A review by voxvenati
We Need to Do Something by Max Booth III

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Tense little novella with one or two great moments.

The good: the enclosed space as a concept, the ambiguous nature of it all, the descent into madness, a sense of strangeness, and of course

the man-dog-thing. Also, just the supernatural elements in general. Wasn’t expecting that, hallucinated or otherwise.

The concept was great, but those story elements could have been pushed further.

The bad: I hated the little brother. He didn’t feel like a real younger brother in the way he spoke or was annoying, and it detracted from my enjoyment. The pacing/escalation felt off. My favorite scene from the spoiler above felt like the peak of what we get. I wanted more of that, but the events that followed were less weird and felt like a deescalation. I also wanted more answers. Any answers. Last gripe - they absolutely could have used that toilet tank lid to bust through those American paper walls or even the particle board door.

Also, the mom cuts through the door in the end anyway!

I know no one in this family can think, but Christ.

Short and has its issues, but worth it.