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openmypages's review against another edition
3.0
Holy darkness Batman! Not sure I was ready for this one. It is dark and intense and at times terrifying. It was a hard read because there are lots of scenes of domestic violence (both emotional and physical), suicide and drug use. That said, it is intense because it reads as very real. There were many times where I had to stop reading and put it away for a while because it was too intense. I actually expected more fantasy elements when I picked up the book but the balance between what was real and what was fantasy was often hard to distinguish, in a good way. It’s a complex story about facing your demons whether you think you’ll beat them or not. I wasn’t always rooting for Aaron but I was interested in seeing where the story took him.
I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
monikasbookblog's review against another edition
4.0
I am a big Horror fan, being it a book or a movie. Its a story about twins and what happens when one of them dies. Its called a "twinless-twin syndrome", and the feel is captured well by the author. Its dark and tense, but no so terrifying like i expected. This book is a good thriller, but not much of a horror.
Thank you NetGalley and Al Barrera for reader's copy of this novel. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way.
Thank you NetGalley and Al Barrera for reader's copy of this novel. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way.
roxiethebookslayer's review against another edition
4.0
Well wasn't that a trip down the rabbit hole.
When I came across The Golden Door on Netgalley, and read it was about twins, I knew right away I wanted to read it. I, myself, am a mom of boy/girl twins and I always enjoy stories about other sets.
In this one, Al Barrera pondered, what happens when a twin loses another. Its a story he has thrown around for years and so I read this story with a little bit more care. Largely the plot carries us down the path of one twin's self destruction after the lost of his twin sister. To set this up, the author cemented a childhood of abuse and trauma by the hands of their parents. These scenes are detailed and may be too much for those triggered by said events.
In the imagination of traumatized children, Aaron and Aimee, created a safe alternate world in the woods. Referred to only as Kingdom, the prince and princess travel there daily but no matter how much they try, they must leave by sundown.
Now 26, ten years have gone since the suicide of his sister. Aaron's addiction is getting worse. Convinced he can travel to Kingdom after shooting up, he takes us on a trippy wave of fantasy and reality. Each time Aaron gets high, he gets closer to the castle and finding out who had blackened Kingdom and save his sister, the princess.
This story tackles grief, loss, addiction, abuse, co-dependency, mental health.
This title is available FREE through Kindle Unlimited.
Thank you Al Barrera and NetGalley for allowing a free electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.
When I came across The Golden Door on Netgalley, and read it was about twins, I knew right away I wanted to read it. I, myself, am a mom of boy/girl twins and I always enjoy stories about other sets.
In this one, Al Barrera pondered, what happens when a twin loses another. Its a story he has thrown around for years and so I read this story with a little bit more care. Largely the plot carries us down the path of one twin's self destruction after the lost of his twin sister. To set this up, the author cemented a childhood of abuse and trauma by the hands of their parents. These scenes are detailed and may be too much for those triggered by said events.
"Betwixt the shadows, lie all that's seen,
all the things that shimmer and gleam.
They stay and wonder for a time,
'Til in the end, all things die"
In the imagination of traumatized children, Aaron and Aimee, created a safe alternate world in the woods. Referred to only as Kingdom, the prince and princess travel there daily but no matter how much they try, they must leave by sundown.
Now 26, ten years have gone since the suicide of his sister. Aaron's addiction is getting worse. Convinced he can travel to Kingdom after shooting up, he takes us on a trippy wave of fantasy and reality. Each time Aaron gets high, he gets closer to the castle and finding out who had blackened Kingdom and save his sister, the princess.
This story tackles grief, loss, addiction, abuse, co-dependency, mental health.
This title is available FREE through Kindle Unlimited.
Thank you Al Barrera and NetGalley for allowing a free electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.
monikasbookblog's review
4.0
I am a big Horror fan, being it a book or a movie. Its a story about twins and what happens when one of them dies. Its called a "twinless-twin syndrome", and the feel is captured well by the author. Its dark and tense, but no so terrifying like i expected. This book is a good thriller, but not much of a horror.
Thank you NetGalley and Al Barrera for reader's copy of this novel. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way.
Thank you NetGalley and Al Barrera for reader's copy of this novel. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way.
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