Scan barcode
joo13's review
4.0
Emily is heading home on the tube. It's well past midnight and the train is fairly quiet. Then it stops and all the lights go out.
This is a short(ish) story that's setting up for a bigger story. It's quite insular and creepy. The descriptions of the disused tunnels and rooms are very atmospheric and I felt like I'd been there.
After reading this taster, I'm definitely looking forward to the main course.
This is a short(ish) story that's setting up for a bigger story. It's quite insular and creepy. The descriptions of the disused tunnels and rooms are very atmospheric and I felt like I'd been there.
After reading this taster, I'm definitely looking forward to the main course.
reanimatedreader's review
3.0
Short horror story about the London Underground. Atmospheric in places, lacking the thrill and chill factor I've experienced in other short horror stories I've read
nicnevin's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Little horror story about trains and how scary it is when things go wrong
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Violence
clairelm's review
4.0
Why did I do it? This isn't the book to read at 1 in the morning before heading home alone in the dark! This is, however, definitely a book to read on a well lit day, far away from any tunnels or underground systems!!
carol26388's review
2.0
Unremarkable. A free short story that apparently is a teaser for the book Under, it mostly convinced me that the author's style wasn't for me. It's the literary equivalent of 17th Century Dutch painting.
What do I mean?
"She felt the train turning, with a harsh metallic squeal from its wheels. Quite a sharp turn judging by the way the car ahead veered to the left, showing her all the people on its right bank of seats. The fingernails-on-blackboard screech dragged on for a while, making her wince, and then faded as the train once again slowed to a halt. The sound of electric motors--a constant background hum that you only became aware of when it stopped--stopped. It would start up again when the train was ready to proceed."
I was a little afraid to read before bed, but I needn't have been. The mundane description should have lead to something eerie, but it never really gelled for me, perhaps because it was so rooted in concrete description of the underground space ("Blackness" was about as eerie as it seemed to get).
The main character is a bit of a party-girl, Emily, in her last year of school but not sure of what she wants to do next, only that she wants to stay near the London scene. There was a slight attempt to build in a backstory of an ill mother, but it didn't catch. Mostly I liked her can-do spirit, which perhaps didn't square with the drunk party girl girl riding the train in beginning. It made for a character challenge that made latching on to a short story even harder. It doesn't look like she's the heroine of the subsequent book, which is about Jake and his team.
The sense of place seemed very real. I haven't been to the London Underground, but I've ridden the NYC subway quite a bit, so I could easily imagine the noise, the grime and the movement of the cars.
What do I mean?
"She felt the train turning, with a harsh metallic squeal from its wheels. Quite a sharp turn judging by the way the car ahead veered to the left, showing her all the people on its right bank of seats. The fingernails-on-blackboard screech dragged on for a while, making her wince, and then faded as the train once again slowed to a halt. The sound of electric motors--a constant background hum that you only became aware of when it stopped--stopped. It would start up again when the train was ready to proceed."
I was a little afraid to read before bed, but I needn't have been. The mundane description should have lead to something eerie, but it never really gelled for me, perhaps because it was so rooted in concrete description of the underground space ("Blackness" was about as eerie as it seemed to get).
The main character is a bit of a party-girl, Emily, in her last year of school but not sure of what she wants to do next, only that she wants to stay near the London scene. There was a slight attempt to build in a backstory of an ill mother, but it didn't catch. Mostly I liked her can-do spirit, which perhaps didn't square with the drunk party girl girl riding the train in beginning. It made for a character challenge that made latching on to a short story even harder. It doesn't look like she's the heroine of the subsequent book, which is about Jake and his team.
The sense of place seemed very real. I haven't been to the London Underground, but I've ridden the NYC subway quite a bit, so I could easily imagine the noise, the grime and the movement of the cars.
nickimags's review
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this short ghost/horror story whilst travelling on the bus in daylight hours. It had a great fast pace to it with loads of atmosphere to keep me reading. I definitely recommend it but probably not on the late night tube!
More...