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michellethebookcritic's review against another edition
5.0
The Attic Tragedy is indeed a heart wrenching tale of love and loss.
It features an insecure protagonist, George, and a mysterious girl, Sylvie, who can see ghosts of the past. George saves Sylvie from a beating, and in doing so, the two develop a beautiful companionship.
George starts to develop feelings for Sylvie’s kind nature, but sadly, Sylvie only thinks of George as a friend.
This, eventually, leads George to be more suicidal of herself.
I loved this depressive, short and sweet book of life and it’s harsh choices. Ashley-Smith did a great job with the characters and their personalities. I’m also glad that he made George an LGBTQ, but Ashley-Smith didn’t let that just define George in general. Usually, people overlook LGBTQ characters as “just” LGBTQ and that is fricking wrong. Everyone’s got a personality and they can not be defined just by their sexuality. I’m also impressed on the author’s detailing in this book, it definitely deserves more praise than it is given.
All in all, a very interesting read! I was almost to tears by George’s ending, but happily ever afters don’t always exist in reality, so I’m not gonna emphasize more on that.
I would highly recommend this book at the end of the day for the emotional suffrage and experience!
It features an insecure protagonist, George, and a mysterious girl, Sylvie, who can see ghosts of the past. George saves Sylvie from a beating, and in doing so, the two develop a beautiful companionship.
George starts to develop feelings for Sylvie’s kind nature, but sadly, Sylvie only thinks of George as a friend.
This, eventually, leads George to be more suicidal of herself.
I loved this depressive, short and sweet book of life and it’s harsh choices. Ashley-Smith did a great job with the characters and their personalities. I’m also glad that he made George an LGBTQ, but Ashley-Smith didn’t let that just define George in general. Usually, people overlook LGBTQ characters as “just” LGBTQ and that is fricking wrong. Everyone’s got a personality and they can not be defined just by their sexuality. I’m also impressed on the author’s detailing in this book, it definitely deserves more praise than it is given.
All in all, a very interesting read! I was almost to tears by George’s ending, but happily ever afters don’t always exist in reality, so I’m not gonna emphasize more on that.
I would highly recommend this book at the end of the day for the emotional suffrage and experience!
linde99's review against another edition
4.0
What do I say about this book? It's a tragedy, that's for sure. George is a character that I won't forget easy. She went to so much in this very short book. I wanted to give her a hug. However, I do think that she kind of overreacted at the end. I understand her feelings, but she did went overboard in my opinion. Its fast paced, which I can appreciate. You'll finish it in one sitting. It also covers quite a couple of important topics, which I find impressive for such a short book. I do recommend the book though, especially for those who's Goodreads challenge needs a boost.
100pagesaday's review against another edition
3.0
Sylvie is new to the school. Her old-school clothes and head in the clouds demeanor make her an easy target for boys like Tommy Payne and his gang. George knows what Tommy will do to a girl like Sylvie. When George intervenes on Tommy's attack of Sylvie the pair become fast friends. Sylvie accepts George with all her quirks and faults. George accepts Sylvie's strange gift of knowing the background of the antiques at her father's shop with a simple touch. As life moves on, Sylvie goes to University far away. George stays and works in the antique shop waiting to desperately rekindle the feelings that they shared in school.
The Attic Tragedy is a short story about friendship and how it changes us over time. The unique elements of Sylvie's gift brought me into the story, but isn't the main focus. I would love to have a gift like that, to know the history of objects with a touch. The stories Sylvie shared were amazing whether they were sweet, heartbreaking or silly. Since this is a short story, the timeline moves quickly and the characters are carved out along the way. I do wish there was more information about Sylive's gift and George's background. The real focus, however, is on the value of friendship and how it affects us, even if the friendship changes. Overall, a unique story with elements of the paranormal and acceptance.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Attic Tragedy is a short story about friendship and how it changes us over time. The unique elements of Sylvie's gift brought me into the story, but isn't the main focus. I would love to have a gift like that, to know the history of objects with a touch. The stories Sylvie shared were amazing whether they were sweet, heartbreaking or silly. Since this is a short story, the timeline moves quickly and the characters are carved out along the way. I do wish there was more information about Sylive's gift and George's background. The real focus, however, is on the value of friendship and how it affects us, even if the friendship changes. Overall, a unique story with elements of the paranormal and acceptance.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
myweereads's review against another edition
4.0
| The Attic Tragedy - Book Sixty Six |
“The wound forever open: the wound that never heals because it is not of the body.”
The Attic Tragedy by J. Ashley-Smith is about a girl called Sylvie, she never called them ghosts, but that’s what they were—not that George ever saw them herself. The new girl, Sylvie, is like a creature from another time, with her old-fashioned leather satchel, her white cotton gloves and her head in the clouds. George watches her drift around the edge of the school playing fields, guided by inaudible voices.
When George stands up for Sylvie, beating back Tommy Payne and his gang of thugs, it brings her close to the ethereal stranger; though not as close as George would have liked. In the attic of Sylvie’s father’s antique shop, George’s scars will sing and her longing will drive them both toward a tragedy as veiled and inevitable as Sylvie’s whispering ghosts.
This novella really cuts deep with its prose. It is more than a supernatural tale, it takes a very real look at a coming of age story about two girls who are aware of themselves and are travelling through life with their own burdens. What they come to learn about each other has a huge impact on them and one of them is more aware of this than the other.
The themes which run through this novella may be triggering. The explicit use of language and imagery is felt like a blow to the stomach. This is easy to devour in one sitting and the messages that are laid bare are very important. The story is relatable in so many ways.
Huge thanks to @meerkatpress for sending me a copy of this book and allowing me to be part of the blog tour. Congrats to @spooktapes for the publication of The Attic Tragedy which is out now and one I would definitely recommend!
#TheAtticTragedy
“The wound forever open: the wound that never heals because it is not of the body.”
The Attic Tragedy by J. Ashley-Smith is about a girl called Sylvie, she never called them ghosts, but that’s what they were—not that George ever saw them herself. The new girl, Sylvie, is like a creature from another time, with her old-fashioned leather satchel, her white cotton gloves and her head in the clouds. George watches her drift around the edge of the school playing fields, guided by inaudible voices.
When George stands up for Sylvie, beating back Tommy Payne and his gang of thugs, it brings her close to the ethereal stranger; though not as close as George would have liked. In the attic of Sylvie’s father’s antique shop, George’s scars will sing and her longing will drive them both toward a tragedy as veiled and inevitable as Sylvie’s whispering ghosts.
This novella really cuts deep with its prose. It is more than a supernatural tale, it takes a very real look at a coming of age story about two girls who are aware of themselves and are travelling through life with their own burdens. What they come to learn about each other has a huge impact on them and one of them is more aware of this than the other.
The themes which run through this novella may be triggering. The explicit use of language and imagery is felt like a blow to the stomach. This is easy to devour in one sitting and the messages that are laid bare are very important. The story is relatable in so many ways.
Huge thanks to @meerkatpress for sending me a copy of this book and allowing me to be part of the blog tour. Congrats to @spooktapes for the publication of The Attic Tragedy which is out now and one I would definitely recommend!
#TheAtticTragedy
barb4ry1's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I enjoyed Ashley-Smith's concise and poignant writing style. On the other hand, I found the story depressing and sad. This, obviously, isn't a flaw, just something I wasn't expecting while starting it. The tile doesn't lie. It is a tragedy.
It has a supernatural feel and elements but whether they actually occur or not remains debatable.
All told, The Attic Tragedy is a well-written and disturbing novelette that tackles, subtly, themes of depression or suicide. I can't say I loved it, but I think I appreciate the way Ashley-Smith told it.
ARC through NetGalley
I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I enjoyed Ashley-Smith's concise and poignant writing style. On the other hand, I found the story depressing and sad. This, obviously, isn't a flaw, just something I wasn't expecting while starting it. The tile doesn't lie. It is a tragedy.
It has a supernatural feel and elements but whether they actually occur or not remains debatable.
All told, The Attic Tragedy is a well-written and disturbing novelette that tackles, subtly, themes of depression or suicide. I can't say I loved it, but I think I appreciate the way Ashley-Smith told it.
ARC through NetGalley
nwreader's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Meerkat Press, LLC - Meerkat Shorts for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This short story was definitely not what I was expecting and there are quite a few graphic trigger warnings (suicide, self-mutilation, depression, rape, grief). I'm not sure if I missed the overall meaning of this short but there's a lot of heartbreak and depression in it. I was expecting more horror and I guess, ghost moments but I think it's mostly metaphors than actual "monsters".
I felt bad for the main character, George, and everything they went through. It was a tough read but it was good to see her character grow a little.
3/5
This short story was definitely not what I was expecting and there are quite a few graphic trigger warnings (suicide, self-mutilation, depression, rape, grief). I'm not sure if I missed the overall meaning of this short but there's a lot of heartbreak and depression in it. I was expecting more horror and I guess, ghost moments but I think it's mostly metaphors than actual "monsters".
I felt bad for the main character, George, and everything they went through. It was a tough read but it was good to see her character grow a little.
3/5
curiosityboughtthebook's review against another edition
4.0
J. Ashley- Smith's short novella, The Attic Tragedy, plays out like a dire, yet beautiful melody that packs quite the punch.
When I first picked up this novella, I thought it would be a tale about ghosts, but as I kept reading I realized the actual haunting came in a different way.
The Attic Tragedy is the tale of a depressed young woman; that can't seem to let go of the past. Her entire life is filled with dread, pain and self-doubt. Even after she finally found the one person she thought understood and accepted her, she was left alone and hurt.
I'm truly impressed by how much content and emotion the author was able to pack into just 50 short pages. I believe this novella could have been stretched out into a full book, but then it wouldn't have been this profound.
TW: self-harm
4 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to Meerkat Press for this arc.
When I first picked up this novella, I thought it would be a tale about ghosts, but as I kept reading I realized the actual haunting came in a different way.
The Attic Tragedy is the tale of a depressed young woman; that can't seem to let go of the past. Her entire life is filled with dread, pain and self-doubt. Even after she finally found the one person she thought understood and accepted her, she was left alone and hurt.
I'm truly impressed by how much content and emotion the author was able to pack into just 50 short pages. I believe this novella could have been stretched out into a full book, but then it wouldn't have been this profound.
TW: self-harm
4 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to Meerkat Press for this arc.
anna_hepworth's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A little surprised that something this short was published on its own. Dark and nasty in a number of ways; fascinating world building, strong characterisation, beautiful writing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Self harm
Moderate: Rape, Transphobia, and Homophobia
Parts of the story could be read as an abusive controlling relationship, but there isn’t anything explicitsolelylu's review
3.0
Eerily atmospheric and engrossing. Special thanks to meerkat press and netgalley.
fagurfifill's review against another edition
2.0
It’s been a couple of days that I finished this hot mess, and, I am sorry to say, the more time is passing, the greater my dislike of this novelette. Yes, OK, I do get that the protagonist has had some tragic experience(s), which, apart from her mother’s illness and her own unfortunate looks and general lack of popularity, are not, however, shown to the reader. Nor do we learn what Sylvie's unspecified "problem" is, except that it earns her "a note that kept her off all games" at school. The supernatural element was not at all convincing, the “ghosts” seemingly nothing but a figment of Sylvie’s imagination. It even remains unclear whether Sylvie herself believes in them or whether it's all make-believe on her part. We do not, of course, get a very clear image of Sylvie herself, as we get to see everything through George's eyes.
George's actions and reactions are not explained, are maybe as inexplicable to herself as to the reader: Her refusing to talk to the policewoman (who is only trying to be friendly and helpful any way she knows how) to the point of lying to her about her attackers seems brattish and uncalled-for. After a lifetime of avoiding sports she, out of the blue, starts training martial arts: "I trained because I wanted to." She does not go to uni after all when she finally could, in spite of having put in applications previous to her mother's death. As we see all of this happening through George's pov, we, no more than herself, can account for her actions, or lack thereof.
Mistaking simple acts of kindness and friendship for proofs of love is where George's tragedy begins in earnest, an obsession reminiscent of [b:This Sweet Sickness|768987|This Sweet Sickness|Patricia Highsmith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348037826l/768987._SX50_.jpg|755047] makes her fashion her "love" for Sylvie into the main focus and pivoting angle of her own life and her every thought and action. Which is a very unhealthy thing to do, to say the least, and definitely very, very unfair to the (ostensibly) "loved" one.
What I think this story is lacking, to gain some merit and to make it suitable for its (supposedly) intended ya audience, is a mature counterpoint: someone or some event offering guidance to George and, eventually, helping her to move on. Sylvie's father, who is supposed to be an adult and who might just have tried to counter-act instead of aiding and abetting George on her merry way to self-destruction, even seems to develop a similar stance, echoing George's feelings for "the love of our lives that had rejected us both" - or is this, again, just George's way of looking at things? We never learn.
In particular I do not care for the glorification of self-harming, featuring “singing” scars and "singing" blades that George calls her “treasures” and the representation of "love" as putting the other one into a box, denying them the right to their own feelings and trying to mould them into something they are not, will never be and maybe have never been, "my Sylvie" existing solely in George's mind.
I would not recommend this at all to ya readers, or those suffering from any kind of mental instability.
George's actions and reactions are not explained, are maybe as inexplicable to herself as to the reader: Her refusing to talk to the policewoman (who is only trying to be friendly and helpful any way she knows how) to the point of lying to her about her attackers seems brattish and uncalled-for. After a lifetime of avoiding sports she, out of the blue, starts training martial arts: "I trained because I wanted to." She does not go to uni after all when she finally could, in spite of having put in applications previous to her mother's death. As we see all of this happening through George's pov, we, no more than herself, can account for her actions, or lack thereof.
Mistaking simple acts of kindness and friendship for proofs of love is where George's tragedy begins in earnest, an obsession reminiscent of [b:This Sweet Sickness|768987|This Sweet Sickness|Patricia Highsmith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348037826l/768987._SX50_.jpg|755047] makes her fashion her "love" for Sylvie into the main focus and pivoting angle of her own life and her every thought and action. Which is a very unhealthy thing to do, to say the least, and definitely very, very unfair to the (ostensibly) "loved" one.
What I think this story is lacking, to gain some merit and to make it suitable for its (supposedly) intended ya audience, is a mature counterpoint: someone or some event offering guidance to George and, eventually, helping her to move on. Sylvie's father, who is supposed to be an adult and who might just have tried to counter-act instead of aiding and abetting George on her merry way to self-destruction, even seems to develop a similar stance, echoing George's feelings for "the love of our lives that had rejected us both" - or is this, again, just George's way of looking at things? We never learn.
In particular I do not care for the glorification of self-harming, featuring “singing” scars and "singing" blades that George calls her “treasures” and the representation of "love" as putting the other one into a box, denying them the right to their own feelings and trying to mould them into something they are not, will never be and maybe have never been, "my Sylvie" existing solely in George's mind.
I would not recommend this at all to ya readers, or those suffering from any kind of mental instability.