Amanda Lawrence Auverigne

I received a free copy of this e-book in exchange for reading and reviewing it.

I really wanted to like “Up in the Attic”. The stories promised to be interesting, with a holiday theme perfect for the time of the year. However, there were some serious flaws in this book that made it a difficult, and ultimately, not very memorable read.

The book contains seven stories, all with a somewhat dark element, not quite reaching horror. Two of the seven, “Crunch” and “Meeting with the Fam” show more had good potential. A third, “The Holiday Lift” ended just when the story got interesting. The others were completely forgettable.

This book needed some serious editing. The overall style was full of short, choppy sentences which destroyed any hope of a smooth flow of any of the stories. The author uses some unusual phrases and descriptions which were distracting and got annoying after a while. For example, no one ever “sits down”. Every character “lowers their form” into whatever seat.

Additionally, characters sometimes change names in the middle of the story, and then change back again, leaving the reader very confused until they manage to figure it out. Describing a character as “the middle-aged man” works fine the first time … the reader gets a picture of the character in mind. When the same description is used to refer to the character in each of the next few paragraphs, it becomes quite irritating and spoils the story.

I was very disappointed with this collection, as I had expected something more ready for publication, especially considering Ms. Auverigne has several other collections/stories available. It is unlikely I will be trying any of the others, which is a pity, because she has some good ideas in this collection, which unfortunately were never truly realized. show less

These are slick stories, and this is a slick production. The prose is polished, glib, and smooth. The dialogue is particularly believable. There are no typos and no clumsy prose. Four of the five stories have fantastic elements and the fifth plays off such notions. In particular, two are engaging and light-hearted.

“In the Snow” has Rita and her too serious boyfriend, a medical student, getting a surprise when she forces him to lighten up and make some snow angels.

“Compliment” is a show more short-short about a man conversing with a beautiful woman – painted on a canvass.

“A High Level of Achievement” has med students gradually revealing odd powers and an odd situation as they dissect cadavers.

“After Dinner Mint” – an occasionally funny tale about an uneasy and hostile dinner party that ensues when parents meet a prospective son-in-law.

“The Will” is also built around rancor – that of rapacious siblings gathering to see what they inherited. The youngest walks away sans the riches of the others, but that is not the end of matters. It is perhaps the highlight of the collection if somewhat predictable in the manner of the classic The Twilight Zone.

Like the titular candy, these literary treats were pleasant enough but utterly forgettable. show less

“Prudence & the Indelibly Edible Holiday Gift” by Amanda Lawrence Auverigne is another fine example of this author’s talent for turning an entirely “normal” short story into a ghastly horror with just a few sentences of “twist” at the end. In this tale Prudence relates a typical family gathering at Christmas time. She describes the opening of presents, the excessive consumption of foodstuffs, the imbibing of adult beverages from a box, and the ubiquitous gossipy aunt with an show more opinion about everything. In other words, the “every family” Christmas gathering.

Amanda has written quite a number of short stories. I’ve only read a couple others, but they were also nice little short stories that turned to horror at the end. I have a few more of her stories yet to read; I am hopeful they will be of the same tenor, because that little jolt of the sudden incongruous conclusion really gets the old heart pumping for a few moments! If you enjoy having your horror thrust upon you with little or no warning, this is one story you will enjoy. I suspect this is also one author you will come to enjoy, if she continues to follow this format as I expect she will. I’m going out on a limb to say I will recommend anything written by Amanda Lawrence Auverigne. show less

I have been a huge fan of the author ever since I read "After Dinner Mint," and this short story was definitely up there with the blood and gore that I have become used to. I wish that it could have been just a bit longer, but I still enjoyed it very much. Can't wait to read more from this author.