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Down twisted corridors of thought, something waits. Over broken pathways of memory, it pursues. Though unseen, it is close enough to touch... Critically-acclaimed author Chloe Sender is lost. Lost in an abusive past; lost within her fragmented mind. And she is lost within the pages of her own incomplete manuscript - a story she barely remembers writing that haunts her with every word, with every increasingly twisted sentence. Sleep-deprived and driven to complete the soul-destroying work, she begins to tear at the seams of her relationships. Her nightmares escalate in intensity and violence until she attempts to destroy the work for the sake of her sanity. But just outside her consciousness there is someone else - some thing else that will not be silenced. Shimmering at the periphery of her vision, capering through her nightmares and seeping into the pages of her manuscript, an ancient evil is in pursuit.
Plot/Idea: 5 out of 10
Originality: 6 out of 10
Prose: 6 out of 10
Character/Execution: 6 out of 10
Overall: 5.75 out of 10
Assessment:
In Reaves's novel, bestselling author Chloe Sender and her stunning girlfriend, Dray, are tormented by Chloe’s latest project. Despite sometimes vivid prose -- which could be improved by tightening and avoiding passive construction -- the narrative gets bogged down by confusing plot elements, while other intriguing threads (an ancient book and a way the unreal might be made corporeal) are underutilized. And though the disjointed plot elements mirror Chloe's mental state, it is difficult for readers to follow along, hamstringing a book with an interesting premise.
Date Submitted: June 03, 2016