2.16.2011 | Wednesday

Charlie

category: Book Reviews
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Charlietitle: Charlie
author: Shana Hammaker
series: Twelve Terrifying Tales for 2011 #1
published: 14 January 2011
publisher: self-published
genre(s): horror
pages: 27
source: author
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | Goodreads

rating: four-stars | series rating: four-stars

the blurb

When Alex fantasized about buying her dream home, she didn’t imagine it would include a regiment of reappearing corpses.

But that’s exactly what she got.

In CHARLIE, Alex Hutchinson buys the home she hopes she and her fiancé will start a family in. But unfortunately for her, family bliss isn’t in the cards. Instead she gets Charlie, the corpse who won’t stay away.

What’s a girl to do? Call the cops? Bury the bothersome stiff in the basement? Run away to Spain? Alex tries a little of everything as her rotting, unwanted visitor pops in with ever-increasing frequency and the fabric of her once-tidy life unravels around her.


my review

Charlie is the debut short thriller from Shana Hammaker, the first in a series called Twelve Terrifying Tales for 2011.  It had all the elements of a good thriller:  blood and guts, suspense, unexpected twists and turns.  While it was definately dark, it also had a lot of unexpected humor in the inner dialogue of Alex.  The characters were well done, making it easy to get lost in the story.  Hammaker drew you in with Alex, making you experience the story from her point of view, while Alex’s boyfriend Geoff was clearly set up to be the less likeable character.  That character development directly lent to the surprises of the unexpected twists and the ending, which I won’t spoil!

And while I won’t give away any spoilers, I will say that the ending thoroughly surprised me as I didn’t see it coming at all.  That is what makes a great ending, that surprise! Fantastic fun series!  Must read!

About Shana Hammaker

Shana Hammaker grew up in sunny California reading L.M. Montgomery and Stephen King. She also had a major case of wanderlust.
But while most people fantasize about traveling West, young Shana had her sights set on colder places: Prince Edward Island, or perhaps Bangor, Maine.

Ironically, Shana eventually settled someplace even warmer than California: Tennessee. And it was in this sultry Southern climate that Shana realized her destiny: to read and write stories in which weird and frequently horrible things occur. (Twelve Terrifying Tales for 2011)

And also, on occasion, to write quirky little memoirs.

::spread the love::

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