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The Attic Tragedy

J. Ashley-Smith (Goodreads Author)

3.91 · Rating details · 67 ratings · 51 reviews

Sylvie never called them ghosts, but that’s what they were—not that George ever saw them herself. The new girl, Sylvie, is like a creature from another time, with her old-fashioned leather satchel, her white cotton gloves and her head in the clouds. George watches her drift around the edge of the school playing fields, guided by inaudible voices.

When George stands up for S ...more

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Kindle Edition, 66 pages

Published June 9th 2020 by Meerkat Shorts

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· 67 ratings · 51 reviews

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Jun 05, 2020 Char rated it really liked it

Shelves: dark-fiction, coming-of-age, supernatural, novellas, literary-fiction, lbtgq, meerkat-press

Beautifully written, this novella was a short and dark visit inside the mind of a young woman.

Georgina, (George), became friends with Sylvie in a rather dark antique shop. There, Sylvie shares a secret; she can tell where an object has been just by touching it. George though? George never shares her secret with Sylvie or anyone else, (at least not verbally). Why not? You'll have to read this to find out!

Right from the get-go, right from the opening line:"Sylvie never called them ghosts, but tha Beautifully written, this novella was a short and dark visit inside the mind of a young woman.

Georgina, (George), became friends with Sylvie in a rather dark antique shop. There, Sylvie shares a secret; she can tell where an object has been just by touching it. George though? George never shares her secret with Sylvie or anyone else, (at least not verbally). Why not? You'll have to read this to find out!

Right from the get-go, right from the opening line:"Sylvie never called them ghosts, but that's what they were." THE ATTIC TRAGEDY had me in its grip. This is a poignant tale about unrequited love, about feeling that you're different, that you're never a part of things, never at home, even in your own body. During your teen years, (which is where this book began), one is always feeling awkward and out of place to start with. Add in a few of the issues these teens were experiencing and it adds up to an almost unbearable state. Did I mention there's a supernatural aspect to this story as well? At least, I think there was...

I'm surprised at how much feeling the author was able to pack into this novella, (perhaps novelette, technically speaking). Please believe me when I say, Mr. Ashley-Smith can write. In one scene where George wants to reach out to Sylvie, there's this description:

"My fingers stretched and recoiled, daring then afraid, expanding and contracting like some skittish undersea creature; the kind of thing that dwells in shadow on the ocean floor, its hideous misshapen body an insult to nature."

So vivid, so beautiful, so easy to picture. My heart went out to both of these young women, but especially to George. I have to wonder what would have happened had things worked out differently. I do know I'll be thinking about both of them for a while.

This was my first experience with this author and I hope to read more of his work in the future!

Highly recommended!

Available today, here: https://amzn.to/30tiaRB

*Thanks to Meerkat Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!* ...more

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Jun 07, 2020 Latasha rated it really liked it

Shelves: reads-for-reviews, books-i-own, horror

When George stands up for Sylvie, beating back Tommy Payne and his gang of thugs, it brings her close to the ethereal stranger; though not as close as George would have liked. In the attic of Sylvie’s father’s antique shop, George’s scars will sing and her longing will drive them both toward a tragedy as veiled and inevitable as Sylvie’s whispering ghosts.
This is the first thing I've read from this author but will not be the last. This story is dark. The writing is so, so beautiful. I read thi ...more

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Apr 26, 2020 Karen (thefictioncorner) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: star-4, netgalley, read-2020

In the beginning, The Attic Tragedy seemed like if would be about ghosts and the supernatural, but as the story progressed, I realized the it was more about George’s depressions and unrequited love for Sylvie. This was definitely not a feel-good type of story. It was dark and poignant, but also deep and beautifully written.

I felt like there was a lot more that could’ve been done with a story. This could’ve honestly been more of a full-fledged novel if there was more of an explanation on what th ...more

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Aug 01, 2020 Tara Jennings rated it liked it · review of another edition

This book is exactly what is said in the title, to be about tragedy. George’s unrequited love for Sylvie tugs at the heartstrings and is such a gut wrenching story to read and feel like you can relate to those middle school days of heartbreak. This story thought to be a creepy haunted ghost story was definitely not a traditional type story about ghosts. Tragedy, loss, and depression are all elements to bring this story into an existence of feeling like the past lives on throughout our lives in a ...more

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Jun 28, 2020 Ophélie rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

How could you sum up a life – a whole life – with just a few words? How could you even try?

There’s a new girl in town, Sylvie, and she is not like everyone else. George (Georgina) watches her around the school, fascinated… After an unfortunate incident they become friends. But George wants more than the friendship Sylvie can offer.
In the attic of Sylvie’s father’s antique shop, between the ghosts and hidden gems of other people’s previous lives, their friendship grows. But will that be enough…

Th ...more

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Apr 05, 2020 Natasha Van Duser rated it liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Attic Tragedy is exactly as its title suggests: tragic. It's a quick read, but very hard to digest and definitely needs a trigger warning. There's talk of suicide, loss, and heart-break. George's tale is extremely depressing. Her unrequited love for Sylvie is pretty gut-wrenching, and something a lot of people can relate to from their middle school days. Where the story loses me is when George can no longer get over her heart-break so many years after Sylvie leaves.

There's an element to Geo The Attic Tragedy is exactly as its title suggests: tragic. It's a quick read, but very hard to digest and definitely needs a trigger warning. There's talk of suicide, loss, and heart-break. George's tale is extremely depressing. Her unrequited love for Sylvie is pretty gut-wrenching, and something a lot of people can relate to from their middle school days. Where the story loses me is when George can no longer get over her heart-break so many years after Sylvie leaves.

There's an element to George that is almost childish. She hates Sylvie's fiance out of jealousy, but not necessarily because he's a bad guy. The reader never sees if Dane is really a bad guy at all, we only have George's point of view to direct us on him. George is definitely misunderstood, but she can't seem to move on. She puts all of her eggs in the basket of Sylvie one day loving her that she allows her whole life to revolve around the fact that she's secretly in love with her best friend. She doesn't go to college after her mom leaves her everything in her will. She works for Sylvie's father. She spends her days thinking about Sylvie and hoping she returns as the high school girl she was before Sylvie grew up. What's so tragic about this tale is the fact that George is almost like Peter Pan in the way she cannot move on or grow up. She never leaves her town, even though the rapist bullies who attack her sign up to take fight classes at her dojo and her entire world comes crashing down when she finally realizes that Sylvie will never love her or be the same 16 year old girl again.

Yes, George's tale is extremely sad, but it's also very juvenile. I understand that George is lonely, but she doesn't do much to try to better herself or ever be independent of Sylvie. And that is the most heartbreaking part of this entire story. Also, apparently this is a horror novel, but apart from a few brief looks at ghosts in the afterlife, there's nothing scary or creepy about the story. It feels more religious in its use of the afterlife than horrifying. 3/5 stars because I thought this was a horror story, and not a tragic tale of love and loss.

Thanks to Net Galley for giving me the chance to read this book in advance in exchange for an honest, unbiased review! ...more

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Apr 09, 2020 Vim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, ya, ebook, earc

If there's one thing that lived up to the expectations I had of this book, it's the tragedy bit that's in the title. The promised ghosts ghosted me like pros and barely had any bearing to the story. Which is, I must say, a bit disappointing. Okay, I lied, veeeery disappointing.

The tale is of George's sad - no, depressing - teenage years and the unrequited love she bore for Sylvie, the new kid in town. George is an outcast, teased for her weight and for her sexuality. Sylvie is eccentric but kin ...more

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Apr 17, 2020 Julia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Not sure how to describe this story. It was an interesting and quick read; trying to find out what will happen kept me turning the pages.

The MC, George, is struggling with depression. There's hardly any character development for George, which I suspect is on purpose.

Definitely a tragic tale of the dark within us.

Not sure whom to recommend this to, though. ...more

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May 17, 2020 Linda Hepworth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

“Sylvie never called them ghosts, but that’s what they were” … from this opening sentence, I felt immediately drawn into this story, intrigued to discover how this apparently supernatural element would influence the story-telling. However, it quickly became clear that this was to be no traditional “ghost” story rather, it would explore how we are all shaped by our past experiences and losses, and how these continue to “whisper” to us throughout our lives. Through his exquisitely drawn characters “Sylvie never called them ghosts, but that’s what they were” … from this opening sentence, I felt immediately drawn into this story, intrigued to discover how this apparently supernatural element would influence the story-telling. However, it quickly became clear that this was to be no traditional “ghost” story rather, it would explore how we are all shaped by our past experiences and losses, and how these continue to “whisper” to us throughout our lives. Through his exquisitely drawn characters, not just George and Sylvie but also all the peripheral ones, whose behaviour influenced how the girls’ friendship developed, and subsequently changed, the author took me on an emotionally-charged, often very disturbing journey. I’m reluctant to go into too much detail about this because I don’t want to spoil the wonderful subtlety and poignancy of the story-telling as it reveals the deeply-felt emotions of young women coming to terms with who they are, as well as their developing, often confusing, sexuality. I think that the shared, erotically-charged nature of the early months of George and Sylvie’s friendship, and how this changed, leaving George heart-broken and bereft, was handled with an impressive sensitivity and restraint by the author.
This emotional honesty and integrity extended to his exploration of some very dark themes, including self-harming, sexual violence, homophobia, bullying, suicidal thoughts. Although each of these was explored in a powerfully visceral way, at no point did I feel that there was anything gratuitously explicit about his portrayals – a difficult balance to achieve, but one which the author achieved in an admirably sensitive way.
The author’s characterisations were so evocative that I’m sure the voices of George and Sylvie will continue to whisper to me, ensuring that their stories will not be forgotten, instead acting as a powerful reminder of how our memories can conjure up our ghosts from the past. Sometimes these will be painful, but the good ones can offer hope, can enable us to gain strength from them and to use those insights to create a more optimistic future for ourselves. “Dear god, set me free from all the pain” a foreword quote from Aeschylus, serves as a reminder throughout the story that pain is part of living and cannot be avoided. It is particularly resonated throughout George’s story, capturing her moments of profound despair and her search for relief from her all-encompassing emotional pain. Does she achieve this? You’ll need to read the book to find out!
When I finished this book, I felt I was experiencing such an emotional-overload that I needed to take time to reflect on it before writing this review but, as I settle down now to do so, several days later, I feel I’m still reeling from the impact of this very powerful, poignant and profoundly sad story. I’m full of admiration for the author’s ability to create such multi-layered complexity within just fifty-three pages – a perfect demonstration of how the end result of less really can result in being so much more!
However, although short, this shouldn’t be seen as a fast-read because it encompasses a range of themes and emotions which encourage reflection. I recently listened to a talk by an author who spoke of how reading slowly and reflectively enables the “magic” in stories to happen in “the spaces in-between” which are thus created. J. Ashley-Smith’s eloquent prose, with not one word feeling wasted, encouraged me to constantly reflect on what I was reading and the magic did indeed happen. So, please don’t rush your reading of this story, allow time for the magic to happen for you too.
With many thanks to Meerkat Press for an ARC of this story and the opportunity to read this very special story.
...more

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Jul 16, 2020 Missy (myweereads) rated it really liked it

| The Attic Tragedy - Book Sixty Six |

“The wound forever open: the wound that never heals because it is not of the body.”

The Attic Tragedy by J. Ashley-Smith is about a girl called Sylvie, she never called them ghosts, but that’s what they were—not that George ever saw them herself. The new girl, Sylvie, is like a creature from another time, with her old-fashioned leather satchel, her white cotton gloves and her head in the clouds. George watches her drift around the edge of the school playing f ...more

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May 11, 2020 Carla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Sylvie has a strange gift. Whenever she touches an object, she feels its past, its story. Its ghosts, though she never calls them that. And, when she enters George’s life, everything changes. George doesn’t feel like she belongs in her body and that made her a target for bullies. When Sylvie rescues him, the connection between them blooms. But time passes, life changes and Sylvie starts to see her gift as a problem. A rift starts to open between Sylvie and George… and all the shadows start to su Sylvie has a strange gift. Whenever she touches an object, she feels its past, its story. Its ghosts, though she never calls them that. And, when she enters George’s life, everything changes. George doesn’t feel like she belongs in her body and that made her a target for bullies. When Sylvie rescues him, the connection between them blooms. But time passes, life changes and Sylvie starts to see her gift as a problem. A rift starts to open between Sylvie and George… and all the shadows start to surface. For, if Sylvie leaves her ghosts, then they need to find someone else to hear them. Someone who, like them, doesn’t seem to belong.
Part of what makes this book so fascinating is the fact that, despite his relative shortness, it contains such depths of emotion and sadness that it is impossible not to feel for the main characters. Sylvie has a particular kind of sadness, borne with grace and serenity and channeled to her friendship with George. George’s sadness is deeper and more destructive, and so present, so intense that we can almost touch it. Besides, there is a timeless quality in this tale of friendship and longing. Time passes for us all and what once seemed forever ends up vanishing without a trace. Sylvie and George grow and build new lives for themselves. And that bond between them, that friendship made of sadness and understanding, follows different paths for each one of them.
There is also a somewhat tangible darkness throughout the entire tale, not only because of the ghosts or George’s relationship with blades, but mostly because of the overall perception that each and every life contains its own darkness. That “wound that never heals because it is not of the body” is sometimes life itself and, seeing it in this story, we recognize it in the real world. It might be a short tale, but it captures masterfully the darkest sorrows of an ordinary life. And that is in itself something beautiful.
Sometimes, a story doesn’t need to be long to leave a mark on who reads it. Such is the case of this book: a short and fascinating tale of friendship and sadness, of growth and darkness, of life… beyond life.

** I received this book from Meerkat Press in exchange for an honest review.
...more

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Aug 01, 2020 Rebecca Mello rated it liked it · review of another edition

Disclaimer: I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

Sylvie is the new girl in town and she is unlike anyone George has ever met. One day while working in the school library George sees Sylvie get in trouble with Tommy Payne and his gang. She runs out and defends Sylvie against the boys cementing their new found friendship. They grow closer, though not as close as George would like, in the attic of the antique shop Sylvie's father owns. Sylvie has an unique gift, when she tou ...more

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May 02, 2020 Lukasz rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novella, netgalley

3.5/5

I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I enjoyed Ashley-Smith's concise and poignant writing style. On the other hand, I found the story depressing and sad. This, obviously, isn't a flaw, just something I wasn't expecting while starting it. The tile doesn't lie. It is a tragedy.

It has a supernatural feel and elements but whether they actually occur or not remains debatable.

All told, The Attic Tragedy is a well-written and disturbing novelette that tackles, subtly, themes of ...more

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Apr 02, 2020 Alice Fleury rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

As this short story moves forward, the reader realizes how sad George is and how much she doesn't like herself. The movement of time is done well, from kids in school to adulthood. There is a supernatural feel, but in the end it's George's story of unrequited love and a feeling of never being good enough.

Heart wrenching and beautiful. A short story I received from net galley. ...more

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Apr 21, 2020 Linde rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, adult, 4-star, 2020-reads, june-2020-releases, netgalley

What do I say about this book? It's a tragedy, that's for sure. George is a character that I won't forget easy. She went to so much in this very short book. I wanted to give her a hug. However, I do think that she kind of overreacted at the end. I understand her feelings, but she did went overboard in my opinion. Its fast paced, which I can appreciate. You'll finish it in one sitting. It also covers quite a couple of important topics, which I find impressive for such a short book. I do recommend ...more

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Apr 20, 2020 Angela Maher rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

This is poignant and beautifully written. A tale of identities found and lost, of emotion, inlaid with a delicious hint of something otherworldly.
I wouldn't call this a feel-good book, and there are certainly scenes that will be triggers for people, but this is a little gem of dark toned prose. ...more

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Apr 04, 2020 Eugen Bacon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The depth and sensitivity of this dark story, coupled with beautiful, poignant prose, enrich this novelette into something mesmeric.

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May 02, 2020 Jill Elizabeth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a marvelous tale, dark and twisty and brutally honest in its exploration of the pain of self-exploration and self-hatred... Ashley-Smith has a brilliant lyrical writing style; every word feels carefully and sparingly selected to maximum effect, and believe me - the promise of that effect is delivered in spades. This is a deceptively small book that contains multitudes. (Likewise, my review - it's tough to say too much without running the risk of affecting the reading experience of other ...more

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Jun 06, 2020 Spaka Eon rated it it was amazing

Beautifully written story! George and his scars, Sylvie and her ghosts reminded me once again acceptance and loving yourself are so important.

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Aug 30, 2020 April rated it really liked it

A hard sad read

The Attic Tragedy captures the essence of what it is like to be labeled different and abnormal. The constant bullying just for being true to yourself and the dangerous means you might take to ease the pain.

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May 14, 2020 Julia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-by-authors-publishers

J. Ashley- Smith's short novella, The Attic Tragedy, plays out like a dire, yet beautiful melody that packs quite the punch.

When I first picked up this novella, I thought it would be a tale about ghosts, but as I kept reading I realized the actual haunting came in a different way.

The Attic Tragedy is the tale of a depressed young woman; that can't seem to let go of the past. Her entire life is filled with dread, pain and self-doubt. Even after she finally found the one person she thought unders ...more

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May 07, 2020 Stephanie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, lgbtq

Sylvie is new to the school. Her old-school clothes and head in the clouds demeanor make her an easy target for boys like Tommy Payne and his gang. George knows what Tommy will do to a girl like Sylvie. When George intervenes on Tommy's attack of Sylvie the pair become fast friends. Sylvie accepts George with all her quirks and faults. George accepts Sylvie's strange gift of knowing the background of the antiques at her father's shop with a simple touch. As life moves on, Sylvie goes to Universi ...more

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Jul 23, 2020 Matthew Davis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A sensitive, unpredictable tale of longing and loss, situated at that liminal juncture where the mundane meets the miraculous.

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May 16, 2020 Eszter Szika rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
A really well-written short fantasy book about two young girls, who lost themselves in the circumstances. George, who had a sad life since the beginning and Sylvie, who had an ability to see ghosts which changed her life forever. Even though it’s a very sad short story, i enjoyed reading it.

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Jun 19, 2020 Pamela King rated it really liked it

Shelves: short-stories-and-novellas

I do not usually go out of my way to read dark fiction but I must confess The Attic Tragedy had me not wanting to put the book down.

This story is a tragedy, yet it opens the readers eyes to topics we may not deal with in our day to day lives. Potential readers should be warned some of the topics it covers are rape, self-harm, school bullying, depression, rape, lesbianism, and suicide. There is also mention of drugs and assault. That sounds heavy and it is, but the author has written the story in ...more

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Jun 24, 2020 Have Coffee Need Books rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, 2020-arcs, genre-new-adult, favorite-covers, genre-lgbtq, trigger-alert, heroine-beloved

Sometimes, when I read things written by British or Aussie writers, I feel the story suffers from my lack of knowledge of slang and terminology. It made The Attic Tragedy more beautiful and served its sucker-punches more viciously.

George is dealing with all the things that make adolescence hell: school, the primary devil, and a budding crush with a fellow outcast, Sylvie, a particular demon. Sylvie makes it all worth it though with her gentle whimsy and accepting soul--it doesn't hurt that Sylvi ...more

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May 07, 2020 Kitty Pollock rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Attic Tragedy by J. Ashley-Smith
Genre: Horror and Sci-fi & Fantasy
Publisher: Meerkat Press, LLC
Publish Date: 9 June 2020

Star Rating: 4/5

This book is a short story but packed to the brim with content; I ended up at the end being surprised by just how much was in it. The story centers around Sylvie and George, Sylvie is the new girl and George is smitten. It is difficult to go further into the story without giving out spoilers but it has to be noted that there is a lot of heavy and trigger iss ...more

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Aug 03, 2020 Nicole Amburgey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 Stars

Review to come!

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Apr 10, 2020 Mary rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-i-love-netgalley

The moment George spots Sylvie at school she know Sylvie is special. Different, like George, but special. Sylvie can pick up any object in her father's antique shop and tell the story of it's previous owner. These object life histories fascinate George, and sometimes leave Sylvie with tears in her eyes.. When Sylvie meets loud, over-confident and pretentious Dane at college he declares that he doesn't like that this gift makes her sad. Sylvie begins to become less like Sylvie. George is angered ...more

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Jun 23, 2020 Ivyanna rated it really liked it

Good!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The story was very interesting, although not as frightening as I thought it was going to be. The writing was really good and descriptive, which I loved. The only thing I would warn against is a graphic self-harm scene at the, which was very difficult to read.

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About J. Ashley-Smith

J. Ashley-Smith

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J. Ashley-Smith is a British–Australian writer of dark fiction and other materials.

J.’s short stories have twice won national competitions and been shortlisted six times for Aurealis Awards, winning both Best Horror (Old Growth, 2017) and Best Fantasy (The Further Shore, 2018).

J. lives with his wife and two sons in the suburbs of North Canberra, gathering moth dust, tormented by the desolation of ...more