Midlisters by Kealan Patrick Burke
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Book Review:
This is a very well written novella. I feel like that must be the first thing I say because it comes across very strongly right at the outset. Burke has a way with words that makes you want to keep reading. I recently found out about Burke and thought a novella would be a good way to experiment. I did enjoy this book at the beginning itself.
As the story progressed, it started to get even better. There were some instances where I had to go back and re-read some parts, which in this case was a good thing. It is quite an absorbing story.
I didn’t like how it ended, but then again, horror isn’t really my genre. I liked how he conveyed despair, in varying degrees and due to various reasons, throughout the book. Be it in Tennant’s position as a midlister, just short of the acclaim he craves; the gaps in his relationship with his wife; his envy and probably misdirected fury at Kent Gray – it all comes back to despair, in my opinion.
It is a wonderfully written book but the ending was kind of abrupt for my taste. It is a great insight into the life of a midlister (I’m an aspiring author myself) but the horror aspect of the story was not my thing.
