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Amelia
Elbowing elderly women in the face during a ham sale should have alerted the residents that something was wrong with Madeline Auger of 43 Maple Drive.
Madeline Auger embodies the epitome of motherhood perfection. Yet, sinister murmurs of her beloved Amelia’s contamination ignite an internal revolt, where maternal instincts metamorphize into an ominous entity lurking in the shadows. Something with teeth.
When doubts and mistrust shatter one’s reputation, even the most maternal and nurturing demeanor cannot conceal the malevolent forces that are lurking beneath the surface, ready to cause harm and destruction.
Madeline Auger embodies the epitome of motherhood perfection. Yet, sinister murmurs of her beloved Amelia’s contamination ignite an internal revolt, where maternal instincts metamorphize into an ominous entity lurking in the shadows. Something with teeth.
When doubts and mistrust shatter one’s reputation, even the most maternal and nurturing demeanor cannot conceal the malevolent forces that are lurking beneath the surface, ready to cause harm and destruction.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2024
24 people are currently reading
414 people want to read
About the author
A.W. Rene
2 books27 followersA currently resides along the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, sharing her chaotic abode with her loving husband, three mischievous goblins-turned-trolls, a duo of capricious feline companions, and a loyal canine whose DNA seems to be infused with that of a shark. When she's not exploring the dark recesses of her imagination, she’s usually telling her trolls to stop licking walls and that bees are not food while telling her husband about her escapades during book research. In her off time—when she can run away from her family—she’s knee-deep in a computer game, trolling and karaoke-ing to 80s songs at the top of her lungs.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 124 reviews
May 14, 2024
Thank you to the author and BDA publishing for a copy to review! Amelia and her mother (there is some sort of pun with moths and hers here perhaps) are available for purchase today.
This was a story of toxic maternal affection, told in a between the lines epistolary form addressed as letters, but honestly reading more as the eeriest diary of nightmare fuel ever. It should be noted that Amelia is novella length, while sporting both a laundry list of TWs in the back, and a long passage warning of TWs at the front, told via flowery in-character language. I found that both ominous and very unique, as if the voiceover from something like Bridgerton were warning of sinister, murderous behavior rather than high society drama.
AW Rene has created a bite-size master class in horror epistolary, in my opinion. The specific creeping dread that only epistolary format can provide was in fine form here, cataloguing several months in the mother's life. The occasional entry that veers sharply off course, with degradation in tone, punctuation and grammar, serves as a written Freudian slip of sorts, giving us a glimpse of what's really going on between the lines of doting maternal concern. Subsequent entries reverting to perfect English make it even creepier.
What I particularly enjoyed about this story is that it reads so uniquely, portraying elements of the extreme horror genre, but not explicitly on-page. The writing was amazing in achieving this, reminiscent of vintage horror classics.
Five stars from me. Each release from AW Rene replaces the last as my favorite.
This was a story of toxic maternal affection, told in a between the lines epistolary form addressed as letters, but honestly reading more as the eeriest diary of nightmare fuel ever. It should be noted that Amelia is novella length, while sporting both a laundry list of TWs in the back, and a long passage warning of TWs at the front, told via flowery in-character language. I found that both ominous and very unique, as if the voiceover from something like Bridgerton were warning of sinister, murderous behavior rather than high society drama.
AW Rene has created a bite-size master class in horror epistolary, in my opinion. The specific creeping dread that only epistolary format can provide was in fine form here, cataloguing several months in the mother's life. The occasional entry that veers sharply off course, with degradation in tone, punctuation and grammar, serves as a written Freudian slip of sorts, giving us a glimpse of what's really going on between the lines of doting maternal concern. Subsequent entries reverting to perfect English make it even creepier.
What I particularly enjoyed about this story is that it reads so uniquely, portraying elements of the extreme horror genre, but not explicitly on-page. The writing was amazing in achieving this, reminiscent of vintage horror classics.
Five stars from me. Each release from AW Rene replaces the last as my favorite.
May 24, 2024
This novella begins in the winter of 1981, when we see letters from a mother to her daughter, Amelia (aka, Delicate Moth). They’re your typical letters, like what’s going on with the neighbors, how redecorating the house is going, men she met who she wants to set Amelia up with, and sweet little anecdotes about the past.
It’s all totally normal…except for the bugs, which colors make the stairs cry, the ghosts, the blood, the sinister parts that are crossed out and changed to more pleasant topics, and the manic, rambling notes that make no sense at all.
The letters definitely become more unhinged as they go through this mother’s rapid mental decline, and we get some chapters interspersed with 911 calls. These are just snippets of a woman’s madness, though. The end result is a lot of police incident reports, and those are what tie the story together.
This is a different horror story, written in a different way - I wasn’t sure I liked the letter format until I read the ending. Some parts were amusing, and some parts were sad, but I liked how it all came together. 3.5 stars.
(Thank you to BDA Publishing, A.W. Rene and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
It’s all totally normal…except for the bugs, which colors make the stairs cry, the ghosts, the blood, the sinister parts that are crossed out and changed to more pleasant topics, and the manic, rambling notes that make no sense at all.
The letters definitely become more unhinged as they go through this mother’s rapid mental decline, and we get some chapters interspersed with 911 calls. These are just snippets of a woman’s madness, though. The end result is a lot of police incident reports, and those are what tie the story together.
This is a different horror story, written in a different way - I wasn’t sure I liked the letter format until I read the ending. Some parts were amusing, and some parts were sad, but I liked how it all came together. 3.5 stars.
(Thank you to BDA Publishing, A.W. Rene and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
July 24, 2024
The book started with a lot many trigger warnings and those were very true to their words.
Written in epistolary style, Amelia is horrifying tale of a woman's decent into madness. I must have read it several times coz I couldn't get enough of it. I should have reviewed it long back because I have finished it when I had got the ARC but I kept pushing. I just didn't want to get it over with.
I enjoyed it very much but I would suggest to read all the TW that comes at the start of the book because it might not be everyone's cup of tea. I saw few reviews here which mentioned it's dark, there are many triggers but I feel that if you request a book you should first see what it is about.
I always make sure that what I'm getting into is something I can endure. Also the first two introductions are quite clear about all the TW like "Within lies ruin and decay swathed chillingly
in maternal devotion" Or " Within lies ruin and decay swathed chillingly in maternal devotion" so I'm not able to understand why rate a book low because of trigger warnings when they are quite clear and very upfront about it from the start itself.
It's stomach churningly unsettling. And that's what you are going to find in these pages.
"He never keeps his tools where I can
find them, preaching about how they’re dangerous and how I shouldn’t touch them—jokes on him. I can handle them just fine. He knows firsthand how they mold to my hands, retribution and vengeance heavy in their tip."
"The soil didn’t like his pervasive touch and sobbed with each swipe of his fingers. I patted it, letting it know it was okay, that he didn’t know anything. That they were safe. But the sobbing grew louder, more agonized with every touch. I closed my eyes and drew a breath, praying for divine patience to make it through, but silence responded."
This book is going to stay with me for a long long time.
Thank you BDA publishing and Netgalley for the wonderful ARC in exchange of an honest review.
Written in epistolary style, Amelia is horrifying tale of a woman's decent into madness. I must have read it several times coz I couldn't get enough of it. I should have reviewed it long back because I have finished it when I had got the ARC but I kept pushing. I just didn't want to get it over with.
I enjoyed it very much but I would suggest to read all the TW that comes at the start of the book because it might not be everyone's cup of tea. I saw few reviews here which mentioned it's dark, there are many triggers but I feel that if you request a book you should first see what it is about.
I always make sure that what I'm getting into is something I can endure. Also the first two introductions are quite clear about all the TW like "Within lies ruin and decay swathed chillingly
in maternal devotion" Or " Within lies ruin and decay swathed chillingly in maternal devotion" so I'm not able to understand why rate a book low because of trigger warnings when they are quite clear and very upfront about it from the start itself.
It's stomach churningly unsettling. And that's what you are going to find in these pages.
"He never keeps his tools where I can
find them, preaching about how they’re dangerous and how I shouldn’t touch them—jokes on him. I can handle them just fine. He knows firsthand how they mold to my hands, retribution and vengeance heavy in their tip."
"The soil didn’t like his pervasive touch and sobbed with each swipe of his fingers. I patted it, letting it know it was okay, that he didn’t know anything. That they were safe. But the sobbing grew louder, more agonized with every touch. I closed my eyes and drew a breath, praying for divine patience to make it through, but silence responded."
This book is going to stay with me for a long long time.
Thank you BDA publishing and Netgalley for the wonderful ARC in exchange of an honest review.
June 19, 2024
I think this book gave me a headache from how much I disliked it. Honestly I’m just amazed at how much it wasn’t at all any of things the multiple warnings and intros claimed it was.
It claimed to be dark- okay I can give it that. It did have dark themes. But for a dark story to be good for me it has to be told well… and it wasn’t.
It claimed to be mysterious- I mean right at the trigger warnings you know where this book is going. There is absolutely no suspense or mystery about it.
It was really just a super boring attempt at stream of consciousness/loss of sanity story. And I’ve seen it done way better multiple times.
There was just generally nothing special about this and that makes me so sad because I never want to feel that way about someone’s book. I mean writing a book is such an accomplishment in its own which is why I try to give 2 stars even when I didn’t like anything about it.
I feel like this book was lacking in some kind of commentary tbh surrounding the topics explored here. But you don’t really get any…. Which makes it all feel pointless and like it was just for shock factor.
Tbh it wasn’t even as disturbing as the intros made you think it would be. Not saying I wanted it to ALL be more graphic… but some of it def could have been. Like the bug and eye stuff.
It also wasn’t realistic how much the police were involved with how weird she was, and never looked into her more. Especially with everything revolving around her house.
Sorry…. I just didn’t like anything about it :(…
Here are the warnings for content, but they kinda spoil the story so I have them all the way at the bottom. Not that you won’t see where it’s going from the first few letters though lol.
TW/CW: eyes, bug horror, animal death, murder, sexual assault of a child, child abuse.
It claimed to be dark- okay I can give it that. It did have dark themes. But for a dark story to be good for me it has to be told well… and it wasn’t.
It claimed to be mysterious- I mean right at the trigger warnings you know where this book is going. There is absolutely no suspense or mystery about it.
It was really just a super boring attempt at stream of consciousness/loss of sanity story. And I’ve seen it done way better multiple times.
There was just generally nothing special about this and that makes me so sad because I never want to feel that way about someone’s book. I mean writing a book is such an accomplishment in its own which is why I try to give 2 stars even when I didn’t like anything about it.
I feel like this book was lacking in some kind of commentary tbh surrounding the topics explored here. But you don’t really get any…. Which makes it all feel pointless and like it was just for shock factor.
Tbh it wasn’t even as disturbing as the intros made you think it would be. Not saying I wanted it to ALL be more graphic… but some of it def could have been. Like the bug and eye stuff.
It also wasn’t realistic how much the police were involved with how weird she was, and never looked into her more. Especially with everything revolving around her house.
Sorry…. I just didn’t like anything about it :(…
Here are the warnings for content, but they kinda spoil the story so I have them all the way at the bottom. Not that you won’t see where it’s going from the first few letters though lol.
TW/CW: eyes, bug horror, animal death, murder, sexual assault of a child, child abuse.
February 6, 2024
This book is written almost exclusively in letters from a mother to her daughter. And while it's my first time reading a story like this, i had the best time with it.
The writing in Amelia is so descriptive and terrifyingly beautiful. At several parts of this book i was torn between "i need to read more of this author" and "i don't ever want to read anything like this again". Because WOW was it a depressing and heartbreaking story.
Our unreliable narrator just didn't give me enough information because she was so perfectly delusional and psychotic.
I didn't want this to end. I wanted this to be a 600 pages novel. I needed to know more about this woman and her family.
Please check the trigger warnings for this.
Thanks to Netgalley and BDA Publishing for the arc. I had the best and the worst time reading this.
4.5 stars 🌟
The writing in Amelia is so descriptive and terrifyingly beautiful. At several parts of this book i was torn between "i need to read more of this author" and "i don't ever want to read anything like this again". Because WOW was it a depressing and heartbreaking story.
Our unreliable narrator just didn't give me enough information because she was so perfectly delusional and psychotic.
I didn't want this to end. I wanted this to be a 600 pages novel. I needed to know more about this woman and her family.
Please check the trigger warnings for this.
Thanks to Netgalley and BDA Publishing for the arc. I had the best and the worst time reading this.
4.5 stars 🌟
March 3, 2024
Read this book in a few hours yesterday afternoon. It was a quick read as it is composed mostly of letters written by a mother to a daughter.
I’ve read many suspense novels and this one differs from other books in that it is usually an omniscient narrator that tells the story. Through the letters we get a glimpse into a woman’s psychological deterioration. Throughout the mother’s letters, you get a peek into her inner mind by certain lines which she crosses out. It’s as if she almost gets to the truth, but then decides it’s too much and then she tries to “delete it”.
From the beginning of the book you get a sense that something strange is going to happen. There are forewords given by the author and her friend which really heighten your expectation that something extraordinary is going happen.
Reading through the letters you get a sense that you know what is happening and are just waiting for the hammer to come down and for your thoughts to be confirmed. There are times when the letters are interrupted by various police reports alluding to something that is happening.
The end was a bit predictable to me, but I enjoyed the story and the pace of the book was good. The book does leave some lingering thoughts-for example, I could not stop thinking about the moths, larvae, and Amelia,
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a short, quick read that can engage you for a night or two.
There are some trigger warnings at the end. For example, some descriptions of gore could be deemed explicit by some. There is mention of S.A. of a minor and victim blaming.
I’m giving it 4 stars because of the ease of reading, its brevity and the suspense that builds.
I’ve read many suspense novels and this one differs from other books in that it is usually an omniscient narrator that tells the story. Through the letters we get a glimpse into a woman’s psychological deterioration. Throughout the mother’s letters, you get a peek into her inner mind by certain lines which she crosses out. It’s as if she almost gets to the truth, but then decides it’s too much and then she tries to “delete it”.
From the beginning of the book you get a sense that something strange is going to happen. There are forewords given by the author and her friend which really heighten your expectation that something extraordinary is going happen.
Reading through the letters you get a sense that you know what is happening and are just waiting for the hammer to come down and for your thoughts to be confirmed. There are times when the letters are interrupted by various police reports alluding to something that is happening.
The end was a bit predictable to me, but I enjoyed the story and the pace of the book was good. The book does leave some lingering thoughts-for example, I could not stop thinking about the moths, larvae, and Amelia,
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a short, quick read that can engage you for a night or two.
There are some trigger warnings at the end. For example, some descriptions of gore could be deemed explicit by some. There is mention of S.A. of a minor and victim blaming.
I’m giving it 4 stars because of the ease of reading, its brevity and the suspense that builds.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2024
"To the little girl who grew up believing she was never worth more and the 30 years it took to heal. You are worth it all and more."
This book filled me with concern. Each word was haunting and sinister. Every little "Dearest Amelia" felt manipulative and cold. Warning sirens were going off in my head. Every thought this mother spewed out was like watching an insane train wreck. The mother is clearly unhinged. This book is a series of letters that a mom is writing to her daughter. Sounds sweet but it's really not. The very beginning of this book the author gives a list of content warnings, so you are aware of where this is headed. It's a very dark and bleak place.
"How do you take care of your nervous system, Dear Reader? You better figure that shit out before you turn this page."
If you are not in a good mind set because of the content warnings you may want to skip this one. There is nothing graphic in it. There is never any great in depth detail of what happens but enough is said and we get it. I honestly loved the way this was written. How it starts off "sweet" and "innocent", then there's that "wait... something isn't right here." And it's all down hill from there. If I could describe this book in one word it would be "forboding". I loved it.
This book filled me with concern. Each word was haunting and sinister. Every little "Dearest Amelia" felt manipulative and cold. Warning sirens were going off in my head. Every thought this mother spewed out was like watching an insane train wreck. The mother is clearly unhinged. This book is a series of letters that a mom is writing to her daughter. Sounds sweet but it's really not. The very beginning of this book the author gives a list of content warnings, so you are aware of where this is headed. It's a very dark and bleak place.
"How do you take care of your nervous system, Dear Reader? You better figure that shit out before you turn this page."
If you are not in a good mind set because of the content warnings you may want to skip this one. There is nothing graphic in it. There is never any great in depth detail of what happens but enough is said and we get it. I honestly loved the way this was written. How it starts off "sweet" and "innocent", then there's that "wait... something isn't right here." And it's all down hill from there. If I could describe this book in one word it would be "forboding". I loved it.
May 3, 2024
There are so many words I want to use to describe this short read:
Surreal, eerie, concerning, uneasy definitely come to mind.
The reader journeys with Madeline as she writes a series of increasingly disturbing letters to her daughter Amelia. There are also 911 transcripts and police reports that give more insight into what is actually going on.
There was a lot of darkness, and I was definitely confused at some moments, but I felt the ending did give somewhat of a resolution. I definitely have lingering anger and sadness, so A.W. Rene really did strike a chord with this reader.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and BDA Publishing for a copy.
Surreal, eerie, concerning, uneasy definitely come to mind.
The reader journeys with Madeline as she writes a series of increasingly disturbing letters to her daughter Amelia. There are also 911 transcripts and police reports that give more insight into what is actually going on.
There was a lot of darkness, and I was definitely confused at some moments, but I felt the ending did give somewhat of a resolution. I definitely have lingering anger and sadness, so A.W. Rene really did strike a chord with this reader.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and BDA Publishing for a copy.
July 22, 2024
4.25
Quick, dark, and creepy descent into madness told via letters from Madeline to her daughter Amelia. Spending 100+ pages inside Madeline’s head (an obviously very troubled and sick head) made me feed dirty, unsettled, and slightly insane. I was not surprised by any of the revelations, but I still enjoyed the ride nonetheless. I’ll likely re read to pick up the details I missed the first time.
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I will say I really loved how they just casually mention at the end that the narrator is 21 and don’t explore how incredibly fucked up that is. The way that completely changes the scope of how messed up this whole tragedy is….I don’t really have a word for it, but it sort of knocked the wind out of me when it was revealed
Quick, dark, and creepy descent into madness told via letters from Madeline to her daughter Amelia. Spending 100+ pages inside Madeline’s head (an obviously very troubled and sick head) made me feed dirty, unsettled, and slightly insane. I was not surprised by any of the revelations, but I still enjoyed the ride nonetheless. I’ll likely re read to pick up the details I missed the first time.
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I will say I really loved how they just casually mention at the end that the narrator is 21 and don’t explore how incredibly fucked up that is. The way that completely changes the scope of how messed up this whole tragedy is….I don’t really have a word for it, but it sort of knocked the wind out of me when it was revealed
March 12, 2024
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to review!
4 stars!
Wow this really did pack a punch for such a short and simple read. I loved how this was written.
We read letters from a mother, Madeline, to her dearest daughter, Amelia.
However, as you read on you begin to see that something is not right. Madeline comes across a normal mother writing to her daughter, but then she starts to mentions whispers in the house, the stairs are talking, the things she sees, the way she crosses things that seem way out character until you get to see more of her character unravel.
The way it was written, with almost poetic descriptions with settings, the moths, I really loved it and so stunned and glad I went for this!
4 stars!
Wow this really did pack a punch for such a short and simple read. I loved how this was written.
We read letters from a mother, Madeline, to her dearest daughter, Amelia.
However, as you read on you begin to see that something is not right. Madeline comes across a normal mother writing to her daughter, but then she starts to mentions whispers in the house, the stairs are talking, the things she sees, the way she crosses things that seem way out character until you get to see more of her character unravel.
The way it was written, with almost poetic descriptions with settings, the moths, I really loved it and so stunned and glad I went for this!
June 22, 2024
Ok so I will write a full review tomorrow but I literally just finished this book and honestly- I never knew how much epistolary formatting can be used as a tool to tell the reader lot about psychological and emotional thought process and mental health states of a person and in an entirely unwritten way. The structure and patterns used create a baseline for a character norm and anything that varys becomes jarring and obvious to a reader regardless of the actual meaning or context of the written words.
They can be contradictory in meaning as well
Writing about being fine but using no capitalization or punctuation can mean that they want you to think they are fine but mentally and not functioning at usual capacity -anxious or sad or anger can all be shown nonverbally. Also love the way the tone of police documents is a juxtaposition to Madeline’s formal persuasive and patronizing tone. So well written.
They can be contradictory in meaning as well
Writing about being fine but using no capitalization or punctuation can mean that they want you to think they are fine but mentally and not functioning at usual capacity -anxious or sad or anger can all be shown nonverbally. Also love the way the tone of police documents is a juxtaposition to Madeline’s formal persuasive and patronizing tone. So well written.
December 22, 2024
Amelia does a fabulous job at making you uneasy.
It's written as a series of letters from a mother, Madeline Auger, to her daughter, Amelia, and as the story progresses you see 911 transcripts and incident reports. I absolutely loved that it's written in this way because it's a great way of showing how unreliable Madeline is and you get to see how quickly she spirals. I also loved how the story doesn't necessarily reveal everything so you have to read between the lines and draw your own conclusions to what's going on.
Amelia is a short book that I easily read in one sitting since it was so well-written and atmospheric. It's very dark, gory, and it's got detailed descriptions of bugs (which made me squeamish). Also, huge props to the author for including trigger warnings!
Amelia comes out in May, and I highly recommend checking this one out! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy!
It's written as a series of letters from a mother, Madeline Auger, to her daughter, Amelia, and as the story progresses you see 911 transcripts and incident reports. I absolutely loved that it's written in this way because it's a great way of showing how unreliable Madeline is and you get to see how quickly she spirals. I also loved how the story doesn't necessarily reveal everything so you have to read between the lines and draw your own conclusions to what's going on.
Amelia is a short book that I easily read in one sitting since it was so well-written and atmospheric. It's very dark, gory, and it's got detailed descriptions of bugs (which made me squeamish). Also, huge props to the author for including trigger warnings!
Amelia comes out in May, and I highly recommend checking this one out! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy!
July 27, 2024
4.25 ⭐
This was a very dark and poetic read. Which is why it was so daunting and fantastic at the same time. This booked showed you why peoples perspective and how they feel change the narrative to what's real, what's imaginary and what's crazy.
Was it worth it?
We saw into the eyes and mind of someone dealing with guilt, shame, loss and grief and how she turned manic from those emotions.
This story is epistolary (read as letters), we figure out what is going on in dribs and drabs of information. This story comes full circle at the end, and it is haunting.
You will be questioning your reality after finishing this book.
Do you like the feeling of being watched?
Everything the narrator thought and felt was so pure and she believed was innocent. We read moments where her memories were blocked out and we saw glimpses into her manic episodes, especially with the crossed out parts in her letters, the punctuation changes and drastic change in narrative.
Can you hear them? They are screaming.
Read your trigger warnings before proceeding with this book.
And make sure you have someone with you to debrief once you are done, you will have questions and you will want answers.
"He knows firsthand how they mold to my hands, retribution and vengeance heavy in their tip."
This was a very dark and poetic read. Which is why it was so daunting and fantastic at the same time. This booked showed you why peoples perspective and how they feel change the narrative to what's real, what's imaginary and what's crazy.
Was it worth it?
We saw into the eyes and mind of someone dealing with guilt, shame, loss and grief and how she turned manic from those emotions.
This story is epistolary (read as letters), we figure out what is going on in dribs and drabs of information. This story comes full circle at the end, and it is haunting.
You will be questioning your reality after finishing this book.
Do you like the feeling of being watched?
Everything the narrator thought and felt was so pure and she believed was innocent. We read moments where her memories were blocked out and we saw glimpses into her manic episodes, especially with the crossed out parts in her letters, the punctuation changes and drastic change in narrative.
Can you hear them? They are screaming.
Read your trigger warnings before proceeding with this book.
And make sure you have someone with you to debrief once you are done, you will have questions and you will want answers.
"My ears rang. Screams roared around me. My face burned; I couldn’t let them in. For if I did, they would eat the flesh clean from my bones."
April 14, 2024
Overall Thoughts:
Amelia is a short story written mostly as letters from a mother to her daughter with 911 transcripts and police reports mixed in. I didn’t care for the 911 transcripts as they didn’t feel really realistic. I found myself questioning the 911 dispatcher’s ability at times just because it felt like they weren’t asking either enough questions or the right questions. There were also certain points that I found really unrealistic and had a hard time believing. The police reports themselves were super interesting to read and I enjoyed those as we get a more rational explanation of what was occurring during these letter’s Madeline writes to her daughter.
The story itself is jumbled and was a little hard to follow on my kindle. There were some parts I could recognize it was probably a writing choice but others it just seemed like it needed some editing. Granted I was reading an ARC so it may change once released or look different in formatting.
Madeline’s mental state is all over the place and we see firsthand how out of touch she is with reality all the while dealing with the hard emotional aspects of her relationship with her daughter. It was a hard story, and the ending left me both heartbroken and destroyed emotionally.
Final Thoughts:
It was a nice quick read that delivered on being emotionally heavy.
March 3, 2024
First off, Amelia is one of my favorite names. Bonus points for that alone. I give this 3.5 stars.
I really like the concept of this little book. I really like how unhinged it is and the letter format from mother to daughter is definitely something I enjoy. However, something about the writing style was stilted to me and didnt flow as smoothly as Id like. I think the wonky writing was a stylistic choice to show the insanity of the mother, which IS a nice touch but it’s hard to tell how intentional it was with the way the PDF rendered.
However, despite that, once I started reading I really couldn’t stop! I love a weird bloody gruesome tale and this did not disappoint! I really like the mother as writing from her chaotic and unhinged mind really made the letters go from “this is peculiar” to “OHHHH”.
A very hard subject matter please check your trigger warnings before reading.
I will be interested in future horror stories from this author for sure!
Thank you to Net Galley and BDA for this ARC.
I really like the concept of this little book. I really like how unhinged it is and the letter format from mother to daughter is definitely something I enjoy. However, something about the writing style was stilted to me and didnt flow as smoothly as Id like. I think the wonky writing was a stylistic choice to show the insanity of the mother, which IS a nice touch but it’s hard to tell how intentional it was with the way the PDF rendered.
However, despite that, once I started reading I really couldn’t stop! I love a weird bloody gruesome tale and this did not disappoint! I really like the mother as writing from her chaotic and unhinged mind really made the letters go from “this is peculiar” to “OHHHH”.
A very hard subject matter please check your trigger warnings before reading.
I will be interested in future horror stories from this author for sure!
Thank you to Net Galley and BDA for this ARC.
March 7, 2024
Although veteran extreme horror readers will find almost the entire book's plot predictable and unoriginal, the format, the prose, and the genuine emotion literally flooding from this short novella will be appreciated even by those too jaded to care. 'Amelia' is an immersive, addictive read, perfectly structured as a series of letters from a mother to her underage daughter and the eventual police reports that explain some of the events indirectly described in the letters. Masterfully bluring the line between mental issues and the manifestations of a haunting, the book is filled with uncanny imagery, subtle menace, creepy ambiguity, and unsettling moments of implied abuse and murder. The author avoids melodrama for subtlety, which makes the letters short works of art. The real monsters here are the people one trusts blindly, though everything is brilliantly layered with aspects of the supernatural. An incredible read!
February 14, 2024
This book is written as a series of letters from a mother, transcripts from 911 calls and police reports.
The protagonist is absolutely unhinged! Some letters seemed somewhat normal and others felt like some sort of fever dream. I appreciated the clarity that the 911 calls and reports gave. I think the constant confusion took me out of the gore or horror that was happening in the home so that aspect didn't hit as hard for me,
The writing is great, there was just something that kept taking me out of it. The only thing I can chalk that up to be is the confusion. There were a lot of names and things to figure out in the beginning,..
The ending of this book was HORRIFIC! Once we got some clarity, my stomach turned to no end.
I love a wild, unhinged disgusting ride and this novella was nothing short of that!
The protagonist is absolutely unhinged! Some letters seemed somewhat normal and others felt like some sort of fever dream. I appreciated the clarity that the 911 calls and reports gave. I think the constant confusion took me out of the gore or horror that was happening in the home so that aspect didn't hit as hard for me,
The writing is great, there was just something that kept taking me out of it. The only thing I can chalk that up to be is the confusion. There were a lot of names and things to figure out in the beginning,..
The ending of this book was HORRIFIC! Once we got some clarity, my stomach turned to no end.
I love a wild, unhinged disgusting ride and this novella was nothing short of that!
May 22, 2024
A mesmerising and disturbing psychological horror that follows the inner workings of a woman with increasing interruptions to her mental clarity. A story told through her eyes, letters she writes to her daughter, Amelia, as well as 911/ Police transcripts.
I really enjoyed this story, and this disjointed stream of clues that clearly descend further into chaos. I was very impressed with this mysterious and unsettling style. I read this novella in one sitting. Highly recommended.
Readers are advised to check the trigger warnings at the very back, as there are quite a few.
Thank you to NetGalley, A.W. Rene and BDA Publishing for this advanced digital readers copy.
This book was published on 14th of May and is currently available.
I really enjoyed this story, and this disjointed stream of clues that clearly descend further into chaos. I was very impressed with this mysterious and unsettling style. I read this novella in one sitting. Highly recommended.
Readers are advised to check the trigger warnings at the very back, as there are quite a few.
Thank you to NetGalley, A.W. Rene and BDA Publishing for this advanced digital readers copy.
This book was published on 14th of May and is currently available.
March 13, 2024
[received an arc from netgalley and bda publishing, thank you!]
a sickening, epistolary horror that was very fun to piece together over the course of the narrative. however, the police report at the end was a little on-the-nose [i felt like the fun of the book was not being entirely sure about the information you're being delivered], and i thought that at some point the motifs of the book became more repetitive than scary.
a sickening, epistolary horror that was very fun to piece together over the course of the narrative. however, the police report at the end was a little on-the-nose [i felt like the fun of the book was not being entirely sure about the information you're being delivered], and i thought that at some point the motifs of the book became more repetitive than scary.
June 2, 2024
I had to sit on this one for a day after I finished it.
Really quick read, mostly told through letters from mother to daughter and you figure out pretty quickly we have a VERY unreliable narrator, and start trying to piece together what is actually happening around this woman. Sweet past memories and meeting men she can set her daughter up with starts shifting into bugs, ghosts, and what color makes the stairs cry the most.
Overall I liked this book and every page really kept me intrigued.
Please check trigger warnings on this book.
Really quick read, mostly told through letters from mother to daughter and you figure out pretty quickly we have a VERY unreliable narrator, and start trying to piece together what is actually happening around this woman. Sweet past memories and meeting men she can set her daughter up with starts shifting into bugs, ghosts, and what color makes the stairs cry the most.
Overall I liked this book and every page really kept me intrigued.
Please check trigger warnings on this book.
March 7, 2024
Okay so there’s a lot of content warnings for this book. What I didn’t like is that I didn’t know that, because the content warning was at the bottom of the book past all the content.
This was beautifully written and such a trip. Exclusively written in letters and police transcripts, this was so amazing. I truly did enjoy it.
Thanks to NetGalley and BDA Publishing for this ARC. This will be out in May!
This was beautifully written and such a trip. Exclusively written in letters and police transcripts, this was so amazing. I truly did enjoy it.
Thanks to NetGalley and BDA Publishing for this ARC. This will be out in May!
April 15, 2024
♡ ARC book review ♡
This will be published May 14 2024
This was wild for a short story!
Whenever I see moths I'm going to be thinking of this book.
I'm not going to lie my heart raced while reading it. The end just brought it all together. Really enjoyed this read!
This will be published May 14 2024
This was wild for a short story!
Whenever I see moths I'm going to be thinking of this book.
I'm not going to lie my heart raced while reading it. The end just brought it all together. Really enjoyed this read!
May 4, 2024
An utterly disturbing and brilliantly written look inside the mind of a woman with psychosis. This book is on the shorter side but is sure to leave a lasting impact on its readers.
May 28, 2024
yummy bugs
July 21, 2024
Wow what a portrayal of mental illness, guilt, and relationships
This is a doozy! You can feel the decline in the mothers mental health. Scary in the right ways! Pay attention to the trigger warnings and avoid if any if them are yours.
This is a doozy! You can feel the decline in the mothers mental health. Scary in the right ways! Pay attention to the trigger warnings and avoid if any if them are yours.
February 5, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!! As a weirdo freak i love a weird nasty book (respectfully). I really enjoyed the format of this book in the way it’s mainly letters from the mother. You can see her loose it more and more as the book progresses and i really enjoyed that. I love an unhinged character and this did it for me. A lot of bugs and nasty in case that’s something you don’t care for but i liked it.
February 20, 2024
AW Rene shows through 'Amelia' how to excel in modern Gothic literature. The dark, descriptive undertones draws the reader into Madeline's psychosis and goodness it is terrifying!
This Novella stands out straight away thanks to the writing style, made up of letters and police reports. The letters gave little hints of Madeline and Amelia's past and present and I was enthralled to keep reading to reach its conclusion.
Thank you to Netgally and BDA Publishing for the opportunity of reading this brilliant Novella.
This Novella stands out straight away thanks to the writing style, made up of letters and police reports. The letters gave little hints of Madeline and Amelia's past and present and I was enthralled to keep reading to reach its conclusion.
Thank you to Netgally and BDA Publishing for the opportunity of reading this brilliant Novella.
June 10, 2024
Nothing I can say will prepare you for quite how dark and sordid this story gets. Your drip-fed the events that have seemingly triggered her decline from the beginning, gaining more information as Madeline's mental health deteriorates. It's as though her past is haunting her.
Along with the info, her spiral brings with it delusions and acts of extreme violence. The violence is implicit rather than explicit, but even that is brutal enough.
I loved how this was formatted as letters from Madeline to her daughter, interspersed with the odd 911 transcript and police reports as the story deepened.
This novella absolutely packs a Tyson-style punch - I couldn't put it down and loved every minute of it...which feels kind of icky to say given the details of it, but you'll understand once you read it. AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU READ IT!
Oh, and there are LOTS of bugs! So many gross bugs. So many heart-breaking and gut-wrenching (thanks, Ashley, perfect description) details. It might be a while before I sleep well again. Amazing story.
Along with the info, her spiral brings with it delusions and acts of extreme violence. The violence is implicit rather than explicit, but even that is brutal enough.
I loved how this was formatted as letters from Madeline to her daughter, interspersed with the odd 911 transcript and police reports as the story deepened.
This novella absolutely packs a Tyson-style punch - I couldn't put it down and loved every minute of it...which feels kind of icky to say given the details of it, but you'll understand once you read it. AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU READ IT!
Oh, and there are LOTS of bugs! So many gross bugs. So many heart-breaking and gut-wrenching (thanks, Ashley, perfect description) details. It might be a while before I sleep well again. Amazing story.
November 13, 2025
Holy f***. What a ride. I'll be honest: I've had this one on my ereader for a while, after a "Stuff Your Kindle" day. And I did not expect this horror novella to completely wreck me. It is beautifully written, deeply disturbing, and absolutely not for the faint of heart. Would I recommend it to everyone? Absolutely not. This one dives headfirst into some very dark themes, and not in the spicy, "dark romance" kind of way either.
Told through letters from a mother to her daughter, the story slowly unravels into something deeply unsettling, with an unreliable, narcissistic narrator who spirals into madness, hard. And as a reader? You spiral right along with her. I genuinely had a few moments where I wanted to shout "What did you do?!" at my e-reader - and don't even get me started on the ending. I didn't see it coming at all, partly because the line between reality and illusion gets so unnervingly, deliciously blurred.
It's masterfully done - but please, please check the content warnings before diving in. This one does not hold back.
Told through letters from a mother to her daughter, the story slowly unravels into something deeply unsettling, with an unreliable, narcissistic narrator who spirals into madness, hard. And as a reader? You spiral right along with her. I genuinely had a few moments where I wanted to shout "What did you do?!" at my e-reader - and don't even get me started on the ending. I didn't see it coming at all, partly because the line between reality and illusion gets so unnervingly, deliciously blurred.
It's masterfully done - but please, please check the content warnings before diving in. This one does not hold back.
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