Andrew Cull

So the written word doesn't lend itself well to "found footage" which, by implication, takes place in a visual medium. For one thing, text has already appropriated the conceit of "this really happened, isn't it scary" through epistolaries, stories told through documents, and stories that the author heard from a friend of a friend, like The Time Machine or Heart of Darkness. Not that these ever made much sense (Jonathan Harker: "I just saw my client crawling down the side of the castle he show more owns, and then three hot vampire chicks were by my bed about to eat me. I totally need to escape, but first, I'll write a letter about it!")

Nonetheless, the selections in here do a good job at pulling it off. Some are in "document form" like I said before, because that's the equivalent of found footage for books. But some are just narrative, and they're surprisingly great. Some are scary, some are funny. Most are stories about the footage that was found, not a "you're really there" style. But they're all entertaining. It reminded me a lot of the V/H/S series. show less

Bloody hell. Not many books genuinely creep me out but this one did. The story comes in waves. Just as you think things have settled you get dunked again. Constant uncertainty as to what would happen next.

As with any anthology there is a range of stories and everyone is going to have their own favorites and least favorites. As a whole it's a fun, unique collection of stories centered around found media.

I really enjoyed how, overall, the stories didn't hold your hand or lay too much out for you. They let your imagination do the work. I don't have the book in front of me to give specifics. I'll edit this if I remember.

BUT if you like funky little short stories, give this one a try!

Knock and You Will See Me by Andrew Cull is a fun, action-packed read that left me on the edge of my seat. In fact, I read it in one sitting which, even with novellas, is a rare thing for me. I am easily distracted and easily bored, especially so lately. This novella, on the other hand, had my heart pumping.

The story encompasses the life of a single mother that is sensitive to the supernatural. Raising three boys on her own, Ellie Ray finds herself taking care of her elderly father. Soon, he show more passes away. After his funeral, strange things begin happening. Strange things that quickly begin to escalate into things far more terrifying. As the story continues, it quickly becomes a matter of life or death not just for Ellie, but for her young boys as well. As someone who wants to be a mother, this went straight to my heart.

Despite its short length, Cull manages to perfectly recreate the small town feel. Not only that, he perfectly fleshes out several characters in ways I've found authors incapable of doing in full length works. For this, I've got to give him props. For the most part, I really enjoyed reading this book.

I do have to dock a star from the final rating due to various typos I encountered throughout the story. That and the cliched ending were a little bit too much for me. It was, however, a pretty solid story and I highly recommend it for fans of the macabre. With vivid, at times stomach curdling descriptions, Cull has a way of making his reader's skin crawl.

I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy for this book for free in exchange for an honest review. show less