As a child, Tyler spends a great deal of time at his granddad’s house. His father has disappeared, and his mother never realizes the torment and abuse Tyler receives while visiting his granddad, as she never sets foot inside the house.
In a special room, Tyler’s granddad builds “worlds” inside of crystal bottles. Once uncapped, Tyler spends hours of entrancement inside those worlds; it’s almost as if the bottles contain hallucinogens. The housekeeper, Mrs. Waites, shows him no mercy and leaves him with plenty of bruises.
Now grown, Tyler’s granddad has passed away, leaving the house to him. Of course, Tyler wants nothing to do with the house that held him captive and tormented him during his childhood, and he certainly doesn’t want his own son near the dark and dreary house or Mrs. Waites. But there are stipulations, and, unfortunately, Tyler must return to the house one last time.
The bleak house, as well as the dreadful housekeeper and the bottles, awaits Tyler’s homecoming. He has spent a lot of agonizing time here over the years, but he knows after the next twenty-four hours are behind him, he will be able to wash his hands of this hateful dwelling forever. He knows he can resist the temptations and save himself and his family from any further torment of the house, but the bottles sparkle under the lights, revealing secrets, calling for him, calling him home…
I really enjoyed “Bottled.” I love haunted house stories, so this was a treat for me, although this isn’t merely a haunted house story. Granddad and Mrs. Waites are both creepy characters. Tyler is strong, has left his demons in the past, and he knows the steps he needs to take. The house and bottles hold secrets that I was excited to uncover. I loved that the book was fast paced for me. So much anticipation! It really picked up speed at the end. I envisioned myself walking down the dark halls of the house, and I could almost taste the stinking, gristly stew meat for dinner. Not too lengthy and not too short. This book hit all the right spots for me.
Thanks to Silver Shamrock Publishing for providing me with an eARC of this book.