and scares are written to full effect. To some it up, this story had a little something for everyone and I feel if you are in the horror community and haven’t read it, you are missing out dearly.
5 stars ⭐️
This book had me hooked from start to finish. Shannon does an exceptional job at blending genres within her novella. We follow our main character around the town, learning of its residents and darkest secrets, as everything slowly spirals out of control.
I really enjoyed the cast in this story. Every Character is written with strong personality and distinctiveness. I became invested in almost everyone quickly after meeting them, feeling as if I was growing a friendship with some of them.
These characters remind me a lot of the people I grew up with, as does the story. This may have something to do with how invested I felt as we progress towards the end. This story felt hand crafted for me. The pages are easy to fly through with Feltons writing. We have short chapters and a quickly placed story that you won’t be able to finish fast enough. The creeps and scares are written to full effect. To some it up, this story had a little something for everyone and I feel if you are in the horror community and haven’t read it, you are missing out dearly.
5 stars ⭐️
February 7, 2020
I'm afraid I don't know much about Shannon Felton, a fact that I expect will change. Here's what I do know:
1. Her debut novella is published by Silver Shamrock, something that nobody in the horror community takes lightly.
2. Her story Devil's Dip from Midnight in the Graveyard was a phenomenal opening to a phenomenal collection.
3. She either grew up in or near a place like Stewartville or has an extremely admirable and fertile imagination.
Stewartville is a place where everyone either works in the prison or, well, is in the prison. Meth is a serious issue, and not just among adults, and the kids that live there haven't got a chance. It's a desolate place with a history.
Casey, the voice of the story, has a mom in jail and lives with his older brother. When his friend, Denny, finds a secret passageway in the basement, Denny wants to explore it, against Casey's better judgement. From here on out, things in this already troubled town become increasingly strange and violent, bounding towards its' seemingly inevitable conclusion.
Felton did such an incredible job crafting the town of Stewartville and making it feel lived-in. The reader can feel the lack of hope in it's residents and the sense that they have come to terms with the way things are looms large. Later in the story the violence comes in waves, but is genuinely surprising and upsetting every time.
The Prisoners of Stewartville is one of the strongest offerings from Silver Shamrock Publishing yet, and trust me, that's really saying something. I have no qualms about recommending this book to anyone and everyone. Not for nothing, this is also up there with my favorite Kealan Patrick Burke covers, and something I'm going to require in paperback.
I received an e-Book from the publisher for review consideration.
Casey, the voice of the story, has a mom in jail and lives with his older brother. When his friend, Denny, finds a secret passageway in the basement, Denny wants to explore it, against Casey's better judgement. From here on out, things in this already troubled town become increasingly strange and violent, bounding towards its' seemingly inevitable conclusion.
Felton did such an incredible job crafting the town of Stewartville and making it feel lived-in. The reader can feel the lack of hope in it's residents and the sense that they have come to terms with the way things are looms large. Later in the story the violence comes in waves, but is genuinely surprising and upsetting every time.
The Prisoners of Stewartville is one of the strongest offerings from Silver Shamrock Publishing yet, and trust me, that's really saying something. I have no qualms about recommending this book to anyone and everyone. Not for nothing, this is also up there with my favorite Kealan Patrick Burke covers, and something I'm going to require in paperback.
I received an e-Book from the publisher for review consideration.
February 16, 2020
This is the authors debut novella. It’s one of those stories that stays with you long after you read and wonder why am I not reading more books from Shannon Felton! ..One of the best of 2020!
Nothing is good in Stewartsville, a dysfunctional town built up around a sprawling prison system, an abandoned mine and concrete factory, the town is nothing but abject poverty, depression and drug abuse. The horror of opioid addiction is forefront. The story is written in first person and I don’t think he’s even named in the story? 17 years old, mother in jail and living with his brother and nana, I’ll call him “Little Dude” because his brother calls him that. He does befriends a new boy in town, Denny who’s mother is a correctional officer. Denny discovers an abandoned tunnel behind the walls of this cellar which seems to trigger a wave of unspeakable violent, seemingly random events that threatens the very souls of Stewartsville. No, spoilers.. the author paints a bleak picture of a town harboring demons that don’t always come from the supernatural. Sometimes demons live within the collective hearts built on misery. The characters are well developed and you care about them as they face a growing danger. You hope for their escape and salvation from the evils within. Highly recommended and I look forward to more stories to come from this amazing author. Please don’t let this book pass you by.. 2/25/20 release date!
Nothing is good in Stewartsville, a dysfunctional town built up around a sprawling prison system, an abandoned mine and concrete factory, the town is nothing but abject poverty, depression and drug abuse. The horror of opioid addiction is forefront. The story is written in first person and I don’t think he’s even named in the story? 17 years old, mother in jail and living with his brother and nana, I’ll call him “Little Dude” because his brother calls him that. He does befriends a new boy in town, Denny who’s mother is a correctional officer. Denny discovers an abandoned tunnel behind the walls of this cellar which seems to trigger a wave of unspeakable violent, seemingly random events that threatens the very souls of Stewartsville. No, spoilers.. the author paints a bleak picture of a town harboring demons that don’t always come from the supernatural. Sometimes demons live within the collective hearts built on misery. The characters are well developed and you care about them as they face a growing danger. You hope for their escape and salvation from the evils within. Highly recommended and I look forward to more stories to come from this amazing author. Please don’t let this book pass you by.. 2/25/20 release date!
March 11, 2020
One of my highly anticipated books of 2020 has arrived, The Prisoners of Stewartville, has finally arrived. Shannon’s story in the anthology Midnight in a graveyard served as proof she has talent, and her debut novella cements that.
Felton tells the story of a young resident of Stewartville, who along with his friend, stumble upon an underground tunnel system. Something is afoot in Stewartville, can anybody escape?
The town of Stewartville is just as important as any character in the book. This is a story of desolation, despair, struggling to find your way in a dying town where most are trapped, unable to leave. You end up a prisoner to the town itself, even if you manage to avoid jail.
Felton does an extremely good job showing just how bad Stewartville is. It was easy for me to imagine the residents growing up, knowing that they were destined to end up on drugs, locked up in prison. The lucky ones do well enough to end up correction officers rather than prisoners. Its a very bleak situation, and one that Felton writes expertly.
The Prisoners of Stewartville is a top notch release from a publisher who puts out nothing but top notch releases. Check this one out, and give me more from Shannon Felton ASAP
Felton tells the story of a young resident of Stewartville, who along with his friend, stumble upon an underground tunnel system. Something is afoot in Stewartville, can anybody escape?
The town of Stewartville is just as important as any character in the book. This is a story of desolation, despair, struggling to find your way in a dying town where most are trapped, unable to leave. You end up a prisoner to the town itself, even if you manage to avoid jail.
Felton does an extremely good job showing just how bad Stewartville is. It was easy for me to imagine the residents growing up, knowing that they were destined to end up on drugs, locked up in prison. The lucky ones do well enough to end up correction officers rather than prisoners. Its a very bleak situation, and one that Felton writes expertly.
The Prisoners of Stewartville is a top notch release from a publisher who puts out nothing but top notch releases. Check this one out, and give me more from Shannon Felton ASAP
April 17, 2021
A very good debut novella.
I liked the first person style writing, it gave the reader a more personal take of the town of Stewartville. And the writing itself was well done as well, easy to get in to and follow.
Lots of creepy, isolated locations that the main character and his pals visit knit together into a bigger picture as the story goes on. Is there really something supernatural going on? Or is the town just cursed by bad luck? You'll find out if you give it a go. And if i was you, I most certainly would.
Looking forward to future releases by Shannon Felton
I liked the first person style writing, it gave the reader a more personal take of the town of Stewartville. And the writing itself was well done as well, easy to get in to and follow.
Lots of creepy, isolated locations that the main character and his pals visit knit together into a bigger picture as the story goes on. Is there really something supernatural going on? Or is the town just cursed by bad luck? You'll find out if you give it a go. And if i was you, I most certainly would.
Looking forward to future releases by Shannon Felton
September 21, 2022
Halloween 2022 Read #9
Stewartville is a rundown town with the prison as its epicenter. Between the town and its residents there's no shortage of grit, brokenness, and simmering insidousness. There also lingers a pall; something sinister and macabre that fills every crevice.
This was a haunting page turner. The writing style is superb, yanking readers into the bloody heart of the horror. An excellent read for horror fans.
Stewartville is a rundown town with the prison as its epicenter. Between the town and its residents there's no shortage of grit, brokenness, and simmering insidousness. There also lingers a pall; something sinister and macabre that fills every crevice.
This was a haunting page turner. The writing style is superb, yanking readers into the bloody heart of the horror. An excellent read for horror fans.
February 14, 2020
Shannon Felton's The Prisoners of Stewartville is a glimpse into a depressing town overshadowed by the prison complex sitting in the middle of it. The horrors found in the tired, littered streets are subtle and creeping, and only sometimes coming from where you expect.
I really enjoyed this book. The story itself was engaging, the pacing was done well, and the characters were believable. It was half a look at the effects of a forgotten city where poverty and drug use are the norm and half a supernatural tale of what lies beneath. Both elements were woven together very well and played off of each other so that the reader and the main character, Casey, were never quite sure what was going on until the very end.
The sense of realness is really what made this such a good book for me. The teens trying to find their footing in a world that doesn't seem to have a place for them, the ever-present sense that their destinies were written the moment they were born into Stewartville, the hopelessness and feelings of being trapped. It could be incredibly bleak, but the characters at the center of it, particularly Casey, Charlie, and Zeke, hadn't yet been broken by it. They retained some measure of hope and goodness for much of the story.
I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy fast paced, character driven stories where the supernatural elements play second fiddle to the people involved. It kind of reminded me of The Outsiders in a way, but in Stewartville, staying gold isn't nearly as easy.
I really enjoyed this book. The story itself was engaging, the pacing was done well, and the characters were believable. It was half a look at the effects of a forgotten city where poverty and drug use are the norm and half a supernatural tale of what lies beneath. Both elements were woven together very well and played off of each other so that the reader and the main character, Casey, were never quite sure what was going on until the very end.
The sense of realness is really what made this such a good book for me. The teens trying to find their footing in a world that doesn't seem to have a place for them, the ever-present sense that their destinies were written the moment they were born into Stewartville, the hopelessness and feelings of being trapped. It could be incredibly bleak, but the characters at the center of it, particularly Casey, Charlie, and Zeke, hadn't yet been broken by it. They retained some measure of hope and goodness for much of the story.
I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy fast paced, character driven stories where the supernatural elements play second fiddle to the people involved. It kind of reminded me of The Outsiders in a way, but in Stewartville, staying gold isn't nearly as easy.
March 23, 2020
Who are the real prisoners here, the inmates within the prison or the poor souls who call Stewartville home?
The town of Stewartville is a living breathing, and dying, character within these pages. A hauntingly familiar setting that likens to many places in America nowadays. Run down, closed businesses, boarded up store fronts, an opioid crisis, an economy that revolves almost solely around the prison complex. Clouds of despair and dread hang over the town casting their shadows over all. It seems like there are only two destinations at the end of the road for anyone growing up here, you either go to prison as an inmate or you go to prison as an employee.
Our narrator is Casey, a high school kid who lives with his older brother Shane and his Nana while his mom rots in prison. Fear stews within him believing that he is destined to end up a prisoner in Stewartville like everyone else ends up. One day Casey and his friend Denny stumble across a secret tunnel hidden behind a wall of bricks in Denny's basement. Whatever is released from the tunnel causes things to go from bad to worse.
From people hearing scratching within the walls to bizarre and startlingly deaths Stewartville is bleaker than ever. With evil lurking at the edge of every shadow Casey takes actions into his own hands as he attempts to change his destiny and break the chains of oppression that have wrapped themselves around the town.
The Prisoners of Stewartville is an insidious tale with a creeping sense of dread filled with bursts of violence. I instantly felt for the characters and Shannon's writing brings this story to life. The book went in the complete opposite direction from where I thought it was headed which was very refreshing. I cannot recommend this one enough.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
Check out my video review: https://youtu.be/dAZikkElW6w
The town of Stewartville is a living breathing, and dying, character within these pages. A hauntingly familiar setting that likens to many places in America nowadays. Run down, closed businesses, boarded up store fronts, an opioid crisis, an economy that revolves almost solely around the prison complex. Clouds of despair and dread hang over the town casting their shadows over all. It seems like there are only two destinations at the end of the road for anyone growing up here, you either go to prison as an inmate or you go to prison as an employee.
Our narrator is Casey, a high school kid who lives with his older brother Shane and his Nana while his mom rots in prison. Fear stews within him believing that he is destined to end up a prisoner in Stewartville like everyone else ends up. One day Casey and his friend Denny stumble across a secret tunnel hidden behind a wall of bricks in Denny's basement. Whatever is released from the tunnel causes things to go from bad to worse.
From people hearing scratching within the walls to bizarre and startlingly deaths Stewartville is bleaker than ever. With evil lurking at the edge of every shadow Casey takes actions into his own hands as he attempts to change his destiny and break the chains of oppression that have wrapped themselves around the town.
The Prisoners of Stewartville is an insidious tale with a creeping sense of dread filled with bursts of violence. I instantly felt for the characters and Shannon's writing brings this story to life. The book went in the complete opposite direction from where I thought it was headed which was very refreshing. I cannot recommend this one enough.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
Check out my video review: https://youtu.be/dAZikkElW6w
April 11, 2020
(This 4.5 🌟 review appears on DeadHeadReviews.com) ---> There have been a lot of great newcomers in the last two years, and Shannon Felton is no exception. Her debut – a gripping novella called The Prisoners of Stewartville – is a fast-paced, terribly gritty story that blends crime, drama and horror with ease.
Like The Blinds (Adam Sternbergh), this novel left me in love with the possibilities of the town (which is, essentially, the most important character of the story). Stewartville could be the tree that extends various branches of stories for years to come. That being said, the actual human characters are also fun to follow, despite the fact that many are quite one-dimensional and short-lived. The lead – who tells the story – comes from a broken home (like so many others in Stewartville), one held loosely together by his older brother. Yes, his nana is there, too, but she’s feeble and basically immobile. As such, our lead has free roam of the town. This gives him the ability to disappear from home for hours or days at a time without any real resistance from anyone. You know what that means, don’t you? Trouble. And trouble he does find.
The thing is, people around Stewartville are acting even worse than before, following the discovery of a tunnel in a school friend’s basement early on in the novella. Seemingly at random, townsfolk are killing each other and themselves without warning. One friend suddenly pulls a firearm at a gas station. Another bludgeons his mother to death. This sort of thing continues throughout the book, and almost in passing. By this, I mean little time is spent describing them or lingering on their actions/consequences. Our lead is pretty desensitized, it seems, which is understandable on some levels; however, I would have liked to see some more reaction to the mass hysteria seeming to spread throughout town. Even though our lead does decide to seek out the evil of the town and destroy it, there were still various scenes that felt underdeveloped and skimmed over.
Nevertheless, The Prisoners of Stewartville kept me glued to the page. I tore through this one as quickly as I do anything these days, which is a surefire tell that I enjoyed the ride. Not only did Shelton’s easy writing style make it, well, easy to lose yourself in the story, the story itself is gripping and gritty. I most definitely loved this little book, and recommend it to all. Anything else Felton cooks up better be sent my way – I’m hungry for more.
Like The Blinds (Adam Sternbergh), this novel left me in love with the possibilities of the town (which is, essentially, the most important character of the story). Stewartville could be the tree that extends various branches of stories for years to come. That being said, the actual human characters are also fun to follow, despite the fact that many are quite one-dimensional and short-lived. The lead – who tells the story – comes from a broken home (like so many others in Stewartville), one held loosely together by his older brother. Yes, his nana is there, too, but she’s feeble and basically immobile. As such, our lead has free roam of the town. This gives him the ability to disappear from home for hours or days at a time without any real resistance from anyone. You know what that means, don’t you? Trouble. And trouble he does find.
The thing is, people around Stewartville are acting even worse than before, following the discovery of a tunnel in a school friend’s basement early on in the novella. Seemingly at random, townsfolk are killing each other and themselves without warning. One friend suddenly pulls a firearm at a gas station. Another bludgeons his mother to death. This sort of thing continues throughout the book, and almost in passing. By this, I mean little time is spent describing them or lingering on their actions/consequences. Our lead is pretty desensitized, it seems, which is understandable on some levels; however, I would have liked to see some more reaction to the mass hysteria seeming to spread throughout town. Even though our lead does decide to seek out the evil of the town and destroy it, there were still various scenes that felt underdeveloped and skimmed over.
Nevertheless, The Prisoners of Stewartville kept me glued to the page. I tore through this one as quickly as I do anything these days, which is a surefire tell that I enjoyed the ride. Not only did Shelton’s easy writing style make it, well, easy to lose yourself in the story, the story itself is gripping and gritty. I most definitely loved this little book, and recommend it to all. Anything else Felton cooks up better be sent my way – I’m hungry for more.
March 21, 2020
Surprisingly good novella. It has its creepy moments, it has its twists, it has a realism that makes you think. Tragedy and not a happy ending, but that wouldn't fit with the story otherwise, and it displays its horror badge clearly because of this.
Where it gives the headiest impact is the characterization. Even in brief scenes, you come to feel for these paper folks. They across effortlessly and cleanly as realistic. The dialogue is in the tones of the young and, as an adult with a son, I found it enjoyable.
Where it gives the headiest impact is the characterization. Even in brief scenes, you come to feel for these paper folks. They across effortlessly and cleanly as realistic. The dialogue is in the tones of the young and, as an adult with a son, I found it enjoyable.
February 11, 2020
I was given an e-book copy of this by Ken at Silver Shamrock publishing in exchange for an honest review.
The Prisoners of Stewartville is about as bleak a first novel as you can get and I loved every bleak moment of it.
Best friends Casey and Denny are playing video games in Denny's basement when they find out that there is a hole in the wall and beyond that hole is what appears to be a tunnel. Denny wants to investigate and Casey, who also acts as narrator, is dead set against it. Pretty soon after the discovery of this hole and this tunnel people start to see things (shadows, figures, motion out of the corner of their eye) and those that do commit horrible acts of violence on others and themselves. Did I mention that Stewartville is a town built around a prison? It is; that only makes the story even bleaker than it already is. Casey does his best to figure out what's happening to the town before it's too late. When he finds out the answer is a whole lot worse than what he expected.
I started The Prisoners Of Stewartville at midnight on February 1st and finished it at 6 a.m. that same morning. Shannon Felton held me in complete suspense and breathtaking terror and for a first novel as well as someone like me who reads horror nearly exclusively I will say loud and clear that she absolutely nailed it.
The Prisoners of Stewartville is about as bleak a first novel as you can get and I loved every bleak moment of it.
Best friends Casey and Denny are playing video games in Denny's basement when they find out that there is a hole in the wall and beyond that hole is what appears to be a tunnel. Denny wants to investigate and Casey, who also acts as narrator, is dead set against it. Pretty soon after the discovery of this hole and this tunnel people start to see things (shadows, figures, motion out of the corner of their eye) and those that do commit horrible acts of violence on others and themselves. Did I mention that Stewartville is a town built around a prison? It is; that only makes the story even bleaker than it already is. Casey does his best to figure out what's happening to the town before it's too late. When he finds out the answer is a whole lot worse than what he expected.
I started The Prisoners Of Stewartville at midnight on February 1st and finished it at 6 a.m. that same morning. Shannon Felton held me in complete suspense and breathtaking terror and for a first novel as well as someone like me who reads horror nearly exclusively I will say loud and clear that she absolutely nailed it.
March 31, 2020
A claustrophobic and desolate ghost tale of a small town’s bloody history, and the bleak futures of its occupants who habitually turn to drink, drugs and crime to get by. But is their something more sinister stirring beneath the prison town of Stewartville responsible for the population’s self-destructive patterns?
March 2, 2020
I was certainly blown away by the fact that this was a debut novella for Shannon Felton. I absolutely loved her style, and her writing of the town of Stweartville and the characters therein was absolutely intriguing.
Stewartville reminded me of some of the towns in the southern part of our state that have been ravished by drugs. You know those towns...the sad ones that you may see on the news or pass through, the ones that just look bleak and reek of desperation. They are the towns that anyone rarely leaves because they get "stuck" for one reason or another. No one particularly wants to be there in those circumstances, but they are held there for one reason or another. That is Stewartville...the town with something evil lurking that cannot be escaped.
Casey, the narrator, has a mother in prison and lives with his older brother and grandmother. When he and his friend Denny find a secret tunnel behind Denny's basement wall, they do what all high school aged boys would do, they explore it! Then, whatever was trapped in that tunnel emerges, and strange occurrences and violent incidents increase throughout Stewartville. This all crescendos with Casey attempting to "save" the town from this evil and culminates in an end that I just wasn't expecting.
4.5/5- This was one of those quick reads that you just can't put down until you figure it all out. I will certainly be looking forward to more books from Shannon Felton!
**Thank you to Silver Shamrock Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book to read/review.**
Stewartville reminded me of some of the towns in the southern part of our state that have been ravished by drugs. You know those towns...the sad ones that you may see on the news or pass through, the ones that just look bleak and reek of desperation. They are the towns that anyone rarely leaves because they get "stuck" for one reason or another. No one particularly wants to be there in those circumstances, but they are held there for one reason or another. That is Stewartville...the town with something evil lurking that cannot be escaped.
Casey, the narrator, has a mother in prison and lives with his older brother and grandmother. When he and his friend Denny find a secret tunnel behind Denny's basement wall, they do what all high school aged boys would do, they explore it! Then, whatever was trapped in that tunnel emerges, and strange occurrences and violent incidents increase throughout Stewartville. This all crescendos with Casey attempting to "save" the town from this evil and culminates in an end that I just wasn't expecting.
4.5/5- This was one of those quick reads that you just can't put down until you figure it all out. I will certainly be looking forward to more books from Shannon Felton!
**Thank you to Silver Shamrock Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book to read/review.**
October 10, 2020
I really enjoyed this debut! A wonderfully dark story where the horrors are not just from the hint of the supernatural, but from the bleakness of an unfulfilled life. The small town setting of Stewartville is atmospheric and vividly described. Its residents are all linked to the huge prison in its centre - whether as guards, prisoners or people just stuck in a cycle of poverty and abuse. I thought the description of life in this prison town is harrowing, and I really felt for the characters.
The main character, Casey, lives with his brother and grandmother in a trailer park after their mother was sent to prison. He befriends Denny, whose mother works in the prison and whose house has a mysterious tunnel. When strange things start happening and people start dying, Casey has to figure out whether there is something unnatural or whether it is just the consequences of living in Stewartville. His struggle feels real and I was rooting for his survival. The ending is a shocker and lines up with everything that came before. Overall, if you're a fan of small town horrors this would be a great pick.
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
The main character, Casey, lives with his brother and grandmother in a trailer park after their mother was sent to prison. He befriends Denny, whose mother works in the prison and whose house has a mysterious tunnel. When strange things start happening and people start dying, Casey has to figure out whether there is something unnatural or whether it is just the consequences of living in Stewartville. His struggle feels real and I was rooting for his survival. The ending is a shocker and lines up with everything that came before. Overall, if you're a fan of small town horrors this would be a great pick.
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
October 27, 2022
I am not a huge horror or suspense fan, but have been trying to expand my mind lately and read some things outside my comfort zone. And let me tell you - I am SO happy I picked this book!! It has all the elements of great thriller - fantastically vivid characters and setting, suspense, and that bit of unhinged madness that makes for a killer horror story.
From the opening page, I was committed to the main character, Casey, who narrates this shocking tale. Born in a town surrounded by prisons, a gloom pervades over Casey’s life. Drugs and violence are rampant in the streets, and everyone is on their way to one of the prisons - either as a guard, or an inmate. But when things take a horrific turn, Casey may be the only one who can see what is happening to his already broken town. In the scant 158 pages of this book, the author plops you down right in the middle of Stewartville, and expertly weaves the reader through the fast paced, mind-boggling events that had me gasping in shock more than once! The townspeople jump off the page, the smells and tastes of desperation are visceral, and the suspense is palpable.
I can not say enough how much I enjoyed this book!! I would recommend The Prisoners of Stewartville to the dedicated horror/thriller fans, as well as anyone who may be looking to expand their genre horizons.
From the opening page, I was committed to the main character, Casey, who narrates this shocking tale. Born in a town surrounded by prisons, a gloom pervades over Casey’s life. Drugs and violence are rampant in the streets, and everyone is on their way to one of the prisons - either as a guard, or an inmate. But when things take a horrific turn, Casey may be the only one who can see what is happening to his already broken town. In the scant 158 pages of this book, the author plops you down right in the middle of Stewartville, and expertly weaves the reader through the fast paced, mind-boggling events that had me gasping in shock more than once! The townspeople jump off the page, the smells and tastes of desperation are visceral, and the suspense is palpable.
I can not say enough how much I enjoyed this book!! I would recommend The Prisoners of Stewartville to the dedicated horror/thriller fans, as well as anyone who may be looking to expand their genre horizons.
November 27, 2022
The Review
This was a truly captivating and masterful read. The heavy atmosphere of the narrative kept readers engaged right from the beginning. The rich mythos that the author develops for this story and the evil that infects this town (or is it the other way around?), really do a remarkable job of keeping the reader’s hearts pumping.
The heart of this short horror read is actually the balance of character development and the book’s setting. The thing that stuck out to me was how the people of this town felt very much like a by-product of the infestation that this town had become, as it not only seemed to draw in people who are typically deemed by society to live “on the fringes” but would transform people into their worst nightmares through fear and terror. The protagonist’s story and his confrontation with the evil of this town reflected the status of the town altogether, which became a central character in its own right.
The Verdict
Horrifying, chilling, and entertaining, author Shannon Felton’s “The Prisoners of Stewartville” is a must-read occult fiction meets paranormal & urban fantasy novel. The twists and turns this narrative takes and the larger discussion on the prison system and how society treats those living on the fringe kept me invested in this gripping story, as did the shocking twist final pages of this instant horror classic.
This was a truly captivating and masterful read. The heavy atmosphere of the narrative kept readers engaged right from the beginning. The rich mythos that the author develops for this story and the evil that infects this town (or is it the other way around?), really do a remarkable job of keeping the reader’s hearts pumping.
The heart of this short horror read is actually the balance of character development and the book’s setting. The thing that stuck out to me was how the people of this town felt very much like a by-product of the infestation that this town had become, as it not only seemed to draw in people who are typically deemed by society to live “on the fringes” but would transform people into their worst nightmares through fear and terror. The protagonist’s story and his confrontation with the evil of this town reflected the status of the town altogether, which became a central character in its own right.
The Verdict
Horrifying, chilling, and entertaining, author Shannon Felton’s “The Prisoners of Stewartville” is a must-read occult fiction meets paranormal & urban fantasy novel. The twists and turns this narrative takes and the larger discussion on the prison system and how society treats those living on the fringe kept me invested in this gripping story, as did the shocking twist final pages of this instant horror classic.
September 22, 2024
Found another small town horror!
This one is really good, first time read for this author, and I will be looking forward to more.
This whole book builds on the creepy factor of small towns, and dark corners of humanity, and dark secrets of the past.
I come from a small town, and while I don't think we had anything like this, it still struck way to close to home, small towns, haunted or not, feel the same when you know how dark they really are beneath the surface.
This one is really good, first time read for this author, and I will be looking forward to more.
This whole book builds on the creepy factor of small towns, and dark corners of humanity, and dark secrets of the past.
I come from a small town, and while I don't think we had anything like this, it still struck way to close to home, small towns, haunted or not, feel the same when you know how dark they really are beneath the surface.
February 7, 2022
Shannon Felton’s debut novella, The Prisoners of Stewartville, is a monster. The story is pretty simple, the narrator and his friend, Denny, are playing video games in Denny’s basement, they throw something at the wall, it knocks out a brick, and the behind the brick is a tunnel that goes under the town. This might have unleashed a supernatural force that suddenly makes people in the town start to kill one another in violent and brutal ways. What makes this novella so great, so much more than this plot, is the writing. Felton’s writes these scenes, these these characters, this town, and the bleak futures so well that you feel like you are part of the story.
From the very first sentence of the story, we know what type of town and characters this story is going to contain:
People move to Stewartville for three reasons and three reasons only: they worked for the prisons, they had family in the prisons, or they were in prison. (p. 1).
From there we meet the narrator, who lives with his brother, Shane, and his Nana who spends all day in her room, lying in bed and watching VHS tapes of recorded soap operas. Their mother is in prison so Shane takes care of all of them, giving them a little bit to eat and making sure Nana takes her pills at night. Other than that the main character and his brother can do whatever they want. The story unfolds with them interacting with many of their friends and peers that might be creating bigger problems for them. In the end, it is the thing in the tunnels, the evil that is seeping out into the streets, that causes everyone to lose their mind.
Shannon Felton does not write as much as paint the scenes. Every single piece of this story has details that make us feel the sadness and desperation in every character in this town. There are so many small moments of writing that most readers do not even recognize that have such a huge impact on bringing the story to life. Like when the narrator goes into his room but cannot open the door all of the way because his mattress blocks it. Little details like that tell us that he lives in a cramped space, that there are no other options but to adapt to a life that is not ideal, and that the whole story will be like this, where the doors will open but not wide enough.
Stewartville is a great setting, and a great town, but this is mostly due to Felton’s writing. She brings everything to life by making it clear in our heads what type of people inhabit this town and how the history of the town is dragging everyone down. The title The Prisoners of Stewartville is not only about the inhabitants of the prison but of everyone in that town. There is not a single person in this novella that is not trapped by Stewartville, it’s poverty, drugs, and crime. You either grow up and work at the prison or live at the prison, and those do seem like the only options. This outlook is bleak but it is also seeped into every single sentence of this novella.
I expected a decent novella, one that I would be happy to talk about and forget, but The Prisoners of Stewartville is so much more than that. It demands my attention with a great story and some of the best horror writing I have read in a long time. I could dissect each scene in this novella and explain how great the writing is, and I might do some of this on my own. This is an experience that everyone should have on their own. I cannot wait to see what else Shannon Felton will write.
From the very first sentence of the story, we know what type of town and characters this story is going to contain:
People move to Stewartville for three reasons and three reasons only: they worked for the prisons, they had family in the prisons, or they were in prison. (p. 1).
From there we meet the narrator, who lives with his brother, Shane, and his Nana who spends all day in her room, lying in bed and watching VHS tapes of recorded soap operas. Their mother is in prison so Shane takes care of all of them, giving them a little bit to eat and making sure Nana takes her pills at night. Other than that the main character and his brother can do whatever they want. The story unfolds with them interacting with many of their friends and peers that might be creating bigger problems for them. In the end, it is the thing in the tunnels, the evil that is seeping out into the streets, that causes everyone to lose their mind.
Shannon Felton does not write as much as paint the scenes. Every single piece of this story has details that make us feel the sadness and desperation in every character in this town. There are so many small moments of writing that most readers do not even recognize that have such a huge impact on bringing the story to life. Like when the narrator goes into his room but cannot open the door all of the way because his mattress blocks it. Little details like that tell us that he lives in a cramped space, that there are no other options but to adapt to a life that is not ideal, and that the whole story will be like this, where the doors will open but not wide enough.
Stewartville is a great setting, and a great town, but this is mostly due to Felton’s writing. She brings everything to life by making it clear in our heads what type of people inhabit this town and how the history of the town is dragging everyone down. The title The Prisoners of Stewartville is not only about the inhabitants of the prison but of everyone in that town. There is not a single person in this novella that is not trapped by Stewartville, it’s poverty, drugs, and crime. You either grow up and work at the prison or live at the prison, and those do seem like the only options. This outlook is bleak but it is also seeped into every single sentence of this novella.
I expected a decent novella, one that I would be happy to talk about and forget, but The Prisoners of Stewartville is so much more than that. It demands my attention with a great story and some of the best horror writing I have read in a long time. I could dissect each scene in this novella and explain how great the writing is, and I might do some of this on my own. This is an experience that everyone should have on their own. I cannot wait to see what else Shannon Felton will write.
October 21, 2024
Casey’s hometown is a hellhole, but hell is just getting worse. In Shannon Felton’s debut novella, The Prisoners of Stewartville, a town pays the price for all the misery it’s produced during its history. An interesting look at small-town life in a place with nothing going for it, Felton deftly uses pace to build to an explosive conclusion.
The story begins with a hole in a basement wall leading to a tunnel, an angry mother, and an embarrassing incident. From there, Felton spins this tale into a city-wide drug epidemic and a ghost panic among a small group of friends who have nothing else to do besides get high and hope the future doesn’t land them in the prison that is the town’s main source of employment. Casey watches as friend after friend, family member after family member, are taken by the ghosts, both literal and figurative, haunting the town. Felton follows this story to its logical conclusion and doesn’t pull any punches when she gets to the end. She proves herself as a master of suspense with this story, which reminds me of the works of Stephen Graham Jones and Joe Lansdale.
The narrator, Casey, is easy to feel for. His life is one big struggle, with his mother in jail for dealing drugs, his brother giving up a scholarship to help raise him, and his Nana is too old to help much at all. As things sink deeper into the troubles caused by the ghosts of the town, Casey reacts in realistic ways, both heroically and tragically. His relationships with his friends ring true, but there are two standouts. The way he and his brother, Shane, care for each other in the middle of such poverty is touching, and when Shane begins to sink into drug use, Casey’s sadness is gut-wrenching. Felton also does an outstanding job with the complicated relationship between Casey and Camille, the girl who used to be his closest friend but ended up letting him down. The way he comes to trust her again and the repercussions from that decision really make the ending resonate.
The town itself might be the most important character in the novella. Stewartville was a mining town until a strike led to the company building the prison and filling it full of miners. The burning of the local school in retaliation didn’t improve matters, and now, in the present, there’s nothing there but drugs, the prison, and a concrete factory. Not a place people are dying to occupy. Felton digs deep into the ennui of the local teens and does a great job showing how such a town impacts everyone who lives there, making the location itself a major motivation for multiple character motivations. The way she does this reminds me of early Stephen King. She doesn’t go into as much detail as he would in novels such as Salem’s Lot or The Shining, but considering that this is a novella, I’d say it’s a strong job of integrating setting indeed. I wouldn’t mind seeing more stories set in this depressing town, if she walks the tightrope as well as she does in this story. She balances the doom and gloom with a light touch and strong characterization…and leaves readers with one final terror.
You can buy this fantastic debut here.
The story begins with a hole in a basement wall leading to a tunnel, an angry mother, and an embarrassing incident. From there, Felton spins this tale into a city-wide drug epidemic and a ghost panic among a small group of friends who have nothing else to do besides get high and hope the future doesn’t land them in the prison that is the town’s main source of employment. Casey watches as friend after friend, family member after family member, are taken by the ghosts, both literal and figurative, haunting the town. Felton follows this story to its logical conclusion and doesn’t pull any punches when she gets to the end. She proves herself as a master of suspense with this story, which reminds me of the works of Stephen Graham Jones and Joe Lansdale.
The narrator, Casey, is easy to feel for. His life is one big struggle, with his mother in jail for dealing drugs, his brother giving up a scholarship to help raise him, and his Nana is too old to help much at all. As things sink deeper into the troubles caused by the ghosts of the town, Casey reacts in realistic ways, both heroically and tragically. His relationships with his friends ring true, but there are two standouts. The way he and his brother, Shane, care for each other in the middle of such poverty is touching, and when Shane begins to sink into drug use, Casey’s sadness is gut-wrenching. Felton also does an outstanding job with the complicated relationship between Casey and Camille, the girl who used to be his closest friend but ended up letting him down. The way he comes to trust her again and the repercussions from that decision really make the ending resonate.
The town itself might be the most important character in the novella. Stewartville was a mining town until a strike led to the company building the prison and filling it full of miners. The burning of the local school in retaliation didn’t improve matters, and now, in the present, there’s nothing there but drugs, the prison, and a concrete factory. Not a place people are dying to occupy. Felton digs deep into the ennui of the local teens and does a great job showing how such a town impacts everyone who lives there, making the location itself a major motivation for multiple character motivations. The way she does this reminds me of early Stephen King. She doesn’t go into as much detail as he would in novels such as Salem’s Lot or The Shining, but considering that this is a novella, I’d say it’s a strong job of integrating setting indeed. I wouldn’t mind seeing more stories set in this depressing town, if she walks the tightrope as well as she does in this story. She balances the doom and gloom with a light touch and strong characterization…and leaves readers with one final terror.
You can buy this fantastic debut here.
June 26, 2021
In reviewing books, we often talk about plots and characters but what we really have to talk about here is setting. Stewartville is a place that, as the author says: "People moved [there] for three reasons and three reasons only: they worked for the prisons, they had family in the prisons, or they were in prison." The whole small town is one screwed-up hellhole of drugs, sex, and desperation. There's no light at the end of this tunnel. There's only the slow oblivion of waiting for the day your own despair drives you to become one of those haggard residents in the striped jumpsuits.
Our unnamed narrator (well, named once, briefly, in the last few pages of the book) is a seventeen year old kid, and when he and his friend Denny discover a tunnel behind the wall of Denny's basement, they unleash a creeping terror on the already traumatized citizens of Stewartville. One by one people fall prey to this evil, doing terrible things to each other and themselves.
The story itself was pretty darn good. I read the whole 140 pages in one sitting. The thing which I think kept it from being great for me was a lack of being able to relate to it. A whole town full of people who are constantly smoking or getting high or drunk or paying for underage sex, and who spew a ridiculous amount of profanity...that's not my people. But that's a personal thing. I think there will be many people who can relate very much to these characters and this kind of behavior.
So, all in all, a good one. A story with supernatural elements but really at its core, a story about the dark parts of our souls and the things people do to themselves and each other in the name of easing the pain.
Our unnamed narrator (well, named once, briefly, in the last few pages of the book) is a seventeen year old kid, and when he and his friend Denny discover a tunnel behind the wall of Denny's basement, they unleash a creeping terror on the already traumatized citizens of Stewartville. One by one people fall prey to this evil, doing terrible things to each other and themselves.
The story itself was pretty darn good. I read the whole 140 pages in one sitting. The thing which I think kept it from being great for me was a lack of being able to relate to it. A whole town full of people who are constantly smoking or getting high or drunk or paying for underage sex, and who spew a ridiculous amount of profanity...that's not my people. But that's a personal thing. I think there will be many people who can relate very much to these characters and this kind of behavior.
So, all in all, a good one. A story with supernatural elements but really at its core, a story about the dark parts of our souls and the things people do to themselves and each other in the name of easing the pain.
November 24, 2022
The Prisoners of Stewartville by Shannon Felton is the new Sandra Brown and Heather Graham. Her writing style is similar to those favorite writers of mine. I found her words easy to get lost within as the continued. I found myself feeling the dark edgy cloud hang over me. The emotional rollercoaster ride of fear mixed with intrigue was stunning. The realities of what is written hit really hard with me. As that most of the stuff has happened in reality. This journey was a haunting reminder of what once was and what is now happening. Creepy and heartbreaking this story was well-written. I look forward to reading more by this talented debut novelist. The scenery and imaging are so vivid it's insane! I felt instantly transported from my chair to the sad town of Stewartville. The horror found in the beginning only grows worse as the pages are turned. This is wonderful if one is into dark horror novels. Overall, I highly recommend this book to all readers.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
March 18, 2020
Summary:
People moved to Stewartville for three reasons and three reasons only: they work for the prisons, they had family in the prisons, or they were in prison.
After Casey and Denny find a creepy tunnel in Denny's basement, strange things begin happening. People start to complain about hearing scratching in the walls before going crazy and murdering other people in town.
Casey, desperate to put an end to what's haunting Stewartville, soon finds out that there's more going on there then he ever imagined.
Personal opinion:
I have to admit, I was surprised this is a debut novel. Shannon Felton did an amazing job of bringing bother Stewartville and its residents to life. Not to mention an awesome and original plot.
I would definitely recommend this short, creepy book to anyone who enjoys small town horror stories. I will also be keeping an eye out for other Shannon Felton books in the future.
September 23, 2022
Ever just wanted to ease the pain?
Sure, supernatural elements in a place long forgotten by those on the outside and seemingly, God himself.
The author does a fantastic job of creating Stewartville as well as the desperation surrounding those involved in certain work forces. A small town, often becomes what it is known for. The inmates in an awful place that allows them to be treated as less than animals - citizens of the town working within and living under the cloud.
Sex problems, drug problems.
The town allows you to be an inmate or prison staff. Surrounded by boarded up buildings and an abundance of proverbial darkness, there seems to be no way to avoid one fate or the other.
Have I mentioned the scratching?
A well told tale that brings characters and location to live. Don't miss this short read.
https://paytonblakley.blogspot.com/20...
Sure, supernatural elements in a place long forgotten by those on the outside and seemingly, God himself.
The author does a fantastic job of creating Stewartville as well as the desperation surrounding those involved in certain work forces. A small town, often becomes what it is known for. The inmates in an awful place that allows them to be treated as less than animals - citizens of the town working within and living under the cloud.
Sex problems, drug problems.
The town allows you to be an inmate or prison staff. Surrounded by boarded up buildings and an abundance of proverbial darkness, there seems to be no way to avoid one fate or the other.
Have I mentioned the scratching?
A well told tale that brings characters and location to live. Don't miss this short read.
https://paytonblakley.blogspot.com/20...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews