The Stray Reader

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Author:	Iain Rob Wright
Genre(s):	➡️ Short Stories ➡️ Contemporary Horror ➡️ Fiction ➡️ Paranormal
Series? Series Order: Series Title:	✅ Yes Chapter 1 A-Z of Horror
Goodreads Rating:	⭐3.78 (480 ratings; 66 reviews)
Personal Rating:	⭐ 4 / 5 Overall

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🛑 Spoiler Warning 🛑

I might be recounting events, characters, and themes so THIS MIGHT BE FULL OF SPOILERS.

If you’d like to read a review with the spoilers hidden, kindly head to my Goodreads post to read my spoiler-free review. You don’t need an account to read it. 🙂

🗒️ BLURB 🗒️

A short story of 22 pages

HAPPY BIRTHDAY…
A boy’s sixteenth birthday is a special occasion. It’s a time where he becomes a man. It’s a time that brings many changes.

But Isaac’s sixteenth birthday brings him more changes than most. He is not quite himself and suddenly his friends don’t seem so much like friends anymore. By the end of the party, Isaac will not just change from a boy into a man, but into something else entirely.
GROWING PAINS CAN BE HELL…

Source: Goodreads

🌟Review (4/5) 🌟

It’s a well-written short story. Everything happens in this boy’s house birthday party with few characters but the tension builds up really well as soon as the main character realizes he can make anyone do anything he wants. I think what makes this really good is the well-paced storytelling as we watch the main character evolve from a normal teenager to what feels like a spawn of satan and get drunk in his own power through the little triggers here and there that escalate in his own head.

I see a lot of the reviews complain about the lack of depth on this because we really don’t get to know what made the character so evil and have powers other than a small hint that he’s adopted in the end. However, I feel like some short stories are just meant to be experienced. As long as the book description was pretty clear that it was a short read (and it was), then you just ride the wave of emotions. Similar to a creepypasta post or a book in a series, as long as there’s some sort of closure that bundles up the series of events in one package I’m completely fine with that; hence, I’m completely fine with this.

So if you’re looking for a really quick read (I’d say under 30 minutes, 1-hour max) to get a shot of suspense, check it out on Amazon!