coral's review
5.0
In a word, Beneath the Surface of Things is amazing.
This collection of twenty five horror stories is the best I've read in a long time in this genre. Kevin Wallis makes the ugly and the terrifying come alive with his writing. His stories have a complexity that I really enjoyed and went way beyond the simply scary.
Of all the stories, "Mary Burns" was my favorite, and is a perfect example of what Kevin Wallis does right. There's a depth of character, layered in quick strokes but with unquestionable skill. There's disturbing descriptions and frightening events, though he never crosses the line into what I would call truly grotesque. There's a hero you want desperately to triumph, though the outlook isn't good. There's a twist, and a bit of a moral. Perfect.
There are a lot of bite-sized scares to be had here. Read and enjoy.
Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for the purposes of this review.
This collection of twenty five horror stories is the best I've read in a long time in this genre. Kevin Wallis makes the ugly and the terrifying come alive with his writing. His stories have a complexity that I really enjoyed and went way beyond the simply scary.
Of all the stories, "Mary Burns" was my favorite, and is a perfect example of what Kevin Wallis does right. There's a depth of character, layered in quick strokes but with unquestionable skill. There's disturbing descriptions and frightening events, though he never crosses the line into what I would call truly grotesque. There's a hero you want desperately to triumph, though the outlook isn't good. There's a twist, and a bit of a moral. Perfect.
There are a lot of bite-sized scares to be had here. Read and enjoy.
Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for the purposes of this review.
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