A creepy little horror novella that made the imaginary friend trope feel fresh again.

“The Neglected” takes the imaginary friend trope in an unexpected direction, and I was all for it. Vibes: creepy, unsettling, and sinister.

Every time Maisie used her “Libby” voice to talk to her mom, I could hear it in my head, and I was legitimately scared for Alexis. Those moments were easily some of the most unnerving parts of the story.

For such a short read, Amiss packed a huge punch. The tension builds quickly, the concept is genuinely disturbing, and the story doesn’t need a ton of pages to get under your skin. I’m definitely excited to see what she comes up with next.

And that ending? I’m a little concerned about how everything is going to play into the custody issues… but that’s a horror story for another day. 😬

📖 The Neglected
✍️ Rebecca Amiss
📅 10/06/26
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️