Slight spoiler warning for this review.
I had a lot of hope for this novel when I picked it up, impressed by its gorgeous cover and the intriguing summary of its plot. I’m glad to say I wasn’t disappointed. It’s my first time reading Mr. Ray’s work, and I was understandably cautious- but I found his writing to flow easily, with concise prose and clear understanding of storytelling. I was pleased to find no flaws or mistakes, which as an editor, I was expecting, and I found myself sinking into the book with the comfort of a good read.
I enjoyed the pacing, the beats of the story hitting just right. The stage is very quickly set up: Harley, a girl with bad tastes in men who has had a traumatic past assault, has a running list of scary pranks by her current boyfriend, Aiden. So she decides to get him back with a prank of her own. The story goes forward by melding Harley setting up her prank, with glimpses of her past: of the pranks Aiden pulled, ranked by least to most scary. This, I thought, was skillful writing- making me immediately understand the context of their relationship, the uneasy line they toe between playful and inappropriate. Even Harley’s best friend, a therapist named Shelley, warns her that this relationship seems wrong somehow- that Aiden is not entirely good for her, that she’s changing for him. I related to the friendship between Harley and Shelley, and was sad- but not surprised- when Shelley later waves away Harley’s fears, tired of the pranks and choosing not to believe her.
It was all too real to watch this story unfold. I usually avoid stories with sexual assault themes- because it’s the one piece of horror that actually will make me uncomfortable enough to stop reading. It’s the one thing that will make my heart pulse all the way up in my ears, make my stomach churn as I mentally debate whether I want to read on and find out what happens. But the way it was handled here was flawless- and I couldn’t put the book down, reading it in one sitting. I found myself holding my breath, waiting to see where the wooden statues would come into play- because I knew they would. From a storytelling perspective, I thought that connecting Harley’s past frozen moments to the wooden statuettes was genius, lacing the story together perfectly. “Petrified Women”- the meaning hit me like a frying pan to the gut, clever and well done. There’s a lot of symbolism and deeper meaning packed into this horror story. I loved Aiden’s double side, but for me, the focus was entirely Harley. And that ending? Perfect.
Overall, I have nothing but good things to say about this novel. I do give it a 4/5 because it wasn’t, for me, one of my most outstanding reads of the year. But it is an excellent short horror read that I would recommend. I have read a handful of short horror novels this year, both horrible- like “Nothing But Blackened Teeth” by Cassandra Khaw, and outstanding- like “Arachnid” by Aditya Modak, and I can definitely say that like those, “Petrified Women” will stick in my head for some time.
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“Our primitive selves are waiting on standby and take over when necessary.”Harley has the perfect boyfriend. Why can’t her best friend see that? He’s nothing like the others, especially the one who still haunts her memories. She’s finally picked a “keeper” with Aiden.Sure he’s a bit eccentric. His wood carving hobby is a little odd. His need for isolation while he carves his life-size female figurines is strange. And maybe his obsession with pranks, or “scares” on Harley goes a little too far. But what do you expect! Aiden’s an artist.Harley has finally picked the perfect boyfriend. That’s why this year, Harley ignores all her best friend’s warnings. She has the ultimate surprise planned for Aiden’s birthday, one that’s going to get her even in their battle to out-prank each other.She hides in his apartment, excitedly waiting to pull of the scare of a lifetime…But then he comes home, and Harley witnesses a different side of her boyfriend. The side that exists behind closed doors when he doesn’t know anyone’s watching.So, I was reached out by @jeremyraystories to be an ARC reader for this book and WOW. It did not disappoint. This was such a quick and fun read. At 90 pages, this is a one-sit read!This Horror Thriller Novella keeps you hooked from beginning to end. Major chills and thrills vibes with this one.If you’ve seen the OG Charmed, this book reminds me so much of the episode with the tiny figurines that the witches get turned into in one of the middle seasons.I am VERY AFRAID of mannequins and dolls, so this one gave me the heebie-geebies big time!! I did expect the way that the story ended (at least between Aiden and Harley) but I am not disappointed in it!! It was actually very inspiring.This is mention of an SA, so be prepared for that if you decide to read it. It’s not very graphic but could be triggering to some.I would 100% recommend this book to horror/thriller lovers who need to wind down from a binge with a short novella, or someone who is just getting into the genres!Petrified Women is available to purchase on Amazon and is free on Kindle Unlimited! Link available in @jeremyraystories bio!@jasmineslittlebooknook
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