A review by opheliasviolence
Scanlines by Todd Keisling

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.0

The writer said he originally wanted to write something with a lighter tone after finishing Devil's Creek. A coming of age story. While he absolutely didn't write something light, he succeeded in writing a haunting story that I probably won't forget. 

This story is about three teenage boys trying to download porn. What they stumble upon instead changes their lives forever. 

The story is inspired by a real event that was televised and that the author watched as an 11 year old. That and the subject matter make this novella anything but lighthearted. As dark as this story was, I still managed to enjoy the 1998 setting. 

 This is really short at just over 100 pages, I read it in one sitting alone. I meant to only read a few chapters and found myself unable to stop reading. Like the video in the story, this will have you hooked. 

Obviously, due to the subject matter I'd say skip this if you're sensitive to the topic of suicide. 

In the afterword, the author states that writing has always been his therapy. "I think that's why my work tends to be so dark. I exercise the demons on paper so they don't manifest elsewhere." I love that. 

This book reminded me of movies like The Ring and Pulse. If you're into those, then definitely give this a try. I'm looking forward to reading Devil's Creek from this author. 

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