Dead Ends

I read Dead Ends, by Bart Hopkins, in one short afternoon. The book consists of three short horror stories, all of which I found to be enjoyable and in a language that was understandable and easy to read. The main characters were all relatable, everyday people, which added to the enjoyment and overall creepiness of the stories. I seriously couldn't put this book down. I went into it with the mindset that I was going to read one story, and then before I realized it, almost two and a half hours had passed and I had read all three! It was definitely time well spent, though.

In “Recalculating,” a housewife comes across a GPS for $5 at a garage sale and decides that she and her husband need a vacation. It was the type of story that I knew how it was going to end before it ended, but getting there was still an exciting ride. I think this one might have been my favorite and the most macabre of the three.

The second story, “Sweet Lenora,” takes place in 1930's Pennsylvania. Lenora's mother is constantly lecturing her on how she is not ladylike enough, which eventually has dire consequences. I had no idea how this story was going to play out until I finished it and just couldn't believe what had happened.

In the final story, “Donations,” two story lines merge to form an incredibly creepy turn of events. I don't want to spoil anything here, so I'll just say that I found this story to be the most chilling of the three, and I'm sure glad I have very watchful neighbors and no spare key outside my house.

I listened to the stories in audio, and I thought Wayne June, the narrator, did an excellent job; it's almost like he was made for acting out the horror genre, although I'm sure he is great at others as well. One of the biggest points for me when listening to an audiobook is whether I can tell who is speaking by voice alone, and I could easily discern the speaker with June's easy-to-follow narration. Even in a dialogue between two female characters, he acted them out in a way that I could still tell the difference. The book was already exciting, but I felt like June made it even more so with his voice acting, as he told the stories, especially the creepy parts, in a gripping way that made me need to keep listening; I think this was the reason I was able to finish it in a single afternoon.

For me, June narrated the book at a perfect pace. I've always thought horror was a genre that could be ruined by reading too quickly, as sometimes the reader won't obtain the full effect if the stories are rushed. But I thought he did an excellent job narrating at a comfortable speed. The plot flowed very well and without interruption, and I did not notice any blatant edits in the audio or anything else in the quality that would distract from the book.

This was a very pleasant listening experience for me. I felt like the narrator enhanced the text, and if I had just been reading the physical book, I might not have gotten quite the same chilling effect as I did listening to June's reading of it. The stories themselves are creepy and exciting, and I would highly recommend them to anyone interested in horror or just looking for a thrilling read.

I received this book from Audiobook Jukebox in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Dead Ends
Author: Bart Hopkins
Narrator: Wayne June
Publisher: Bart Hopkins (Unabridged, 2016)
Length: 2 hrs., 20 min.