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Weatherman
Heart and her father are on the run from God. At least, that’s what her father, Sonny, tells her. Young Heart believes Sonny’s stories of dying suns and scientists with tranquilizer guns, parachuting out of planes in pursuit of them . Sonny believes only the elements in his body can save the sun, and Heart grows up in fear of the boogeymen from Sonny’s stories—and Sonny himself. After years without proof and questions about Sonny’s mental stability, Heart makes her escape.
64 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 16, 2021
5 people want to read
About the author
Price Doom
1 book2 followersWeatherman is the first science fiction thriller from Price Doom, a pseudonym for an author who has previously published under another name. A native of San Diego, Price currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 15, 2021
I can’t even rate this right now. Rtc…
Two days later, I just had to let this in marinate before I got into my review. I was just so AHHHHH about the ending!!! Lmao!!! But, before I get into that, I really enjoyed myself while reading this.
Let’s be for real here, Sonny is not a likable character, but he’s not meant to be. At least I don’t think he is. A dude whose catch phrase is, “you know it, buddy”, just isn’t meant to be liked. Ha!! But, I just kept going back and forth trying to figure out who to trust and my gosh, I’m still debating!!!! I like how I’m still thinking about it, my brain was just thrown into overload.
That being said, watch out for the ending!!!! I’m practically going nuts trying to figure out what’s what!!! In my mind, a book that can make you think that much, is a good thing. But then again, I wouldn’t mind a second novella to tell me exactly how things went afterwards!!! Cause I’m still dying to know!!!
Thanks so much to Price Doom for the opportunity to read this for my honest an unbiased opinion.
Check out this review and others on my blog @ https://shannarareads.com/?p=525
Thanks!!
Two days later, I just had to let this in marinate before I got into my review. I was just so AHHHHH about the ending!!! Lmao!!! But, before I get into that, I really enjoyed myself while reading this.
Let’s be for real here, Sonny is not a likable character, but he’s not meant to be. At least I don’t think he is. A dude whose catch phrase is, “you know it, buddy”, just isn’t meant to be liked. Ha!! But, I just kept going back and forth trying to figure out who to trust and my gosh, I’m still debating!!!! I like how I’m still thinking about it, my brain was just thrown into overload.
That being said, watch out for the ending!!!! I’m practically going nuts trying to figure out what’s what!!! In my mind, a book that can make you think that much, is a good thing. But then again, I wouldn’t mind a second novella to tell me exactly how things went afterwards!!! Cause I’m still dying to know!!!
Thanks so much to Price Doom for the opportunity to read this for my honest an unbiased opinion.
Check out this review and others on my blog @ https://shannarareads.com/?p=525
Thanks!!
June 20, 2021
Find this review and others like it at https://aravenclawlibraryx.wordpress.com
tw: burns, implied child abuse, murder, kidnapping, mentions of rape, mental illness, animal death
I usually don’t read short stories. I always end up getting disappointed that the story isn’t longer because I really loved it like the short story The Murders of Molly Southbourne. Or I end up not liking it because it wasn’t developed enough for my taste. In short, I’m kind of a picky person when it comes to short stories. However, that was not the case with this book. I loved this book so much! It was absolutely perfect. I’m pretty sure it’s my first five star book of this year. I should check this out but alas, I am too lazy.
It was just perfect. Be warned, I’ll probably say that a lot. I tend to lack the words to describe why I love a book so much so I just say the book is perfect. Oftentimes, with short stories, you don’t always get a good build up, especially with horror books. I feel that horror books need a lot of time to create the build up. One book that comes to mind is Horrid by Katrina Leno. This short story is very reminiscent of it, with the way the build up happened. This book had the perfect amount of creepiness and dread. There was just so much dread pumped into this story. I was drowning in it and I loved it so much. It was built up right away, from the first sentence. I felt so many emotions, mostly dread, while reading this book.
Heart and Sonny were very well developed characters for being a short story. Sonny had just the right amount of “offness” about him. I wanted to like him but there was something about him. You felt like he was a good guy but there was something about him that you just couldn’t put your finger on. I had my eyebrows raised while I read about him. I enjoyed Heart as a character as well. She had just the right amount of naivety and innocence. I was rooting for her the entire time even though I had no idea why I would be rooting for her.
Overall, I just truly loved this short story. It was absolutely perfect and I never wanted it to end. I don’t want to give too much away so that’s why this review is a bit short and I decided to talk about my feelings about the book instead of what the actual book was about. I want you all to read this book and experience the creepiness and dread that I did. I can’t wait to read more books by this author!
tw: burns, implied child abuse, murder, kidnapping, mentions of rape, mental illness, animal death
I usually don’t read short stories. I always end up getting disappointed that the story isn’t longer because I really loved it like the short story The Murders of Molly Southbourne. Or I end up not liking it because it wasn’t developed enough for my taste. In short, I’m kind of a picky person when it comes to short stories. However, that was not the case with this book. I loved this book so much! It was absolutely perfect. I’m pretty sure it’s my first five star book of this year. I should check this out but alas, I am too lazy.
It was just perfect. Be warned, I’ll probably say that a lot. I tend to lack the words to describe why I love a book so much so I just say the book is perfect. Oftentimes, with short stories, you don’t always get a good build up, especially with horror books. I feel that horror books need a lot of time to create the build up. One book that comes to mind is Horrid by Katrina Leno. This short story is very reminiscent of it, with the way the build up happened. This book had the perfect amount of creepiness and dread. There was just so much dread pumped into this story. I was drowning in it and I loved it so much. It was built up right away, from the first sentence. I felt so many emotions, mostly dread, while reading this book.
Heart and Sonny were very well developed characters for being a short story. Sonny had just the right amount of “offness” about him. I wanted to like him but there was something about him. You felt like he was a good guy but there was something about him that you just couldn’t put your finger on. I had my eyebrows raised while I read about him. I enjoyed Heart as a character as well. She had just the right amount of naivety and innocence. I was rooting for her the entire time even though I had no idea why I would be rooting for her.
Overall, I just truly loved this short story. It was absolutely perfect and I never wanted it to end. I don’t want to give too much away so that’s why this review is a bit short and I decided to talk about my feelings about the book instead of what the actual book was about. I want you all to read this book and experience the creepiness and dread that I did. I can’t wait to read more books by this author!
April 7, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. Here is my honest review.
I'm not really sure what to say about this. The blurb was confusing and the story keeps you unbalanced too. It is a novela and therefore it's a 3.5 for me but you can't give half stars. I'm not normally a novela fan but I did like the way this went together.
Sonny is annoying as. His mannerisms and sayings are terrible and yet this really worked as it helped me to picture him. In these kinds of stories you have to cut to the chase, so in that sense it works. For nearly the whole book we are kept guessing as to what on earth is going on. Is sonny good or bad? What is he doing? We also kind of know that the mum story is going to be twisty and there is a certain inevitability to it. The ending was nice though. I was reading on kindle and I didn't expect it to end there.
The reason this doesn't get 4 for me is the sudden introduction of mum. Using the quick straight to the point style didn't work here. The immediate relationship between mum and daughter felt forced and after years of brainwashing I didn't believe Heart would just swap sides without question. Also, how is this the only time in 15 years she managed to access google?
I suppose you have to see this for what it is. It's isn't some dystopian trilogy and therefore I can't judge it as such. It's a novela and as such it works well. The characters, whilst a little annoying are easy to picture and although the plot is naive in places, it kept me reading and not wanting to out the book down. I'd definitely look this author up in the future. It would be interesting to see if they branch out into YA novels. I haven't heard of the author before so apologies if there are already full length books out there.
I'm not really sure what to say about this. The blurb was confusing and the story keeps you unbalanced too. It is a novela and therefore it's a 3.5 for me but you can't give half stars. I'm not normally a novela fan but I did like the way this went together.
Sonny is annoying as. His mannerisms and sayings are terrible and yet this really worked as it helped me to picture him. In these kinds of stories you have to cut to the chase, so in that sense it works. For nearly the whole book we are kept guessing as to what on earth is going on. Is sonny good or bad? What is he doing? We also kind of know that the mum story is going to be twisty and there is a certain inevitability to it. The ending was nice though. I was reading on kindle and I didn't expect it to end there.
The reason this doesn't get 4 for me is the sudden introduction of mum. Using the quick straight to the point style didn't work here. The immediate relationship between mum and daughter felt forced and after years of brainwashing I didn't believe Heart would just swap sides without question. Also, how is this the only time in 15 years she managed to access google?
I suppose you have to see this for what it is. It's isn't some dystopian trilogy and therefore I can't judge it as such. It's a novela and as such it works well. The characters, whilst a little annoying are easy to picture and although the plot is naive in places, it kept me reading and not wanting to out the book down. I'd definitely look this author up in the future. It would be interesting to see if they branch out into YA novels. I haven't heard of the author before so apologies if there are already full length books out there.
January 17, 2023
Genre: Science fiction novelette
Description: This was published around March of 2021. It is a coming of age story about Heart and her father Sonny. They live off grid in a USA which has suffered a lot of environmental damage. They move on every time Sonny fears that God has discovered where they are. So Sonny is nuts, you may say, early doors. And we learn early on that Heart is covered in scars of old cuts and burns which Sonny admits, with great sorrow, he inflicted on her. What on earth (an anagram of Heart) is going on?
Author: this is Price Doom’s first published fiction. He lives in California with his children. When not writing, he teaches math and science to special education students.
Appraisal: Sonny provides every possible care for his child – even trying to find her friends to play with. But every time they take a step into ‘the real world’, it ends in flight. As a result there is quite a bit of repetition in this short work. However, this reader found the repeated phrases and actions (eg the regular instruction to Heart to pack her three most important things) was a kind of threnody to their lives.
As Heart grows, she becomes disgruntled with Sonny’s explanations for why they live the way they do. It is a hard world for a teenager to live in. Her questions become more searching: his answers satisfy her less. The point of view is largely Heart’s from age 4 to age 15. It is through her eyes we see the rifle taped to the inside of whichever mobile home they’re currently living in, as well as Sonny’s ability to rub an alligator’s belly until it falls asleep and allows him to pick it up and return it to its park. We also catch glimpses of Sonny when Heart is absent, and these tend to provide more puzzles than they solve.
When Heart becomes a teenager she begins to need more than Sonny. And, odd as Sonny may appear, there are echoes of his oddness in the others that Heart corresponds with.
The end appears disastrous. The only saving grace being Sonny’s love for Heart. He puts his life in her hands. And that is where the story ends. You will have to decide for yourself who Sonny really is, and what (if anything) happens next.
I have seen reviews of this which dismiss it as a story about a father’s abuse of his daughter. But I don’t think it is that. Try it and see, why not.
Is this worth your time? “You know it, buddy.”
*** review originally prepared for Big Al and Pals review website. Received a complimentary soft copy in return for an honest review ***
Description: This was published around March of 2021. It is a coming of age story about Heart and her father Sonny. They live off grid in a USA which has suffered a lot of environmental damage. They move on every time Sonny fears that God has discovered where they are. So Sonny is nuts, you may say, early doors. And we learn early on that Heart is covered in scars of old cuts and burns which Sonny admits, with great sorrow, he inflicted on her. What on earth (an anagram of Heart) is going on?
Author: this is Price Doom’s first published fiction. He lives in California with his children. When not writing, he teaches math and science to special education students.
Appraisal: Sonny provides every possible care for his child – even trying to find her friends to play with. But every time they take a step into ‘the real world’, it ends in flight. As a result there is quite a bit of repetition in this short work. However, this reader found the repeated phrases and actions (eg the regular instruction to Heart to pack her three most important things) was a kind of threnody to their lives.
As Heart grows, she becomes disgruntled with Sonny’s explanations for why they live the way they do. It is a hard world for a teenager to live in. Her questions become more searching: his answers satisfy her less. The point of view is largely Heart’s from age 4 to age 15. It is through her eyes we see the rifle taped to the inside of whichever mobile home they’re currently living in, as well as Sonny’s ability to rub an alligator’s belly until it falls asleep and allows him to pick it up and return it to its park. We also catch glimpses of Sonny when Heart is absent, and these tend to provide more puzzles than they solve.
When Heart becomes a teenager she begins to need more than Sonny. And, odd as Sonny may appear, there are echoes of his oddness in the others that Heart corresponds with.
The end appears disastrous. The only saving grace being Sonny’s love for Heart. He puts his life in her hands. And that is where the story ends. You will have to decide for yourself who Sonny really is, and what (if anything) happens next.
I have seen reviews of this which dismiss it as a story about a father’s abuse of his daughter. But I don’t think it is that. Try it and see, why not.
Is this worth your time? “You know it, buddy.”
*** review originally prepared for Big Al and Pals review website. Received a complimentary soft copy in return for an honest review ***
May 21, 2021
Sonny was an excellent example of how to write a deeply unlikeable character. There were very few complimentary things I could say about him as a parent or an individual, and yet I was fascinated by the way his mind worked. This was especially true when he was confronted with evidence that contradicted his beliefs about the spirit world or what the limits were of his magical powers. He had an uncanny ability to explain everything in a way that fit his version of logic. That made me want to learn more about him.
The mystery elements of the storyline were confusing to me. There were multiple hints pointing at one solution, so I wasn’t expecting the ending that happened at all. It seemed to point to a completely different resolution than the one that the narrator had spent so much time building up to, although it was also vague enough that I was never entirely certain which option the author wanted their fans to think was most likely to be true. I generally enjoy ambiguous endings, especially in these genres, but this one left so much up to the imagination that I never felt satisfied by it.
There was a plot twist about two-thirds of the way through the book involving Heart’s past that I was pleased to see. It helped to answer some important questions that both the audience and Heart had been pondering for a while at that point. After all of the hints from earlier scenes, I was happy to see these things being resolved as much as they could.
I also struggled with Heart’s contradictory character development. She wasn’t written consistently enough for me to figure out if her occasional but dangerous lapses in judgement were out of character for her or if I’d misjudged her personality entirely. It was also hard for me to figure out why her opinions on certain topics like searching for her mother changed so rapidly. I understood why that topic was a sensitive one for her, but it seemed odd to me that she’d feel a deep yearning for answers about her origins in one scene only to give up on it in the next.
The horror elements of the storyline were well done. Heart’s childhood was so out of the ordinary that her innocent descriptions of things that would frighten anyone else made me shudder. The author did a good job of showing just how much humans can adapt to their surroundings and find meaning almost everywhere. That isn’t easy to accomplish in horror at all, but it’s one of the things that keeps pulling me back into this genre from time to time.
Weatherman was a thought-provoking tale that was equally at home in the science fiction and mystery genres.
The mystery elements of the storyline were confusing to me. There were multiple hints pointing at one solution, so I wasn’t expecting the ending that happened at all. It seemed to point to a completely different resolution than the one that the narrator had spent so much time building up to, although it was also vague enough that I was never entirely certain which option the author wanted their fans to think was most likely to be true. I generally enjoy ambiguous endings, especially in these genres, but this one left so much up to the imagination that I never felt satisfied by it.
There was a plot twist about two-thirds of the way through the book involving Heart’s past that I was pleased to see. It helped to answer some important questions that both the audience and Heart had been pondering for a while at that point. After all of the hints from earlier scenes, I was happy to see these things being resolved as much as they could.
I also struggled with Heart’s contradictory character development. She wasn’t written consistently enough for me to figure out if her occasional but dangerous lapses in judgement were out of character for her or if I’d misjudged her personality entirely. It was also hard for me to figure out why her opinions on certain topics like searching for her mother changed so rapidly. I understood why that topic was a sensitive one for her, but it seemed odd to me that she’d feel a deep yearning for answers about her origins in one scene only to give up on it in the next.
The horror elements of the storyline were well done. Heart’s childhood was so out of the ordinary that her innocent descriptions of things that would frighten anyone else made me shudder. The author did a good job of showing just how much humans can adapt to their surroundings and find meaning almost everywhere. That isn’t easy to accomplish in horror at all, but it’s one of the things that keeps pulling me back into this genre from time to time.
Weatherman was a thought-provoking tale that was equally at home in the science fiction and mystery genres.
April 28, 2021
"Weatherman" is a story of a queer daughter-father duo, Heart and Sonny. Everything appears to be bizarre, from their talks, their behavior, to their life. This sci-fi novella (as per the blurb) doesn't have anything scientific other than a few mentions of sun, moon, heat, helium, or other elements. The story, distributed in four parts, doesn't make any sense until it reaches the last leg. It keeps the reader confused as to what exactly is happening.
In the fourth chapter, the chunks come together and start making some sense. At this point, I promptly forgot the confusion built till now and got immersed in the story. Although the ending is fascinating, yet the incidents leading to it seem illogical. The girl wanted to meet and knew about her mother for ages. One day she suddenly sneaks out to run a google search, and all things themselves fall in place like a doodle. Why she waited so long for such a trivial thing? In 3/4th of the book, the daughter shares a loving bond with her father, and abruptly as she reaches teenage, she doesn't trust him and feels annoyed. What led to this change?
I assumed there must have some meaning of repetition of the same lines and action by characters, but there isn't. For instance, "You know it, buddy," Sonny says this to his daughter almost on every second page, and in every chapter, Sonny gives an exact number of kisses to Heart as her age. Both the things remain unexplained. The author unsuccessfully tries to show a deep relationship between them, unable to evoke emotions. The only way to display his love is by saying, "I love you so much," which sounds hollow and impassive.
If the author had dropped some hints or explanations about the actual story in between, it could have been a fast-paced novella. By the time it starts making sense, it is too late. I wish it were structured appropriately, and then it would be an excellent read.
In the fourth chapter, the chunks come together and start making some sense. At this point, I promptly forgot the confusion built till now and got immersed in the story. Although the ending is fascinating, yet the incidents leading to it seem illogical. The girl wanted to meet and knew about her mother for ages. One day she suddenly sneaks out to run a google search, and all things themselves fall in place like a doodle. Why she waited so long for such a trivial thing? In 3/4th of the book, the daughter shares a loving bond with her father, and abruptly as she reaches teenage, she doesn't trust him and feels annoyed. What led to this change?
I assumed there must have some meaning of repetition of the same lines and action by characters, but there isn't. For instance, "You know it, buddy," Sonny says this to his daughter almost on every second page, and in every chapter, Sonny gives an exact number of kisses to Heart as her age. Both the things remain unexplained. The author unsuccessfully tries to show a deep relationship between them, unable to evoke emotions. The only way to display his love is by saying, "I love you so much," which sounds hollow and impassive.
If the author had dropped some hints or explanations about the actual story in between, it could have been a fast-paced novella. By the time it starts making sense, it is too late. I wish it were structured appropriately, and then it would be an excellent read.
September 18, 2021
I was sent a free copy of 'Weatherman' by the author in return for an honest review.
This was a short novella which I managed to read in one sitting.
The story was engaging throughout and I didn't once feel like stopping reading and didn't get bored throughout the entirety of the novella.
The story follows Sonny and his daughter Heart who are running from GOD. Apparently, Sonny has special powers and GOD is sending people after him because of this. He is not a likeable character at all but I think this is exactly what the author wanted us to think. Something that did grate on me was the fact that he ended most of his sentences with 'buddy'.
Heart on the other hand is quite a likeable character and loves her dad very much until we get to part 4 of the book (the book is separated in to 4 parts) where she suddenly doesn't trust her dad, is asking lots of questions and doesn't believe much that comes out of his mouth anymore. I think personally, I needed a little more explanation of this. Why has her attitude changed towards her dad?
With regards to the climax, I really enjoyed it but at the same time couldn't help but be annoyed at Heart's change of heart (is this a pun?). I don't want to say too much as I don't like spoiling the book for those that want to read it but you'll know what I mean if you do read it.
I'm conflicted with this book as like I said, it was entertaining enough to read in one sitting, but at the same time I feel like I deserved more as a reader and there just wasn't enough there to make me want to read it again or shout about it from the rooftops. I think if the novella was expanded on and turned in to a novel with more detail, explanations and information then this definitely could be a cleverly written piece of work.
This was a short novella which I managed to read in one sitting.
The story was engaging throughout and I didn't once feel like stopping reading and didn't get bored throughout the entirety of the novella.
The story follows Sonny and his daughter Heart who are running from GOD. Apparently, Sonny has special powers and GOD is sending people after him because of this. He is not a likeable character at all but I think this is exactly what the author wanted us to think. Something that did grate on me was the fact that he ended most of his sentences with 'buddy'.
Heart on the other hand is quite a likeable character and loves her dad very much until we get to part 4 of the book (the book is separated in to 4 parts) where she suddenly doesn't trust her dad, is asking lots of questions and doesn't believe much that comes out of his mouth anymore. I think personally, I needed a little more explanation of this. Why has her attitude changed towards her dad?
With regards to the climax, I really enjoyed it but at the same time couldn't help but be annoyed at Heart's change of heart (is this a pun?). I don't want to say too much as I don't like spoiling the book for those that want to read it but you'll know what I mean if you do read it.
I'm conflicted with this book as like I said, it was entertaining enough to read in one sitting, but at the same time I feel like I deserved more as a reader and there just wasn't enough there to make me want to read it again or shout about it from the rooftops. I think if the novella was expanded on and turned in to a novel with more detail, explanations and information then this definitely could be a cleverly written piece of work.
May 14, 2021
I judge books by how often I think about them when I'm not reading them. I 've done this for awhile and I stand by it. The more I think about a book I'm not holding in my hands, the more that book is in my mind and in my soul.
I've spent more time thinking about Weatherman more than I did actually reading, and that's a good sign.
A novella told in four parts, the strength of this story is in the beginning. A world opens to the reader of conspiracies, insanity, and a father's love for his daughter.
I liked how the story develops, following a young girl with her criminally insane yet sweetly loving father in jumps in time. We see her as a young girl until she's a rebellious teenager and can follow her love and doubts for her dad.
I like how her father commits himself to his child, even as his actual literally creepy-as-hell insanity is angering and abusive.
Overall, a good story that has zero time to explain, we're just in this world trying to find meaning.
The ending was a struggle that I think suffered from the format. A novel would have given characters time to get to their decisions believably, but a novella forced character to just jump to decisions because "the story said so".
**I received an advance copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I've spent more time thinking about Weatherman more than I did actually reading, and that's a good sign.
A novella told in four parts, the strength of this story is in the beginning. A world opens to the reader of conspiracies, insanity, and a father's love for his daughter.
I liked how the story develops, following a young girl with her criminally insane yet sweetly loving father in jumps in time. We see her as a young girl until she's a rebellious teenager and can follow her love and doubts for her dad.
I like how her father commits himself to his child, even as his actual literally creepy-as-hell insanity is angering and abusive.
Overall, a good story that has zero time to explain, we're just in this world trying to find meaning.
The ending was a struggle that I think suffered from the format. A novel would have given characters time to get to their decisions believably, but a novella forced character to just jump to decisions because "the story said so".
**I received an advance copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
July 13, 2021
This is a quick read, the start had me slightly confused, but as the book continued I got used to the choppiness, of jumping to different stages of Hearts life.
The premise is intriguing, is Sonny telling the truth to Heart while being on the run from the nefarious God? Or is he simply mentally ill. The author has written the story in a way that it is unclear and it's up to the reader to decide.
I enjoyed the part's where the storyline is leading the reader to believe Sonny is something else, trying to heal the planet from what our species has done to it.
Heart's character is less developed, mainly due to the age gaps it's hard to get a real feeling for her character... The jump to teenager seemed to take her to a different character, but those who have children know this is an actual phenomenon, they tend to be impetuous, and not think through thing's... but I thought the ending was a bit rushed.
I wasn't upset by the way it ended, it leaves it to the reader's imagination. But I'm a HEA gal, and I'd have preferred for a longer and happier ending... Spaceship to take Sonny home for instance... ET is still my favorite childhood sci-fi movie. So I'm going to believe that.
The premise is intriguing, is Sonny telling the truth to Heart while being on the run from the nefarious God? Or is he simply mentally ill. The author has written the story in a way that it is unclear and it's up to the reader to decide.
I enjoyed the part's where the storyline is leading the reader to believe Sonny is something else, trying to heal the planet from what our species has done to it.
Heart's character is less developed, mainly due to the age gaps it's hard to get a real feeling for her character... The jump to teenager seemed to take her to a different character, but those who have children know this is an actual phenomenon, they tend to be impetuous, and not think through thing's... but I thought the ending was a bit rushed.
I wasn't upset by the way it ended, it leaves it to the reader's imagination. But I'm a HEA gal, and I'd have preferred for a longer and happier ending... Spaceship to take Sonny home for instance... ET is still my favorite childhood sci-fi movie. So I'm going to believe that.
May 31, 2021
See more of my reviews and other bookish content here!
***Thank you to the author for providing a copy of the book. The review consists of my honest thoughts and reactions to the book.***
This novella was a strange yet intriguing read. I was confused by it at first as the first few parts don't really seem to go together in any meaningful way, but the pieces fall into place pretty well by the end. Although, I think it could have used another part for further development of some of Heart's choices because they seemed abrupt. The ending also felt a bit rushed and was very ambiguous, which was both thought-provoking and annoying. My favorite thing about the book was the characterization of Sonny because he embodied some of the tell-tale signs of a particular mental illness quite well. Overall, this novella was a quick, intriguing read that left me contemplating what it was all about.
***Thank you to the author for providing a copy of the book. The review consists of my honest thoughts and reactions to the book.***
This novella was a strange yet intriguing read. I was confused by it at first as the first few parts don't really seem to go together in any meaningful way, but the pieces fall into place pretty well by the end. Although, I think it could have used another part for further development of some of Heart's choices because they seemed abrupt. The ending also felt a bit rushed and was very ambiguous, which was both thought-provoking and annoying. My favorite thing about the book was the characterization of Sonny because he embodied some of the tell-tale signs of a particular mental illness quite well. Overall, this novella was a quick, intriguing read that left me contemplating what it was all about.
September 3, 2021
Not my cup of tea.
Normally if I don’t enjoy a book, I won’t review it but I received a review copy of this short story so am obliged to do so.
I accepted this review copy, expecting a supernatural, superhero type adventure but what I got was child abuse, mental illness, psychological torture and murder. I personally found this material disturbing and unpleasant.
The book itself is very short, at around an hour’s read, and seemed not to have a beginning nor a conclusion. There are conflicts in there but nothing is resolved or explained, leaving the reader dangling and wondering what is going on. It felt like a part excised from a longer book or a clumsy attempt to turn a graphic novel into a book.
For me, personally, it didn’t work. But that is simply my opinion and if you like Sin City or other graphic novels, then maybe you will enjoy this strange and disturbing story.
Normally if I don’t enjoy a book, I won’t review it but I received a review copy of this short story so am obliged to do so.
I accepted this review copy, expecting a supernatural, superhero type adventure but what I got was child abuse, mental illness, psychological torture and murder. I personally found this material disturbing and unpleasant.
The book itself is very short, at around an hour’s read, and seemed not to have a beginning nor a conclusion. There are conflicts in there but nothing is resolved or explained, leaving the reader dangling and wondering what is going on. It felt like a part excised from a longer book or a clumsy attempt to turn a graphic novel into a book.
For me, personally, it didn’t work. But that is simply my opinion and if you like Sin City or other graphic novels, then maybe you will enjoy this strange and disturbing story.
June 30, 2021
Sonny and his daughter Hearth are on their own, running from God. He has superpowers, he believes that only he can save the Sun and that he can help people. He talks to Heart about it since she was little and it's all she knows, so she believes. Over the years she starts to notice stuff that doesn't quite make sense, like the girl in the back of the car that he supposedly healing, and books that she is reading, that tell a different story. But he always has an explanation.
One day she manages to go away for a bit and looks for her mom online. The harsh reality of her life and she came to be is revealed, however, Sonny is not giving her so fast.
I love the premise of the story and the writing is on point. It's like walking in the shoes of a delusional person and seeing him raise a child in that world of his.
The storyline was good, but I felt like there was something missing, like how the daughter stops believing him-I wish there was more in between -I trust you completely and -I'm going look for my mom. It felt like there was missing a piece.
received from author
One day she manages to go away for a bit and looks for her mom online. The harsh reality of her life and she came to be is revealed, however, Sonny is not giving her so fast.
I love the premise of the story and the writing is on point. It's like walking in the shoes of a delusional person and seeing him raise a child in that world of his.
The storyline was good, but I felt like there was something missing, like how the daughter stops believing him-I wish there was more in between -I trust you completely and -I'm going look for my mom. It felt like there was missing a piece.
received from author
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