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Printed from https://writing.com/main/profile/reviews/1sadiewrites
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29 Public Reviews Given
29 Total Reviews Given
Public Reviews
1
1
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
The parody-ish nature of the title belies a genuine, creeping sense of unease and tension that moves throughout the story.

There's minimal dialogue in the long beginning parts of the story (that serve as sort of the introductory parts, I guess), but I for one didn't even miss it. It's still very compelling. I like that the tone is conversational, but it's the conversation of somebody with elevated conversation skills- your heroine is a storyteller in her own right (by necessity of you displaying your own significant writing chops, of course), despite her not being the bestselling author.

The characters are almost immediately identified as types, but you've breathed life into them, and they don't come across as too cliche.

I loved the description of your narrator walking down the hallway in her dream. It's so vivid, with excellent word choices. With the sloshing and whatnot, that carpet is almost tangible, which provokes the kind of disgust you want to engender in a story like this, I think. I thought the ashy handprints on the wallpaper were the perfect touch of macabre.

I like the hint of levity ("no one wants to worry about killer lamps on their honeymoon") that never goes too far.

I also enjoyed the way the main character morphs into the dead girl while in the dream. The progression of it, I guess, starting with something as small as a pair of small hands- of course, at the window, close to the lamp. And then it becomes in the mirror, and then sort of looking at herself outside of herself... Recognizable elements, but depicted uniquely.

It even had people making unwise, horror story decisions! Oh, my word, the part where, post-workout, the right elevator is suddenly operational instead made me want to scream at my computer scream. I DEFINITELY would have taken the stairs, aching legs, or no. lol

"It had waited. It wasn’t enough that the goddamned thing had taken me up to that ghost floor, but it had waited until I had looked up at the numbers. It waited until I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt where I was before it had let me go."

^^ Goddamn chilling.

From the beginning of the story and other things, it's obvious the couple in this story won't be living happily ever after, which began to hit me as a shame, as humanely as the narrator described their relationship. Sure, "John Smith" had a few faults, but... But I think that helps the story, too; you take us through enough of his pretension and him disbelieving his wife to wonder if he's going to turn on her at some point, which, particularly with a relationship begun in some deception, hits at a very basic, peculiar paranoia people can have about the one they love.

The chaotic climax is terrifically terrifying. It was quite a surprising turn that Mr. Smith suddenly knows- or thinks he knows- so much more than his wife, and the kind of supernatural "rules" that he spouts are so appropriately discombobulating for being incomprehensible.

"He died wrapping up someone else’s story."

^^ Poetic.

The end was sort of sad, disquieting, and satisfying. I said "disquieting", which is sort of ironic, as it's a quiet end, and with a tone of resolve, for all there being no neat resolution. if I have one nitpicky thing, it's that now I feel compelled to research what " set of creatures from the beyond" may have been in the hotel and in the Smith home, but I admit, that sounds like entertaining research, at least. *Wink*

All in all, a really, really great job!
2
2
Review of Here Be Dragon  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
This story reminded me how much I want a tiny pet dragon! *Laugh* (Even if he was previously a terrifying humongous dragon, and he still has powers beyond any person's ken.)

I think this story is practically perfect. The only possible improvement I'd be able to offer is in this part: "[...] I have consumed countess thousands of souls [...]", I think 'countess' is supposed to be countless. And here: "There was an empty silence for a moment as the sparkling refuse absorbed her voice [...]". I'm not sure "refuse" is the right word if you're talking about gold, since it usually refers to food discarded from a kitchen, or at the very least, some kind of garbage.

Other than that, I like how the story moves along at a nice clip, things are a snap to visualize with the nice descriptions you have here, and it's an easy read while still being highly literate. I love the dialogue, and it's funny as advertised. There are too many good lines to point out, but suffice it to say I liked Alex's genuine and somewhat bumbling but still somewhat smart personality, and I think my two favorite parts from Behemoth were his intimidating speech about not being a pet, and the part at the end where he called her fluffy.

Really good job! *Delight*
3
3
Review of The Trial  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
Quite the interesting idea. *Smile* I thought the way you opened the story with the cry for order from the bailiff was a good attention-capturing technique. This was rather a breezy read with a simplistic writing style, but makes use of two of my favorite, underused 'p' words- pandemonium and ponderously. Kudos! *ThumbsUp* I loved the detail of the ghost humming while waiting for everyone to simmer down. That was fantastic. lol
4
4
Review of We Handle Our Own  Open in new Window.
Rated: 18+ | (4.0)
I greatly enjoyed this story. I think you did quite the skillful job at creating a tense, creepy, and intriguing atmosphere, while also mixing in some good humor with your main character's snarky thoughts about the town. A town which, by the way, I think you built ably. It may be a rather typical sketch of a backwater Southern town, but it came alive for me. There are a few minor typos in here, but nothing to detract from the story. I don't know what I was expecting Mr. Orson to find at the ruins of Mrs. Mutton's house. (Her name makes me wonder if you were doing a play on words with mutton = sheep, as in, a sheep wandered away from the flock?) Maybe something a little more subtly chilling than the wham-blam of that scary disembodied voice, but still, there's no doubt that hearing that disembodied voice would be frightening! And I do think what came before crept along in a suitably sinister way. Again, I really liked this story. Quite clever, keep it up!
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