Kristin's Bookshelf

Stages of Decay
A Forest Horror Novella
By Sam Weiss
⭐⭐⭐✨

If you’ve read my reviews before, you already know I am not a cliffhanger girlie… and while this technically wasn’t a cliffhanger so to speak, it also was NOT a complete ending. I finished this novella with approximately 47 questions rattling around in my brain. What was real? What wasn’t? Was Tom actually saved? Is he capable of changing? And what really happened to Atra?! Sam Weiss really said, “Here’s some psychological chaos, good luck figuring it out,” and then walked away. 😭

I don’t think I’ve ever read isolation horror before… And is it technically isolation horror when the main character is surrounded by ghosts from his past, and the absolute breakdown is happening inside his own head? Watching Tom spiral was one of the strongest parts of the story. He is deeply morally grey, completely falling apart, and from the second he wakes up, you can tell this man has hit rock bottom hard. The ranger hut scene was probably my favorite part of the entire novella.

Also, shout-out to Buster for attempting to befriend a man who absolutely did not deserve it. Although recommending an egg salad sandwich for a hike is criminal behavior, so maybe none of these people can be trusted. I mean, YUCK! 😂

Overall, this was a quick, eerie read about guilt, regret, and whether someone can truly outrun their past before it consumes them completely. Support an indie author and check it out!