Broken Shells by Michael Patrick Hicks #BookReview

Title: Broken Shells | Author: Michael Patrick Hicks  | Publisher: High Fever Books | Pub. Date: 2018-06-02 |  Pages: 124  | ISBN:  194757003X | Genre: Horror |  Language: English | Triggers:  None | Rating:  5 out 5 | Source: Self-purchased

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Broken Shells

Antoine DeWitt is a man down on his luck. Broke and recently fired, he knows the winning Money Carlo ticket that has landed in his mailbox from a car dealership is nothing more than a scam. The promise of five thousand dollars, though, is too tantalizing to ignore.

Jon Dangle is a keeper of secrets, many of which are buried deep beneath his dealership. He works hard to keep them hidden, but occasionally sacrifices are required, sacrifices who are penniless, desperate, and who will not be missed. Sacrifices exactly like DeWitt.

When Antoine steps foot on Dangle’s car lot, it is with the hope of easy money. Instead, he finds himself trapped in a deep, dark hole, buried alive. If he is going to survive the nightmare ahead of him, if he has any chance of seeing his wife and child again, Antoine will have to do more than merely hope. He will have to fight his way back to the surface, and pray that Jon Dangle’s secrets do not kill him first.

Broken Shells Review

Gory, crunchy, bloody, disgusting, and freaking FUN! Hicks has managed to create realistic characters who are entangled in a crazy, messed up, subterranean hell of a situation, and I cannot find anything about this novella that I don’t love.

It took me a day or two to gather my thoughts on ‘Broken Shells’ Not because I was conflicted, but because I needed to give myself a moment to NOT be so over-the-top cheerlead-y. I cannot promise that I won’t gush a little, though.

Here’s what’s up: THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC. It has all the little pieces I love to have in a horror book, and they come together perfectly. The main character DeWitt is REAL. I loved being in his head. His relationship with his family is gritty and dark, and I can absolutely see someone feeling these feelings. Along with a great protagonist, it is necessary to also have spectacular villains. This book has TWO!  The bad guys, the human ones, were just developed enough that when things went south, I thoroughly enjoyed what became of them.

Non-human villains really steal the show here. Side note: I love to have a little scrumptious snack when I read.  Regretted that. This isn’t so much a “chomp and stomp” – but there are creatures.  And they are GROSS and perfect. It’s so hard not to be spoiler-y here!!! As for the crunching, “emerging”, mashing parts? OMG yes! Apologies to my husband; I HAD to read certain parts out loud to him, unfortunately, he was eating.  Oops.

Hicks also sports a great talent with detailed writing in ‘Broken Shells’. I didn’t so much read this book, as I watched it, and those are the best kind of reads for me.  At no point was I taken out of the story – once I was in, I was in. The reading was effortless.

I devoured this book. Read it! Maybe NOT while snacking…

This book is available at: BetterWorldBooks | Kobo | Amazon | B&N