Book Review: THE ATROCITIES by Jeremy C. Shipp

THE ATROCITIES by Jeremy C. Shipp (Tor Publishing, April 2018)  Paperback, 105 pages.  ISBN # 1250164397 / 9781250164391  

 

Summary from the Goodreads website . . . . .

 

When Isabella died, her parents were determined to ensure her education wouldn’t suffer.

 

But Isabella’s parents had not informed her new governess of Isabella’s… condition, and when Ms Valdez arrives at the estate, having forced herself through a surreal nightmare maze of twisted human-like statues, she discovers that there is no girl to tutor.

 

Or is there…?

 

My review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

 

     Jeremy C. Shipp continues to both amaze and disappoint me. His imagination knows no bounds, and if you haven't read any of his works, this short novella is a great place to start. 

 

     He takes the elements of classic gothic horror - - governess accepts job to tutor only child at strange creepy mansion with untold secrets within its walls - - and spins it in a whole new direction with some incredibly horrific images. I was captivated by a hedge maze punctuated by grotesque statuary, and a voluminous isolated mansion garnished with equally disturbing art.  The Atrocities is the name given to the ghastly hedge maze. 

 

     The Evers family at Stockton House are even stranger, as well as the housekeeper/cook and gardener/maintenance man who both act as if mesmerized. Governess Danna Valdez has her own issues, and is plagued by maniacal nightmares of confinement in a possible hospital/asylum. She also can drift away into a dream state at any time. 

 

     Imagine accepting a job of governess and then finding out that you've signed on to help with the development of the ghostly spirit of deceased daughter Isabella, who may or may not be there. Is there really a ghost in the house? Does Mrs. Evers use that as an antidote to her grief at losing her only child? Does the ghost possess Mrs. Evers? What's up with the weird Mr. Evers and his strange art?

 

     At around 100 pages, The Atrocities is a quick read that will hook you on the first paragraph and carry you forward to the end. The end is where the disappointment occurs. Like the other novel of Shipp's that I read (Bedfellow), this one ends abruptly without answering the questions that it raised. 

 

     It seems that once Shipp has explored an idea to his satisfaction, he then brings things to a halt/ending of sorts regardless of whether he has answered all the readers' questions. It seems that there was so much more to cover in this story. It could easily have been expanded to novel length. 

 

     I look forward to the day when Shipp writes a satisfying work from beginning to end. That will be the day that I rate it more than three stars.