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Three Days in the Pink Tower
Josey Claypool begins the summer before her senior year at a carnival, where a fortune teller with milky-white eyes gives her a foreboding tarot reading. She’s spooked, but nothing could prepare her for the following day when two strange men show up at her front door.
Josey is kidnapped at gunpoint and brought to a pink cabin in the woods where she is held prisoner. In her darkest moment, the fortune teller appears and gives her a deck of tarot cards, which she must cast and interpret in a fight for her life.
In this work of speculative autofiction, award-winning author EV Knight reclaims the narrative of her own past in an exploration of trauma, agency, and survival.
Josey is kidnapped at gunpoint and brought to a pink cabin in the woods where she is held prisoner. In her darkest moment, the fortune teller appears and gives her a deck of tarot cards, which she must cast and interpret in a fight for her life.
In this work of speculative autofiction, award-winning author EV Knight reclaims the narrative of her own past in an exploration of trauma, agency, and survival.
154 pages, Paperback
Published July 12, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
July 7, 2022
These men have torn through my silk cocoon; they've invaded and interrupted my process of becoming. I will never be beautiful. My wings are useless, smudged from having been touched too much.
Three Days in the Pink Tower gives new meaning to the idea of a survivor's revenge. The story is a speculative retelling of the author's own experiences with being kidnapped and assaulted as a teen, and is perhaps the most literal and one of the most incredible examples I have ever seen of a survivor taking back their power. My heart broke over and over again reading Josey's story, knowing that it was also E.V. Knight's story and the story of so many others around the world, throughout history and present and future. I wanted to applaud her every step of the way for the courage and strength I know it must have taken to write this book, and I'm so grateful to have been given an opportunity to witness it.
Three Days in the Pink Tower is an immensely difficult read that I only recommend to individuals who feel completely certain that they won't be too deeply hurt by its contents (or who are prepared for that level of pain), but if you do feel comfortable with this story, I highly encourage you to pick it up. Not only is it incredible for all the reasons I've already stated, but it's also an immensely engaging and beautifully written piece of literature with a meaningful and lovely inclusion of tarot and divination that I enjoyed more than I can say.
Thank you so much to E.V. Knight for allowing your readers to witness this step in your healing process. And to anyone else who's been in Josey's place and knows what it's like to experience trauma at another human's hands, I hope you know that you are strong, you are brave, I am so proud of you, and no matter how smudged your wings may feel, you are still whole and lovely.
✨ Content warnings for:
Thank you to the publisher and Erin Al-Mehairi for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
———
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July 15, 2022
4.0 Stars
This was a tough read that was made even harder when I learned that this piece of fiction was larger inspired by the author's own kidnapping and rape. Given the subject matter, readers must expect some triggering scenes.
This was a hard read, but that also made it a powerful one. The prose was fine, but the incredible horror of the story made this a memorable gripping read. This was an incredibly powerful story. I read this in one day and easily could have read it in one sitting if time allowed.
I would recommend this thriller horror novella to anyone with a tough stomach for difficult scenes.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was a tough read that was made even harder when I learned that this piece of fiction was larger inspired by the author's own kidnapping and rape. Given the subject matter, readers must expect some triggering scenes.
This was a hard read, but that also made it a powerful one. The prose was fine, but the incredible horror of the story made this a memorable gripping read. This was an incredibly powerful story. I read this in one day and easily could have read it in one sitting if time allowed.
I would recommend this thriller horror novella to anyone with a tough stomach for difficult scenes.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
July 31, 2022
A few reviewers have already said this book is not an easy one to read (or review) and they’re not exaggerating. The author has bravely taken her own horrific lived experience of her kidnapping and rape to fuel this story of trauma leaving readers with a novella of strength, survival, and retribution. She could’ve written a memoir but instead she said fuck those guys and fuck those people who attempt to victim blame and she took all of that justifiable rage and wrote this book instead. If you’re in a good spot to handle the content, it’s a powerful read worth your reading time.
Josey is a pretty teen who has a bright future ahead of her when, one terrible day, everything is derailed by two vile men and a gun. But before all of that happens, we get to know Josey. She’s flirty and free and enjoying her life. The story opens at a carnival where Josey gets lost in a mirrored not-so-fun house and has a disturbing encounter with a creeper. Already shaken, she visits a tarot reader whose reading is unsettling, to say the least. This sets up everything that is to come and also envelops you in Josey’s surroundings as well as the inner workings of her mind. The sounds, the smells, and the experiences put you quite firmly in her world and fill you with a relentless feeling of anxiety and dread that will cling to you long after you turn the final page.
I had to read this story in small doses because it is a lot to take in but in no way do I regret reading it. The writing is quite beautiful and the weaving in of the tarot is such a compelling and thoughtful part of the story. The cover, a haunting artistic rendering of the (dreaded) Tower card, tells you a bit about what you’re in for here in a way that ties in with elements from the story inside. It’s all so well put together. Three Days In the Pink Tower is an exploration of trauma that looks intimately at the disgusting face of evil and allows the writer to take back her power. It’s an important book that I hope many will take the time to read.
Josey is a pretty teen who has a bright future ahead of her when, one terrible day, everything is derailed by two vile men and a gun. But before all of that happens, we get to know Josey. She’s flirty and free and enjoying her life. The story opens at a carnival where Josey gets lost in a mirrored not-so-fun house and has a disturbing encounter with a creeper. Already shaken, she visits a tarot reader whose reading is unsettling, to say the least. This sets up everything that is to come and also envelops you in Josey’s surroundings as well as the inner workings of her mind. The sounds, the smells, and the experiences put you quite firmly in her world and fill you with a relentless feeling of anxiety and dread that will cling to you long after you turn the final page.
I had to read this story in small doses because it is a lot to take in but in no way do I regret reading it. The writing is quite beautiful and the weaving in of the tarot is such a compelling and thoughtful part of the story. The cover, a haunting artistic rendering of the (dreaded) Tower card, tells you a bit about what you’re in for here in a way that ties in with elements from the story inside. It’s all so well put together. Three Days In the Pink Tower is an exploration of trauma that looks intimately at the disgusting face of evil and allows the writer to take back her power. It’s an important book that I hope many will take the time to read.
July 4, 2022
This was a difficult book for me to read and it’s turning out to be a hard one to review as well. It’s a retelling of the author’s kidnapping and rape when she was a teenager.
I don’t normally have to take breaks when I’m reading but I had to set this book down many times before I could continue. This is coming from a regular reader of extreme horror.
The use of tarot cards as a away to help tell this story was nothing short of brilliant. The prose is beautiful, the characters are well developed and the story moves quickly.
Bottom line: this is one of the best books I’ve read all year. I’m sure it took tremendous courage for Knight to write this and I hope a lot of readers will pick it up. The release date is July 12th, 2022.
Thank you Erin Al-Mehairi for my review copy.
I don’t normally have to take breaks when I’m reading but I had to set this book down many times before I could continue. This is coming from a regular reader of extreme horror.
The use of tarot cards as a away to help tell this story was nothing short of brilliant. The prose is beautiful, the characters are well developed and the story moves quickly.
Bottom line: this is one of the best books I’ve read all year. I’m sure it took tremendous courage for Knight to write this and I hope a lot of readers will pick it up. The release date is July 12th, 2022.
Thank you Erin Al-Mehairi for my review copy.
October 10, 2024
This was a difficult read in more ways than one. Do NOT go into this story blind, please read the blurb and the Author's Note at the beginning before committing to this story.
I feel uncomfortable rating a novel that is also a work of autofiction / author retelling of a real event. It feels like a critique of their own lived experience—which is not at all my intention—and a paltry attempt to quantify an unquantifiable experience.
Hopefully this review comes across in the respectful way in which it is meant.
I think Three Days in the Pink Tower is a brave excavation of a horrifying lived experience. It's unflinching, visceral, deeply upsetting, and grounded in the constant reminder that much of this novel was a real lived event.
The reason I'm rating this one at 3 stars is due to personal response. I had a hard time relating to the writing on a sentence level and found myself struggling to engage with the mechanics of the story because of that. This led to further difficulty maintaining contact with the plot itself because I was struggling with that element and a lack of general interest in continuing, partially due to the subject matter. I am someone who usually avoids this particular trauma topic in fiction for personal reasons, so this one's on me for buying the novel before looking into the contents further.
Try this one if you're interested in exploring this heavy topic in a creative way.
Blog | Instagram | Libro.fm Audiobooks
I feel uncomfortable rating a novel that is also a work of autofiction / author retelling of a real event. It feels like a critique of their own lived experience—which is not at all my intention—and a paltry attempt to quantify an unquantifiable experience.
Hopefully this review comes across in the respectful way in which it is meant.
I think Three Days in the Pink Tower is a brave excavation of a horrifying lived experience. It's unflinching, visceral, deeply upsetting, and grounded in the constant reminder that much of this novel was a real lived event.
The reason I'm rating this one at 3 stars is due to personal response. I had a hard time relating to the writing on a sentence level and found myself struggling to engage with the mechanics of the story because of that. This led to further difficulty maintaining contact with the plot itself because I was struggling with that element and a lack of general interest in continuing, partially due to the subject matter. I am someone who usually avoids this particular trauma topic in fiction for personal reasons, so this one's on me for buying the novel before looking into the contents further.
Try this one if you're interested in exploring this heavy topic in a creative way.
Blog | Instagram | Libro.fm Audiobooks
June 18, 2022
Tomorrow. Everything will be different tomorrow.As far as I’m concerned, any book that includes sexual assault could easily be shelved as horror, but this one truly earns that classification. This novella recounts the author’s experience of being kidnapped and raped by two men when she was seventeen. To say that this was a difficult read is the understatement of the year.
Much of the dialogue between Josey and the men come directly from the author’s statement to the police; this added a whole other layer of reality to something that was already painfully real.
If you have experienced sexual assault, you need to know that the sexual assaults described in this novella are brutal. Please take good care of yourself while reading by upping your self care, taking breaks when you need them and ensuring you utilise any supports you have available to you.
I want women to read this and know that no one can take your story from you. It is yours, and you can do whatever you want with it.Rescripting can be such a helpful tool for sexual assault survivors, particularly in managing flashbacks. Here, the author incorporates tarot and symbolism into her story to rewrite the ending.
“You choose the cards from this point on.”Content warnings include domestic abuse, gun violence, kidnapping and sexual assault.
Thank you so much to Creature Publishing for the opportunity to read this novella.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
April 5, 2022
A harrowing tale reminiscent of The Last House on the Left, Three Days in the Pink Tower deftly weaves darkness and triumph into an unforgettable story. EV Knight is a powerful voice in horror, and this book is not to be missed!
November 6, 2022
4.5
“Everything will be different tomorrow.”
After a very odd encounter with a fortune teller, Josey’s life changes forever when she opens a door to two men. She’s taken at gun point and held captive in a pink cabin in the woods. With only herself, tarot cards, and the fortune teller, she must fight to survive.
This was a very difficult book for me to read.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t cry.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel rage.
I’d be lying if I said that it was an easy read.
I’d be lying if I said this book didn’t push my limits.
The lump in my throat was a permanent resident throughout the whole reading experience.
The pain was visceral, raw, and real. This is a tough read, I’m not exaggerating in the slightest.
This doesn’t shy away from the graphic details and violence towards Josey. You are there every step of the way through Josey’s trauma.
But this book is powerful.
The author took her real trauma and turned the narrative into something that she had complete and utter control over.
I can’t imagine what writing this book was like, but reading it was extremely beautiful. As harrowing as it was, it was also powerful and inspiring.
The beauty of knowing that this is 100% theirs and no one can take that away, that makes it even better.
The speculative elements did in no way take away from the rest of the story.
They only added a layer that made the book different and help propel it to the next level.
This book made a lasting impression on me in only 139 pages.
*Please be mindful when picking this one up. 🖤
“Everything will be different tomorrow.”
After a very odd encounter with a fortune teller, Josey’s life changes forever when she opens a door to two men. She’s taken at gun point and held captive in a pink cabin in the woods. With only herself, tarot cards, and the fortune teller, she must fight to survive.
This was a very difficult book for me to read.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t cry.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel rage.
I’d be lying if I said that it was an easy read.
I’d be lying if I said this book didn’t push my limits.
The lump in my throat was a permanent resident throughout the whole reading experience.
The pain was visceral, raw, and real. This is a tough read, I’m not exaggerating in the slightest.
This doesn’t shy away from the graphic details and violence towards Josey. You are there every step of the way through Josey’s trauma.
But this book is powerful.
The author took her real trauma and turned the narrative into something that she had complete and utter control over.
I can’t imagine what writing this book was like, but reading it was extremely beautiful. As harrowing as it was, it was also powerful and inspiring.
The beauty of knowing that this is 100% theirs and no one can take that away, that makes it even better.
The speculative elements did in no way take away from the rest of the story.
They only added a layer that made the book different and help propel it to the next level.
This book made a lasting impression on me in only 139 pages.
*Please be mindful when picking this one up. 🖤
July 21, 2022
How does one properly express their level of enjoyment over a narrative that was born out of someone’s personal nightmare? How does one assign a star rating to another human’s pain? It doesn’t feel right. But I know that I’ll have to in order to fulfill my end of the bargain. That bargain being to post a review on a site where someone other than friends and peers will actually see it and the author may actually befefit from it. Still doesn’t feel right.
Three Days in the Pink Tower. It’s heavy, it’s brutal, it’s captivating. A 150ish pg trigger warning. Note: I didn’t read the Author’s Note until after reading the book, if I had I may have been swallowed up by despair.
ZAKK is a big dumb animal!
The Eyes of Madness
Three Days in the Pink Tower. It’s heavy, it’s brutal, it’s captivating. A 150ish pg trigger warning. Note: I didn’t read the Author’s Note until after reading the book, if I had I may have been swallowed up by despair.
ZAKK is a big dumb animal!
The Eyes of Madness
July 11, 2022
Thank you so much to Creature Publishing & the wonderful Erin Al-Mehairi for sending a copy of Three Days in the Pink Tower my way!
Content Warnings: Three Days in the Pink Tower centers around Josey, a teenage girl who is kidnapped by gunpoint and raped. Three Days in the Pink Tower does get graphic & will make readers uncomfortable. This story is E.V. Knight reclaiming the narrative of her own past in an exploration of trauma, agency, and survival.
To be real with you, Three Days in the Pink Tower is not an easy book to recommend. Did I enjoy my time with this one? Absolutely not. However, this book is wow. Absolutely well-done, extremely devastating & a very unique take on the revenge sub-genre.
Three Days in the Pink Tower is a book that is sure to stick with me; from the dialogue of the unhinged villains and the uncomfortable scenes to the play on tarot cards and the internal dialogue of Josey. Also, the ending that I can't describe due to spoilers, wow. This novella is brilliantly done & will tear you apart.
Admittedly, it's hard to find the right words to use for this review. E.V. Knight shares her story in Three Days in the Pink Tower & uses this to take back her life. The level of emotion I felt while reading this was strong; it's not very often that a book forces me to take breaks. Especially one that is less than 200 pages.
I don't think Three Days in the Pink Tower is a book everyone should read. Please, please prepare yourself before going into this one & please, keep in mind the trigger-y content and step away if it's something you're unsure you can handle. It's very important to stay safe! ♥ If you are able to handle this heavy subject matter, this is a book I definitely recommend reading.
Content Warnings: Three Days in the Pink Tower centers around Josey, a teenage girl who is kidnapped by gunpoint and raped. Three Days in the Pink Tower does get graphic & will make readers uncomfortable. This story is E.V. Knight reclaiming the narrative of her own past in an exploration of trauma, agency, and survival.
To be real with you, Three Days in the Pink Tower is not an easy book to recommend. Did I enjoy my time with this one? Absolutely not. However, this book is wow. Absolutely well-done, extremely devastating & a very unique take on the revenge sub-genre.
Three Days in the Pink Tower is a book that is sure to stick with me; from the dialogue of the unhinged villains and the uncomfortable scenes to the play on tarot cards and the internal dialogue of Josey. Also, the ending that I can't describe due to spoilers, wow. This novella is brilliantly done & will tear you apart.
Admittedly, it's hard to find the right words to use for this review. E.V. Knight shares her story in Three Days in the Pink Tower & uses this to take back her life. The level of emotion I felt while reading this was strong; it's not very often that a book forces me to take breaks. Especially one that is less than 200 pages.
I don't think Three Days in the Pink Tower is a book everyone should read. Please, please prepare yourself before going into this one & please, keep in mind the trigger-y content and step away if it's something you're unsure you can handle. It's very important to stay safe! ♥ If you are able to handle this heavy subject matter, this is a book I definitely recommend reading.
March 9, 2023
This is a very tough to read novella. It's inspired and heavily influenced by the author's own experience of being kidnapped and assaulted by two men for several days. This is her retelling and her taking back her power and her helping her younger self through occult and tarot. There are explicit descriptions of sexual assault and rape in this, so please be aware of you choose to read it.
August 8, 2022
3.0
There is power here. Men call women whores because they fear them, because they fear the power they hold between their legs and secrets of creation within their cells. Take the moniker, if you must, but do not fear.
This book is nothing like what I expected. Based on the reviews - both here and on YouTube - I thought it was going to be more graphic and explicit than it was. I expected there to be more storytelling. Instead it felt more like a vague, out of body experience. Is it wrong that I did not feel anything while reading this? Was this story dull or was I dissociating?
This short novel was written as a healing exercise for the author. When she was in high school, E.V. Knight was kidnapped at gunpoint and sexually assaulted numerous times by numerous men. Many of this novel's lines of dialogue, she shared, had been spoken during her own attack and has stuck with her for the decades since. And so she wrote it and, this time, she gave herself the power. She survived, just like back then, but this time she didn't have to go to court and relive it. She wasn't accused of being at fault, of wanting it, of being anything other than an unwilling victim.
As a healing exercise, there is no doubt this was effective for her. The concept of the tarot and the magical realism of the story in general were interesting elements to incorporate into this harrowing tale. And yet...
And yet, ultimately, I felt nothing. I did not feel Josey's terror or her pain. I did not flinch away from the harm and agony inflicted upon her body. I didn't cry. I didn't hope. I didn't even feel anger, really. I was just overwhelmed with a sense of apathy.
Worst of all, despite my own experiences, I found myself listing the things that Josey did wrong. The only sense of aggravation I felt during the course of the story was when she opened the door for a strange man when she was home alone, when she told this strange man she was home alone, when she informed this strange man that there was no one expecting her any time soon, and when she admitted to this strange man that her closest relative wouldn't be home for hours.
Overall, this book left me feeling empty and conflicted all at once, but not powerfully enough for me to rate it more highly. I sincerely hope this novel helps others, though, because it was wonderfully written and definitely tells an important story.
There is power here. Men call women whores because they fear them, because they fear the power they hold between their legs and secrets of creation within their cells. Take the moniker, if you must, but do not fear.
This book is nothing like what I expected. Based on the reviews - both here and on YouTube - I thought it was going to be more graphic and explicit than it was. I expected there to be more storytelling. Instead it felt more like a vague, out of body experience. Is it wrong that I did not feel anything while reading this? Was this story dull or was I dissociating?
This short novel was written as a healing exercise for the author. When she was in high school, E.V. Knight was kidnapped at gunpoint and sexually assaulted numerous times by numerous men. Many of this novel's lines of dialogue, she shared, had been spoken during her own attack and has stuck with her for the decades since. And so she wrote it and, this time, she gave herself the power. She survived, just like back then, but this time she didn't have to go to court and relive it. She wasn't accused of being at fault, of wanting it, of being anything other than an unwilling victim.
As a healing exercise, there is no doubt this was effective for her. The concept of the tarot and the magical realism of the story in general were interesting elements to incorporate into this harrowing tale. And yet...
And yet, ultimately, I felt nothing. I did not feel Josey's terror or her pain. I did not flinch away from the harm and agony inflicted upon her body. I didn't cry. I didn't hope. I didn't even feel anger, really. I was just overwhelmed with a sense of apathy.
Worst of all, despite my own experiences, I found myself listing the things that Josey did wrong. The only sense of aggravation I felt during the course of the story was when she opened the door for a strange man when she was home alone, when she told this strange man she was home alone, when she informed this strange man that there was no one expecting her any time soon, and when she admitted to this strange man that her closest relative wouldn't be home for hours.
Overall, this book left me feeling empty and conflicted all at once, but not powerfully enough for me to rate it more highly. I sincerely hope this novel helps others, though, because it was wonderfully written and definitely tells an important story.
November 26, 2022
Raw and real. Absolutely heart wrenching, powerful and stunning. I read this in one sitting. It’s that good. 🖤 💖 Thank you so much for writing this E.V. For all the women that deserved this ending, like yourself, as well as me. This touched me so deeply. I absolutely loved Three Days in the Pink Tower. I’m honored to be a part of your story, as well as your ending. Thank you so much for sharing your story. It helped give me power back and I thank you for that.
August 18, 2022
A Thriller-horror novella with extremely strong content. This was a powerful and not so easy story to retell, even in a fiction largely based off of the author’s real life nightmare. I believe it takes someone truly brave to tell such a traumatic story as this one. And that’s exactly what EV Knight the author is, “BRAVE”. I commend her for sharing her story with the world. HER WAY! .3.5/5
September 20, 2023
Extreme horror meets spirituality meets feminism meets doggy hero & I'm here for it!! 🩷🖤
August 20, 2022
video review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQyn4...
Before I get too far into this review and start talking about the subject matter, which by the way I won’t go too deep and I won’t be too graphic and descriptive, I understand this book isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s a very uncomfortable book to get through. And normally I wouldn’t read a book like this. It’s that subject matter I don’t find entertaining and I don’t read for pleasure. But EV Knight did Brad Proctor and myself a favor by appearing on Paper Cuts, and in we discussed it a little.
Some parts are hard to get through. The story revolves around our main character Josey Claypool. Josey and some friends take in the local carnival for a little teenage fun, and she winds up in a Tarot Card readers tent. Now I know nothing about Tarot card reading, or what they represent or what they mean or if it’s a hoax or what. So I’m not here to really have a conversation about readings or offend anyone who believe them or those who are totally against them. Because I don’t know enough to even make a point.
The cards set up the story. And the writer goes deeper into the meaning of some of the pictures on these cards. You can check that part out for yourself. But ultimately Josey is kidnapped and held prisoner in a cabin in the woods.
And the story becomes a tale of survival, of darkness, very dark occurrences, of extremely disturbing acts done to Josey by her kidnappers. Very unnerving and unsettling.
We are told the story that is unfolding through the thoughts Josey is having. And it’s really through these thoughts you can see an innocence being lost. Someone young going through this ordeal, this life changing event. As you read the words, you realize the character loses a piece of their life. They become broken from unthinkable events.
As we discussed the story on Paper Cuts, we spoke about how it’s a somewhat speculative retelling of EV Knight’s own experience with a kidnapping and assault. Something EV Knight mentioned on Paper Cuts was she is not Josey and Josey is not her. This is Josey’s story. And I am very glad she said that because I think I had to remind myself a couple of times making my way through this.
It is difficult to read at times. Very rough. But within the writing I couldn’t help but to notice passion. Passion in the presentation. In the writing style. It has a very honest feel to it. Like maybe the writer is using telling this story as a therapeutic form of release. The events can never be undone, but maybe putting these events down on paper can help cope with them in a way. Maybe it’s a journey for a healing process. I’m not sure. I can only speak from a readers point of view.
It’s hard to review books like this because even though it’s a fictionalized telling of non-fictional events sort of made for reading entertainment, the subject matter is the subject matter I’ve mentioned in the past I find no entertaining value in at all. This is the reason behind my comment earlier when I said I don’t normally read these kind of books. So it’s hard to sit here and say I enjoyed the book or the book was fun like we usually do in these reviews. The book has a lot of passion and other emotions in it. You feel even though EV is not Josey you really sense there is so much of the writer within the story.
But this one has a different feel to it. And it has a different tone to it altogether, because I think it’s pretty clear from the voice we get in the story, it’s in no way glorifying or exploiting the events and in no way presenting them as a form of entertainment, or trying to be extreme.
If you can get through the technical difficulties, I would love for you to watch the episode of Paper Cuts. We had some deep conversations.
Three Days in the Pink Tower by EV Knight is a dark chilling story of a girl having to reach deep within her soul and finding enough strength to keep fighting. She knows her survival relies on it. The story is filled with horrific scenes enough to make any reader with feelings have hot flashes of anger. And in a way, it’s the writer showing the readers despite these events happening, she is able to tell her story and show the world the bad guys didn’t win, she survived.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQyn4...
Before I get too far into this review and start talking about the subject matter, which by the way I won’t go too deep and I won’t be too graphic and descriptive, I understand this book isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s a very uncomfortable book to get through. And normally I wouldn’t read a book like this. It’s that subject matter I don’t find entertaining and I don’t read for pleasure. But EV Knight did Brad Proctor and myself a favor by appearing on Paper Cuts, and in we discussed it a little.
Some parts are hard to get through. The story revolves around our main character Josey Claypool. Josey and some friends take in the local carnival for a little teenage fun, and she winds up in a Tarot Card readers tent. Now I know nothing about Tarot card reading, or what they represent or what they mean or if it’s a hoax or what. So I’m not here to really have a conversation about readings or offend anyone who believe them or those who are totally against them. Because I don’t know enough to even make a point.
The cards set up the story. And the writer goes deeper into the meaning of some of the pictures on these cards. You can check that part out for yourself. But ultimately Josey is kidnapped and held prisoner in a cabin in the woods.
And the story becomes a tale of survival, of darkness, very dark occurrences, of extremely disturbing acts done to Josey by her kidnappers. Very unnerving and unsettling.
We are told the story that is unfolding through the thoughts Josey is having. And it’s really through these thoughts you can see an innocence being lost. Someone young going through this ordeal, this life changing event. As you read the words, you realize the character loses a piece of their life. They become broken from unthinkable events.
As we discussed the story on Paper Cuts, we spoke about how it’s a somewhat speculative retelling of EV Knight’s own experience with a kidnapping and assault. Something EV Knight mentioned on Paper Cuts was she is not Josey and Josey is not her. This is Josey’s story. And I am very glad she said that because I think I had to remind myself a couple of times making my way through this.
It is difficult to read at times. Very rough. But within the writing I couldn’t help but to notice passion. Passion in the presentation. In the writing style. It has a very honest feel to it. Like maybe the writer is using telling this story as a therapeutic form of release. The events can never be undone, but maybe putting these events down on paper can help cope with them in a way. Maybe it’s a journey for a healing process. I’m not sure. I can only speak from a readers point of view.
It’s hard to review books like this because even though it’s a fictionalized telling of non-fictional events sort of made for reading entertainment, the subject matter is the subject matter I’ve mentioned in the past I find no entertaining value in at all. This is the reason behind my comment earlier when I said I don’t normally read these kind of books. So it’s hard to sit here and say I enjoyed the book or the book was fun like we usually do in these reviews. The book has a lot of passion and other emotions in it. You feel even though EV is not Josey you really sense there is so much of the writer within the story.
But this one has a different feel to it. And it has a different tone to it altogether, because I think it’s pretty clear from the voice we get in the story, it’s in no way glorifying or exploiting the events and in no way presenting them as a form of entertainment, or trying to be extreme.
If you can get through the technical difficulties, I would love for you to watch the episode of Paper Cuts. We had some deep conversations.
Three Days in the Pink Tower by EV Knight is a dark chilling story of a girl having to reach deep within her soul and finding enough strength to keep fighting. She knows her survival relies on it. The story is filled with horrific scenes enough to make any reader with feelings have hot flashes of anger. And in a way, it’s the writer showing the readers despite these events happening, she is able to tell her story and show the world the bad guys didn’t win, she survived.
August 1, 2022
Published by Creature Publishing in paperback, July 2022, 'Three Days In The Pink Tower' is an unforgettable work of fiction rooted in the experience of author E.V Knight. The introduction is a powerful statement on ownership of trauma and the reasons behind the tarot design of the book cover-the striking and highly personal nature of cartomancy is a key feature of not only foreshadowing what happens to Josey, it is also an important aspect of E.V Knight's recovery.
There is no need to discuss the aftermath of what Josey goes through, the setup is obvious and scattered through the start of the novella, we exist in a patriarchal society where the blame is to be squarely laid at the feet of a girl, for, just being a girl. There is the intimation of danger from the boys lurking around the carnival, the warnings of Josey's bible studying friends, the fact she is the only one of them with a boyfriend, that she dares to enjoy the attention that being looked at gives her...we the readers are all too keenly aware of exactly how she will be treated afterwards, we know how it goes.
Her crime?
She opens the door to her home, helps a 'stranded' stranger and enters a whole new world of pain, suffering and hell in the pink tower, a cabin in the woods painted pink which contains a black room where pain and suffering are indelibly embedded into its very structure.
The one thing which keeps her grounded, the one thing which guides her through the horrendous events which follow her kidnap by these two men, is the random encounter at the carnival with a tarot reader. The reading and the bind woman who foretold Josey's future, in a manner reminiscent of a Greek chorus, anchors Josey through her trauma and provides her with the means of weaponizing what remains of her, in order to escape.
The horror is beyond comprehension, as the very notion that 2 men should randomly be cruising ,in order to find a girl, on her own, kidnap her, and abuse for 3 days solid is so far removed from what anything that you can imagine. You feel tainted and sullied by the notion that you share a species with people who could do such a thing, all the while knowing that those people do exist, and that for their victims, there is no escape, no justice, no restorative measures but her, in the shadow of the pink tower, revenge is dealt with a gruesomeness and invention which befits what is done to Josey.
And what is more, when trying to find the feature image, I came across the Montessori exercise called the pink tower, which is an activity that refines and employs all the senses through building a tower. In this sense, and also in an almost biblical allegory, Josey essentially dies, goes through hell and is then reborn. She claims and reclaims her very soul, she is torn apart, quite literally, and then uses the very thing which these men sought to take from her, and uses it to destroy them.
In using startling and vivid imagery, that brings to mind the darkest of fairy tales, E.V Knight does not linger on what the men do, she places you squarely in the mind of Josey, you live and see through her eyes. It's truly astounding how this writer takes her trauma and creates such a redemptive and astounding work of art, and in reading it, it is not an exaggeration to say that you feel moved, changed and forever altered by looking through the eyes of a survivor.
There is no need to discuss the aftermath of what Josey goes through, the setup is obvious and scattered through the start of the novella, we exist in a patriarchal society where the blame is to be squarely laid at the feet of a girl, for, just being a girl. There is the intimation of danger from the boys lurking around the carnival, the warnings of Josey's bible studying friends, the fact she is the only one of them with a boyfriend, that she dares to enjoy the attention that being looked at gives her...we the readers are all too keenly aware of exactly how she will be treated afterwards, we know how it goes.
Her crime?
She opens the door to her home, helps a 'stranded' stranger and enters a whole new world of pain, suffering and hell in the pink tower, a cabin in the woods painted pink which contains a black room where pain and suffering are indelibly embedded into its very structure.
The one thing which keeps her grounded, the one thing which guides her through the horrendous events which follow her kidnap by these two men, is the random encounter at the carnival with a tarot reader. The reading and the bind woman who foretold Josey's future, in a manner reminiscent of a Greek chorus, anchors Josey through her trauma and provides her with the means of weaponizing what remains of her, in order to escape.
The horror is beyond comprehension, as the very notion that 2 men should randomly be cruising ,in order to find a girl, on her own, kidnap her, and abuse for 3 days solid is so far removed from what anything that you can imagine. You feel tainted and sullied by the notion that you share a species with people who could do such a thing, all the while knowing that those people do exist, and that for their victims, there is no escape, no justice, no restorative measures but her, in the shadow of the pink tower, revenge is dealt with a gruesomeness and invention which befits what is done to Josey.
And what is more, when trying to find the feature image, I came across the Montessori exercise called the pink tower, which is an activity that refines and employs all the senses through building a tower. In this sense, and also in an almost biblical allegory, Josey essentially dies, goes through hell and is then reborn. She claims and reclaims her very soul, she is torn apart, quite literally, and then uses the very thing which these men sought to take from her, and uses it to destroy them.
In using startling and vivid imagery, that brings to mind the darkest of fairy tales, E.V Knight does not linger on what the men do, she places you squarely in the mind of Josey, you live and see through her eyes. It's truly astounding how this writer takes her trauma and creates such a redemptive and astounding work of art, and in reading it, it is not an exaggeration to say that you feel moved, changed and forever altered by looking through the eyes of a survivor.
October 26, 2022
So lots of things need to be said here and I'm going to try my absolute best to do so.
This is a deeply Disturbing and horrific book. You won't find a more Horrifying and Harrowing novella. Now the book itself is just not an enjoyable read to me. Many reasons why but I'm trying to be succinct.
This is an autobiographical speculative fiction. Meaning the truly evil things that happened to the Protagonist actually happened to the author of the novel. The kidnapping and sexual assault that are the main focus of the novel are rooted in the authors personal experience.
On one note I can't NOT think it icky to have a real story like this and then add drama, foreshadowing, and try to have a cohesive plot to make the overall traumatic experience an "entertaining" novel. It's something I repeatedly thought about while reading the novel. It felt ewwy.
Also important note is the authors note was incredible and if you read this novella don't skip it. As much as I didnt see the hope or justice in the novel I can't commend the author enough for her bravery in sharing this story and her decision to be the creator of this story rather than a victim retelling her story. I can only imagine the catharsis and therapeutic healing writing a novella like this. Outstandingly brave, you get my standing ovation.
Please don't pick up this book willy-nilly and promise you are in a clear and good headspace before tackling something this heavy.
I had extremely emotional and complex thoughts while reading this book. I would love to have much deeper conversations on this story.
Even though I didn't enjoy a large majority of the book (and I did NOT enjoy that ending) I still am very happy to have read this book as it has expanded my bookish brain. Even though I may not revisit this book (especially anytime soon) it's undoubtedly going on my MVP bookshelf. Never have I ever read anything that had my brain reeling in 10 different directions like this novel
This is a deeply Disturbing and horrific book. You won't find a more Horrifying and Harrowing novella. Now the book itself is just not an enjoyable read to me. Many reasons why but I'm trying to be succinct.
This is an autobiographical speculative fiction. Meaning the truly evil things that happened to the Protagonist actually happened to the author of the novel. The kidnapping and sexual assault that are the main focus of the novel are rooted in the authors personal experience.
On one note I can't NOT think it icky to have a real story like this and then add drama, foreshadowing, and try to have a cohesive plot to make the overall traumatic experience an "entertaining" novel. It's something I repeatedly thought about while reading the novel. It felt ewwy.
Also important note is the authors note was incredible and if you read this novella don't skip it. As much as I didnt see the hope or justice in the novel I can't commend the author enough for her bravery in sharing this story and her decision to be the creator of this story rather than a victim retelling her story. I can only imagine the catharsis and therapeutic healing writing a novella like this. Outstandingly brave, you get my standing ovation.
Please don't pick up this book willy-nilly and promise you are in a clear and good headspace before tackling something this heavy.
I had extremely emotional and complex thoughts while reading this book. I would love to have much deeper conversations on this story.
Even though I didn't enjoy a large majority of the book (and I did NOT enjoy that ending) I still am very happy to have read this book as it has expanded my bookish brain. Even though I may not revisit this book (especially anytime soon) it's undoubtedly going on my MVP bookshelf. Never have I ever read anything that had my brain reeling in 10 different directions like this novel
March 9, 2025
The author's note at the beginning of this book makes it clear that it will be a harrowing read, anchored in a true experience, which adds to the horror. At the same time, I have to pause here because the art of the author's note is its calm preparedness followed by a message of empowerment--and these emotions set the tone for the book as a whole in a fashion that couldn't be more perfect.
I'll be honest: I wasn't expecting this to be as dark or as graphic as it was. For a novella, it packs an incredible amount of detailed characterization in, and such a journey that I'll remember it for some time. Still, the book won't be for everyone, or even most; there are graphic passages detailing sexual assault and sexual violence and rape (which I separate out for a reason, though I don't want to say more, for fear of spoilers). It's also worth noting that these passages are all the more graphic because while Knight never goes overboard (in my opinion) or passes into gratuitous or shock territory as so many writers would, she also doesn't shy away from any dark detail, and the emotions of the characters are so true, so believable and pitch perfect in the writing, that the scenes feel that much more real.
So, no, this tale of tarot reading and kidnapping won't be for everyone, but for readers who can stand the journey, I think it's well worth the experience. I read it in two sittings, and would certainly recommend it, with the above caveats.
I'll be honest: I wasn't expecting this to be as dark or as graphic as it was. For a novella, it packs an incredible amount of detailed characterization in, and such a journey that I'll remember it for some time. Still, the book won't be for everyone, or even most; there are graphic passages detailing sexual assault and sexual violence and rape (which I separate out for a reason, though I don't want to say more, for fear of spoilers). It's also worth noting that these passages are all the more graphic because while Knight never goes overboard (in my opinion) or passes into gratuitous or shock territory as so many writers would, she also doesn't shy away from any dark detail, and the emotions of the characters are so true, so believable and pitch perfect in the writing, that the scenes feel that much more real.
So, no, this tale of tarot reading and kidnapping won't be for everyone, but for readers who can stand the journey, I think it's well worth the experience. I read it in two sittings, and would certainly recommend it, with the above caveats.
December 28, 2025
A harrowing and traumatic kidnapping of a 17 year old girl.
Here's the thing, I was a kid of the 90s...I was a latchkey kid, working parents, no one around....someone rings the bell. I was told to pretend I'm not home. I still pretend I'm not home if that doorbell rings!
Based on the true story of the author. It truly makes me very angry and sad. Not to dumb down those emotions, but that's how I felt reading the book. I would like to know which parts of the story are true and which are the made up components.
It might be short, but it definitely has quite a few twists I did not expect.
Def recommend.
Here's the thing, I was a kid of the 90s...I was a latchkey kid, working parents, no one around....someone rings the bell. I was told to pretend I'm not home. I still pretend I'm not home if that doorbell rings!
Based on the true story of the author. It truly makes me very angry and sad. Not to dumb down those emotions, but that's how I felt reading the book. I would like to know which parts of the story are true and which are the made up components.
It might be short, but it definitely has quite a few twists I did not expect.
Def recommend.
Read
July 16, 2024Even though this is fiction I feel weird giving it a rating because it’s heavily based off of the author’s own experience. Really tough read, but I really loved the idea of being able to take your story back and give yourself the power you want. There were some technical aspects to the writing that I wish were different, but overall this was a really interesting read for what it did. Definitely check trigger warnings because there are a lot of uncomfortable and heartbreaking topics in this book.
September 19, 2024
Found this book by chance while browsing the horror section of my local indie bookstore. Was intrigued by the cover art and Tarot theme and decided to take it home. Read it in a couple of hours. Incredibly well written novella. The way EV Knight takes control of her past through the power of creative writing and gives power to the young traumatized woman in this story is deeply poignant and heavily empowering. I’m glad to have discovered Creature Publications through this piece and will definitely be paying close attention to further outputs from both the author and this publishing house.
September 14, 2022
full thoughts in my vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxKr7...
February 26, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
July 11, 2023
This book may need a trigger warning at the beginning but it is amazingly written.
November 22, 2023
"There is power here. Men call women whores because they fear them, because they fear the power they hold between their legs and secrets of creation within their cells. Take the moniker, if you must, but do not fear."
This is an incredibly powerful story based on the author's real life kidnapping and assault. In it, the author takes control of her own story. The author becomes the creator, representing The Universe in tarot. I love that she took her power back.
This novella was difficult to get through. There are graphic details of SA that the author doesn't shy away from. This made me feel physically sick at some points.
Given the graphic nature of the story, I can't recommend this to everyone. Check trigger warnings and make sure you're mentally prepared if you decide to read this.
While I can't say this was an enjoyable read, I can say that it had a powerful message.
I hope that writing this story helped the author heal from the trauma of the past.
This is an incredibly powerful story based on the author's real life kidnapping and assault. In it, the author takes control of her own story. The author becomes the creator, representing The Universe in tarot. I love that she took her power back.
This novella was difficult to get through. There are graphic details of SA that the author doesn't shy away from. This made me feel physically sick at some points.
Given the graphic nature of the story, I can't recommend this to everyone. Check trigger warnings and make sure you're mentally prepared if you decide to read this.
While I can't say this was an enjoyable read, I can say that it had a powerful message.
I hope that writing this story helped the author heal from the trauma of the past.
October 15, 2025
Just brutal
May 19, 2023
Everyone was like, "This is extremely graphic and upsetting." I went into it like, yeah yeah, sure. Turns out it's extremely graphic and upsetting, but also well written. Absolutely not for everyone, but harnesses the power of story in order to heal for both author and reader.
November 1, 2023
Synopsis: Following an unsettling tarot reading from a fortune teller at a local carnival, rising senior Josey Claypool is kidnapped from her house by two strange men. They bring her to an isolated pink cabin in the woods, and Josey must find a way to escape relying only on herself and the tarot cards she receives in visions.
*
I don’t always recommend reading the author’s note before diving into a novel. However, the context provided by the author's note can be essential, and this is the case for Three Days in the Pink Tower. Knight’s novel is based on her own life, and her note will positively inform your reading experience by framing the narrative from Knight’s perspective as a means “to retell my narrative, to use my craft as a fiction writer to take back all the control of MY story” (3).
Tarot plays an important role in Josey’s story, as is clear from the title and the cover art. Each section of the book opens with a different set of tarot cards, hinting at the direction Josey’s narrative will take. The most obvious is The Tower, a card associated with destruction and sudden, disruptive change (among other things). I’m only slightly familiar with tarot, and I think this actually allowed me to slip into Josey’s mental state more easily. Like her, I puzzled over the cards’ meanings, trying to divine what they foretold, how they might help her escape and survive.
As a fan of myth and lore, I also loved how Three Days in the Pink Tower uses, and subverts, folklore tropes and creatures. The black dog, for example, is often (though not always) a sign of disaster and death in English folklore, but Josey’s black dog helps her, acting as a guide and a kind of familiar. There’s also a striking scene with the washerwoman or Bean-nighe, a Scottish folklore figure who foretells death by washing the clothes of those about to die. When Josey encounters these beings, she's not a doomed character in a folktale trapped by the dictates of fate. She’s an active protagonist fighting human monsters.
As the narrative progresses, Josey gains insight into her captors’ histories and their own inner turmoil, but not in a way that makes her or us excuse their actions. They don’t deserve real names, and they don’t get them: throughout, Josey thinks of them as Slither and Flat Top. Instead, Josey uses her insight against them.
This was an unsettling novella, doubly so because it’s a reclamation of Knight’s lived experience. We humans have a tendency to dismiss terrible things by either denying that they could ever happen or by thinking we're somehow safe and immune from certain kinds of pain. But this willful blinkering allows terrible people to perpetrate evil. It doesn’t help prevent crimes, and it doesn’t help victims. It merely perpetuates a culture of violence which pressures anyone willing to tell their own story, in all its grief and pain, to be silent. Three Days in the Pink Tower is a refusal to be silent, a refusal to sensationalize or sanitize pain, a determination to retake control.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: horror and speculative fiction have great potential to give authors and readers catharsis and renewal, to help us all recover agency over our pasts and our futures, and Three Days in the Pink Tower is a shining example of this. I’ll conclude by simply saying EV Knight’s latest is a taut, unrelenting, symbolically charged read. I highly recommend it.
~
January 10, 2023
This is a hard review to write, just like it's a hard book to read - and, I imagine, to write as well. This is a fictionalized account of something that really happened to the author, and I strongly suggest checking into the content warnings before reading if you know that you'll need them.
This isn't my first book by E.V. Knight, and definitely won't be the last. She has such a great talent with her writing, and I absolutely adore everything I've read from her - even this, as painful and difficult to read as it is.
Taking control of the bad things that have happened to and hurt you, and morphing them in a way that gives you back your power, is so admirable. Truly in awe of how much strength and bravery it must take to share the story at all, but especially in a way - as a work of fiction - that can sometime invite criticisms from folks; I can't imagine it's easy, and I have so much respect for the author.
I don't know that I can recommend this solely because of the content / subject matter (and not knowing if people will struggle or be upset by that), but I can say that I'm glad to have read it.
Also, can we mention how cool the cover is?? I love it! More pink on book covers, please!
This isn't my first book by E.V. Knight, and definitely won't be the last. She has such a great talent with her writing, and I absolutely adore everything I've read from her - even this, as painful and difficult to read as it is.
Taking control of the bad things that have happened to and hurt you, and morphing them in a way that gives you back your power, is so admirable. Truly in awe of how much strength and bravery it must take to share the story at all, but especially in a way - as a work of fiction - that can sometime invite criticisms from folks; I can't imagine it's easy, and I have so much respect for the author.
I don't know that I can recommend this solely because of the content / subject matter (and not knowing if people will struggle or be upset by that), but I can say that I'm glad to have read it.
Also, can we mention how cool the cover is?? I love it! More pink on book covers, please!
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