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The Passengers You Cannot See
Every story has its beginning and end. But some stories won’t let go. Some stories dig their claws into you. They infect your dreams. They carve out a residence in your mind. They become passengers . . .
Ones that never leave.
Within this collection of short stories by esteemed horror author The Behrg you will discover a haunted house that is not quite what it seems. A trophy collector who prefers living statues to cold ones. A truck driver who, with one good deed, finds more than he bargained for. And a world where happiness can no longer be felt.
Light and darkness. Hope and despair. Depravities and humanity. These passengers and more await. And they’ve been sharpening their claws to greet you.
Ones that never leave.
Within this collection of short stories by esteemed horror author The Behrg you will discover a haunted house that is not quite what it seems. A trophy collector who prefers living statues to cold ones. A truck driver who, with one good deed, finds more than he bargained for. And a world where happiness can no longer be felt.
Light and darkness. Hope and despair. Depravities and humanity. These passengers and more await. And they’ve been sharpening their claws to greet you.
- GenresHorrorShort StoriesAdult
217 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2020
6 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
The Behrg
13 books152 followersMy writing career began in the third grade when tasked with an assignment to write about rain. I opted to tell the story of a raindrop who decided life wasn't worth living and leapt to his death only to discover that really he was being reborn. (You know that whole life-cycle thing).
Yeah, I was a little twisted even back then. Thankfully my teacher encouraged my writing rather than send me for a psych evaluation... (that came later). Let's see...
I was a child actor and starred in recurring roles in Dynasty and Highway to Heaven, and was even in an episode of The Twilight Zone.
I dropped out of college to join a rockband.
I was kicked out of the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland for lobbing rocks onto toy houses.
I have a grave in my backya ...
Oh wait, this is a BIO not a CONFESSIONAL.
Bottom line: I love to write. Thankfully, my family puts up with it. The very act of creating something that might be slightly askew keeps me going. I'm drawn to dark fiction where I find an appreciation for the light. Horror, thrillers, suspense. Things that make you question your own reality or open your mind to look at the world a little differently than you might have before.
I'm grateful to all those who give an independent author like myself a chance.
Seriously. Thank you.
For more about me, my works, (my rants), and upcoming projects, please stop by: my website. I promise I don't bite.
(See, there's a reason they keep me muzzled).
Yeah, I was a little twisted even back then. Thankfully my teacher encouraged my writing rather than send me for a psych evaluation... (that came later). Let's see...
I was a child actor and starred in recurring roles in Dynasty and Highway to Heaven, and was even in an episode of The Twilight Zone.
I dropped out of college to join a rockband.
I was kicked out of the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland for lobbing rocks onto toy houses.
I have a grave in my backya ...
Oh wait, this is a BIO not a CONFESSIONAL.
Bottom line: I love to write. Thankfully, my family puts up with it. The very act of creating something that might be slightly askew keeps me going. I'm drawn to dark fiction where I find an appreciation for the light. Horror, thrillers, suspense. Things that make you question your own reality or open your mind to look at the world a little differently than you might have before.
I'm grateful to all those who give an independent author like myself a chance.
Seriously. Thank you.
For more about me, my works, (my rants), and upcoming projects, please stop by: my website. I promise I don't bite.
(See, there's a reason they keep me muzzled).
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March 14, 2020Friday the 13th = Release Day for this little dark monster of a book!
Now available on Amazon in print and eBook.
Hope you enjoy THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE!!
Now available on Amazon in print and eBook.
Hope you enjoy THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE!!
March 28, 2020
THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE is a collection of fourteen stories and one novella written by The Behrg. The novella, Happiness is a Commodity, I've previously read and reviewed with a full five stars. The rest of the stories range in subject matter from psychological, body horror, backwoods "undefinable" towns, writers, killers, and depression. There was not one tale here that I didn't enjoy to some extent, with the majority being four-five star reads.
Personal favorites of mine included:
--"Driven": The first story in this collection which embodies the full meaning of THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE. ". . . for ghosts--real ghosts--are louder than thoughts . . . " This one really kept me thinking, long after I had finished the reading.
--"One Star": A book reviewer's unusual perspective... ". . . Masks within masks; stories within stories . . . "
--"Kill Your Darlings": While the idea of this one wasn't new to me, the execution of it certainly was.
--"The Lines": A story dealing with depression, but in a most unconventional way. ". . . You didn't need everything to go wrong in order to be brought low; sometimes it was forced upon you when everything was going right . . . "
--"An Ugly Resurrection": I loved the irony of this one! Even when things begin to click into place, the point-of-view keeps this story fresh. ". . . Brought back from the dead for one more trip down memory lane."
I won't say anything about "Happiness is a Commodity", except to tell you that this novella--alone--is worth getting this collection for.
The Behrg is a master at storytelling. In these individual tales, you'll get a taste of all kinds of writing "styles" and themes. This book is a great introduction for someone new to his work, and a definite "must-have" for those that have read him before.
Highly recommended.
Available now: https://amzn.to/33WZWYn
Personal favorites of mine included:
--"Driven": The first story in this collection which embodies the full meaning of THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE. ". . . for ghosts--real ghosts--are louder than thoughts . . . " This one really kept me thinking, long after I had finished the reading.
--"One Star": A book reviewer's unusual perspective... ". . . Masks within masks; stories within stories . . . "
--"Kill Your Darlings": While the idea of this one wasn't new to me, the execution of it certainly was.
--"The Lines": A story dealing with depression, but in a most unconventional way. ". . . You didn't need everything to go wrong in order to be brought low; sometimes it was forced upon you when everything was going right . . . "
--"An Ugly Resurrection": I loved the irony of this one! Even when things begin to click into place, the point-of-view keeps this story fresh. ". . . Brought back from the dead for one more trip down memory lane."
I won't say anything about "Happiness is a Commodity", except to tell you that this novella--alone--is worth getting this collection for.
The Behrg is a master at storytelling. In these individual tales, you'll get a taste of all kinds of writing "styles" and themes. This book is a great introduction for someone new to his work, and a definite "must-have" for those that have read him before.
Highly recommended.
Available now: https://amzn.to/33WZWYn
March 15, 2020
Thank you netgalley and publisher for this book to review. I’m sorry to say that I had a really hard time getting into this book. For one I didn’t realize that this was a book of short stories. I like short stories but I didn’t really care for these short stories .... they left me hanging and the endings were just blah. Sorry!!!!
February 25, 2020
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
Wow.
So, I’ve been following Mr. The Behrg for a while on social media and at some point we really connected and we’ve worked well to support each other when the occasion arises.
Saying that, I was still blown away when he messaged me and asked if I’d be willing to read and review his short story ‘One Star.’ It was fantastic and when he mentioned it was going to be part of a full collection, I was intrigued.
Then, a few weeks back, he messaged again and asked if I’d be willing to give the collection a read which I gladly accepted. I had tried to get this read and reviewed to coincide with the recent cover reveal, but I ended up taking too long! Apologies!
What I liked: Most people know I love super dark, bleak, devastating works and ‘The Passengers…’ ticked off all of those boxes. The opening ‘Driven’ acts as both story one but also an introduction/prologue for what you are about to get yourself into.
No story in this collection I had rated lower than a 4, most were 4.5 or 5 and as I typically try and do, I’ll rate one at a 10 so that when I go back into my notes I’ll know which was my stand out. I actually had two 10’s in this one!
Of course, ‘One Star’ was excellent, so if you’ve read that already, you’ll have a good feeling for what you are in for. ‘The Trophy Thief’ was a fun ride with a psychopath and ‘Scabs’ and ‘These Concrete Walls’ made sure to keep me deeply unsettled.
The two standouts for me were ‘Every House is Haunted’ and ‘Patterns.’
‘Every House is Haunted’ felt like a fever dream. A person talking to ghosts, needs to move but can they escape? Are they a ghost? Just drenched in despair. Loved it.
‘Patterns.’ I can’t really describe. This one was amazing. A person gets questioned about the deaths of others. When someone new comes into contact with them, they all will die in the same way the same number of days after meeting the person. That’s all I can give you! Freaking awesome.
What I didn’t like: I think some people may struggle with how deep and dark this book goes time and time again. It’s definitely not a single sitting read. You’ll want to sit and think on some of them, and while I can’t say “I didn’t like that” for some that may make this a very disturbing read.
Why you should buy this: It really is an outstanding collection and The Berhg is a fantastic writer. He creates harrowing characters and the atmosphere in these stories are individually electric. Each one on their own created so many questions and when you read the back story about how he struggled with depression and worked his way back out of that hole, you can really appreciate that thought that went into each and every story.
This was a fantastic collection. This works well as both an introduction to his writing as well as another great addition for current fans. I know this group of stories has made me want to dive into more of his work.
Wow.
So, I’ve been following Mr. The Behrg for a while on social media and at some point we really connected and we’ve worked well to support each other when the occasion arises.
Saying that, I was still blown away when he messaged me and asked if I’d be willing to read and review his short story ‘One Star.’ It was fantastic and when he mentioned it was going to be part of a full collection, I was intrigued.
Then, a few weeks back, he messaged again and asked if I’d be willing to give the collection a read which I gladly accepted. I had tried to get this read and reviewed to coincide with the recent cover reveal, but I ended up taking too long! Apologies!
What I liked: Most people know I love super dark, bleak, devastating works and ‘The Passengers…’ ticked off all of those boxes. The opening ‘Driven’ acts as both story one but also an introduction/prologue for what you are about to get yourself into.
No story in this collection I had rated lower than a 4, most were 4.5 or 5 and as I typically try and do, I’ll rate one at a 10 so that when I go back into my notes I’ll know which was my stand out. I actually had two 10’s in this one!
Of course, ‘One Star’ was excellent, so if you’ve read that already, you’ll have a good feeling for what you are in for. ‘The Trophy Thief’ was a fun ride with a psychopath and ‘Scabs’ and ‘These Concrete Walls’ made sure to keep me deeply unsettled.
The two standouts for me were ‘Every House is Haunted’ and ‘Patterns.’
‘Every House is Haunted’ felt like a fever dream. A person talking to ghosts, needs to move but can they escape? Are they a ghost? Just drenched in despair. Loved it.
‘Patterns.’ I can’t really describe. This one was amazing. A person gets questioned about the deaths of others. When someone new comes into contact with them, they all will die in the same way the same number of days after meeting the person. That’s all I can give you! Freaking awesome.
What I didn’t like: I think some people may struggle with how deep and dark this book goes time and time again. It’s definitely not a single sitting read. You’ll want to sit and think on some of them, and while I can’t say “I didn’t like that” for some that may make this a very disturbing read.
Why you should buy this: It really is an outstanding collection and The Berhg is a fantastic writer. He creates harrowing characters and the atmosphere in these stories are individually electric. Each one on their own created so many questions and when you read the back story about how he struggled with depression and worked his way back out of that hole, you can really appreciate that thought that went into each and every story.
This was a fantastic collection. This works well as both an introduction to his writing as well as another great addition for current fans. I know this group of stories has made me want to dive into more of his work.
March 16, 2020
This was a great collection of short stories. Some were creepy, some were terrifying, others were gross! I thought they were well written and engaging. A few of my favorites were Every House is Haunted (a creative mind trip), The Trophy (clever, with a great ending) and Reborn (gross!). There was an underlying theme of mental illness throughout the collection and I enjoyed the author's history of each story at the end of the book. If you like scary short stories you should check this one out!
February 29, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc of this book. A pretty creepy,emotional book of short stories. I enjoyed every story and will definitely be recommending this book to others. Now I intend to read more by this author. Thanks so much for the opportunity.
February 22, 2020
Raw, unfliching and emotional. One of the best single-author collections I've read in years. I love collections like these with such an ecclectic mix of dark fiction, where you never know what the author is going to throw at you next. Will definitely be looking out for Behrg's future works.
March 4, 2020
I’ve read a short story or a novella by the author before and found it to be of above average quality for a kindle freebie, so when an entire collection of his work showed up on Netgalley, I figured why not check it out. The results are mixed. There were certainly things about these stories I appreciated, the psychological darkness, the twist endings, the plot surprises, but…and there is a but here, not quite of Kardashian proportions, but still…the writing style didn’t quite work for me. Frustrating, really, because it’s almost good. It’s so close. Maybe a few more years of maturity and practice and it’ll get there, but as of now the stories are ever so slightly to considerably overdone, overbaked, overstylized. I was trying to put a finger on it (not literally to make Kindle define words), but to help me define what it is about the writing that didn’t quite work for me and the best word that came up is pomposity, which isn’t quite right, but close enough. There’s something oddly fustian about it all…much like me using the word fustian just now. A peculiar affectedness to the narration that occasionally distracts from the story. This isn’t a terrible book by any means, none of it, in fact quite decent at times. There are some interesting story concepts with the main theme being that of psychological disquiet in one’s mind, the title refers to all being privately haunted by ghosts and demons of one’s own making, life’s making, etc. The struggle to maintain a good front, while fighting secret battles of your own. A noble idea born of a noble quest to address depression and her ugly cousins, as the afterword will tell you. So basically purely good intentions, a fair amount of good ideas and a weirdly (and most likely unintentional) pretentiousness of style in execution…you know, much like going by the moniker The Behrg. In fact, exactly like that, maybe. Due to various time constraints this took me a wildly uncharacteristic three days to get through and at the end I was pretty tired of it (it’s mostly the final novella that did that, actually), so it didn’t work for me really, but this is the kind of book where user mileage will definitely vary. Thanks Netgalley.
March 10, 2020
I got a free advance readers' copy in exchange for my honest review. Thanks NetGalley and Pricks Like Thorn Media!
The Passengers You Cannot See is a collection of short horror stories by the author known as The Behrg. This was the first book I read by him. The stories in this book were supposed to be unforgettable, carried with you until the end of time.
The one which that description fit was Still Born. As a parent, that affected me the most. Having to live in that nightmarish world after experiencing something like that is one of my worst fears and so it hit me hard.
Every House is Haunted was chilling. After reading it, even though I knew it was impossible, I found myself wondering what if something like could really happen. I also felt that way about Kill Your Darlings.
The story that would be the creepiest for me, however, would definitely be Reborn. Even after reading the entire book, I was still thinking about the creature within this story.
What I liked too was that just like in Every House is Haunted, An Ugly Resurrection made you look at things you would do normally with a new perspective. Like the author himself said in his note at the end of the book, what might be magical to some could be hell to another.
He even touched on mental illness in stories such as The Lines and These Concrete Walls. Those stories made you look at the inner workings of patients dealing with depression and Alzheimer's.
I enjoyed this book and am actually looking forward to checking out more books by The Behrg. I would definitely suggest that readers interested in horror check out these stories.
Suitable audience: This is a book with quite a bit of blood and gore. I would suggest this book be read by older teens and adults.
Recurrent themes: Death. Mental illness. Terror
Violence: Some quite violent scenes of death, both suicide and murder
Sexual Content: None
Profanity: A few instances of mild profanities
Religious Themes: One of the stories took place in a Catholic Church with priests and nuns.
Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: Instances of each scattered throughout the book
The Passengers You Cannot See is a collection of short horror stories by the author known as The Behrg. This was the first book I read by him. The stories in this book were supposed to be unforgettable, carried with you until the end of time.
The one which that description fit was Still Born. As a parent, that affected me the most. Having to live in that nightmarish world after experiencing something like that is one of my worst fears and so it hit me hard.
Every House is Haunted was chilling. After reading it, even though I knew it was impossible, I found myself wondering what if something like could really happen. I also felt that way about Kill Your Darlings.
The story that would be the creepiest for me, however, would definitely be Reborn. Even after reading the entire book, I was still thinking about the creature within this story.
What I liked too was that just like in Every House is Haunted, An Ugly Resurrection made you look at things you would do normally with a new perspective. Like the author himself said in his note at the end of the book, what might be magical to some could be hell to another.
He even touched on mental illness in stories such as The Lines and These Concrete Walls. Those stories made you look at the inner workings of patients dealing with depression and Alzheimer's.
I enjoyed this book and am actually looking forward to checking out more books by The Behrg. I would definitely suggest that readers interested in horror check out these stories.
Suitable audience: This is a book with quite a bit of blood and gore. I would suggest this book be read by older teens and adults.
Recurrent themes: Death. Mental illness. Terror
Violence: Some quite violent scenes of death, both suicide and murder
Sexual Content: None
Profanity: A few instances of mild profanities
Religious Themes: One of the stories took place in a Catholic Church with priests and nuns.
Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: Instances of each scattered throughout the book
May 20, 2020
Review for 'The passengers you cannot see' by The Behrg
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Pricks Like Thorn Media
This is the first book that I have read by this author. I would probably pick up more books if I seen them in the library.
This book contains 15 short stories of horrror. I will review each of the stories individually before giving a final rating to the overall book. The reviews for each story will be short due to there being 15 of them.
🚙 Driven : Approx 4 pages. It was OK and had excellent descriptions. More thought provoking than horror. Rated 3/5 (It was OK).
🌟 One star: Very thought provoking, some gore. Rated 3/5 (It was OK)
🏡 Every house is haunted: Creepy and disturbing. Nice twist. Rated 5/5 (I loved it).
🏆 The trophy thief: Tense and suspenseful but disappointing ending. Rated 3/5 (It was OK).
💀 Kill your darlings: Thought one part was gruesome. Unique story but didn't really 'click' with it. Rated 2/5 (I didn't enjoy it).
🧮🧬 Patterns: Bit of a twist. Well written. Rated 3/5 (It was OK).
🤱 Reborn: A creepy gory horror. Makes you think!! Rated 5/5 (I loved it).
⛼ Resurrection: Quite Gruesome and very short. Rated 3/5
🧟♂️ Scabs: Very gruesome. Power of love. Rated 3/5.
⚟ The Lines: Bit of a long winded one, slightly creepy towards the end. 2/5 (Didn't enjoy)
🧱These concrete walls: Didn't get this one at all unfortunately, just didn't seem a point to it 🤔 2/5 (Did not like)
🍼 Still born: Sad, creepy and scary. 5/5
🚚 Amado: Creepy, good descriptions, suspense, horror. 5/5
😁Happiness is a Commodity: Shame the back story wasn't given to why the world went thay way. Very interesting and thought provoking. The end was also a bit confusing but overall the most interesting story. Rated 5/5
🧠 Reluctance: Another short author based story. 3/5
Most of the stories are based on writers and authors. I decided to read this book as it was written by an esteemed horror author. However, I must say I would only count a few of these short stories as horror.
My top 3 favourite of the short stories are 'Still born', 'Every House is haunted' and 'Reborn'. It is also these that I would classify as horror more than the others.
Some stories sadly felt a bit 'pointless' whereas others really got me thinking and others were creepy.
I like the fact that the author based a few of these on authors as it makes me wonder if some of the things that he wrote about has gone through the minds of writers.
THE descriptions throughout were excellent and in some cases graphic nd the writing in most of the stories was very well done.
After working out the average of all the short stories the rating is 3.4 but due to not being able to give half ratings I will be rating this book as 3/5.
209 pages
£2.38 to purchase or free on kindle unlimited. I think this is a good price for this book.
Rated 3/5 (It was OK) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon.Com and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads for more reviews
#ThePassengersYouCannotSee #TheBehrg #Passengers #PricksLikeThornMedia #NetGalley #BookReview
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Pricks Like Thorn Media
This is the first book that I have read by this author. I would probably pick up more books if I seen them in the library.
This book contains 15 short stories of horrror. I will review each of the stories individually before giving a final rating to the overall book. The reviews for each story will be short due to there being 15 of them.
🚙 Driven : Approx 4 pages. It was OK and had excellent descriptions. More thought provoking than horror. Rated 3/5 (It was OK).
🌟 One star: Very thought provoking, some gore. Rated 3/5 (It was OK)
🏡 Every house is haunted: Creepy and disturbing. Nice twist. Rated 5/5 (I loved it).
🏆 The trophy thief: Tense and suspenseful but disappointing ending. Rated 3/5 (It was OK).
💀 Kill your darlings: Thought one part was gruesome. Unique story but didn't really 'click' with it. Rated 2/5 (I didn't enjoy it).
🧮🧬 Patterns: Bit of a twist. Well written. Rated 3/5 (It was OK).
🤱 Reborn: A creepy gory horror. Makes you think!! Rated 5/5 (I loved it).
⛼ Resurrection: Quite Gruesome and very short. Rated 3/5
🧟♂️ Scabs: Very gruesome. Power of love. Rated 3/5.
⚟ The Lines: Bit of a long winded one, slightly creepy towards the end. 2/5 (Didn't enjoy)
🧱These concrete walls: Didn't get this one at all unfortunately, just didn't seem a point to it 🤔 2/5 (Did not like)
🍼 Still born: Sad, creepy and scary. 5/5
🚚 Amado: Creepy, good descriptions, suspense, horror. 5/5
😁Happiness is a Commodity: Shame the back story wasn't given to why the world went thay way. Very interesting and thought provoking. The end was also a bit confusing but overall the most interesting story. Rated 5/5
🧠 Reluctance: Another short author based story. 3/5
Most of the stories are based on writers and authors. I decided to read this book as it was written by an esteemed horror author. However, I must say I would only count a few of these short stories as horror.
My top 3 favourite of the short stories are 'Still born', 'Every House is haunted' and 'Reborn'. It is also these that I would classify as horror more than the others.
Some stories sadly felt a bit 'pointless' whereas others really got me thinking and others were creepy.
I like the fact that the author based a few of these on authors as it makes me wonder if some of the things that he wrote about has gone through the minds of writers.
THE descriptions throughout were excellent and in some cases graphic nd the writing in most of the stories was very well done.
After working out the average of all the short stories the rating is 3.4 but due to not being able to give half ratings I will be rating this book as 3/5.
209 pages
£2.38 to purchase or free on kindle unlimited. I think this is a good price for this book.
Rated 3/5 (It was OK) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon.Com and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads for more reviews
#ThePassengersYouCannotSee #TheBehrg #Passengers #PricksLikeThornMedia #NetGalley #BookReview
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
March 11, 2020
This is an eclectic collection of dark tales that run the gamut from supernatural horror to fantasy/sci fi.
Some of these stories were better than others, a few I felt were a bit vague when it came to the ending. My favorites all involved children, as I'm sure I have told you more than once kids creep me out anyway! From the horror that befalls those who take in an abandoned baby in "Reborn" to the complete and utter devastation of coming home from the maternity ward in need of a tiny coffin instead of a crib in "Still Born", those were the tales in this collection that most resonated with me. "Amado" also involved children as an attempted rescue goes awry. I just can't say that I enjoyed the rest of the book as much as those three stories.
I received an advance copy for review.
Some of these stories were better than others, a few I felt were a bit vague when it came to the ending. My favorites all involved children, as I'm sure I have told you more than once kids creep me out anyway! From the horror that befalls those who take in an abandoned baby in "Reborn" to the complete and utter devastation of coming home from the maternity ward in need of a tiny coffin instead of a crib in "Still Born", those were the tales in this collection that most resonated with me. "Amado" also involved children as an attempted rescue goes awry. I just can't say that I enjoyed the rest of the book as much as those three stories.
I received an advance copy for review.
April 29, 2020
The passengers you cannot see is a collection of 14 short stories and a novella by The Behrg. All ranging from a plethora of out of the box and mind bending topics, but mostly with an aspect of horror in it, though sometimes very subtle. There is psychological horror, body horror, somewhat vampirish, cannibalistic creatures and town folks, haunted houses, ghosts, murderous authors, and crazy book reviewers (yes you read that right!). So, basically there is something for everyone, if you have a taste for crazy, and trust me none of it is clichéd or anything like you’ve ever read before, these stories are so out there. What’s incredible is that all these stories have an underlying emotion very subtly hinted and told between the lines that kind of explains why the characters did what they did, despair and depression being on top of that list.
There wasn’t a single story that I didn’t take something from and liked something about it. That said, some of the stories were beyond me and I couldn’t make much sense of where they went with the snap of a finger, the ideas they are based on however, are definitely very intriguing and the writing is just fascinating. Most of these stories have quite an open ending and it takes quite a bit of imagination and your own ability to join links and to understand what might have happened at the end and where it’d have gone from that point. Recommended if you like short stories that speak to your imagination and turn the gears of your mind.
There is also a kind of a behind the scenes, heartwarming note by the author at end of the book, sharing whys and hows of these stories, and what inspired him to write these, his struggle with depression one of the major contributing factor. He also calls out anyone struggling with depression to feel free to reach out to him if they need help.
There wasn’t a single story that I didn’t take something from and liked something about it. That said, some of the stories were beyond me and I couldn’t make much sense of where they went with the snap of a finger, the ideas they are based on however, are definitely very intriguing and the writing is just fascinating. Most of these stories have quite an open ending and it takes quite a bit of imagination and your own ability to join links and to understand what might have happened at the end and where it’d have gone from that point. Recommended if you like short stories that speak to your imagination and turn the gears of your mind.
There is also a kind of a behind the scenes, heartwarming note by the author at end of the book, sharing whys and hows of these stories, and what inspired him to write these, his struggle with depression one of the major contributing factor. He also calls out anyone struggling with depression to feel free to reach out to him if they need help.
July 2, 2020
Well, I would give this book 3.5 to be precise. This is the first time I am reading a work of this author. 'The passengers you cannot see' is a collection of 15 horror stories. While some of them were bone-chilling gems, others were not so captivating and flat. My favorite stories are One Star, Scabs, Still Born and Happiness is a Commodity. Especially, happiness is a commodity which is the longest story in this collection. I mostly tend to not like collection of stories but this book was above average for me. Themes included in this book are dystopia, horror, mental health etc. The book ends in a happy and positive note while also retaining the horror factor of it.
February 28, 2020
There were some really insightful flashes of genius in some of the stories, a decent amount of spooky creepiness, and some that were just downright weird or draggy, but all in all a good collection of dread-inducing reads.
February 26, 2020
I've heard about this author, but this is the first book I've read of his. I was pleasantly surprised, I normally do not like collections of short stories but this is dark fiction, emotional and awesome! Behrg is really a fantastic writer and I will be keep an eye out for his other work.
Thank for NetGalley and the author for a chance to read this
Thank for NetGalley and the author for a chance to read this
April 22, 2020
**Received an eARC from Netgalley and Victory Editing for an honest review**
'The Passengers You Cannot See' is the collection of 15 short horror stories, and you have all different sub-genres of horror in these stories. Few of them I really liked & few were either disappointing or too boring for me.
Stories I really liked :
- One Star Review : Creepy & dark side of a writer, I really liked the twist in this one
- Kill Your Darlings : It was really disturbing and I liked the concept very much
- Patterns : This one was kind of psychological and paranormal horror, and the twist completely took me by surprise.
- Stillborn: Another one with creepy & cool concept, really liked this one.
Apart from this, there were few stories I thought had so much potential but due to the writing style author chose, made them so vague and kind of pointless that I lost my interest. And few were just underwhelming and not scary at all.
I really liked the concept but the writing style was so not for me.
Blog Link | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
'The Passengers You Cannot See' is the collection of 15 short horror stories, and you have all different sub-genres of horror in these stories. Few of them I really liked & few were either disappointing or too boring for me.
Stories I really liked :
- One Star Review : Creepy & dark side of a writer, I really liked the twist in this one
- Kill Your Darlings : It was really disturbing and I liked the concept very much
- Patterns : This one was kind of psychological and paranormal horror, and the twist completely took me by surprise.
- Stillborn: Another one with creepy & cool concept, really liked this one.
Apart from this, there were few stories I thought had so much potential but due to the writing style author chose, made them so vague and kind of pointless that I lost my interest. And few were just underwhelming and not scary at all.
I really liked the concept but the writing style was so not for me.
Blog Link | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
April 20, 2020
3.5 STARS
Every story has its beginning and end. But some stories won’t let go. Some stories dig their claws into you. They infect your dreams. They carve out a residence in your mind. They become passengers . . .Ones that never leave.
Light and darkness. Hope and despair. Depravities and humanity. These passengers and more await. And they’ve been sharpening their claws to greet you.
.
.
.
First off I want to point out that by no means am I typically a fan of short story anthologies. (I think I still have flashbacks to high school English and being forced to read them!) However, the synopsis of THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE drew me in and made me take the short story plunge.
This anthology gave me massive "Black Mirror" vibes - so many of the stories went in completely unexpected directions and I actually went back and re-read a few of them to really savour and enjoy the dark, twisted nature of Behrg's writing. THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE does not rely on gore or jump scares to capture your attention. Instead, the stories creep under your skin and cause the hair on the back of your neck to rise. They are a look into the dark psyche of human nature and underneath all the poetry and prose an exploration of what it means to struggle with mental health and addiction.
The reason this anthology didn't gain a higher rating from me was less about my aversion to short stories and novellas and more the fact that some of Behrg's stories were well written and interesting,...and some were not. If you choose to pick this one up I highly recommend "Driven", "One Star", "Kill Your Darlings" and the longer novella "Happiness is a Commodity" as I felt these were the most thought provoking of the anthology.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC copy. THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE is out now!
Every story has its beginning and end. But some stories won’t let go. Some stories dig their claws into you. They infect your dreams. They carve out a residence in your mind. They become passengers . . .Ones that never leave.
Light and darkness. Hope and despair. Depravities and humanity. These passengers and more await. And they’ve been sharpening their claws to greet you.
.
.
.
First off I want to point out that by no means am I typically a fan of short story anthologies. (I think I still have flashbacks to high school English and being forced to read them!) However, the synopsis of THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE drew me in and made me take the short story plunge.
This anthology gave me massive "Black Mirror" vibes - so many of the stories went in completely unexpected directions and I actually went back and re-read a few of them to really savour and enjoy the dark, twisted nature of Behrg's writing. THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE does not rely on gore or jump scares to capture your attention. Instead, the stories creep under your skin and cause the hair on the back of your neck to rise. They are a look into the dark psyche of human nature and underneath all the poetry and prose an exploration of what it means to struggle with mental health and addiction.
The reason this anthology didn't gain a higher rating from me was less about my aversion to short stories and novellas and more the fact that some of Behrg's stories were well written and interesting,...and some were not. If you choose to pick this one up I highly recommend "Driven", "One Star", "Kill Your Darlings" and the longer novella "Happiness is a Commodity" as I felt these were the most thought provoking of the anthology.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC copy. THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE is out now!
March 15, 2020
I got a free advance readers' copy in exchange for my honest review.
I don't often read this genre or short stories, and this was actually a nice change in my reading repertoire. It reminded me a lot of the show Black Mirror, since every story was totally different but also had a very creepy edge to it, and either a supernatural or futuristic element. I especially liked Still Born - what a true nightmare!!! And Happiness as a Commodity was really good too because it's very much the dystopian future, which we all know is coming right?! If you normally like this genre you'll probably love it. If you don't, it might be nice to throw something new into the mix!
I don't often read this genre or short stories, and this was actually a nice change in my reading repertoire. It reminded me a lot of the show Black Mirror, since every story was totally different but also had a very creepy edge to it, and either a supernatural or futuristic element. I especially liked Still Born - what a true nightmare!!! And Happiness as a Commodity was really good too because it's very much the dystopian future, which we all know is coming right?! If you normally like this genre you'll probably love it. If you don't, it might be nice to throw something new into the mix!
March 4, 2020
So, this is my first encounter with this author. I've never even heard of him until I came across this book on Netgalley but, Oh my! These stories are great. Like not in the sense where the sun is shining or anything like that but great as in the manner as they are raw, emotional and they definitely have the creepy factor. But, in a sense they amaze me because of the way the author writes about the passengers in the different characters lives. I really enjoyed that! This is a really darker side of fiction and horror but I will definitely be looking at more of his work. I really enjoyed the unique experience with the perspectives and his style of writing.
May 14, 2020
When I first started The Passengers You Cannot See, I found myself very confused. My confusion had nothing to do with the writing, just the fact that I overlooked that this is a collection, not a novel. After reading half of the book and wondering what the heck was going on, my brain kick-started and once again I am reminded why The Behrg is one of my favorite horror writers.
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.
September 11, 2021
‘Light and darkness. Hope and despair. Depravities and humanity. These passengers and more await. And they’ve been sharping their claws for you.’
THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE, a collection of dark horror stories is the first book that I have read by The Behrg, and one that I highly recommend.
Some of my favorite short stories from this collection are:
‘Driven’
‘One Star - Loved It!
‘The Trophy Thief’
‘Kill Your Darlings’ - Loved It!
‘Patterns’
‘Reborn’
‘An Ugly Resurrection’
‘Scabs’
‘The Lines’
‘Still Born’ - My Heart!
‘Amado’
‘Reluctance’
Thank you, NetGalley and Pricks Like Thorn Media Publishing, for loaning me an eBook of THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE in exchange for an honest review.
THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE, a collection of dark horror stories is the first book that I have read by The Behrg, and one that I highly recommend.
Some of my favorite short stories from this collection are:
‘Driven’
‘One Star - Loved It!
‘The Trophy Thief’
‘Kill Your Darlings’ - Loved It!
‘Patterns’
‘Reborn’
‘An Ugly Resurrection’
‘Scabs’
‘The Lines’
‘Still Born’ - My Heart!
‘Amado’
‘Reluctance’
Thank you, NetGalley and Pricks Like Thorn Media Publishing, for loaning me an eBook of THE PASSENGERS YOU CANNOT SEE in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2022
I received an advanced digital copy of this book, courtesy of the author and publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
RTC
This was amazing. Read it. Read it now!
FULL REVIEW SOON TO COME.
RTC
This was amazing. Read it. Read it now!
FULL REVIEW SOON TO COME.
May 2, 2020
Well, first of all, let’s talk about that author name, shall we? Behrg – or, as his website says, ‘The Behrg’. It shows a certain kind of confidence (arrogance?) to go by a single name, doesn’t it? Madonna. Cher. Bono. Prince. So my first thought on seeing this book was: Let’s see if this guy lives up to his own implied hype.
The Passengers You Cannot See is a collection of fourteen short stories and a novella. I’m not generally one to give trigger warnings, but if mental health issues and specifically suicide are your personal triggers, then approach this book with extreme caution. Behrg (THE Behrg?) takes us up one dark and twisted road within the human mind and down another, the overarching theme of mental disorder like a streak of silver through the colletive rock of the stories.
The book starts off with the story “Driven”, from which the title line derives. Immediately I was struck by the haunting style of writing, a sadness and helplessness carrying through from one sentence to the next. Then there are stories like “Reborn” and “Amado”, which reminded me of certain 1970s horror classics in all their gory splendor. Also included are the stories “Every House is Haunted” and “One Star”, with surprise endings that just almost have you laughing at the genius of it. And if you really want to laugh, “An Ugly Resurrection” puts a hilariously horrific spin on a classic Christmas song.
There are grotesqueries aplenty here, from sucking walls to cancerous scabs ((shudder)), but underneath it all there is a deeper vein of the awareness of the darker emotions: sadness, grief, despair, loneliness, desolation, helplessness. The one story I had a difficult time getting through was “Still Born”, having personally experienced the crippling grief of infant loss in my own life. Even nine years after the fact for me, it seemed too soon to breach this particular wall. So perhaps an extra trigger warning there.
The novella of the collection, “Happiness is a Commodity”, mixes a dystopian future with a side of conspiracy theory and a heaping helping of questioning-everything-in-life for dessert.
So, back to my original question. Has this author earned the right to title himself simply ‘The Behrg’? Well, I don’t know that he’s quite reached the status of ‘King’, ‘Barker’, or ‘Koontz’ just yet…but he’s definitely one to keep an eye on. Final conclusion: The Passengers You Cannot See is a collection of the horrifying and heartbreaking, and I recommend it to anyone with the mental strength to survive it.
“Every novel results in death. The deaths of every character within the story – including those who survive. For regardless of whether there’s a happy ending, or a denouement with promise of more to come, the character’s lives – their stories – come to an end.”
{‘One Star’}
This review was posted to Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, and my personal blog.
The Passengers You Cannot See is a collection of fourteen short stories and a novella. I’m not generally one to give trigger warnings, but if mental health issues and specifically suicide are your personal triggers, then approach this book with extreme caution. Behrg (THE Behrg?) takes us up one dark and twisted road within the human mind and down another, the overarching theme of mental disorder like a streak of silver through the colletive rock of the stories.
The book starts off with the story “Driven”, from which the title line derives. Immediately I was struck by the haunting style of writing, a sadness and helplessness carrying through from one sentence to the next. Then there are stories like “Reborn” and “Amado”, which reminded me of certain 1970s horror classics in all their gory splendor. Also included are the stories “Every House is Haunted” and “One Star”, with surprise endings that just almost have you laughing at the genius of it. And if you really want to laugh, “An Ugly Resurrection” puts a hilariously horrific spin on a classic Christmas song.
There are grotesqueries aplenty here, from sucking walls to cancerous scabs ((shudder)), but underneath it all there is a deeper vein of the awareness of the darker emotions: sadness, grief, despair, loneliness, desolation, helplessness. The one story I had a difficult time getting through was “Still Born”, having personally experienced the crippling grief of infant loss in my own life. Even nine years after the fact for me, it seemed too soon to breach this particular wall. So perhaps an extra trigger warning there.
The novella of the collection, “Happiness is a Commodity”, mixes a dystopian future with a side of conspiracy theory and a heaping helping of questioning-everything-in-life for dessert.
So, back to my original question. Has this author earned the right to title himself simply ‘The Behrg’? Well, I don’t know that he’s quite reached the status of ‘King’, ‘Barker’, or ‘Koontz’ just yet…but he’s definitely one to keep an eye on. Final conclusion: The Passengers You Cannot See is a collection of the horrifying and heartbreaking, and I recommend it to anyone with the mental strength to survive it.
“Every novel results in death. The deaths of every character within the story – including those who survive. For regardless of whether there’s a happy ending, or a denouement with promise of more to come, the character’s lives – their stories – come to an end.”
{‘One Star’}
This review was posted to Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, and my personal blog.
April 16, 2020
I first learned of the author named Behrg through Drew at The Tattooed Book Geek (ICYMI). Drew had read and reviewed The Behrg’s short story One Star and highly recommended it so of course I – and my newly found love for short stories – had to check that out. Drew was absolutely right, it was a hell yeah short story. I promptly signed up for The Behrg’s newsletter, was gifted a few other short stories and a while later I got the notification that his short story collection The Passengers You Cannot See was up for request on NetGalley. Despite my self-imposed NetGalley ban I headed over to NetGalley right away, and I’m very happy that I did, because this is one of my favourite collections this year, if not ever.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I am very difficult to please when it comes to short story collections and anthologies. It is very rare for me to love each and every story in a collection, but I loved each and every story in this one. I even loved the author’s notes on the stories, in which he explains how they came about. These are very personal, and I admire and am very thankful for the openness and frankness with which the author addresses his own mental health issues.
These stories all have three things in common:
1. Despite the fact that all but one of the stories are quite short, the author manages to make them twisty and surprising but in a manner that makes total sense.
2. All the stories have at least two layers. You can take them at face value, read what is there and nothing more, and they are highly entertaining that way. You can also look a bit further, at what’s just below the surface. If you look at them that way you notice that mental illness in all its shapes and sizes is the general underlying theme. The author’s notes help you to see this other meaning because it’s more obvious in some stories than others.
3. All of these stories are scary. Some I’d qualify as thrillers, others veer more into the horror genre. There’s some dystopia and some drama, and one that might even qualify as a love story if you really try. But all of them are scary in their own unique way, because though fiction they are real, or because they hit close to home, or because they remind us that we are fragile, or because they’re a reminder of the tough balancing act each and every one of us is performing each and every day.
Despite loving all the stories, I still have favourites. One Star is definitely still one of them. This story is about a blogger who has written a one-star review of a book and the author of the book read it and committed suicide. The blogger is left dealing with the aftermath of that. It’s about the price of fame and about appearances and even though I knew what was coming this second time around, I was still astounded at the cleverness of it all.
Another favourite is Every House Is Haunted. It’s just such an awesome story, starts out really creepy, then the revelation comes, taking me completely by surprise, I had NOT seen that shit coming, maybe you’re smarter or quicker than I am and you’ll figure it out but I sure as hell didn’t, and it’s a premier example of the tale that sets you on edge because you feel something is not quite right but you can’t put your finger on it, until the finale gives you the shock and the relief you’ve been waiting for.
The long and short of it is: if you enjoy short stories, please do yourself a favour and give this one a whirl. They are well-written and imaginative, and they make for a great collection!
Many thanks to Pricks Like Thorn Media and NetGalley for the eARC! All my opinions are my own.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I am very difficult to please when it comes to short story collections and anthologies. It is very rare for me to love each and every story in a collection, but I loved each and every story in this one. I even loved the author’s notes on the stories, in which he explains how they came about. These are very personal, and I admire and am very thankful for the openness and frankness with which the author addresses his own mental health issues.
These stories all have three things in common:
1. Despite the fact that all but one of the stories are quite short, the author manages to make them twisty and surprising but in a manner that makes total sense.
2. All the stories have at least two layers. You can take them at face value, read what is there and nothing more, and they are highly entertaining that way. You can also look a bit further, at what’s just below the surface. If you look at them that way you notice that mental illness in all its shapes and sizes is the general underlying theme. The author’s notes help you to see this other meaning because it’s more obvious in some stories than others.
3. All of these stories are scary. Some I’d qualify as thrillers, others veer more into the horror genre. There’s some dystopia and some drama, and one that might even qualify as a love story if you really try. But all of them are scary in their own unique way, because though fiction they are real, or because they hit close to home, or because they remind us that we are fragile, or because they’re a reminder of the tough balancing act each and every one of us is performing each and every day.
Despite loving all the stories, I still have favourites. One Star is definitely still one of them. This story is about a blogger who has written a one-star review of a book and the author of the book read it and committed suicide. The blogger is left dealing with the aftermath of that. It’s about the price of fame and about appearances and even though I knew what was coming this second time around, I was still astounded at the cleverness of it all.
Another favourite is Every House Is Haunted. It’s just such an awesome story, starts out really creepy, then the revelation comes, taking me completely by surprise, I had NOT seen that shit coming, maybe you’re smarter or quicker than I am and you’ll figure it out but I sure as hell didn’t, and it’s a premier example of the tale that sets you on edge because you feel something is not quite right but you can’t put your finger on it, until the finale gives you the shock and the relief you’ve been waiting for.
The long and short of it is: if you enjoy short stories, please do yourself a favour and give this one a whirl. They are well-written and imaginative, and they make for a great collection!
Many thanks to Pricks Like Thorn Media and NetGalley for the eARC! All my opinions are my own.
May 13, 2020
Behrg’s collection of short stories is a rare commodity within this subgenre of books that there is not a weak tale amongst the lot. This is quite an achievement.
Most short story collections, there is normally one or two weak that tends to pale when placed against greater stories. Behrg has done something that even Stephen King or Clive Barker has failed to do with their collections. He has produced a strong collection of stories that go from cover to cover. I am well and thoroughly impressed.
Starting out with a strange twilight zone type of story that slowly opens the door of what is to come, Behrg shows off different styles, genres whilst at the same time being able to keep the reader on their toes as you are never quite sure what to expect next. Of course, I do have my favourites in the collection which stand out above the others which are The House is Always Haunted, Still Born, and These Concrete Walls stand out for me but this is a very difficult list because in fact, they all stand out.
The reader is offered a cornucopia of tales to choose from. Behrg never misses a mark or takes his finger off the pulse. He is also able to install emotional resonance within each story and his handling of the horrific against the beauty is very impressive.
Overall this is an impressive book and one that has turned me into an instant fan of The Behrg. I will be looking at his back catalogue and I will be delving into this very soon. As an extra bonus, the Afterward gives us a glimpse into the background of each story. This is a definite must read for people who love their fiction dark and thrilling.
Most short story collections, there is normally one or two weak that tends to pale when placed against greater stories. Behrg has done something that even Stephen King or Clive Barker has failed to do with their collections. He has produced a strong collection of stories that go from cover to cover. I am well and thoroughly impressed.
Starting out with a strange twilight zone type of story that slowly opens the door of what is to come, Behrg shows off different styles, genres whilst at the same time being able to keep the reader on their toes as you are never quite sure what to expect next. Of course, I do have my favourites in the collection which stand out above the others which are The House is Always Haunted, Still Born, and These Concrete Walls stand out for me but this is a very difficult list because in fact, they all stand out.
The reader is offered a cornucopia of tales to choose from. Behrg never misses a mark or takes his finger off the pulse. He is also able to install emotional resonance within each story and his handling of the horrific against the beauty is very impressive.
Overall this is an impressive book and one that has turned me into an instant fan of The Behrg. I will be looking at his back catalogue and I will be delving into this very soon. As an extra bonus, the Afterward gives us a glimpse into the background of each story. This is a definite must read for people who love their fiction dark and thrilling.
April 10, 2020
The Passengers You Cannot See by The Behrg is a scintillating anthology of thought-provoking short stories.
The author states that many of the stories developed through his own experiences and thoughts, and this makes it a complex investigation into the human psyche with macabre and horrific twists along the way.
Every one of these stories is worth reading and leaves you feeling just that little bit uncomfortable – the goal of the writer I’m sure! The ones that particularly stood out for me were “Reborn” (a baby is abandoned on the steps of a church), “Still Born” (when you come home from the hospital with a coffin instead of a baby) and “Kill Your Darlings” (an author writes what he knows). And of course, the novella included, “Happiness is a Commodity” is so real it’s disturbing!
I loved it!
#netgalley #thepassengersyoucannotsee #thebehrg #prickslikethornmedia
The author states that many of the stories developed through his own experiences and thoughts, and this makes it a complex investigation into the human psyche with macabre and horrific twists along the way.
Every one of these stories is worth reading and leaves you feeling just that little bit uncomfortable – the goal of the writer I’m sure! The ones that particularly stood out for me were “Reborn” (a baby is abandoned on the steps of a church), “Still Born” (when you come home from the hospital with a coffin instead of a baby) and “Kill Your Darlings” (an author writes what he knows). And of course, the novella included, “Happiness is a Commodity” is so real it’s disturbing!
I loved it!
#netgalley #thepassengersyoucannotsee #thebehrg #prickslikethornmedia
March 9, 2020
This book is a collection of short stories revolving around the genre of horror. 4 stars for this piece of gorey art. Most collections of horror stories are fiction, however, this one contains a twist by intermingling fiction excerpts along with one's with realistic flair. Along with the usual "scary story", The Behrg also includes fear of the internal demise in the form of mental illness. The attention to detail and how it flows from every action and emotion is so realistic it's scary. And isn't that what truly makes a successful horror novel? True and unencumbered fear?
April 28, 2020
I vaguely recall hearing about The Behrg from some of my customers and they urged me to read him. I'm embarrassed to say, I quickly dismissed their recommendations, thinking "what kind of name is The Behrg"? It was my loss! I'm so happy I finally took the plunge.. and you should too!
This book holds a collection of truly scary stories. I never get scared while reading, but I have to admit, I didn't want to read this right before bed. The writing was alluring. It sucked me in and wouldn't let go. These stories were so unique, they are hard to describe.
All I can say is.. if you enjoy the horror genre.. you must read this!
This book holds a collection of truly scary stories. I never get scared while reading, but I have to admit, I didn't want to read this right before bed. The writing was alluring. It sucked me in and wouldn't let go. These stories were so unique, they are hard to describe.
All I can say is.. if you enjoy the horror genre.. you must read this!
April 16, 2020
I enjoyed this book. The author has a true gift for writing and I found that I highlighted several quotes that I loved. I loved some stories more than others, a few left me frustrated..."You can't stop the story there!!!" A few stories were weird, others were downright creepy. I look forward to reading more from The Behrg.
March 2, 2020
For many people in my age bracket we were drawn to Fight Club and American Pyscho for all the wrong reasons. We were promised ultraviolence and probably weren't ready for the themes of depression and being outsiders contained within.
I signed up for an review copy of this book having never heard of the author. There are a lot of books coming out by authors I read a lot or books with a lot of hype; so I kinda wanted go just take a shot with this one. Boy, was this a pleasant surprise. Being that it's made up of short stories I was going to do it in chunks while I read some novels I'd be anticipating, but this book was lingering in my brain so much I had to stop a novel 100 pages in and go back.
I made the comparison to Palahniuk and Ellis earlier because a lot of this book is dark. The author here isn't using violence as padding, but there are some difficult subjects here. In one story a couple loses a baby, in another a man grapples with suicide. However, the author does this as graceful as one can without always giving us a happy ending.
Like most short story collections sometimes the author stretch out a little and sometimes the stories falter a little; but even at the worst I still enjoyed most of these stories. This is more to say there may be some stories in here you don't like, but there are some amazing ones in here.
Again I must say this isn't going to be for everyone based on the content, but then again if you've head Stephen King you've tested your limits some too, so I highly reccomend this one.
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