Petrified Women by Jeremy Ray (Horror Novella Review)

 I received a digital copy of this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Petrified Women
A Novella
Written by Jeremy Ray
Published by Infinite Ray Publishing
on May 14, 2021
Genre: Adult, Horror
Length: 92 pages

Goodreads | Amazon 

Synopsis:
Some pranks go too far. This one could be deadly.

Harley has finally picked the perfect boyfriend. 
Sure, he's a bit eccentric. His wood carving hobby is a little odd. His need for isolation while he carves his life-size female figurines is strange. And maybe his obsession with pranks, or "scares" on Harley goes a little too far. But what do you expect? Aiden's an artist.

She has the ultimate surprise planned for Aiden's birthday, one that's going to help her get even in their battle to out-prank each other. She hides in his apartment, excitedly waiting to pull off the scare of a lifetime... but when he comes home, she witnesses a different side of her boyfriend. One that only exists behind closed doors. Is this just one of his scares? Harley's about to find out. 

CONTENT WARNING:
SEXUAL ASSAULT
VIOLENCE
BODY HORROR
STRONG LANGUAGE


My Thoughts:

I flew through this novella in just an hour or two and absolutely loved it! It's spooky and suspenseful and has a fan-freaking-tastic ending. 

Harley hasn't had the best luck with boyfriends in the past, and her best friend, Shelly, agrees. But Aiden is different. He's an artist that carves life-size figurines of women at home that sell for lots of money and has a twisted sense of humor but is lots of fun. Aiden's practical jokes, or "scares" as he likes to call them, can get a little intense but they're helping Harley get over her fears after all. 
Harley is convinced that Aiden is 'the one' and has the best idea to get him back for all of his winning scares so she sneaks into his apartment to hide but soon sees a side of Aiden that has her wondering if it's a new scare or the real deal. 

This was so good! I was hooked from the start and didn't put it down until I was finished.
I don't read novellas very often but something about this book's synopsis (and that simply gorgeous cover) had me jumping at the chance to read it and I'm so glad I did. I sympathized with Harley and loved the emotional depth in her character and the author's writing but it's the ending that made this a truly memorable tale. I don't think I'll forget it any time soon! 

Be aware that this is an adult novella with content warnings that the author has graciously provided for us, including sexual assault, violence, body horror, and strong language.

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Animal Barn: A Cautionary Tale by David Spuler (Novella Review)

 I received an ecopy of this book from the author/publisher via Goodreads Giveaways. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Animal Barn
A Cautionary Tale
Written by David Spuler
Published by RevMax Media
on November 10, 2020
Genre: Anthropomorphic, Environmental
Length: 118 pages

Goodreads | Amazon 

Synopsis:
Trapped in their steaming barn, with food running out, Petunia the lamb and her friend Pickle struggle against the obstreperous Felicity and the dismissive older animals who are oblivious to the needs of the young ones. Only a mother's love can save them. 
An allegorical novella about climate change and global warming, in the spirit of Animal Farm. 


My Thoughts:

A barn full of farm animals worry about their owner as he becomes sick in the cold of winter and stops showing up to feed them.  They're sure someone will rescue them eventually, but it keeps getting colder and they keep getting hungrier.
As more time passes, some of the animals break out of their stalls and come up with ways to preserve their shrinking water and food sources but no matter how much they try, they can't seem to find a way to break out of the barn. 

Animal Barn is the 'Animal Farm' of our time, with unseen forces, aka weather and/or climate, as the main antagonist but still follows the spirit of the Orwellian tale. A barn full of trapped animals is bound to have an interesting, and perhaps rather harrowing, outcome; especially when their very survival is at stake.

I originally read 'Animal Farm' in middle or high school as required reading (which never bothered me) and it stuck with me for years. I've reread it twice since then and can definitely see myself reading it again in the future and was excited to read this novella 'retelling'. 

Animal Barn did not disappoint. It has many similarities to 'Animal Farm' but is a fantastic allegory all on its own, with lovable characters and its own 'hidden message.'

Content warning includes neglect and death of animals and some animalistic violence. I would recommend it to fans of Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies. There are no age recommendations that I can find but I think it is suitable for young readers. 

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Book Review: The New Hunger by Isaac Marion

The New Hunger (Warm Bodies #0.5) by Isaac Marion

Prequel to 'Warm Bodies'

Genre:

Post-Apocalyptic/Zombie

My Rating:

☆☆☆☆

(3.8ish, in my opinion)

SYNOPSIS:

New York is a bayou. New Orleans is a reef. The entire country has been devastated by natural disasters and governmental collapse, and on top of everything else there is the annoying problem of zombies trying to devour you at every turn. But sixteen-year-old Nora and her younger brother Addis are about to discover the most frightening thing yet: being abandoned in this horrific world by their own parents.
Left with only a bag of clothes and a first-aid kit, Nora and Addis begin a harrowing journey to connect with anyone who isn't looking to rob them or eat them. A wounded man wrecks a meal of green beans and French fries at the top of the Space Needle in Seattle. An attempt to get a good night’s sleep in a fortified motel is ruined by an undead face staring at them through the window. And they just can’t seem to shake someone – something – that’s been following them everywhere they go….
Meanwhile, a girl named Julie is traveling toward the city in an SUV with her parents. She is only twelve, but has already seen friends die and her school burn. She has watched her father become nearly as cold and remorseless as the Dead. All she wants is someplace to call home, even if it never really will be.
And somewhere nearby, a tall man awakens in the woods, unsure of exactly where he is, or even who he is. As he struggles to remember details of his life, a single consonant comes to him: R. He is…a name that begins with R….
Isaac Marion once again demonstrates his remarkable gifts as a storyteller as he brings the world of WARM BODIES back to life. Grounding his characters in real emotion, Marion makes you root for them to save the world even as they simply try to stay alive.

MY THOUGHTS:

It's been a few months since I read 'Warm Bodies' so I don't feel as if I could do a 'Double Review Day' so I will just stick to this shorter prequel for the most part. What I remember of 'Warm Bodies' is that I enjoyed the fresh new perspective of the story being told from the point of view of a zombie who just happens to be the main character. It was enjoyable and rather funny. I think the ending kind of went downhill but only because the beginning seemed to be the best part. Even though I did enjoy it, I only gave it 3 stars while everyone in my Goodreads 'friends' list gave it 5. Every single one of them. They probably think I'm horrible. I don't remember why I gave it 3 stars. Perhaps it was because I thought the beginning was the best part.

As for 'The New Hunger', I enjoyed it, too. It had a bit more length than the previous 'prequels', 'sequels', and other short stories that seem to plague popular fiction these days, but still told it's own little story and added to the main story. I enjoyed learning more about Nora and Julie but thought the 'birth of Zombie R' was a bit strange. Okay, sorry, I didn't mean literal birth. Reincarnation? Whatever. Changing the subject: I love the cover. It's like a mouth full of jagged teeth about to eat Nora and Addis.