Cool S

by Die Booth

Tracy Forrest has it all. A great boyfriend, loyal best mate, good job and new house. But something is missing. There’s a wistful longing for good times gone by that Trace just can’t lay to rest. When she spots a ubiquitous and mysterious teenage doodle in an old schoolbook, she becomes obsessed with finding out what it is.

You know Cool S?
Yeah, you do.
Cool S. Super S. Pointy S. THE S. That thing we all doodled on notebooks and schoolbooks and pencil cases, maybe graffitied on a park bench or a bus stop if you were frisky.

Ever wondered what it was? Where it came from? What it means?
Well, I’m here to tell you. Are you sure you want to know?

Cool S. Some things should stay lost.

Genres: Horror

114 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2022

About the author

Hey. I'm Die and I like wild beaches, exploring dark places and concocting iffy lies that stalk you from the shadows.

My latest book is a cursed novella called 'Cool S'.

You can buy my books online here in ebook and here in print.

You can also find a full list of things I've had published on my website.

I like reviewing books but I don't leave star ratings because I just personally find reviews are far more helpful and nuanced.

Reviews

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know if I ever drew the graffiti “S” aka “Cool S” while I was in school but I definitely remember seeing them spray painted or carved into wood playsets around the city as a teen. After reading this sinister little story, I am just fine knowing that I don’t have one tucked away in an old notebook or paperback somewhere 😯!

Two old friends decide to rummage through some old things and stop to ponder the “Cool S” they keep spying in notebooks, neither knowing what the heck it meant only knowing they were all compelled to doodle it. Later that night, Trace cannot stop thinking about it, even in her dreams or more accurately her nightmares . . .

This story was wild and unexpected and as I mentioned above, very sinister and eerie like much of Die Booth’s work which is why I enjoy it so much! You get to watch a person unravel (which is always fun) due to obsession and . . . I’m not saying what else because I’m not spoiling things for anyone today. You should surprise yourself with the revelations. Just know there’s a bit of body horror and a whole lot of WTFery and I thoroughly enjoyed it all. At times it reads a little like a weird waking nightmare but it’s not one of those vague and confusing types that some books descend into. I think you’re going to love this if you’re a dark fiction fan looking for a book that’ll keep you guessing and probably creep you out.

4 1/2 Stars

[Sonora Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool S asks a very good question: what on earth is that ubiquitous little 'S' we all drew without question in school? Die Booth's imaginative, gripping story answers that in a fast-paced read sure to make one wary of doodling it ever again. I loved this creepy and creative tale.

[Eve Harms]

In Cool S, Booth exposes the insidious rot in our nostalgia obsessed culture with chillingly exquisite results.

[Damien Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I ever watched someone draw the cool S my mind was blown. What was this ancient wizardry that was bestowed upon me in the lunchroom in fifth grade while o ate a pizza hot pocket? Fast forward to now and I find myself reading Die Booth’s Cool S with the same sense of wonder. A simple Monkeys Paw type set up in a way, but done so inventive, stylish, and bizarre that the book feels like anything other than something you’ve read before. A book about bringing back the past, and the consequences that come with it told through a lens of nostalgia and need. To try and describe the plot would be a disservice to the book and the author. Cool S functions as equal parts Cosmic-Horror and dare I say, a sort of Fairy Tale? Completely unique and inventive. Pick up Cool S and be blown away just like the time your friend taught you how to draw it at their house on a page ripped from a library book. K thx.

[Sarah McMullan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I just find a favourite new horror author?
Unsettling, original and casually intelligent; Booth takes a not unfamiliar idea and makes it engaging, enticing and dare I say new again.
With the exception of the odd spelling of certain words (bab for babe) which annoyed the aural pedant in me, I stepped inside this and devoured it in one gobbled sitting.
Now, where's my next course?!

Bonus points for a thorough content warning. 🙂

[Wendy Dalrymple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brimming with psychological terror and a disturbing dose of 90s nostalgia. The “S”stands for sinister and surreal. Perfect for fans of My Best Friends Exorcism and The Craft!

[Derek Hutchins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every 90s kid should read this book. It takes the iconic symbol we all grew up with and turns it into a legend. Trace, the protagonist, learns that the symbol bears mystic powers to bring things back. This is the classic story of be careful what you wish for. I loved the way the author used the theme of nostalgia and trying to bring back the past in this story about a symbol that for many, represents our childhoods. There are occult themes and supernatural stuff in here too which I really dug.

[Erica Robyn Metcalf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool S by Die Booth is a story centering around the little doodle we all drew at one point. We thought it was so innocent, but what if there was a dark power behind it when done with a certain intent?

I had SO much fun reading this! This is one that is definitely going to stick with me. I'm not looking forward to seeing one of these Cool S's pop up again in the wild anytime soon though!

Cool S by Die Booth will make you think twice before doodling what you think is just a harmless S, that's for darn sure!

Body horror fans, whether or not you know what this symbol is, this is a book you cannot miss!

Check out my full review here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/book-...

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. I will also purchase a copy when the book goes on sale!

[J.T. Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bored and restless Trace bites off more than she can chew when she decides to investigate the mysterious origins of Cool S, an exercise book doodle which (at least for Booth) has a malign secret at its core. Trace’s need for instant gratification and her (our?) lingering feeling that things were better in the old days - wouldn’t it be better if such a thing was brought back? - are pursued to logical extremes: the reader knows that no good will come of this, and you can’t bail the protagonist out. A short little shock.

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy, relatable, and full of delightfully wicked consequences, Cool S forces the reader to confront the question of "how far is too far?"

If given the chance to return what was once lost, what would you ask, and what losses would you accept in return?

Part fairytale, part Gothic horror, Cool S leaves you unsettled and wanting more in the best, worst ways.

[Trindade · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not everyday that I rate a book five stars. In fact, I think I can count them all with one hand. But Die Booth's 'Cool S' went straight into my favourite's book shelf and it gave me everything I could ask for.

It's a quick read, if you want it to be, or you can take your time and savour it. Savour each page and each little detail, added to the pages, that will transport you back in time, to your childhood or teenage years.

Do you feel nostalgic for times that have passed? Can't you get over the things you've lost? The person you once were? Do you long for more, an unsatiable want that is never fulfilled? Do you like spooky stories and supernatural happenings? This book is for you!

[Shrike · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We forget more than we remember."

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. Booth harnesses the power of nostalgia bait to caution against losing the future to the past.

The psychological horror is excellent. Tension builds page after page as Trace becomes increasingly out-of-touch with the present. Anxiety glued my hands to this book until it was over.

Despite its short length, Cool S has so many quotable lines. It was a bit difficult to pick just one for this review!

I recommend this book for both the horror and the message.

Thank you so much to Booth for the chance to check this book out for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

[Rhian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ripped through this in one sitting. Compelling and deliciously dark.

[Carolyn Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic read, I didn't put it down once I started it!

[Claudia Glazzard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, I picked it up thinking I'd just read a little and then before I knew it I had demolished it in one sitting. Sounds clichéd but I couldn't put it down.

No spoilers here but it was such an amazing story based around that 'S' we all used to draw at school and it's unknown true meaning!

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love some urban legend-style folklore horror tales. Who DOESN’T remember writing the cool S everywhere?!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is an awful lot of predictable, paint by numbers horror out there. Wading through it sometimes makes you feel as if this is what is to be expected, that there is a certain qualitive threshold that is unquestioned. Yet, reading Cool S makes you realise that there are genre works in the world that outstrip and outshine the output of the usual suspects. If you want to know where the future of this genre is going, it certainly isn't in the direction of endlessly reworked, juvenile clichés, but towards the crepuscular shades of uncertainty, self-questioning and paradigm-shifting revelations that will gnaw at edges of memory with a tenacity that exceeds that of any cheap body-horror thrill.
Cool S is a turbulent and often queasy journey, questioning our own relationships with nostalgia, the heart wrenching gulfs of 'what ifs' and the consequences of rendering those wishes into reality. It is a dangerous tale and should be compared to paper shrapnel; once it's in your mind, you will have to learn to live with the wound it creates or invest in therapy to get it out. Insidious, Borgesian horror for those who refuse to be patronised by the oceans of mediocrity the genre currently drowns in.