Mirror Mirror.
Anthony M. Strong.
4 stars out of 5.
Novella Blurb:
Whatever you do, don’t look in the mirror.
Jaime thought he’d hit the jackpot when he found the antique mirror out by the curb, just waiting for a new home. Hours later the old mirror with the ornate gold frame was taking up pride of place in his apartment.
But there’s something wrong.
The mirror harbors a dark secret, and before long Jaime and his girlfriend Cassie find themselves up against a terrifying supernatural force that has its sights set on them.
A tale of haunting that will make you think twice before walking past a mirror.
Novella Review:
This is a nifty little 900 Kindle location length read. Taking place over five days it tells the story of an American student named Jamie Beaumont who is driving around looking for dumped furniture to help furnish his flat. After a couple of other finds he discovers an antique mirror left on the roadside. From the start his girlfriend Cassie doesn’t like the mirror but Jamie decides to keep it and then strange occurrences start happening in his flat, scratching, shadows moving out the corner of the eye and then his neighbour starts complaining of noises during the day even though there’s no-ones in the flat as Jamie’s in class. The author does a great job of building up the tension towards the conclusion as throughout we’re questioning whether it’s actually something sinister in the mirror or merely the stress of studying that is affecting Jamie. There’s nothing new here and you will be able to guess the ending but you still want to read just to find out if your suspicion is correct or not.
The author has crafted a creepy, well written tale that hooks you from the start, packing a lot into it’s short length and feels more like a book than a novella.
Recommended.
The Long Funeral of Mr White.
Eugenio Prados.
4 stars out of 5.
Novella Blurb:
Mr. White, a seventy-year-old man–rich and somewhat eccentric–faced with the sensation that his death draws near, decides to hire a secretary to record his last words.
What he cannot imagine is how difficult it will be to find this secretary.
A tale on the passage of time narrated with humor and a touch of nostalgia.
Novella Review:
This is a 400 location Kindle length read. Telling the tale of Mr White and his infatuation with last words and the words he will speak when he dies. After checking all his funeral arrangements are set on his 70th birthday he realises that he has forgotten to find someone to write down his last words. What follows is the story of how he found a secretary and the friendship that grows between them over the years. It’s a genteel, thought provoking read with no sex, violence or swearing. Starting slowly you soon become engrossed in the tale and before you know it, it’s over. Fun and sad in places with some poetic moments it’s a great unique read.
Recommended.
On a side note, I read both of these yesterday (Sunday) as I’d finished the book I was reading and wasn’t sure what book to start next. So I found myself perusing the Amazon freebies best sellers list for a quick short read and came across these two free novella’s, both are decent quick reads and for free you can’t complain. π
Both books are intriguing. And I’m definitely in the mood for something creepy like the first book=)
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Ooh, free books. The cover for Mirror Mirror really caught my attention. At first, I thought maybe it was Stephen King. I love horror. Anything super creepy and I’m in. I need to go cruise Amazon now. π
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Free in the UK, not sure about the US. π
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Oh damn I always forget about that. Why can’t Amazon just make it worldwide? That’s so annoying when I’m trying to lend books to people in other countries.
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Ah, I’ve been burnt by filthy Amazon to, seeing good books cheap or free on Twitter then finding out there US and UK is still full price! ππ’π€
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I just checked Amazon and looks like it’s free here. Awesome! That’s a first. I know what you mean. Someone I follow from the UK posted a deal on a book I wanted to read and it was full price here. I was so bummed. Damn exchange rates. π
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Oh Mirror, Mirror looks amazing! Love a good novella between other reads. βΊοΈ
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For free, there both surprisingly good little quick reads. π
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And fee makes them even better π
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Mirror Mirror sounds like a horror movie. Not really my liking. The Long Funeral of Mr. White sounds a little like a Stephen King short story I heard while I coming back fro NJ.
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I’m generally not a fan of novellas but I have read a few great ones lately and now I have two more to add to my list!
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I don’t really like novellas either but found both those to be surprisingly good for free short reads.
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