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Seed

by Ania Ahlborn (Goodreads Author)

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 1,667 ratings · 378 reviews

With nothing but the clothes on his back ? and something horrific snapping at his heels ? Jack Winter fled his rural Georgia home when he was just a boy. Watching the world he knew vanish in a trucker's rearview mirror, he thought he was leaving an unspeakable nightmare behind forever. Now, years later, the bright new future he's built suddenly turns pitch black, as someth...more

Paperback, 221 pages

Published 2012 by 47north (first published May 28th 2011)

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Sep 04, 2012 mark monday rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horrortime

Seed is a story about a cute little girl and her somewhat feckless father and a bad case of possible demonic possession. it is less about a Bad Apple and more about Does a Bad Apple Fall from a Bad Tree? it features a possible supernatural presence known as Mr. Scratch. it includes a great little scene that simply has a mom tying her child's shoes. i was really creeped out by that one. good scene!

i have an open mind when i read horror. it is one of my favorite genres so i like a lot of different...more

40 likes · like · see review

Feb 08, 2013 Ceridwen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: america-and-environs, cats-and-dogs, daddy-drinks-because-you-cry, the-housewife, gothic

Cross-posted on Readerling

I have this compulsion to call this book "cute", which I think might come off as bitchy and insulting. I don't mean it that way though. Seed is a riff on The Bad Seed, which has been iterated many times since its mid-century publication: stage, film, and even Macaulay Culkin vehicles designed to "show his range". (Also, whoa, looks like Ian McEwan wrote the screenplay for The Good Son. Trippy.) Anyway, The Bad Seed is this slightly hysterical examination of the whole na...more

24 likes · like · see review

Aug 24, 2011 Tressa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, friend-recommends, southern, demons, 2011, kindle-titles-for-loan

Jack Winter grew up in a trailer off an isolated road in Rosewood, Georgia. As a child he explored the land around his home, and one day he sat down to rest in a cemetery, where he spied a shadow with two black eyes and it followed him home--for years crouching at the end of his bed; keeping him up at night; smiling its crooked, razor-toothed smile; making him do things to animals and his parents.

One night he ran away from home and kept running, and his memory was suppressed long enough for him...more

9 likes · like · see review

Sep 09, 2011 Tim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a gem this turned out to be! Whilst looking on Amazon for kindle reads I discovered Seed by Ania Ahlborn and with a bunch of really good reviews and a price tag of $0.99 I decided to give it a whirl and I must say I am really glad I did.

Demonic possession in fiction and cinema is well trodden ground, but for some reason I am always drawn to these types of stories (Don’t ask me why as they scare the shit out of me!) and Anina Ahlborn does not disappoint. The prose is wonderful and the use o...more What a gem this turned out to be! Whilst looking on Amazon for kindle reads I discovered Seed by Ania Ahlborn and with a bunch of really good reviews and a price tag of $0.99 I decided to give it a whirl and I must say I am really glad I did.

Demonic possession in fiction and cinema is well trodden ground, but for some reason I am always drawn to these types of stories (Don’t ask me why as they scare the shit out of me!) and Anina Ahlborn does not disappoint. The prose is wonderful and the use of imagery in the novel is excellent. I especially enjoyed the dialogue between the characters, whereas some authors dialogue can come off clunky and unrealistic, I thought Ahlborn’s dialogue was real and felt like the exact type of thing you would hear two parents saying if their daughter was acting a bit possessed-like.

The plot is fairly simple; Jack Winter, his wife Aimee and their two daughters Charlie and Abby are involved in a car accident at the beginning of the novel and from there onwards things start disintegrating into madness when their youngest daughter Charlie (not Charlotte) starts acting a bit strange. Now that is a super simplified version of the plot but it gives you a general starting point for the novel and from there things really start to get good. This is not the grip the edge of your seat Exorcist style scare fest, it is more subtle in the way the mounting sense of unease crawls in from the dark corners of the room and then has you fully ensnared in it’s grasp.

The technique of telling the story of Jack’s childhood and the beginning of Charlie's descent into darkness was a great way of letting that subtle dread build in the reader. As we find out more about Jack’s upbringing and his own personal demons we begin to understand the fate of Charlie and I thought this was an excellent way to tell the story and it really dragged me in and had me ripping through the pages.

There are some genuinely creepy scenes in the novel as you would expect but they never reach that over-the-top WTF kind of level. Seeing Aimee and Abby totally terrified of their Six year old daughter/sister was actually more unsettling than any stupid rotating of the head kind of crap. Also seeing the disintegration of Jack and Aimee’s marriage because of the secrets Jack keeps and Charlie’s mounting sickness just added to the general dark despair that this novel has and the ending was unexpected but fantastic.

I cannot recommend this book enough! If you are looking for a well written, subtle horror title then look no further. (less)

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Oct 30, 2012 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, demons

I am hugely critical when it comes to horror stories. I don't typically find a lot of them scary. That goes for this book as well. I realize there are many 4 and 5 star ratings, but it didn't get me there. It had all the perfect elements, demons, possessions, gothic south, scary children, mystery but fell just a bit flat.

For me Jack was the most frustrating character in the book. Once his daughter was changing, he knew what was happening yet he kept not doing anything about it. They all just ke...more

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 24, 2011 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, georgia, updated

It must be really difficult to write a horror story. After all, we are battered to the point of death with it in so many ways - movies, television, and books- that it’s easy to become a little immune and even a little cynical about the genre as a whole. A book must be so much more difficult – you don’t have any special effects, ghosties jumping out of the shadows in full surround sound in a dark movie theatre, or bimbos to shout ‘don’t go into the basement!’ at (and they are my favourite part!)

I...more

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Mar 06, 2012 wally rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ahlborn

This will be the 1st from Ahlborn for me, saw it here there where exactly I forget...good cover...maybe that is all I saw, read a brief synopsis, and away I go.

Looks promising, starts out:

The Saturn's engine rattled like a penny in an old tin can. The car was a junker--its headlights pale and off-kilter. It was a temporary fix that had become a permanent mode of transportation. Jack had insisted that when they had the cash they'd buy themselves a pair of fancy wheels--a car that had that new car...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Cecilia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you are afraid of what is hiding in the night as you drive down a lonely stretch of road, in the dark recesses of your closet or at the foot of your bed when you go to sleep...then back away, go to a different page, find a different story...you do not want to read this book! However, if (like me) you enjoy a scary, dark tale of what happens to a seemingly normal family of four living a simple life in the deep South, you will want to read "Seed" by Ania Ahlborn. In fact, you won't be able to s...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Mari Stroud rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a fantastic book, probably the best piece of horror that I've read this year. Ahlborn takes several well-known elements such as creepy children, evil passed from generation to generation, and the particular aura of the Deep South, and puts them together again in novel and terrifying ways. Charlotte is one of the most terrifying characters I've ever met, and most of her creepiness comes about in subtle inversions of normalcy well before she actually becomes violent. (Many reviewers cite t...more

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May 14, 2013 Kendra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Seed was the first horror book I've ever read and I am an avid reader. So don't be surprised by my review as I found this book quite scary. I don't really go for the horror stuff but the cover caught my attention. As a little girl my mom described how the devil looked like and the cover of this book reminded me of that so I decided to give it a try. First of all, I don't like reading things about the devil as I am not a big fan of him so I try to stay away from stuff like that. The reason why th...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Alisha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books-i-ve-read, horror, kindle-freebies, read-2013, favorites

Holy mother of God, pearl, and every other mother that's ever been out there! Seed is GOOD! In fact, it's more than good! It's freaking AMAZING, AWESOME, ASTONISHING, and every other synonym that means utterly fabulous...and yes, it's also utterly horrifying.

Possession scares the ever living crap out of me. Ever since my grandmother made me and my sisters watch The Exorcist when we were too young to be watching it (I was about 9 or 10), it's something that has terrified me. I used to live in fea...more Holy mother of God, pearl, and every other mother that's ever been out there! Seed is GOOD! In fact, it's more than good! It's freaking AMAZING, AWESOME, ASTONISHING, and every other synonym that means utterly fabulous...and yes, it's also utterly horrifying.

Possession scares the ever living crap out of me. Ever since my grandmother made me and my sisters watch The Exorcist when we were too young to be watching it (I was about 9 or 10), it's something that has terrified me. I used to live in fear that my bed would start to shake in the middle of the night and that I'd be possessed (I was vaguely traumatized by the movie). Now, that I'm older, I'm still terrified by possession, but I no longer fear that it's going to happen to me (and I'm knocking on every single sliver of wood that's in my bedroom right now). I am, however, completely fascinated by it. So, when I read the premise of Seed, I knew that I had to read this book. And it didn't disappoint...not even a little.

Seed is the type of book that starts off incredibly strong. Yet here's the weird part: it continues to be strong and increases that by 100 percent. And by the time you've reached the end, you're awed and shocked because you never realized that Seed would be this good. At least you are if you're me. The build-up really is what makes this story. I really liked it all the way through, but towards the end of it, I realized that I had actually loved Seed.

I guess the biggest question any horror fan would ask is "Is Seed actually scary?" Well, yes and no. Was I scared while reading it? Not really, but that's mostly because I had read it during the day in breaks between classes and work. Had I read it at night, I have no doubt that I would be too terrified to get a good night's sleep. Seed was chilling, though. Goosebumps, and hair-raising chilling.

So the point of this rambling review is to tell everyone that they should definitely pick up Seed. It's one of the best horror books I've ever read (and I've read my fair share, not a lot but my fair share).(less)

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Apr 12, 2013 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: family, spooky, mystery-thriller

I really enjoyed Ahlborn’s The Shuddering so I was quite pleased to begin reading her debut novel. It immediately hooked me into the story and Ahlborn did a wonderful job of capturing the Winter family - from the precocious six-year old, Charlie, to her older sister, Annie and her parents, Jack and Aimee. Each felt very authentically drawn. This story reeled me in and then kept me up way too late reading it (and in the dark, too!). It genuinely contained some truly spine-tingling scenes and thou...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, kindle

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 01, 2012 Rhonda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can sum up what I didn't like about Ania Ahlborn's novel Seed in one word: nothing.

Granted, I was horrified by the ending, but that's just the idea--horror--I don't think I was supposed to get any warm fuzzies. I prefer my story arcs to leave me in a higher place once I turn the last page, not drag me deep into a hellish murk that leaves me feeling hopeless and disoriented. Yet with Seed, every twist of the downward spiral satisfied me, as did the profound sense of rightness about the bottom w...more I can sum up what I didn't like about Ania Ahlborn's novel Seed in one word: nothing.

Granted, I was horrified by the ending, but that's just the idea--horror--I don't think I was supposed to get any warm fuzzies. I prefer my story arcs to leave me in a higher place once I turn the last page, not drag me deep into a hellish murk that leaves me feeling hopeless and disoriented. Yet with Seed, every twist of the downward spiral satisfied me, as did the profound sense of rightness about the bottom when I finally hit it.

I learned about this novel because of a contest. These days, I tend to stay well clear of contests and even further away from anything that might give me nightmares. But I could not keep my distance from this one. In this case, Seed was the source material, and it was necessary to become intimately familiar with each scene, each turn of events. It required extensive handling of the characters, studying them, getting their voices into my head and their motivations mapped out much as an author must do when producing a new manuscript.

Even with this degree of magnification, every stitch in the novel held fast. There are simply no gaps, no cracks, no seams. I was born and raised in the Deep South. Georgia, as a matter of fact. My father-in-law's family is from the Louisiana bayous and many of them still live in the Lake Charles area. So I know the "dirty south." I know the texture of Spanish moss, the distinct cadence of the language, the simple symmetry of shotgun houses lined up one after the other on a road with chips of mica sparkling in the asphalt, where the fog line has worn and crumbled away along with the edge of the pavement. Yes, I know this world. And I can guarantee that Ania Ahlborn got it right.

The fact that this is a horror novel does not in any way diminish its literary appeal. Nothing about these characters is stock or predictable. They do and say things that are inexorably human, perfectly flawed. I suspect this may be jarring for some readers, as they are expecting a formulaic, airport novel kind of read. Instead, they take a journey into the mind of a man paralyzed by fear, whose child is being eaten away from the inside by an evil that Jack himself bequeathed through his bloodline.

Can anyone imagine the guilt he must have felt? The responsibility? And how does one explain such a thing to the mother of this child, who can only watch in confusion and helplessness as dark forces corrode her family and turn her daughter into a monster? I challenge anyone who takes issue with the way these characters deal with their circumstance to walk a mile in their shoes. I have a feeling their high horse would get a lot shorter after a few laps around the track with Mr. Scratch.

Bottom line--this is a good novel. I recommend it to everyone who can read and is prepared to sleep with a nightlight burning for a long while to come. (less)

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Aug 18, 2012 Rick Shepard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Seed was one of the monthly picks for the Horror Aficionado's book group, and it is an amazing story. Ania Ahlborn is a fairly new writer, and she write's like she's been at it for years. There is a wonderful depth to her characters, and the action starts at the beginning of the story, and goes right on until the end. I don't want to give any of the story away, but this is a great case study on the effects of pure evil on different members of an average American family. The manifestation of evil...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can see this book coming to a movie theater near you in the very near future.

Jack has a car accident while driving his wife and two daughters to their home in Louisiana - a car accident because he thinks he sees something in the road and swerves to avoid it. Only his younger daughter, Charlie, saw something too. After the accident, they notice that Charlie is starting to behave differently and creepy things begin to happen - and Jack realizes that the evil he tried to escape as a child has on...more

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Jul 14, 2012 J. Aaron Parish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’m not usually a fan of “indie” (read: self-published) authors. I will check them out on my Kindle sometimes when the books are free. I’m slogging through one right now that I can tell even after a few pages will not have a great review. But then there are the few who really shine. Barry Napier (Masks of Our Fathers) was one. Ania Ahlborn is another. Seed is a dark novel with an even darker ending. I like unhappy endings, and I had a hard time with this one.

Ahlborn has created a truly creepy, s...more I’m not usually a fan of “indie” (read: self-published) authors. I will check them out on my Kindle sometimes when the books are free. I’m slogging through one right now that I can tell even after a few pages will not have a great review. But then there are the few who really shine. Barry Napier (Masks of Our Fathers) was one. Ania Ahlborn is another. Seed is a dark novel with an even darker ending. I like unhappy endings, and I had a hard time with this one.

Ahlborn has created a truly creepy, sinister tale that will stick with you long after you get done reading it. We see little of Jack’s job or band aside from references, which I think is unfortunate. But this is mostly a novel about people, and the depiction of the Winter family is top notch. Seldom do characters seem as real as these do. The creepy little girl is especially well done. Ahlborn’s teasing revelations of Jack’s childhood is reminiscent of Stephen King at his best.

Speaking of King, the ending for Seed is one of the best, darkest pieces of storytelling I’ve come across in awhile. I’m pretty sure not everyone will like it, however. In some ways, it’s like the ending of The Dark Tower, which King telegraphed if you were looking hard enough. That didn’t stop it from irritating fans, though. Seed is like that. Ahlborn’s conclusion isn’t all that shocking once you get past the brutality of it, but it’s enough to make you wish you had been wrong about where it was going.

That’s not to say that I think the novel was perfect. John seemed a little to willing to let what’s happening to his daughter ride without any real attempt to stop it. It’s not like Ahlborn set up a flat character; she put a fair amount of effort into trying to set up this particular character trait and explaining why he’s acting the way he does. But with all the time spent showing how much he loves Charlie, this acceptance kind of fell flat to me.

All told, this is a first-class horror story that scare afficianados should have in their collections. I’ve got a feeling Ania Ahlborn will be a name to watch.(less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Damien Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow.

Okay, here’s the thing; Seed is the story of a destructive, malevolent force at work in the heart of a genuinely loving family. The power of this superb book lies in the disturbing way that this dark force, and the contrasting bonds of love and friendship that connect almost every character in the story, are laid out side by side from the beginning. Everything and everyone in this story is loved, in their fashion. Even the Louisianna setting is a thing adored, in all its tattered glory; pain...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a fantastically creepy ride!

When I grabbed this book for .99 cents on Amazon I wasn't expecting horror in it's perfection. I wasn't even expecting a fast easy read. I was expecting what I get most of the time from self-published authors......a great concept, and originals ideas in need of a good editor. This book was all of the good without any of the bad. The tone was menacing, the description at times beautifully dark, and from start to finish I was hooked.

I am looking forward to anythin...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Sue Owen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I started reading this book I saw that the two young girls carried the same names as two of my grand children, Charlie and Adrian (spelled different) so got really excited about reading this book. Until I realized what was happening then I got scared for them.

I had trouble getting into the beginning of this book. I realize that it is important for character development to have all the information about life before a crisis but I’m almost thinking the author put too much before. Perhaps it m...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Ruth Ferguson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

Horror is generally not my chosen genre and really who reads horror in the middle of the Christmas holiday break. Well, to read more like Seed, I guess I will.

Jack and Aimee do not have the picture perfect life. In fact, life is hard in the backwoods of Louisiana but they have two daughters and they are making it. Then on the way home a car accident causes much more than their vehicle to steer off course.

Following the car crash, the sweet six year old Charlie is not herself - and it is disturbi...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Edward Gordon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I reviewed “Seed” by Ania Ahlborn because it’s a self-published horror e-book and it’s been getting a lot of good reviews out in cyberland. But having finished it, I’m left wondering if those reviews are really telling it like it is.

I admit that “Seed” is competently written, professionally copyedited, and some of Ahlborn’s descriptions are quite funny and outrageous. It’s formatted well for Kindle, and at 99 cents it’s a no-risk buy for the reader, but beyond that it’s a mediocre novel at best....more I reviewed “Seed” by Ania Ahlborn because it’s a self-published horror e-book and it’s been getting a lot of good reviews out in cyberland. But having finished it, I’m left wondering if those reviews are really telling it like it is.

I admit that “Seed” is competently written, professionally copyedited, and some of Ahlborn’s descriptions are quite funny and outrageous. It’s formatted well for Kindle, and at 99 cents it’s a no-risk buy for the reader, but beyond that it’s a mediocre novel at best.

“Seed” is about a six-year-old girl named Charlie (Are little girls really cuter with old men’s names?), who is actually a demon in human form. Her father, Jack, was (is) also a demon in human form, and when he was young, he killed his parents in a most gruesome manner.

Though Jack has tried to forget his past, it nevertheless comes home to roost in this youngest daughter who ends up committing similarly grizzly acts of her own. Jack had hoped he could leave his past behind him (after hacking up his parents and running away), and he hoped he could live a normal family man’s life, but apparently his destiny was to be a demon and carry on the demon line by making another demon to replace himself.

Unfortunately, Ahlborn didn’t research the details of her story very well, and at times this is embarrassingly obvious. For instance, she talks about a picture of a man standing next to a B-52 near its propellers. B-52’s are jets, of course, and don’t have propellers. She also makes reference to Charlie singing Cheap Trick’s “Cherry Pie” into her hairbrush. But that song was done by Warrant.

The weakest part, however, has to be the exaggerated info dump given to us by a waitress named Ginny at a bowling alley in Jack’s hometown. With that info dump, what seems to be 90% of the backstory is summarized by one minor character that apparently exists for no other reason than to provide it.

Nevertheless, this story is not without merit. The concept of a demon traveling time through the bloodlines of a family is fairly original. The author does keep you wondering how the story will resolve itself (until the info dump that is), and I’m sure those parents who have oppositional-defiant disordered kids running around the house will find camaraderie with Jack and his wife Aimee as they try to control the satanic seed that has sprouted from their loins.

But maybe they shouldn’t feel too comfortable in their commiseration. Because as much as this novel is a retelling of the same old demon-child theme, it delivers an important and often forgotten message that all parents need to know: Kids will imitate mom and dad—for better or worse.

Ultimately, the moral of “Seed” may be that you raise what you are, and what you were makes up what you are—there’s no escaping it. The example we set is the life we live, and there’s no point hoping our children will be better than we are; hope counts for nothing against the power of our example.

“Seed” is definitely worth reading if you’re looking for a new writer with a creative way of seeing things. Ania Ahlborn is a great wordsmith, and she’ll no doubt create a masterpiece in the future. When she does, you’ll want to say you read her when she was just starting out. As for me, I’d like to see what her second novel brings.(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Graeme Reynolds rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don’t tend to read a great deal of indie horror novels, if I am completely honest. The crappy covers, knocked up in 5 minutes have a tendency to reflect the poor editing, clunky dialogue and iffy story structure within. If I am going to spend four or five hours reading something, I want to be able to do it without my internal editor pointing out every adverb and poorly constructed sentence.
But, a few weeks ago, I came across Seed by Ania Ahlborn. The cover was professionally designed (or at le...more I don’t tend to read a great deal of indie horror novels, if I am completely honest. The crappy covers, knocked up in 5 minutes have a tendency to reflect the poor editing, clunky dialogue and iffy story structure within. If I am going to spend four or five hours reading something, I want to be able to do it without my internal editor pointing out every adverb and poorly constructed sentence.
But, a few weeks ago, I came across Seed by Ania Ahlborn. The cover was professionally designed (or at least looked that way) and for $0.99 (or £0.79 for us brits) I thought “what the hell”.

I am glad that I did.

The premise is fairly simple. Jack Winter had a childhood encounter with a demon and has spent his life running from it. Years later, he thinks that he is safe, until a car accident brings the demon back into his life. But this time, it doesn’t want him. It wants his young daughter, Charlie.

We’ve all seen the demonic possession premise plenty of times before. So what makes this story different?

The characterisation, for the most part, is great. I especially loved the way that Charlie is written. She goes from adorable child into terrifying hell spawn, but the shift is gradual and even at her worst, she still retains the essence of the little girl at the start of the book.

Jack, if I am honest, annoys the hell of out me for big sections of the novel, because he knows what is happening, but does nothing to stop it (and in some instances actually acts as an active participant in his daughter’s corruption). The reasons why are explained later on, but it does not stop you from wanting to reach into the book and slap him on occasion. That little grumble aside, the characters seem real, believable and the dialogue
flows very well.

The pacing is absolutely spot on. It starts off slow and builds up gradually, but does not stop. By the last quarter of the book you can see what’s coming, but it does stop you rooting for the family. The last few chapters are a master class in tension and horror. I have read a hell of a lot of pro authors that don’t do endings as good as this.

I read this book in a single evening. Once it got its hooks into me (which happened around chapter 3 or 4) I could not put it down.
Seed is a fantastic debut novel by a new author that I am sure we are going to see much more from in the future. You get a lot of entertainment for very little money here, and my internal editor hardly had a thing to say.

That this story has stayed with me for the three weeks since I read it says a lot.

I may have to give indie horror novels another chance.(less)

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Jul 17, 2011 Imran Siddiq rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ania Ahlborn has created a tale that hooked me after the sudden event of Chapter One that happened almost without me knowing it was coming. Let me deviate; the novel begins with an everyday narrative of a family and the protagonist's admiration of his car... then an accident throws them onto a course of life that will not end pleasantly.

No, don't look away, I am not going to say any more about the outcome, except that it hooked and drilled a creepy sense of danger down my spine. There are many h...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Cheney rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

SEED is the story of a man named Jack Winter. Jack is a father of two young girls, a husband, a wanna-be rocker. His story starts off with a bang and a crash - a car accident that sets things in motion for the Winter family, and we quickly begin to see that something strange is happening to his youngest daughter, Charlie Winter, and things are happening in the house they are living in. Shadows in dark corners of bedrooms, scratching on walls, the movement of furniture - enough to freak anyone ou...more SEED is the story of a man named Jack Winter. Jack is a father of two young girls, a husband, a wanna-be rocker. His story starts off with a bang and a crash - a car accident that sets things in motion for the Winter family, and we quickly begin to see that something strange is happening to his youngest daughter, Charlie Winter, and things are happening in the house they are living in. Shadows in dark corners of bedrooms, scratching on walls, the movement of furniture - enough to freak anyone out. Is the house haunted? No, it’s something much worse than that...

As the story progresses, Jack’s haunted past is slowly revealed bit by bit. We see how he is tortured by knowing that what is happening to little Charlie is his fault because the demon in his past has caught up with him and sunk its teeth into his little girl. A nightmarish prospect. I loved how Ania created suspense in this book, not just with the “action” that was happening with the Winter family in the house, but with little seeds of information peppered throughout the chapters. There is from the very beginning a sense of buildup, we are on our way to something bigger than we may have first imagined, and it gets creepier and scarier as we go along.

The end of the book, well... I have to say, it was spectacular in its horror. Make no mistake, SEED is straight up HORROR. This is not a young adult book, nor is it for the faint of heart. This book is for people who enjoy getting creeped the hell out, getting scared, and even getting a bit disgusted (in that way only a good horror story can bring about.) On her website bio, Ania menioned Stephen King and Poppy Z. Brite as being two of her favorite authors, and I see both of their influences here. I am not sure how many have read Poppy Z. Brite with the zeal that I read her books in my younger years, but they are dirty, nasty horror - just the kind I like, and SEED definitely has some of that.

Okay, what did I like most about SEED? It was a BRAVE book.

I am a mother, so my greatest fears mostly have to do with bad things happening to my daughter. Maybe that’s just a mother’s natural instinct, to fear and therefore be on alert to protect her children, I don’t know, but it happens. I have not yet been able to write about children in my horror writing. I don’t have the guts for it. But is it any wonder that some of the horror books and movies that scare me the most have to do with children? Pet Semetery? I saw that movie at way too young an age, and have been scarred for life by the image of Gage crawling around the floor with a scalpel in his hands. Children of the Corn? WTF. That’s some scary stuff. I don’t have the guts or the gall to make bad things happen to precious children, but Ania Ahlborn does. She’s got the guts to not only have bad things happen to good kids, but she has the gall to make them DO horrible things as well. She’s a brave writer, and SEED is a brave book of horror.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. I know I say in practically every review “This is the best indie book I’ve ever read,” and here it is again: SEED is the best indie book I’ve ever read. I highly anticipate whatever it is that Ania is working on now, and can’t wait to see where her career will take her. This girl could make MILLIONS. (less)

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Jun 09, 2011 Scott Davenport rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What would you do, if something evil was following you, stalking you, during your childhood? Jack Winter knows all about this evil, and he’s had to live with this throughout his entire life. But what really got under his skin was finding out that that the evil that haunted Jack is now back. This time, Jack has a family, a wife and two young girls, and he’ll learn that the evil has never really left.

Seed is a wonderfully written book that taps into a deep level of horror that I really enjoyed imm...more What would you do, if something evil was following you, stalking you, during your childhood? Jack Winter knows all about this evil, and he’s had to live with this throughout his entire life. But what really got under his skin was finding out that that the evil that haunted Jack is now back. This time, Jack has a family, a wife and two young girls, and he’ll learn that the evil has never really left.

Seed is a wonderfully written book that taps into a deep level of horror that I really enjoyed immersing myself. In the story, Jack was always haunted by a dark evil as a child, and that thing was now trying to have it’s way with his family as an adult. I’ve always liked this type of haunting because, just like in real life, you can’t always get rid of, or run from the entity that’s harassing you and expect it to be gone forever. It reminds me of Stephen King’s ‘It’. The children may have done away with the evil at the beginning of the story, but as adults, it comes back to wreck havoc on their lives.

While you read the book, you will be able to occasionally see how life was for Jack as a child, who was still living with his parents in a trailer out in the middle of nowhere. These glimpses into his past do help the reader understand how things really were for Jack, and help set up more background for his present day battle with the evil thing that has found its way back to him. These sequences were a great look into the character of Jack as an adult, and why he didn’t want to reveal anything about his past to his wife, Aimee. as well as it being something he would want to be able to forget if he was given the chance to do so, it would make him look crazy to boot.

The darkness that surrounded the book was great. The things that the entity would do to cause trouble and disharmony to the Winter is perfect. The things that would happen to them individually or as a whole family unit, you could tell the evil entity was just playing with them, plain and simple. It was evil, cunning, and sadistic. All of the things it did, it did just to get to Jack. That is truly sadistic. That is what makes Seed such a good read. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen to the family members next.

I couldn’t help but to get into the characters and feel for them as the story went on. When things would begin to happen to Jack’s youngest daughter, Charlotte, and it began to be noticed by Jack, I felt bad for not only her, but her father as well. How hard would it be to watch your daughter get harassed and used in this sort of manner by something that slinks around in the shadows? Especially when you, as the father, can’t tell anybody else what’s really happening to your daughter.

In the end, I would recommend Seed to anybody who loves supernatural horror. Seed was well written, and it kept me on my toes from beginning to end. I felt there wasn’t a single boring part of the book at all. It was creepy, scary, and just plain fun to read! Just make sure you read it with the lights on.

(less)

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Jun 04, 2011 Nathan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me get this off my chest real quick. I don't believe in the Devil. I only kind of believe in devils in a theoretical sense; as evils we can't understand. What I do believe in is the ties of family. I believe that it is the duty of parents to protect their children, not to the extent of keeping them safe from every scrape and fall, but the big things, certainly.

But when the evil that threatens the family act through the child? What then?

Seed gripped me early on. The split narrative which sh...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Elise rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Today I have finished "Seed" and if I may say so, I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone who enjoys a touch of horror in their fiction. Having just picked it up from a shelf and justified it as readable by the interesting cover, (sorry Ms. Domuracki for forgetting your shopping methods) I find that I've certainly made the right choice. "Seed" is about a man, Jack Winters, who in his early years found a ghostly cemetery in his backyard and with it a demonic friend. The creature took...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Cina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*CONTAINS SPOILER*

Where do I begin? I was gifted this book and the first few chapters seemed really interesting. However, after the accident and Charlie started becoming "sick" the book for me rapidly went down hill. I felt a sense of anger towards Jack as he sat quietly and watched Charlie unravel knowing what was going on with her. He never at any point told his wife, said something, or acted in some form to protect her. Even when there was no shadow of a doubt what was plaguing his daughter...more *CONTAINS SPOILER*

Where do I begin? I was gifted this book and the first few chapters seemed really interesting. However, after the accident and Charlie started becoming "sick" the book for me rapidly went down hill. I felt a sense of anger towards Jack as he sat quietly and watched Charlie unravel knowing what was going on with her. He never at any point told his wife, said something, or acted in some form to protect her. Even when there was no shadow of a doubt what was plaguing his daughter he didn't fight for her.

Sign after sign, tense moment after another, as his family falls to the hands of evil....he sat and held all of his knowledge within. Frustrating! This is where I felt the author could have really spun a tale of good vs bad, the love of a father vs the evil that takes his child, but instead what we did get was a man resolved in the fact that his child is lost and basically he can not win the battle.

The full story of Jack and what really happened in that secret cemetery never really unfolded. As a reader I just got glimpses, what happened in there? did he sell his soul? what was he promised or given? why was he allowed some much time before the demon appeared outside of Jacks's assumptions?

I am not a lazy reader and can fill in the blanks but I am a greedy one and desire more. What did the demon tell Charlie before he took over? when did it happen? how? This could have been a superb tale, you can tell by certain aspects in the book but it for me, fell flat.

In the end, when Jack decides to return home....you hope for this epic battle, but what you receive is not necessarily a plot twist or even exciting. From the time Charlie is possessed there is a sense of build up, to something epic...it's already been made known that the entity that has her is about mayhem and death. So what she does for me wasn't surprising...what surprised me was that even at this moment with all his internal conversations when opportunity to end the battle so to speak he does nothing. I'm a parent and I understand the reasons why not but as he said, Charlie was gone.

Sighs...good can't win all the time but it would have been better in this case if it broke even.

Although I gave this book 2 stars, I would still recommend it because it had potential and for what it is, quick read and interesting enough plot it's not the worst book I ever read.(less)

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Jan 02, 2012 Smokinjbc rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-challenge

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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About Ania Ahlborn

Born in Ciechanow Poland, Ania has always been drawn to the darker, mysterious, and sometimes morbid sides of life. Her earliest childhood memory is of crawling through a hole in the chain link fence that separated her family home from the large wooded cemetery next door. She’d spend hours among the headstones, breaking up bouquets of silk flowers so that everyone had their equal share.

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