Kealan Patrick Burke

"She burns, he burns, we all fall down."

3.5 stars rounded up for that great cover! When you crack a horror story, you are never quite sure what you are getting. The horror genre is pretty wide open with few barriers. It can get very gross and very weird very quick and I don't always love it.

But this one was great. It's got that perfect creep factor. Just enough that you are constantly unsettled with just enough detail to make you shake your head but definitely keep reading. I don't even mind that it was short (I'm actually kind of relieved). It's almost stressful, just how high notched the fear and unease is. It was a wonderful read, one that will stick with me for a hot minute. And I'll get dodging sour candy for a few too.… (more)

Non saprei nemmeno da dove cominciare.
Questi due racconti sono talmente belli che mi hanno lasciato senza parole.
Attirato dal successo di questo autore anche per la bellezza e la cura delle copertine originali, ho riscoperto che, a volte, l'hype attorno ad un libro è giustificatissimo.
Blanky è una ghost story (?) misteriosa e coinvolgente, adrenalinica e con un finale talmente shockante che rimarrete senza parole.
Sour Candy è l'apice del weird horror, una storia agghiacciante e perfetta nel suo assurdo fascino.
Dieci e lode.

Ne parlo QUI … (more)

I'm not exactly sure why but I delayed reading this book for a while. It circled up on my To Be Read list and I kept skipping it for other books. A mistake on my side because it is way better than my misconceptions had me thinking.

The story drops us not quite in the middle of the action but in the aftermath. In my mind I thought "this is the results from an alternate universe version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". An apt enough description that I think still fits. While one portion does focus on the family, other threads follow the sole survivor and her rescuer. Specifically, it looks at the steps that each person takes to deal with the situation and get beyond what happened. The story takes itself seriously and is realistic with its actions. The limitations of reality are still there and fall upon each person. The end result? A book that I really wish I had read sooner without pushing off.… (more)