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Downdraught
Lee and Kerri are two outcast teenagers in a small Welsh border town. One of them will grow up to be a mass murderer; the other will become something even more terrifying.
Growing up as a lonely nerd is never easy, especially when your only friend starts dating the town bully. But when Lee stands up for himself, he’s simply making the first in a chain of catastrophically bad decisions that will lead him to corporate and political success but cost him more than he could ever have imagined.
As strange alien entities begin to corrupt our world, Lee will have to face up to the ghosts of his past and try to save his best friend from the consequences of his actions.
Growing up as a lonely nerd is never easy, especially when your only friend starts dating the town bully. But when Lee stands up for himself, he’s simply making the first in a chain of catastrophically bad decisions that will lead him to corporate and political success but cost him more than he could ever have imagined.
As strange alien entities begin to corrupt our world, Lee will have to face up to the ghosts of his past and try to save his best friend from the consequences of his actions.
- GenresScience FictionHorror
127 pages, Paperback
First published November 24, 2020
3 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 7, 2020
3.5
At its heart this is a story of two friends – Lee and Kerri – who grew up together in a quiet little Welsh town, a pair of misfits whose friendship ebbs and flows over the years but remains an important link between them regardless of what happens between them, and what they each develop into. Of the two, Lee is the main protagonist and viewpoint character, and the story follows the ups and downs of his life from his youthful awkwardness through into adulthood, his changing relationship with Kerri as she moves in and out of his orbit, and the decisions he makes over a lifetime of good intentions which lead to troubling outcomes. The first third of the book is a gently-paced exploration of the two characters, their roots and dreams and the dynamic between them, after which time skips ahead to show essentially a series of vignettes over the course of a number of years.
It’s undoubtedly an interesting story, one that’s very readable and full of great ideas and a great sense of atmosphere. I felt engaged with Lee and Kerri’s friendship right from the off, I like the themes of life not turning out as expected and characters’ pasts shaping their futures, and there’s all sorts of interesting things going on with the SF elements of the story – the sinister techno-organic Reefs and their implications. As it’s a novella, however, as opposed to a longer novel, there’s inevitably a feeling of slight compromise for a story with so much going on. I have a pretty high tolerance for ambiguity in fiction, but for all that I enjoyed this, I still felt that a few elements didn’t fully resolve, and it’s certainly a story that leaves as many questions as it answers.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/12/...
At its heart this is a story of two friends – Lee and Kerri – who grew up together in a quiet little Welsh town, a pair of misfits whose friendship ebbs and flows over the years but remains an important link between them regardless of what happens between them, and what they each develop into. Of the two, Lee is the main protagonist and viewpoint character, and the story follows the ups and downs of his life from his youthful awkwardness through into adulthood, his changing relationship with Kerri as she moves in and out of his orbit, and the decisions he makes over a lifetime of good intentions which lead to troubling outcomes. The first third of the book is a gently-paced exploration of the two characters, their roots and dreams and the dynamic between them, after which time skips ahead to show essentially a series of vignettes over the course of a number of years.
It’s undoubtedly an interesting story, one that’s very readable and full of great ideas and a great sense of atmosphere. I felt engaged with Lee and Kerri’s friendship right from the off, I like the themes of life not turning out as expected and characters’ pasts shaping their futures, and there’s all sorts of interesting things going on with the SF elements of the story – the sinister techno-organic Reefs and their implications. As it’s a novella, however, as opposed to a longer novel, there’s inevitably a feeling of slight compromise for a story with so much going on. I have a pretty high tolerance for ambiguity in fiction, but for all that I enjoyed this, I still felt that a few elements didn’t fully resolve, and it’s certainly a story that leaves as many questions as it answers.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/12/...
December 6, 2020
What an interesting little novella we have here. My second Powell work I’ve read and I have to say, I’m becoming smitten.
++drop of curiosity in his head
+unexpected opening
++breeze to read, a page turner for sure
-/+can’t decide if I like Lee/Kerri relationship
-Timeline rapid jumping isn’t usually my cup of tea
++vivid descriptions, I can taste some of these scenes
+this dude’s luck, oof
-/+I’m not sure if it’s suppose to feel like the end of the work/aliens bombarding attacking, but something feels off with the nonchalant atmosphere of some of these passages, but then again, this guy is in a different position than most so I think it plays well with the dynamics of society
++the weight of a pen
++things are really coming together
++Reef troubles leads to Reef questions
+++these ending bits
+++always been there
++drop of curiosity in his head
+unexpected opening
++breeze to read, a page turner for sure
-/+can’t decide if I like Lee/Kerri relationship
-Timeline rapid jumping isn’t usually my cup of tea
++vivid descriptions, I can taste some of these scenes
+this dude’s luck, oof
-/+I’m not sure if it’s suppose to feel like the end of the work/aliens bombarding attacking, but something feels off with the nonchalant atmosphere of some of these passages, but then again, this guy is in a different position than most so I think it plays well with the dynamics of society
++the weight of a pen
++things are really coming together
++Reef troubles leads to Reef questions
+++these ending bits
+++always been there
May 3, 2023
Lee and Kerri are two outcast teenagers in a small Welsh border town. One of them will grow up to be a mass murderer; the other will become something even more terrifying.
Growing up as a lonely nerd is never easy, especially when your only friend starts dating the town bully. But when Lee stands up for himself, he’s simply making the first in a chain of catastrophically bad decisions that will lead him to corporate and political success but cost him more than he could ever have imagined.
As strange alien entities begin to corrupt our world, Lee will have to face up to the ghosts of his past and try to save his best friend from the consequences of his actions.
Growing up as a lonely nerd is never easy, especially when your only friend starts dating the town bully. But when Lee stands up for himself, he’s simply making the first in a chain of catastrophically bad decisions that will lead him to corporate and political success but cost him more than he could ever have imagined.
As strange alien entities begin to corrupt our world, Lee will have to face up to the ghosts of his past and try to save his best friend from the consequences of his actions.
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August 9, 2023Downdraught is an excellent novella that has plenty of character building and plot throughout. It follows Lee, a lonely and nerdy teenager, as he passes into a difficult early adulthood and on to later corporate and political success, all against the backdrop of an invasion of strange alien entities. I liked how he rose above his troubled beginnings, this despite making multiple terrible decisions in regards his relationship and his response to the invasion. The whole story you are waiting for his past and these decisions to catch up to him and wonder will he redeem himself. A very intense and enjoyable read which I highly recommend.
January 20, 2021
A pacy and intriguing short read that feels like it should be read in one sitting for full effect. Each section felt a bit like a vignette into the character's journey, as the plot unravelled around it, which was interesting and enjoyable.
I had to read the ending a couple of times to make sense of it...but will say no more to avoid spoilers! Interesting concepts as always with Gareth Powell's writing.
I had to read the ending a couple of times to make sense of it...but will say no more to avoid spoilers! Interesting concepts as always with Gareth Powell's writing.
July 4, 2021
I bought this as I usually enjoy Mr. Powell’s writing. I was very disappointed. I just did not “ get it”.
imho I felt both plot and characters were underwritten.
imho I felt both plot and characters were underwritten.
June 1, 2024
Short, cool and creepy. Once again Powell excels at creating worlds and people that you want to learn about, and crafting fast paced narratives to carry you along.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews