Put on a Happy Face

by Terry M. West

Susie Monroe hides in an old house with her brother, Billy. Billy is a shadow man who wears many faces. But none of them are his.

Genres: Horror, Thriller

39 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2014

About the author

Terry M. West is an American horror author. His best known works: What Price Gory, Car Nex, Dreg and his Night Things series. He was a finalist for 2 International Horror Guild Awards and he was featured on the TV Guide Sci-Fi hot list for his YA graphic novel series, Confessions of a Teenage Vampire. Terry was born in Texas, lived in New York for two decades and he currently hangs his hat in California.
www.terrymwest.com

Reviews

[Mort · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wasn’t prepared to like this as much as I did. Billy was such a unique character. Not necessarily good or bad, but sort of something that floated between the two, with certain actions debatable from either angle. And he had some really unique physical circumstances, as well. As you thought that the eerie atmosphere and uneasiness had settled in, the situation with Billy progressively evolved. Into something uglier and more sinister than you could have imagined. And Susie’s perspective was also done so well, breaking up the plot points with her brother. She brought this sweet and endearing ignorance that worked perfectly. I really wanted this to be so much longer. I wanted to keep reading it. That was the only flaw here. The rest…absolutely fantastic.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice creepy short story!

Our on a Happy Face by Terry M. West is a short horror story. A brother and sister story of love and horror! Short but good!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a strange and spooky short story!

A small backstory without giving away spoilers:

Susie lives with her brother Billy out in an old house in the woods. Billy takes care of her and makes sure she has everything she needs including toys to play with and if she is very good she can receive gold stars to play with the special toys in the toy box. Billy is not what he seems to be and something happened to Billy that he has to wear masks on his face for certain occasions. When someone wanders into their midst out at the house is when things take an interesting turn as Billy has to deal with the intruder and it will not end well.

Thoughts:

This was a very short story - 19 pages - so it is a quick read and I was just drawn into this creepy story of how the brother looks after his sister. Fast paced along with some twists and an interesting surprise about Billy which kept me intrigued till the end of the book. Giving this one four "creepy" stars!

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had been a while since I picked up a Terry M. West story and I forgot how fun they are! I wouldn't mind a longer version of this story because Billy's character was pretty intriguing.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining horror listening 🎶🔰

This is a free novella e-book from Amazon.

Billy is a young man 🚹 who has been in an accident. He is in the living room talking 👄 to a stranger. Then the truth comes out and his sister in her room turns the record player to the loudest setting. Billy comes into her room and turns the record player down.

I would recommend this novella and author to 👍 readers of fantasy haunting novels 👍🔰. 2023 😀😯👒🏡

[John The Crippledgimp · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was to short for me, I wish it was longer because I like the concept but just fell short for me.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all wear masks, in a way, but there's nothing figurative about Suzi's brother. She knows how to interpret his moods, and she's his sweet "locket."

This short story by Terry M. West creates a creepy dynamic and a psychological chill.

[Shadow Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susie Monroe woke one night to see a ghostly figure in her bedroom. She thought it was the boogyman, but was relieved to find out it was just her older brother, Billy, wearing a rubber clown mask. Billy explained to her that their house wasn’t safe anymore, and she left with him to start a new life, in a new house deep in the woods.
Billy always wore masks now. He had a lot of them, but her favorite was his happy face. She knew that it meant that everything was okay. He had a sad face, a mad face, a confused face, and even a panic face. But the one that she dreaded the most was the scary face – she had only seen it once, but it scared her more than anything she could remember.
Susie knows that her brother loves her, and he would never lie to her. He just be pretends when he explains things like the red stain on her favorite book, and where the stranger who knocked on their door went.
Join the discussion on BBB.

[Zakk Madness · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She's the little locket I wear around my neck"

Firstly, If you consider yourself a fan of the genre and you haven't read "What Price Gory" in it's entirety, you are genuinely missing out on some fantastic creature feature yarns. But don't fret, there is still time. And what better introduction to that world than "Put on a Happy Face". A truly unnerving, unsettling tale. A 31 page nightmare that will open you up to a whole new world. A world controlled by Terry M. West, and your safety isn't guaranteed.

[Lennie Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy!

So, I don't like the idea of "masculine" and "feminine" toys . 😑 that kind of annoyed me. But other than that one little thing, I really liked this scary little story! the scene with Paul and billy in the office was awesome!

[David Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that was disturbing...

I read this at 11.45pm just before going to bed, and I was impressed with the writing style, in the way that it was written as if it was being told through the eyes of Susie, the little girl. The genuine emotions she felt were conveyed perfectly in my opinion, and really gave you the bizarre and altered way she saw what was effectively a monster in her brother Billy.

The issue I had was when it shifted away from Susie and took a more narrative approach during the scene between the drunk driver and Billy in Billy's room. I just felt the dialogue was a little awkward and I couldn't really picture Billy's deathly face despite the descriptions.

Having said that, I feel like this could have been spun out a little more and more details and scenes added, and if that happened I would totally read it as I would be intrigued to learn more about Billy's circumstances, and the experiments he was involved in.

I enjoyed the story overall, but as I felt like this was two stories stitched together a little, I can give it no more than 2 stars.

[Kendra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this for something quick to get some horror in between a bunch of romance. I hate leaving poor reviews so let's start with the positives. Two things this story had going for it are an original plot and tons of details. Now for everything else, maybe this one is personal but the whole Suzie is a little girl is hammered home almost too much the narrative is inconsistent and hard to believe either POV to be completely honest. It's got a good idea hidden under clunky writing but probably not worth the time it takes to read

[Summer R Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and the publisher or publishers for all your hard work! I'm leaving this review voluntarily and happily! Take a look!

Im really getting into short stories right now. This was definitely odd. From the title and the cover you'd think this is a book about clowns, but not to worry! Its so much worse! There's death, masks and definitely something strange going on and you don't find out what that is until the very end. The ending definitely had me wondering what the heck?

[Tonya Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seven year old Susie lives in an old abandoned house with her older brother Billy.
Billy was disfigured in a work related accident and his facial features are so distorted, that masks hide his horror.
This book was truly awesome, I truly felt Susie’s love for her brother.
Billy wants to protect Susie, however he has an evil side that he keeps from her.
Great short story,

[Anthony Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great & horrifying short story

I wasn't sure what to expect with this short story but am I glad that I picked it up? Absolutely I am!

When I read this short story I had an idea on where it was going but I was completely thrown off. I would love to see this as a full novel.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing short story. To begin with I thought Billy was some weird circus clown but, the reasons behind his many faces are much more sinister. I recommend it for anyone who likes short and slightly weird/spooky.

[David Burnham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gem from Terry M. West. I read this a prequel to the second part of Gate 4 and loved the imagery it created. Great work.

[Rachel Bertrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and creepy!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that stays with you long after you've finished reading. The descriptions are crisp, the dialog believable. The premise---scary!!

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was an ok read.

[Maretta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not scarry it was a quick read

This book was not scary , but it did get me through a doctors visit . I guessed I am jaded.

[Isabella Fulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Brother Wears a Mask

I loved innocent Susie and the story of why Billy wears a mask, well written subtle horror as usual by the author. You should read this.

[Aniket Choudhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and creepy.

[Doug Brunell · Rating 3 out of 5]

We All Wear Masks

A short but creepy horror story about a little girl and her much older brother. He has to wear masks. She knows something isn't quite right. Hijinks ensue.

[Lilia Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this book. Definitely kept me on my toes and it was a fun Halloween-ish/fall book!!

[Tee Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

I wish this was longer..poor Suzy in the care of a crazy deformed brother. So many questions and no answers.

[Sian · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first horror read and I absolutely loved it. To say it was a short story it made me feel a rollercoaster of emotions, sadness, suspense, surprise and at the end….happiness. I never thought I’d get that from a horror! A great read, would definitely recommend!

[Yazmin Summerhayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was unique in a scary way, but the language was hard to follow and I like longer stories

[Siobhan Falen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a young girl's brother takes them into hiding, only showing his masked face to her, one can't help but suspect the worse. This short story takes you on the dark and twisted adventure of what happens with the young girl and her brother.

This story ended up where I expected it to, but it was fun getting there. The characters were entertaining and for a short story, it invested you in the characters' development and the story's ending. This is a quick, entertaining read and worth a read.