A review by uutopicaa
#middletonmanor by Sandra J. Paul

3.5

There’s nothing quite like a short horror story to cleanse the palate after a disappointing read. It was the perfect time for me to read it.

This story, while straightforward in its plot (an influencer risks everything to stream from a haunted house and naturally things go wrong), is still engaging... though not exactly surprising. 

Despite its simplicity, the narrative has a lot of potential to evolve into something more substantial, perhaps a novella. Expanding the story could allow readers to truly immerse themselves in the mansion’s eerie atmosphere, something that’s only hinted at in its current form.

As it stands, everything moves so quickly that there’s not enough time to fully appreciate the sense of dread the haunted house should evoke. I found myself wishing for more depth, both in terms of the setting and the characters. The mansion’s history, the town, and the characters' backstories all felt a bit underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more. A longer format could give us the chance to explore these elements and build a stronger sense of tension and fear. 

Again, it is not a bad story at all. It was exactly what I wanted to read, but It could be much better too.

Overall, while the story has a strong classic foundation and potential, it feels a bit lacking in content to really deliver a memorable horror experience. It’s good, but I believe it could be much more if expanded. I’d love to see an extended version in the future!!!

And yes, I know this story is part of a "Tiny Horrors" collection of short stories, but it didn’t fully hit the mark for me as it is. I'm not sure how to explain it exactly.

As a writer, it’s certainly possible to craft a compelling and scary horror story in a brief format with the same word count. My issue with this story is that it feels more like a much larger narrative that has been summarized and stripped of the atmosphere and tension that would make it truly effective.

Still, I recommend it when you have the itch to read a quick haunted house story before going to bed!