zacko's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
kitkatdallibooks's review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
raincorbyn's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
moooonchild_'s review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
the_coycaterpillar_reads's review
4.0
The Nothing That Is by Kyle Winkler was a huge surprise. Adrenaline and mystique keep the reader engaged. We get everything that we could possibly anticipate from an excellent Cosmic Horror. Winkler sets impossibly high standard from the get go. That exquisite level of imagination is continued throughout the novella. Trust Winkler and his vision, he doesn’t steer you wrong.
The Nothing That Is is a creation that lives in the deepest recesses of a brilliant mind. His writing never once failed me. I love Cosmic Horror and the accuracy and shock value entranced me. The plot is a dangerous roller-coaster of strangeness and obscurity. It’s the perfect stage for an experience borne from chance and desperation. I really relished his exploration of societal themes of financial burden and beliefs beyond our own reality.
Cade McCall is a down on his luck Assistant Manager at a Catering firm. He is desperate to move on and start up his own company. There’s only one thing holding him back, money. His solution seems to just drop into his lap unbidden. A Mr Dinosaur phones up with a very specific catering brief. He is representing a food tasting group, and although it all seems very weird, he’s being paid in cash, what’s not to like? Well, if things seem to good too be true, then they probably are.
The Nothing That Is was an experience. It felt like being trapped in the eye of the storm. You know what it’s supposed to be like but the reality is far more violent, far more intense. The unease emanating from the pages is omnipresent but so freaking awesome. Cade caters for the dinner but the requests get stranger and stranger, but Cade only thinks of the red-hot cash!
Oh, and exploding cemeteries… Yah!
Quite often I had to stop in my marvel at the fact this was the authors debut work. The writing and red-hot narrative was flawless. Topics tackled with respect and research but without diminishing the impact of societal norms. Man, it was just tantalisingly gruesome.
The skill of the author had the lines blurring, I couldn’t decipher reality and fiction. The town seems to be a giant shroud of secrets and its up to Cade to get to the bottom of it before it’s too late. I will be watching with bated breath for Winkler next release. This guy has serious talent.
The Nothing That Is is deliciously dark and gritty, with its brilliantly drawn characters and tightly plotted narrative, it just simply refuses to let go.
The Nothing That Is is a creation that lives in the deepest recesses of a brilliant mind. His writing never once failed me. I love Cosmic Horror and the accuracy and shock value entranced me. The plot is a dangerous roller-coaster of strangeness and obscurity. It’s the perfect stage for an experience borne from chance and desperation. I really relished his exploration of societal themes of financial burden and beliefs beyond our own reality.
Cade McCall is a down on his luck Assistant Manager at a Catering firm. He is desperate to move on and start up his own company. There’s only one thing holding him back, money. His solution seems to just drop into his lap unbidden. A Mr Dinosaur phones up with a very specific catering brief. He is representing a food tasting group, and although it all seems very weird, he’s being paid in cash, what’s not to like? Well, if things seem to good too be true, then they probably are.
The Nothing That Is was an experience. It felt like being trapped in the eye of the storm. You know what it’s supposed to be like but the reality is far more violent, far more intense. The unease emanating from the pages is omnipresent but so freaking awesome. Cade caters for the dinner but the requests get stranger and stranger, but Cade only thinks of the red-hot cash!
Oh, and exploding cemeteries… Yah!
Quite often I had to stop in my marvel at the fact this was the authors debut work. The writing and red-hot narrative was flawless. Topics tackled with respect and research but without diminishing the impact of societal norms. Man, it was just tantalisingly gruesome.
The skill of the author had the lines blurring, I couldn’t decipher reality and fiction. The town seems to be a giant shroud of secrets and its up to Cade to get to the bottom of it before it’s too late. I will be watching with bated breath for Winkler next release. This guy has serious talent.
The Nothing That Is is deliciously dark and gritty, with its brilliantly drawn characters and tightly plotted narrative, it just simply refuses to let go.
cherylsarnoski's review
5.0
Reading this book was like having a conversation with my best friends. Good flow, lots of wit, humor paired with brutal truth. I loved it. Will read everything this author puts out from no on.
dllman05's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
ian_l's review
4.0
I have to admit, this book was NOT what I was expecting. I saw the dinosaur skull (makes sense now) on the cover and thought "this guy is getting compared to Bourdain, its a horror novel, AND there's a dinosaur skull on the front? This has to somehow be about dinosaurs!"
Imagine my surprise 1/4 of the way through when there's 0 dinosaurs, and instead I've stumbled into a wildly entertaining cosmic horror with a culinary tinge that tickled my Ex-kitchen crony funny bone.
I will admit I did not get the comparison between Mr. Winkler's writing style and that of Bourdain's but I very much enjoyed this title nonetheless.
I'm excited to read more by this author, especially if Mr. Dinosaur ever makes another appearance.
Imagine my surprise 1/4 of the way through when there's 0 dinosaurs, and instead I've stumbled into a wildly entertaining cosmic horror with a culinary tinge that tickled my Ex-kitchen crony funny bone.
I will admit I did not get the comparison between Mr. Winkler's writing style and that of Bourdain's but I very much enjoyed this title nonetheless.
I'm excited to read more by this author, especially if Mr. Dinosaur ever makes another appearance.