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Journey 5
It is often said that there is a thin red line between logic and paranoia and this line is called life...
When a young aspiring author receives a black notebook with a paranoid story in the form of a diary, he descends into the disturbed mind of a young man falling into madness. This psychological thriller will leave you to wonder how easily a person can slip the perceptions of reality leaving nothing but unanswered questions laced with regret.
When a young aspiring author receives a black notebook with a paranoid story in the form of a diary, he descends into the disturbed mind of a young man falling into madness. This psychological thriller will leave you to wonder how easily a person can slip the perceptions of reality leaving nothing but unanswered questions laced with regret.
100 pages, Paperback
Published March 20, 2021
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5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 12, 2021
I love a story that takes the reader for a ride and keeps them guessing, all the while encouraging deeper thought about the human condition. This story did all of that for me, and in such a small amount of words! It was interesting and disturbing living inside the main characters head, which is another aspect that has made this novella a memorable read for me. If you like psychological thrillers, this book may be for you! Super excited for Bean’s next book!
March 26, 2021
Journey 5 by E.L. Bean is a psychological story that has the classic feel of a Hitchcock movie or a Twilight Zone episode. The whole thing is about thirty-five pages and is tightly told. The story begins with a man who has had his life fall apart. He planned a European vacation with his wife, but their marriage ended and he took the trip anyway to escape the mess back home.
He meets a young couple who ask him to meet up with them later in his journey. But, the couple goes ahead of him and a tragic accident changes their plans. Shocked, the man tries to move on with his European tour, but tragedy follows. After four cities, he thinks the universe has a vendetta against him. He responds by fighting back and takes his first steps in the “fifth journey.”
This story begs to be shot in black and white and introduced by Rod Serling! The writing is old-fashion in tone and feels genuinely creepy. As a fan of old-school suspense and thrillers, I enjoyed the atmosphere and felt it was well thought out.
To get the full effect of the story, it needs to be read in one sitting. I had at least two false starts. I just couldn’t handle the main character’s stilted thought process. The man is disturbed, and he doesn’t hide it well at all. Once I realized I was dealing with an unreliable narrator, I could settle into the narrative and go along for the ride.
I didn’t care much for the lack of spacing between paragraphs, I like having a uniform amount of white space in my reading experience. There were some wrong tenses and spelling errors, I was a little distracted by it because the character is so convinced of his intelligence.
I recommend Journey 5 for people who enjoy Hitchcock Presents and other horror anthologies. If you like unreliable narrators, check this one out.
He meets a young couple who ask him to meet up with them later in his journey. But, the couple goes ahead of him and a tragic accident changes their plans. Shocked, the man tries to move on with his European tour, but tragedy follows. After four cities, he thinks the universe has a vendetta against him. He responds by fighting back and takes his first steps in the “fifth journey.”
This story begs to be shot in black and white and introduced by Rod Serling! The writing is old-fashion in tone and feels genuinely creepy. As a fan of old-school suspense and thrillers, I enjoyed the atmosphere and felt it was well thought out.
To get the full effect of the story, it needs to be read in one sitting. I had at least two false starts. I just couldn’t handle the main character’s stilted thought process. The man is disturbed, and he doesn’t hide it well at all. Once I realized I was dealing with an unreliable narrator, I could settle into the narrative and go along for the ride.
I didn’t care much for the lack of spacing between paragraphs, I like having a uniform amount of white space in my reading experience. There were some wrong tenses and spelling errors, I was a little distracted by it because the character is so convinced of his intelligence.
I recommend Journey 5 for people who enjoy Hitchcock Presents and other horror anthologies. If you like unreliable narrators, check this one out.
August 12, 2021
I received a free copy of Journey 5 from the author herself in exchange for an honest review! Thank you so much for this opportunity! I really enjoyed reading this one.
By the time I got around to starting this, I’d forgotten the premise. So I decided to just dive in blind. Which made for an interesting read! I had no expectations and I found this to be fully captivating from start to finish.
Journey 5 is a short psychological thriller that follows the story of an unnamed man who after losing his business and getting divorced decides to take a vacation to five locations within Europe. However, tragedy seems to follow him everywhere he goes, driving him insane. We see all this written down in a journal.
I thought the premise was very interesting to follow. This being only about 100 pages, I thought the pacing was great. We see the thoughts of this man slowly decline into madness when he wasn’t very stable to begin with. I will admit I didn’t necessarily find the storyline all that shocking, I was able to start predicting what was going to happen up until his fourth journey. It’s after this fourth journey and the ending that left me shocked. Even though I found this slightly predictable, I didn’t want to stop reading. I finished this in just a short couple of hours and it left me just simply saying “Damn” at the end. I was speechless.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one! I found it to be a great quick read. Perfect for those who enjoy psychological thrillers.
By the time I got around to starting this, I’d forgotten the premise. So I decided to just dive in blind. Which made for an interesting read! I had no expectations and I found this to be fully captivating from start to finish.
Journey 5 is a short psychological thriller that follows the story of an unnamed man who after losing his business and getting divorced decides to take a vacation to five locations within Europe. However, tragedy seems to follow him everywhere he goes, driving him insane. We see all this written down in a journal.
I thought the premise was very interesting to follow. This being only about 100 pages, I thought the pacing was great. We see the thoughts of this man slowly decline into madness when he wasn’t very stable to begin with. I will admit I didn’t necessarily find the storyline all that shocking, I was able to start predicting what was going to happen up until his fourth journey. It’s after this fourth journey and the ending that left me shocked. Even though I found this slightly predictable, I didn’t want to stop reading. I finished this in just a short couple of hours and it left me just simply saying “Damn” at the end. I was speechless.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one! I found it to be a great quick read. Perfect for those who enjoy psychological thrillers.
April 2, 2021
This novella was crazy as hell. The main character is being pushed again and again until finally gave in... I'm a fun of good psychological thrillers and this was no exception. I didn't like the Ellen character at all. She was so desperately annoying, I mean get a life woman. While reading I was imagining a different ending, but I cant say I was disappointed. Legit first book by this author. Wait for more!
May 9, 2021
What a book?!
I love books with mystery and this one is full of surprises! in fact each page was a surprise!
Once I started it, I couldn't leave it until the last page!
And I was wondering 'what else will happen?'
I loved it!
I love books with mystery and this one is full of surprises! in fact each page was a surprise!
Once I started it, I couldn't leave it until the last page!
And I was wondering 'what else will happen?'
I loved it!
June 11, 2021
This little novella was just amazing, the whole feeling that u get from the start is thrilling. I'm not a big fan of horror stories but I really enjoyed reading this one! I hope we'll get to read a bigger story next time!
January 7, 2022
Captivating… I couldn’t put it down.
Journey 5 is a downward slip from reality to despairs to paranoia. I would say it asks more questions than it answers, as this emotional journey comes to a final crescendo.
E. L. Bean’s plot is smartly constructed and the prose left this reader questioning the truth of the narrator.
This is a very good read!
Journey 5 is a downward slip from reality to despairs to paranoia. I would say it asks more questions than it answers, as this emotional journey comes to a final crescendo.
E. L. Bean’s plot is smartly constructed and the prose left this reader questioning the truth of the narrator.
This is a very good read!
April 13, 2021
Breathtaking thriller. From the beginning til the end the crazyness prevails.
Loved the main character. He was well developed. His mental state was clearer and clearer in each chapter until the very end.
I was shocked with all the plot twists at the end. Didn't expect it. Damn!
It was a 5 star reading without a doubt. Easy to read, small but phenomenal!
Good job for a debut novel!
Loved the main character. He was well developed. His mental state was clearer and clearer in each chapter until the very end.
I was shocked with all the plot twists at the end. Didn't expect it. Damn!
It was a 5 star reading without a doubt. Easy to read, small but phenomenal!
Good job for a debut novel!
April 16, 2022
I read this short book in one go and found it quite intriguing. The story deals with the themes of sanity, death, and murder. The writing style is simple, easy, and has a definite female perspective as it explores relationships and fate. It takes the reader on a journey through Europe. Being so short, 51 pages, nothing is wasted, and it makes an entertaining and thought-provoking read. I assume this is the writer’s first work and it is in a second language. I look forward to seeing how she would flesh out characters and situations in a longer piece.
December 8, 2023
This is a chilling tale that leaves you rather perplexed at the end because the certainty you're hoping for isn't there. What starts out as seeming coincidence turns into self-justified paranoia, and you know what happens when you believe people are really after you: you defend yourself. By whatever means necessary. And you hope you are right but if you're not ... well. This is the horror of Bean's novella: the main character doesn't know what's going on, has no outside frame of reference, and must draw his own conclusions from what amounts to random evidence. Not a good basis for decision making. It's readable in one sitting. I recommend you do so on your commute, especially if it's on a train.
March 22, 2022
A dark descent.
For a shorter story, this packs a punch. Told in first person perspective, you really get to see the tellers descent into madness as they travel from destination to destination; the degeneration and paranoia are skillfully done. The plot is paced well and draws you in. I felt for the protagonist and the internal struggles they had. A good story.
For a shorter story, this packs a punch. Told in first person perspective, you really get to see the tellers descent into madness as they travel from destination to destination; the degeneration and paranoia are skillfully done. The plot is paced well and draws you in. I felt for the protagonist and the internal struggles they had. A good story.
April 26, 2022
Journey 5 is an interesting story that tracks a man's descent into madness. When death seems to follow him throughout his tour of Europe, he is overcome with grief. E. L. Bean plays with the human psyche and shows her readers that is better to cling to life, no matter how brief, than be eaten by despair and cause more despairs for our fellow human beings.
February 4, 2025
I think i just went through a mindf**k journey myself throughout this book. This book was an amazing jam packed read. When I finished this i had to stare at the wall to contemplate my entire existence. Nothing could have been better for this book! If you are looking for something short sweet and insane this is it!! 10/10 execution from the author!!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews