Cotton Tale

by E C Fisher

[zooloo1983]

Holy mother of OMFG!

That is how I am starting this review, this is a novella and so everything happens so quick. So quick, in fact, I read it on my lunch break today.

WHAT THE ACTUAL F************

So as I mentioned this is a novella, so the story progress at lightning speed, so quick in fact you could break your neck, or Cotton Tale could! A private plane carrying 4 passengers, The Vanderbach family, pilot and stewardess crash lands on a somewhat deserted island, and the troubles begin.

I can’t go into too much detail as I don’t want to ruin the surprise of the island, but it is one for the Halloween season for sure. We have no time for the preamble, pointless conversations, it is just action action gore action action and let us end with erm… gore.

Wowee! I am breathless! So, we don’t have time to love or hate any of the characters too much, but I have to say the Captain, Callus, was most definitely my favourite! He had his head sewn on, whilst leading the survival party into the forest and ultimately to what may lurk in the forest.

Near the end, there is a little bit of release, where you feel there is some hope in this dark and twisted story, but alas no, it was snatched away rather cruelly and then gruesomely.

The story and said creatures and survival party, reminded me of my favourite retro kind of horror films from the early 80s, Hammer horror to be precise. It is a complete horror fest, typically shouting at them to run faster, don’t go that way, don’t go back! Of course like normal, they don’t bloody listen!

I will admit when I met the said creatures that makeup Cotton Tale, I laughed, just like I would if I was watching this on the TV, however, that laughter got caught in the throat, (just like one of the victims, an in-joke which you will get when you read it!) as what was being described to me, was by no means a laughing matter. You did need the laughter that was provided in the book to break up the intensity.

Guess what my only gripe with this is…..I wanted more! It packed a hard punch like a baseball bat with barbed wire wrapped around it, and it did not let go, nor was there any release at the end, instead the end reminded me of the ending of the film Life. (Go check that out!) Where I was truly terrified what was going to happen next, especially to the mainland next to the island…..

I would like to say thank you to Mr Fisher for emailing me his request to read his novella, and for petrifying me on my lunch break, I was on the edge of my seat, heart in my throat, and hand at my mouth, thank god for sunshine. I recommend this definitely for a chilling Halloween read!