Social Media Icons

Thursday, May 10, 2018

REVIEW: Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke @kealanburke

Sour Candy
by Kealan Patrick Burke

"Four months to the day he first encountered the boy at Walmart, the last of Phil Pendleton's teeth fell out." - and that, my friends, is how you start a novella about a creepy kid. #peopleofwalmart 😉


Publish Date:  November 13, 2015
Kindle Edition
67 Pages
Standalone
Genres:  Novella, Horror



At first glance, Phil Pendleton and his son Adam are just an ordinary father and son, no different from any other. They take walks in the park together, visit county fairs, museums, and zoos, and eat together overlooking the lake. Some might say the father is a little too accommodating given the lack of discipline when the child loses his temper in public. Some might say he spoils his son by allowing him to set his own bedtimes and eat candy whenever he wants. Some might say that such leniency is starting to take its toll on the father, given how his health has declined.


What no one knows is that Phil is a prisoner, and that up until a few weeks ago and a chance encounter at a grocery store, he had never seen the child before in his life.

My Review:



After reading Kin, I knew I needed more Burke.  So I immediately purchased just about everything he wrote.  Jack & Jill blew me away and I'm typically not huge on novellas and short stories.  Burke manages to pack SO much into 67 pages and it's mind blowing.  Right from the beginning, there's a sense of dread and it just increases page after page. 

This book certainly deters me even further from children, Walmart and sour candy.  There's really not much creepier to me than children - I don't know what it is but **shiver**.   The word "Daddy" certainly takes such an ominous tone in this read.  I couldn't imagine having my life completely put upside down that I begin to question my own sanity.  Just to have it flip flopped on me again... and AGAIN!  He certainly brought in an element that I was NOT expecting and that was a nice surprise.

Seems he can do no wrong in his novella writing and I'm eager to devour the rest of his work.  Burke has managed to spark my love for the novella again.
Remember folks, don't take candy from strangers... and NEVER EVER take them from children.

★★★★★

No comments

Leave a Comment