4 stars – Isolated narrator in a breakneck paced psycho-thriller survival story
By Jakeb M. on January 10, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition – Verified Purchase
Written in a Die Hard pace, Dread is bound to keep the reader’s attention with its psychologically sensitive protagonist who struggles to live up to his father’s expectations while competing with his brother’s successes in business, martial arts, and life in general. For me, the relationship between the narrator Frank and his brother Patrick was the greatest element of this story. It seemed expressive of deep wounds that many siblings can understand and go through in life, and it’s portrayed in a way that feels true to experience. I felt Frank’s pressured vulnerability and found myself wondering if the author had experienced this relationship with his brother in real life.
A few criticisms – it felt to me that the volume was at a constant high, and the energy of the piece lacked the peaks and valleys that make horror stories feel both palatable and realistic. Put another way, it came across as melodramatic. For example, Wade begins the story in media res with a nightmarish underground sequence, which felt cinematic and interesting until the same frantic pace continued for several section/chapters of the text. He ends each section with a string of one or two-word clipped sentences in mimicry of the quick editing cuts we see in many psychological horror films, but even in the movies they don’t overuse this kind of trick.
To be clear, Wade shows great talent in the past-paced horror thriller scenes, but I felt a bit as though I was watching a figure skater who does only one gesture again and again in their routine. The concept of the novella is fantastic and reminded me of Tobias Wolff’s short story, “Bullet in the Brain.” The cave-in allowed Wade to pull some Lynchian surreal flourishes while tying the piece back into reality by the end of the narrative. Perhaps the “trapped” feeling, or being buried underground is supposed to be a mirroring of the pressure that Wade writes into Frank’s character. I always used to balk at the psychoanalytic approach to narrative interpretaton, but it does seem to make sense in this particular instance. Another element of Dread that appealed to me was the emphasis on survival mentality. If it’s true that horror is based on the terrific exaggeration of our typical fears in every day life, and I think that is true, then Dread becomes a tragedy descriptive of a struggle common among us all: making it through to another day. The relationship between the brothers becomes secondary, as evidenced by the fact that Frank ends up with bigger problems than whether or not he’s doing as well as his brother. Survival itself was always his primary issue, which (sadly) only becomes apparent to him too late.
5 stars – Wow! Just… WOW!
By Loretta on January 8, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I got so caught up in this story i forgot I was reading!
4 stars – Great story
By KRH on January 8, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition – Verified Purchase
Great story, you catch on before the author spells it out for you. The story is not 99 pages as there’s an included preview of another book. The actual story is about 54 pages. It ends without you knowing what happens. Worth reading, but if I had paid for this, I would be very upset.
5 stars – Horrific story by talented writer
By Kristen Debler on January 6, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition – Verified Purchase
This is one of the best horrific stories I have read in a long time. It kept me on my feet and scared me to the very core because it preyed on one of my worst fears. The main character, Frank, starts to lose his mind when he is trapped in a cave. He and his brother face a cave in. However, his brother died in the cave, leaving the main character all alone to face his own death or scratch his own way out. The writer was very talented by making the reader empathize with the main character and what he is going through. The reader was able to experience the same sort of devastation through Frank’s eyes. Being trapped in a cave with no light, food or water and knowing that if you don’t find a way out that you are going to die can be one of the most dreadful and devastating feelings to face. I would recommend this book to someone who likes reading about the things that happen to the human mind when they are faced with an impossible situation. The survival mechanism kicks in and if the panic fades, we as humans can look at how we can survive the situation without giving up. I think that this is a very good read.
5 stars – Must have for suspense lovers!
By Kevin Suffield/Autumn Masters on January 5, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition – Verified Purchase
What would you do, if you woke up in a cramped, dark space with no recollection of how you got there? With Dread, author Jeff Wade expertly crafts a tale of suspense, opening with our protagonist Frank’s discovery that he is trapped in some kind of concrete coffin…but how did he get here? …and whose boots are those right beside him? Through the brillaint literary use of an ongoing stream of consciousness by author Wade, our main character Frank struggles to recall the events that led to him ending up trapped. These memories include flashbacks to him and his brother Patrick squeezing through a narrow cave, or going on a nighttime lake dive. But have these memories truly happened, or is Frank simply descending into madness as he lays in his concrete trap? Will he ever get out? Author Jeff Wade does a fantastic job of setting the scene, expanding on main character Frank’s fear. Dread touches upon terrifying subjects like dead bodies and parental disappointment alike. The descriptions of confusion and desperation alone will leave you gasping for air as you imagine yourself trapped with Frank in his dark tomb–those with claustrophobia beware, this book will definitely fill you with dread!
5 stars – Unique perspectives
By Heather D Hammer on January 2, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition – Verified Purchase
Dread by author Jeff Wade is a stream of consciousness book which takes us into the mindset of main character Frank as he desperately recognizes his demise. The author’s writing style is extraordinarily descriptive; his flowing sentences are loaded with feelings, comparisons, and connections.
It was really interesting how Wade waits until the middle of the story to reveal some reality to the reader. The first part of the story reads like a hallucination, and although well written, felt like a bunch of disconnected thoughts from a character we don’t know. He describes a boy with a toy monkey, hovering over his wife and child, finding dead bodies and body parts. It was really unique that Wade then explains the circumstances of the character. At that point, the reader can return to the beginning to make some sense of the main character Frank’s ramblings. Hidden within his in and out thoughts, we learn a bit about who he is, who he is with, and most importantly, why he is trapped and facing death. This is still intertwined with Frank’s inner thoughts, which at the point of the story, are tainted by thirst and hunger, isolation, entrapment, and certain death.
The only regret is that the story does not seem to end–perhaps this is purposeful, as Frank’s circumstances for survival are not hopeful. This was a rather quick read, but definitely had entertainment value, and was so thoughtful, that a second and third read would not only be helpful, but also bring new understanding of the complicated story.
The second story included was called Finding Nowhere. It was also a brief snippet of a larger story. At the beginning, once again, author Wade offered a description of confusing and somewhat rambling thoughts from a main character later called Machine Man. He is stroking ponytails, and is obviously a mentally ill character. Also similar to Dread, the later part of the story offers some sense and circumstances, introducing the setting–a small town, additional characters, including the girl who he eventually kidnaps, and the potential “hero” Devin. As I mentioned, this is a smaller part of a larger story, as there is no ending–only Machine Man driving away, with hero Devin shot and following.
Wade continues to entertain with his very descriptive writing style, and his ability to tell a story from his characters’ unique perspectives, especially using characters who are not in their right mind!
I would recommend both stories.
5 stars – Interesting to read
By Jon on December 31, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition – Verified Purchase
A very horrifying story i have read in a long time
The author is filled with creativity that is worth paying for to listen. Like how can someone think of a nightmare story to that level when not insane. Haha, just kidding. The writtig and the rich language is great too. I loved it as it was very easy to understand.
The narrator see himself with the dead. The strench. He wants to believe that he is very insane because an insane person can’t think of the insanity for they feel they areOK.
The narrator thinks of his family, the wife and daughter too. He feels thet he is in hell. For sure if i have a nightmare like that, because that what i call it.,i don’t know how i would go about it
Many people tend to believe that professors are insane not in their right mind but are they crazy with all the invention they have made? now that the nightmare of the narrator he feels like things make him feel the sanity and insanity of his sanity and that becomes its irony.
Just my thought,do the insane people feel the insanity? Some people walk naked and some argue on how normal they are and tell people how they feel is right but still the question stands are they really insane or are they trying to be?
Sanity and insanity and how the author argue about it made me think and imagine many stuff. Incredible and I will recommend it to all readers.
5 stars – In the dark
By Bella the Book Reading Terrier on December 31, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition – Verified Purchase
Dread…a novella by Jeff wade was an excellent psychological thriller describing a man slowly losing his mind after a cave in. His brother and he were walking in the woods took a chance on a small cave entrance only to be trapped. His brother was either bit or poisoned but died right after the cave on leaving the protagonist alone to fight his way out. Jeff does a lot with a few words. He really fleshed out both characters with very dense n descriptive flash backs that give the characters a solidity. The novella was an excellent thought experiment on being trapped in a place with no light no resources. Not knowing how much time had passed or if he would ever see light again quickly began to affect the characters mind. I think we all would feel and do about the same in that situation. In any case another excellent set of writing by Jeff. I decided to read this after reading his drawer #7 which if u liked this you should give it a gander as well. It was a great book.
5 stars – Don’t miss this classical horror story!
By FlamingPurpleJellyfish on December 30, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition – Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this book because the plot twists were so frequent, and so dramatic, that I just kept wanting to know more. Honestly, I’m not much of a horror fan, but this was so well written that I read it all in one go.
‘Dread’ opens with a scene apparently underground, Frank (the main character), attempting desperately to figure out whether he’s dreaming of remembering a real event. Why does he keep hearing himself ( or is it his brother Patrick?) repeating over and over, “person’s pieces”?
The characters are not just believable, they’re likable and engaging, as well as recognizable. We’ve all met guys just like Frank and Patrick. They’re regular guys, maybe a little out of the ordinary not really that.much alike, but as close as brothers ought to be. Guys who have struggled with life and are still working through it with each other’s help.
The scenes are so detailed that you feel like you’re right there beside Frank, trying to make some sense of what’s happening, of where he is. Why are they on a railroad track, and why is Frank looking at his detached fingers lying beside his face? Why are they scuba diving in the dark with no backup, and what is Patrick’s car doing at the bottom of the lake with Patrick’s body looking out the windshield at them both? Why are they climbing down into an unknown cave, knowing that it’s a crazy thing to do under any circumstance?
And when you (and Frank) finally understand at the very end, what the hell is actually reality, and what’s not, it just hammers home the whole awful truth of the situation.
Great short read, especially if you’re into the whole horror genre.
The only drawback I can point out is that it is a short story, but that may be just what you’re looking for!
5 stars – The sanity theorem
By Insome A on December 24, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition – Verified Purchase
Sanity and insanity and how the author argue about it made me start thinking and imagining many staff. Actually I have to ask myself this question! Do the insane people feel the insanity?!! Some walk naked and some even try to argue on how normal they are and tell people what they feel is right, but the same question still, are they insane or are they trying to be? And what about the high Q people that think a lot. Most people tend to believe that professors and people who think so much are insane but are they insane with all the invention they make?? Now that is the nightmare of the narrator. Like he feel things that make him feel the sanity and insanity in his sanity, now that is the irony of it.
The narrator see himself with the dead. The stench, the narrator wants to believe he is very sane because an insane persons can’t think of the insanity for they feel they are OK. The narrator thinks of his family, the wife and daughter too. The narrator feels he is in hell. For sure if I have a nightmare like that, because that is what I’ll call it, I don’t know how I’ll go about it.
The author is filled with creativity that is worth paying for to listen. Like how can even someone think of a nightmare story to that level when not insane. Haha, just kidding. The writing and the rich language is great too. I loved it as it was easy to understand. Nice work.