Forest Underground by Lydian Faust

Mar 11, 2019 Janie C. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is an instantly engrossing story that is akin to a tenebrous fairy tale. Steeped in the psychological investigation into a young woman's past, the plot also examines the background of the psychiatrist treating the patient. Both women have endured harrowing experiences, and the results of their traumatic ordeals draw the reader into a web of grotesquery and twisted outcomes. Forest Underground is a requisite for those who enjoy dark and creative fiction.

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Feb 27, 2018 Jeremy Hepler rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was my first time reading Lydian's work, and now I'm a fan. The writing in Forest Underground is tight and well-paced, and the characters have great depth despite the novella's length. The tale is a twisted psychological thriller where ultimately the two main characters, Luna and Alisha, try to use and manipulate one another in order to satisfy their own desires. You just don't know if they both or only one has sinister intent until their stories merge at the end. Well told.

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Jan 02, 2020 Emily rated it really liked it

"Doctor...what are you doing to me?"

Forest Underground was my first read of 2020, and it was a great pick! This was such an intriguing horror novella, and I loved the story.

I'm not going to say much about this book because the synopsis isn't super detailed, and you should get to read it without a lot of outside information. Just know that it's a very mysterious fairytale-like story, and it was such a good read. I hope to read more from Lydian Faust!

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Feb 08, 2019 Morgan K Tanner rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a tricky review to write. I don’t feel I can describe the events of this book without giving things away, and I’m very anti-spoilers, don’t you know!

Although saying that, it’s easy to state that this horror novella was a superbly horrific and fun ride into insanity (if that’s even possible). It took me no time at all to blast through this one, and some of the settings are still haunting my mind as I sit here typing away. Particularly that ‘hospital’. *shudders*

Without giving too much This is a tricky review to write. I don’t feel I can describe the events of this book without giving things away, and I’m very anti-spoilers, don’t you know!

Although saying that, it’s easy to state that this horror novella was a superbly horrific and fun ride into insanity (if that’s even possible). It took me no time at all to blast through this one, and some of the settings are still haunting my mind as I sit here typing away. Particularly that ‘hospital’. *shudders*

Without giving too much away, the story starts with Luna talking to her psychiatrist (I think), Dr Sizemore about a traumatic moment in her life. The doctor encourages her to recount her tale, telling Luna that they are about to make a real breakthrough. In truth, the doctor seems a bit too keen to hear all about this.

Well they do make a breakthrough, kind of, but I can’t really mention that here. Talk about gripping, I was desperate to know exactly what happened to Luna and what drove her to the events that had her locked up in a semi-mental institution.

As the story progresses we learn not only of Luna’s past, but also Dr Sizemore’s. I’ll stop there because I feel like I’m already starting to give things away.

To summarise, this was a fast-paced yet engrossing tale with twists aplenty, something very well achieved in such a relatively short page count. Luna’s walks through the forest are brought very much to life, as are the happenings with Dr Sizemore’s other patients; very American Horror Story-y.

There were also a few ‘eww’ moments that helped galvanise the torrent of killer punches that were thrown from the pages. No one is who they seem and the story keeps you guessing throughout. Everything is nicely tied up at the end yet I still craved more, but this is a massive compliment to the writing and not because things weren’t concluded adequately. Teasey horror, if that’s even a thing.

I’ve neglected to mention many things here, such as Grandma, a school, a cop, and this cottage-type place, but you need to read it to embrace all these excellent additions to the story.

I’m fully embracing Women in Horror Month, but at this rate it’s going to Women in Horror Year for me. Sorry dudes, the dudettes are kicking my ass good and proper. ...more

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Jan 10, 2018 Mike Thorn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

Full review from my website

Lydian Faust uses an intensive, boundary-pushing therapy session to frame her debut novella Forest Underground. The book’s “action” occurs mostly in the content of testimony and memory, but what Faust underlines most explicitly is the unexpected connection between two traumatized women—the doctor and the patient.

I’m impressed by Faust’s decision to use this structural approach to tell this story—she maneuvers through both the frame narrative and the use of multiple ...more

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Aug 21, 2017 The Grim Reader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

For Lydian’s debut novella release through Sinister Horror Company we are transported into a sort of dark fairy tale via an intense therapy session with a Dr whom also has a troubled past. Faust’s tale of madness is cleverly constructed, weaving two similar tales into one. We are given time with a small cast of intriguing characters that are well fleshed-out and believable. Forest Underground is a big idea inside a little book. There is much to explore in this sort of psychological unravelling ...more

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Aug 21, 2017 Chad rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Forest Underground is a truly inventive and original work. I think what I really appreciate is how it comes at the story from several different perspectives, circling around the key players until it focuses down and brings everything together quite nicely and effectively.

I also liked the vibe of this book and how much of it has the feel of a really disturbing fairy tale. You won't be sure what's real or not and what the full story is behind the central character and I think that makes the story ...more

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Aug 10, 2018 Thomas Flowers rated it really liked it · review of another edition

FINALLY, more from the wickedly talented Lydian Faust. I've been fortunate once before, having read her short in Dark Designs: Tales of Mad Science, I knew then she had a flair for the dramatic and equally robust lycanthropic pose. In Wolfencorn there are glimpses of this "other" deeper level of fable, and in FOREST UNDERGROUND the complete vision unfolds. Faust's prose grows richer with this new story, dragged into a (forgive the pun) underground world of the mind in which reality and myth are ...more

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Mar 01, 2018 Duncan Bradshaw rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Holy crap, it's been a while since a book grabbed me like that and near enough forced me to finish it there and then, alas, time constraints didn't let me, but I got through it as quickly as I could. The way it's written, really engages you from the get-go, through a nice set of twists and turns, and whilst they're not jaw-dropping, are still enough to pull you further into the story. Outstanding stuff from Ms Faust, if you want a quick read, this won't disappoint.

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Nov 06, 2019 Matt (TeamRedmon) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, read-2019

Quick and very creepy. Full review to come!

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Sep 30, 2017 Thomas Joyce rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A wonderful and compelling debut, equal parts dark fairy-tale and psychological horror. Very well crafted. Brilliant!

Another fine book from The Sinister Horror Company, this novella is author Lydian Faust's debut. And what a way to announce yourself on the indie horror scene! Described as a dark fairy-tale, it certainly has elements of that, with Luna's retelling of her visits to Grandma's house while she is held in an unorthodox psychiatric facility by the enigmatic Dr. Sizemore. However, as ...more

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Dec 26, 2018 Clint rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018

I can't actually remember what made my buy this, because when I read the description later I was like, this doesn't sound like anything I'd read. I buy lots of stuff I don't remember buying on Amazon, that probably means they have a solid business model haha.

Anyway, this book was AWESOME. For the first couple of pages I was a little confused, but after it got rolling I was hooked till the end. Most of the first half is dialogue between a psychiatrist and a patient who's apparently delusional and ...more

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Aug 26, 2017 Patrick Loveland rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Okay, I'm gonna be straight with you—not to offend anyone who can't get enough of it, but at this point, if someone tries to sell me on something by using words like 'Dark Twisted Spooky Fairytale' or anything like that, my instinctual reaction is to roll my eyes (or not move them at all, just staring blanky as they glass over a bit more) and move on. That's my default on that sort of thing.
So with that in mind, the same things could be said about this novella—but I loved it.
I've put some effort Okay, I'm gonna be straight with you—not to offend anyone who can't get enough of it, but at this point, if someone tries to sell me on something by using words like 'Dark Twisted Spooky Fairytale' or anything like that, my instinctual reaction is to roll my eyes (or not move them at all, just staring blanky as they glass over a bit more) and move on. That's my default on that sort of thing.
So with that in mind, the same things could be said about this novella—but I loved it.
I've put some effort into figuring that little contradiction in myself out and I'll try to work through it for you.
I think what makes this work so well on that fairytale associated level for me is that it's not cute or like 'naughty'. It's not thickly layered on, like a cloying treacle. It's never really made the spotlight, and the reason it feels right for me is that the fairytale aspects are implied, and mostly presented and framed by a well-rendered unreliable narrator. It feels almost like Luna (and LF) know what you are expecting from a 'Dark Fairytale'... but they both play with that and subvert it. This author knows about people like me, and knows, I think, how important it is to find a grounding in some lateral way to keep my aversion to some aspects of the higher concept of this from being too heavily set off.
Without spoilers then I'll say that I was continuously impressed and satisfied with the ways in which this writer fused grounded, gritty realism, horrific dark elements, and the more fantastic and surreal aspects.
And there are real moments of brilliance in this work. It's very good overall... but there are parts that come together and even subtler nods that show much more going on beneath the surface.
Luna is now a favorite character of mine. She, her family, and the forest they inhabit are so well fleshed out that I didn't want Luna's stories to end.
I guess that's a big part of why it worked so well for me—as cliche as it sounds, this dark and breathing world was a place I didn't want to leave, even with its sinister and frightening layers.
I will read anything this author publishes going forward.
pml ...more

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Sep 29, 2018 Oliver Clarke rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review first appeared on scifiandscary.com, I received a copy of the book to review.

‘Forest Underground’ is the debut novella from Lydian Faust and is published by the Sinister Horror Company, a small UK based indie publisher. It’s very good indeed. In fact it’s the best indie horror I’ve read for some time.
I always worry when I see rave reviews of small press or self-published books. Instinctively, part of my brain wonders if the praise is just down to enthusiasm or hubris on the part of This review first appeared on scifiandscary.com, I received a copy of the book to review.

‘Forest Underground’ is the debut novella from Lydian Faust and is published by the Sinister Horror Company, a small UK based indie publisher. It’s very good indeed. In fact it’s the best indie horror I’ve read for some time.
I always worry when I see rave reviews of small press or self-published books. Instinctively, part of my brain wonders if the praise is just down to enthusiasm or hubris on the part of the reviewer. If they’re that good, why haven’t they been picked up by a big publisher? That’s a terrible thing to think, and clearly displays an ignorance of the way that modern publishing has gone. My rational mind knows that my gut reaction is wrong, but it’s there all the same. Maybe you feel the same way, or maybe it’s just me. Either way, believe me when I say that ‘Forest Underground’ is worth your time. It’s not perfect, but it is very, very good and I suspect it marks the entry of a bold new talent on the horror stage.
It’s a hard book to describe, as a simple relaying of the plot doesn’t do it justice. Having finished it I’m left with the feeling that I don’t really know what I just read. That might sound like a bad thing, but it’s anything but. I felt the same way after finishing Samanta Schweblin’s brilliant ‘Fever Dream’ or after watching movies like ‘Mother!’ or ‘Videodrome’. All these pieces of art have a timeless, dreamlike quality that taps into our psyches and needles at our deepest anxieties and fears. Faust’s book does that too, weaving a reinterpretation of Little Red Riding Hood in with a ghost story and a deeply creepy serial killer tale. Those elements might sound at odds with each other, but Faust does a great job of combining them into a coherent, if nightmarish, whole. She packs the book with fantastically dark imagery: cannibalism, self-mutilation, mass graves. The most horrifying scenes are more memorable than you might want them to be.
Central character Luna is deliberately weird and enigmatic, but Faust gives her problems that are recognisable and easy to relate to. Despite the mystery that surrounds Luna, and the fact that I never felt like I truly knew her, I did find myself caring about her. The book centers on a series of Luna’s therapy sessions with her doctor, Alisha Sizemore. As Luna tells the doctor about her past it becomes hard to tell what is reality and what is illusion. There is a Russian doll element that works brilliantly, with the story going in a different direction two thirds of the way through and then again towards the end, before wrapping up in a very satisfying conclusion.
Thematically there is a lot going on here for such a short book. The troubles of female adolescence are explored through both Luna and Alisha’s memories. At times it feels reminiscent of Angela Carter’s retellings of European folk tales. Like Carter, Faust gets to the bloody heart of Little Red Riding Hood. Her take is very different, but equally effective.
Bullying and parental neglect are compellingly and sensitively covered too, without ever overwhelming the story. And throughout it all looms a mistrust of authority and institutions (hospitals and schools in this case), that feels very current.
In the end the much of the book feels like a fresh new fairy tale. Unsettling, bloody, timeless and haunting. I enjoyed every blood-soaked, horrific page. ...more

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Mar 01, 2018 Kayleigh Marie Marie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I ordered this as soon as it was released and ended up reading it in one sitting, it's pretty good! And as a debut, it's very promising. Looking forward to lots more from Lydian :)

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Oct 02, 2017 Mark Cassell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This novella intrigued me from the first page, and that curiosity remained as I followed the story's dark path. It's a truly remarkable debut with a sharp plot, tight writing, and relatable characters. I'm most definitely going to follow Faust's work.

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Nov 06, 2017 Andrew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ms Faust has deft touch, skilfully combining the gothic, the psychological and the folk, to weave together this intriguing novella. I won't spoil the plot or settings, suffice to say that this is a good read by a writer who knows what she's doing. Recommended.

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Jan 03, 2020 Danelle @ Our-Wolves-Den rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-horror-tbr

Lydian Faust was able to pull me in through a eerie story line and well developed characters. Even the characters that played small parts in the story were easily portrayed in my mind.

FOREST UNDERGROUND is, in my opinion, a very creepy messed up version of Little Red Riding Hood. Luna who is the central character is being held at a mental hospital, of sorts. She is Dr. Sizemore's very special case. As a reader you follow Luna's sessions with the doctor through Luna's memories to help explain ...more

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Sep 06, 2018 Kevin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I haven’t had a lot of reading time lately and I’ve had this book on my TBR pile for a while now. I picked it up the other day planning to read a few pages and see how it went. I found myself reading just over the first half of the book in one sitting. I then finished the rest in a second sitting. It’s rare I do that these days due to time restrictions.

I really enjoyed Faust’s style of writing which always helps with any book. Some authors write great stories but I just can’t quite gel with ...more

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Jan 20, 2019 Alice J. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Forest Underground was a good book, a delve into the terror of the mind and humanity, and certainly worth a read!

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Dec 01, 2017 Matthew Tait rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Sins of the Past. My favourite stories are those steeped in yesteryear, the subconscious, humanity trying to fathom the future by delving into ghosts of days gone by. In Forest Underground, the reader will receive plenty of all the aforementioned. Here, through the eyes of a doctor and patient (and set inside the cathedral atmosphere of abandoned school), Lydian uses horror, terror, and fantasy to define fundamental human states - ultimately leading to a unequivocal conjuring of trail by ...more

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Dec 23, 2018 Cedar Hollow Horror Reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Lydian Faust delivers a damn fine debut novella with Forest Underground. It's a dark and disturbing fairy tale of terror! The story is told through memory and recollection during an extreme fringe therapy session. During the session, Luna (the patient) recounts her visits to Grandma's house.

Two backgrounds are explored in this novella–Luna and Dr. Sizemore. The tale unfolds beautifully with Luna's past in the first half and Dr. Sizemore's childhood in the latter half. I like how Faust uses ...more

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Mar 24, 2018 Peter Germany rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Forest Underground was very interesting and gripped my attention pretty quickly. Some books can take some time for me to really get committed to them, but this one had me within five minutes.
I liked how Lydian Faust teased a lot of the world but stopped short of really revealing what was going on. I think that may have broken the pace of this novella up too much if there’d been a lot of scene setting.
The story is really interesting and splits into telling the story of the two main characters, ...more

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Mar 06, 2018 Em Dehaney rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a stunning debut novella from Lydian Faust, which sucked me into it's dark world from page 1. You can hear the leaves rustling underfoot as you plunge headfirst into Luna's troubled mind. The way Lydian crafts this dark fairy tale thriller is masterful, and I can't wait to read more of her work. My only complaint is that it is a novella rather than a full novel, as I could have read another two hundred pages. Fantastic.

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Oct 08, 2017 Israel Finn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book starts off strong and then gets even better. For her debut, the author proves herself to be a masterful storyteller. Forest Underground is a dark fairy tale that kept me engaged all the way through to the end, and I was especially enthralled by the macabre scenes that took place in the girls' school. You'll see what I mean. An excellent debut from Lydian Faust, whose work I'll read in the future without reservation.

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Apr 04, 2018 Sebastian Crow rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Brilliant little book. A twisted fairy tale / serial killer mash-up that'll leave you "hungering" for more.

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Mar 08, 2018 Brian Barr rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Dark, mysterious, and entertaining. A unique horror story with a classic feel. Fast-paced short story that is quite complex at the same time like a miniature puzzle. Loved it.

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Mar 04, 2019 Matt Spencer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I grabbed this slim volume on a lark – the first book of oft-anthologized dark scribe Lyian Faust – and was richly rewarded by a surreal, psychological, lightning-swift read that has (almost) everything that a good horror story needs, and nothing it doesn’t. The story first draws us into the uneasy interactions between Luna, a mental patient who may or may not be something other than human, and her psychiatrist, Dr. Alisha Sizemore, whose methods and motives are deeply questionable…all the more I grabbed this slim volume on a lark – the first book of oft-anthologized dark scribe Lyian Faust – and was richly rewarded by a surreal, psychological, lightning-swift read that has (almost) everything that a good horror story needs, and nothing it doesn’t. The story first draws us into the uneasy interactions between Luna, a mental patient who may or may not be something other than human, and her psychiatrist, Dr. Alisha Sizemore, whose methods and motives are deeply questionable…all the more so once we meet some of her other patients.

The first half of the book is primarily built around the tangled mystery of Luna’s mind and memories, of growing up as…well, a woods-bound homeschooled kid with an unusual dysfunctional family. Other reviewers have made much of Faust’s use of the “subverted/dark fairytale” troupe (specifically “Little Red Riding Hood”), but Faust uses this as more of a jumping-off point than anything else, into a much larger, distinctively vivid hidden world, of which we see only the most evocatively unsettling glance. If so inclined, Faust could easily make this the first scant step into a larger mythos of her own invention, reminiscent of the best of Caitlin R. Kiernan…particularly in the menacing, elusive nature of the titular forest and its denizens. To go into further detail would be to spoil some of the book’s juiciest surprises. The latter portions of the story deal in Alisha’s traumatic youth, first with her narcissistic mother, then the horrific bullying she endures at an elite boarding school, where the haunted dorm room down the hall is the least of her worries. While both Luna and Alisha’s stories are filled with shadowy things that go bump in the night, it’s in the unflinching depictions of all-too-believable human cruelty and the resulting trauma, where Faust truly makes the reader wince and cringe.

The central dramatic tension is anchored in the subtle, slow-burn back-and-forth between Luna and Alisha, neither of whom are wholly reliable narrators. The question isn’t so much “Who should I be rooting for?” as “Who should I be more worried for?” Initially, it’s very much Luna who elicits our sympathies, a troubled young woman who’s come to a bad state, at the shadowy mercy of an icy, ruthless professional*. Whatever’s up with Alisha, though, her own growing unease becomes equally relatable, as Luna reveals not only her unexpected lucidity, but that she may well be holding more of the cards than she first appeared. Faust understands the importance of atmosphere in situations like this, of the relationship between surroundings and human behavior. She’s a natural at painting the echoing, haunting surroundings of Alisha’s maybe-not-quite-what-it-seems psychiatric facility and Luna’s childhood haunted forest in equal measure, often in just a few sentences, where many accomplished writers would require whole paragraphs.

It’s only in the climax where the telling of the tale somewhat falls apart. For one thing, at a pivotal moment, one supporting character’s on-the-job behavior goes zero-to-sixty gung-ho, in a previously unhinted manner, so it feels like Faust was trying to pile one more layer of tension and danger onto the scene than was necessary, at the expense of credibility. And while the big-twist reveal remains shrouded in a certain amount of intentional ambiguity, it feels lacking in thought-out, internal cohesion, in a way that doesn’t do justice to the tale leading up to it. Also, of the two main character and their intersecting journeys, I felt far less satisfied by the connective tissue of one than the other, between where she begins and where she ends up. Right as this came dangerously close to leaving a sour taste in my mouth, though, Faust hit me with a denouement that’s at once out-of-left-field yet utterly fitting, in a way that left me both satisfied and thirsty for more. I'll be keeping an eye out for more of this storyteller’s juicy, vivid, haunting tales.
...more

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Feb 06, 2020 Jamie rated it it was amazing

Forest Underground has been on my shelf for much too long—I finally remedied this situation by making it the first read from my “official” February TBR list. Knowing that it’s Women in Horror Month makes it even more significant. I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t read many books by women authors, at least when it comes to the horror genre. I’ll be keeping that in mind throughout the year (not just this month) as I work on diversifying my reads a bit more.

Lydian Faust is an author I’ve Forest Underground has been on my shelf for much too long—I finally remedied this situation by making it the first read from my “official” February TBR list. Knowing that it’s Women in Horror Month makes it even more significant. I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t read many books by women authors, at least when it comes to the horror genre. I’ll be keeping that in mind throughout the year (not just this month) as I work on diversifying my reads a bit more.

Lydian Faust is an author I’ve been following on social media for awhile now. I enjoy her sense of humor and her posts in general, as I think we are close in age and share some common interests. Basically, I already thought she was cool, and now I’ve confirmed that fact because I absolutely loved this novella.

In just 100 pages, the author has crafted a story that’s tough to put down. It didn’t take long for me to feel a connection to the characters, despite the short length of this story. The mood and the setting that the author created are stellar. For me, this one has dark fairy tale vibes, and the setting was almost like its own character, lending a gothic, haunting atmosphere to the story. I love abandoned buildings and places, as well as stories featuring asylum horror or mental illness as a theme. This tale has supernatural elements lurking throughout, but it’s also heavy on human-based horrors—mental illness, neglect/abuse, and trauma, to name a few. I enjoyed how we got to know the main characters in present day, but also were given a glimpse of their past and how it shaped them. I want to avoid spoilers, but will say that there are some scenes in the book set during a character’s younger years, and Lydian does a fantastic job in writing those scenes. I felt so much understanding and empathy for one of the main characters as I was reading. Another aspect I enjoyed was simply how the story is split into three sections, each focused on one main character, yet they are all present from beginning to end. Not only do we see how their stories intertwine as the story progresses, but in each section, we’re given a deeper glimpse into that specific character’s past.

I recently picked up a copy of this author’s new poetry collection, and judging by the writing in this novella, I’m even more excited to read it. Just from this one piece, I have a sense that Lydian Faust is an author who “bleeds onto the page” when she’s writing, and that’s something I love. Her writing has a dark, magical quality, imbued with feeling. This is another one to file under “Books I Want to Hug”.

...more

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Feb 13, 2020 Theresa Braun rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Whoah, what an experience. This read. There’s a lot going on and a lot to process, especially for a novella. Faust throws us into several therapy sessions with Luna, who is obviously dealing with a uniquely troubled past, one right out of a nightmarish fairy tale. However, we soon sniff out that Dr. Sizemore has a skeleton closet full of her own issues. What makes these women tick? And where is this all going? Those are only two of the questions keeping us hooked on the page. The believable Whoah, what an experience. This read. There’s a lot going on and a lot to process, especially for a novella. Faust throws us into several therapy sessions with Luna, who is obviously dealing with a uniquely troubled past, one right out of a nightmarish fairy tale. However, we soon sniff out that Dr. Sizemore has a skeleton closet full of her own issues. What makes these women tick? And where is this all going? Those are only two of the questions keeping us hooked on the page. The believable dialogue, the colorful minor characters, and the atmosphere, all contribute to a well-crafted tale where reality and delusion meld together.

It’s difficult to go into more depth here, without giving all the pieces away. However, Faust makes us contemplate how our past shapes us. Specifically, it’s a careful look at the female plight of abuse, neglect, and bullying. Oh, and let’s not forget the complicated agony of young lust/love. These characters are literally haunted by their experiences, and not handling the fallout very well at all, which is the core of this disturbing read. Indirect themes abound, like how we are all more connected than we realize. And how stories like “Little Red Riding Hood” are possibly a deeper part of the collective unconscious than we realize. I’m just scratching the surface here. I think readers will take away their own meanings after finishing this, which is a compliment to the author. Not easy to pull off.

Just some minor notes of critique. The switch in POV from Luna to Dr. Sizemore is somewhat abrupt. I would’ve liked to see more of a transition, or even more time spent on both characters. Although the construction of the story lends itself to a quick paced read, Faust could surely have turned this into a longer work. Also, I was thrown off a few times when Luna talks about herself in the third person. But I understand how it’s a mark of someone who’s not well, so...

In the end, readers should thoroughly enjoy this read, especially the twisty ending. In my opinion, one of the best parts.
...more

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