Genre: Extreme Horror
Publisher: Matt Shaw Publications
Publication Date: 6th August 2016
Pages: 90
REVIEWED BY ALEX
This review came about in a slightly different fashion. Woom is a book of extreme horror.
Extreme is not a genre that Nev likes to read. Duncan knew this and knew there
was no hope of Nev ever reviewing it. But then along came Alex, who read it,
and threw his review over to be posted on Confessions. So, lucky for Duncan,
here is the fair and honest review of Woom:
An Extreme Horror. This book is published by Matt Shaw Publications.
Let me begin this review with a warning. Not a gentle
brush off or nudge like you might get from an older cousin about to tell a
dirty joke in front of Grandma. This is a sucker punch to the kidneys in a
darkened back alley type warning. This is a venomous red flag on fire next to
the fuse of an atomic bomb warning. Do not put your playing piece on the board
to approach GO if you are the least bit faint of heart or weak stomached. This
book is not screwing around. Hence the warning labels written in bold letters
right there on the cover. IT’S ON THE COVER!
That being said…
If you have continued reading to this point, you might
feel brave enough to enter into the warped and twisted world that is WOOM. Just don’t be the tough guy at a
high school party. Don’t puff out your chest, down that plastic cup of beer and
shout, “I can take it!” It’s going to be a rougher ride than you might think.
This book’s does not only cross boundaries, it annihilates them.
In the hands of nearly any author than Duncan Ralston,
the dangerous territory WOOM resides
in could easily sour into distasteful garbage. Fortunately, Ralston is gifted
with talents that most of his contemporaries do not possess. His descriptive
abilities put the reader in horrendous situations that the bravest of us would
never dare approach in fiction let alone real life. At the same time, the
humanity of his character’s blossoms on the vine creating a near impossible
sense of powerful emotions making it real and beautiful alongside their grim
situations.
Short but immensely compelling, I read WOOM in two sittings. I might have
finished in one save for the fact that my head required a break to breathe for
a few hours. The more time I spent in WOOM’s
oppressive motel room, the closer the walls of the real world seemed to draw in
on me. Still, I couldn’t get those characters out of my head. In the most
finite exchange of a conversation, or a shared moment of human recognition
showing more understanding and compassion in a few words than a full chapter’s
worth of text by any other writer could demonstrate.
Stories that fall under the category of “body horror” are
not for everyone. There are slasher stories and underground monster tales whose
only previous exposure could be found hidden away in the cobwebbed, shadowy back
rows of local book stores. With our modern technological advances that have
inspired a new wave of independent publishing, these formerly forbidden
sub-genres are exploding in popularity on the WWWs. Some people are always
looking to explore the fringes, to find the edge and peer over the side and see
what the rest of the herd chooses rather than not to admit it exists.
WOOM is
a wonderful conundrum. While the stories inside its walls are deeply
disturbing, they are also wonderfully human. They resound with a core hurt that
we all feel deep inside in some way. The ways we describe that ache, and how we
fill it to make us complete again are as varied and as far apart as stars in a
desert sky.
Most of what I read is horror, so I am not easily
frightened or shocked. After I finish a book I will typically sit for a few
minutes to reflect on the story to find if and how it has affected me. It
doesn’t often take me longer than a day to dive into a new book. Duncan Ralston
has achieved something disturbingly rare with WOOM. Three days after finishing the final word I still couldn’t
bring myself to even crack open the cover of something new. Not because I
didn’t enjoy WOOM, but due to the
power and strength living inside the writing.
If you prefer your fiction to not only provide teasing
glimpses over that previously mentioned edge, but desire to be taken well
beyond what you are comfortable with, WOOM
is a formidable tour guide. Be sure you are very careful on your journey. You
will return altered in ways you may not have bargained for.
General rating:
If you would like to help support Confessions of a
Reviewer, then please consider using the links below to buy Woom or any other books from Duncan. This
not only supports me but also lets me know how many people actually like to buy
books after reading my reviews.
Thanks.
Book Synopsis:
The Lonely Motel holds many dark secrets… and Room 6 just
might hold the worst of them all.
Angel knows a lot about pain. His mother died in this
room. He's researched its history. He's come back today to end it, no matter
the cost, once and for all.
Prostitute Shyla believes the stories Angel tells her
can't be true. Secrets so vile, you won't want to let them inside you.
But the Lonely Motel doesn't forget. It doesn't forgive.
And it always claims its victim.
CONFESSIONS REVIEWS DUNCAN RALSTON
"Mr. Ralston writes horror fiction that is unflinching and pulls no punches." - Kit Power.
"Duncan Ralston is writing honest stories about real people, pitched headlong into extraordinary situations. And that is what makes them so horrifying." - Ken Preston, Dirge Magazine
And for more about Duncan, visit his site or find him on social media:
No comments:
Post a Comment