The Invalidity of Occam’s Razor

by Samuel B. Jacobson

This story follows my journey to the West Coast of Canada. The retreat that I lived and worked at turned out to be nothing close to as advertised. The resort was built on the site of an Indigenous village and burial ground. What begins as true to life quickly evolves into the mystical and mythological. I find myself in the depths of despair, and all the while I am plagued by visions of the island's haunting past. Modern-day atrocities are tied to historical colonization. I struggle to understand why this secret past is shared with me, and the answers I receive often lead to more questions. Eventually, something bad happens. I flee the island. This is a story of personal growth with a plot shrouded in mystery.

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2025

Reviews

[Emma Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sammy’s debut novel!! I had the honour of being the fifth person to read this and got to edit it as I went along. This was an incredibly interesting concept that was presented in a way I’ve never really read before! I really enjoyed trying to figure out when reality became fantasy and vice versa. The book was deeply introspective while also being easy to read. The writing was beautiful, with great prose and descriptions that drew you right into the story without overwhelming you. This a phenomenal debut novel and I’m so incredibly proud of Sam!

[Samuel Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A completely unbiased review!! Seriously, what a concept to have my debut book on Goodreads. I hope that you’ll give it a try.

[Tim Covell]

I had the opportunity to read an Advance Reading Copy (thanks), so there may have been changes for publication.

Essentially a horror, and a good story, but slow to start, and the first half of the book is weighed down by characters and events that seem unrelated to the central story. The blurb warns readers of something bad, and it was worse than I expected (with a couple of nice twists), but the consequences and resolution were not completely satisfying.

The title and much of the tone is the first-person narrator ruminating on the events, which I sometimes found tiresome, but there are also scenes where the narrator's reflection on previously described events provides great revelations.

[Josh Bruder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal! Each chapter leaves you wanting more! A must read for everyone!