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Wednesday 9 March 2022

BOTTLED by Stephanie Ellis

 

BottledBottled by Stephanie Ellis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading an awesome and intense long book, I was in the mood for something shorter. While looking through my Paperwhite, this novella caught my eye because it sounded so different, and strange.

Tyler isn't in a good place right now. He's divorced, rarely sees his son, and is living with his pushy mother. That could all change if he abides by a stipulation in his grandfather's will. The only problem is that the house he has to return to left deep emotional and mental scars that still haunt him...

Yikes! What a bleak and disturbing tale this turned out to be. 👀

I wasn't sure what to expect from this novella, but the cover looked intriguing and the description caught my interest. And as soon as I started reading, I found myself captivated by what was going on. I love stories about creepy houses and family secrets, and this story is full of both.

I instantly felt bad for Tyler because, even though he clearly had problems, it was obvious that most of the people in his life were constantly trying to manipulate him. His mother wasn't very subtle about her quest for the money she felt she deserved, and his ex was just as annoying. Not to mention how his grandfather was still able to control him from beyond the grave.

Reading this novella was like being trapped inside a fever dream. Not because it was hard to keep up with what was happening, but because everything that poor Tyler experiences is so trippy, and shrouded behind a layer of madness. He goes through some scary, haunting stuff. And the fact he enjoyed drinking didn't help matters.

Anyway, I really enjoyed Bottled because it was an addictive, nightmarish story I totally lost myself in. Some of the imagery is amazingly dark, and so damn chilling.

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