A review by verkisto
Beast in the Basement by Jason Arnopp
2.0
Before starting this book, I knew there was going to be a twist in it. I hadn't heard of the author before, so when I saw something suggesting this was a good, tight read, I checked a few reviews to see what they had to say, and nearly all of them talked about the shocking twist. So, yes, I was predisposed to expect it, but I think even if I had gone into the story blind, I would have been expecting some kind of twist. It was evident the way Arnopp wrote the story that something wasn't all that it seemed.
To his credit, Arnopp did surprise me. Despite expecting the twist, I didn't figure it out before its reveal. It wasn't even a cheat, either, since the story as he wrote it supports the direction it takes. It reminded me of the twist in Shyamalan's The Visit, not that it's similar in any way, but in the way it takes you by surprise, and in the way it doesn't conclude with that twist, but instead takes you a little further into the story once it's revealed.
For all that, though, the twist seemed a little ridiculous. I'm not saying it's implausible, or unsupportable, but it didn't have the kind of impact I expected, given how well Arnott sets up the tension of the story. It was a kind of "That's it?" moment, and then a shake of my head as it concluded. Like Stephen King's reveal of Pennywise's true form, the truth of this story didn't live up to the setup.
There's really just one main character in the story, though Arnopp brings in a potential love interest for him. She's barely defined, and not much of a character, despite being necessary for the main character's development. It would have been different if he had realized her character more, but as it is, she's there simply as a means to motivate the main character, and winds up being window dressing.
Arnopp's previous credits include several screenplays, which shows in this novella. He tells more than he shows, and the pacing is a bit clunky, as it seems to progress too slowly at first, though it does pick up near the end. In fact, I think this story would work well as a short movie, since plot-wise, the story succeeds fairly well.
Ultimately, the story is all plot, without sufficient character development. In some cases, this is OK (Dean Koontz's Icebound is one of those stories, and I remember tearing through that book in one sleepless night), but here, it feels like a detriment. It's not a bad story (judging by the number of four- and five-star reviews, it certainly isn't), but maybe I'm not the right audience for it. Still, it was only 99 cents, and I've read a lot worse than this for more money than that.
To his credit, Arnopp did surprise me. Despite expecting the twist, I didn't figure it out before its reveal. It wasn't even a cheat, either, since the story as he wrote it supports the direction it takes. It reminded me of the twist in Shyamalan's The Visit, not that it's similar in any way, but in the way it takes you by surprise, and in the way it doesn't conclude with that twist, but instead takes you a little further into the story once it's revealed.
For all that, though, the twist seemed a little ridiculous. I'm not saying it's implausible, or unsupportable, but it didn't have the kind of impact I expected, given how well Arnott sets up the tension of the story. It was a kind of "That's it?" moment, and then a shake of my head as it concluded. Like Stephen King's reveal of Pennywise's true form, the truth of this story didn't live up to the setup.
There's really just one main character in the story, though Arnopp brings in a potential love interest for him. She's barely defined, and not much of a character, despite being necessary for the main character's development. It would have been different if he had realized her character more, but as it is, she's there simply as a means to motivate the main character, and winds up being window dressing.
Arnopp's previous credits include several screenplays, which shows in this novella. He tells more than he shows, and the pacing is a bit clunky, as it seems to progress too slowly at first, though it does pick up near the end. In fact, I think this story would work well as a short movie, since plot-wise, the story succeeds fairly well.
Ultimately, the story is all plot, without sufficient character development. In some cases, this is OK (Dean Koontz's Icebound is one of those stories, and I remember tearing through that book in one sleepless night), but here, it feels like a detriment. It's not a bad story (judging by the number of four- and five-star reviews, it certainly isn't), but maybe I'm not the right audience for it. Still, it was only 99 cents, and I've read a lot worse than this for more money than that.