The Pen Name (A Supernatural Thriller)

5 Stars
*I received this novel in exchange for an honest review*
Ben Little is a struggling author with a family. Jack Fleischer is a bestselling author who seems interested in helping Ben achieve his dream. Once Ben signs on to be Fleischer’s co-author that dream becomes a nightmare. Not only is Fleischer demanding and insulting but he expects Ben to do horrible things while holding their contract as leverage. Laws are broken, people are killed, and Ben’s sanity is questioned in the creation of the novel. When the safety of his family is threatened he knows he has to make a stand and figure a way to get out of the contract.
This novel feels like an adrenaline joyride from the beginning to the end. There were times that I felt like I show more had to remind myself to breathe. It’s fast paced and flows smoothly. The plot is unique and the different twists and turns kept it very interesting and left me guessing until the end. Characters usually outshine the plot for me but this plot was so original that it kept my mind occupied. That’s not to say that I didn’t like the characters. Both the protagonist and antagonist were strong and I hate to admit that I enjoyed their relationship. Even though this is an intense read I found some humor which was a nice touch.
I absolutely recommend The Pen Name, especially to Thriller fans. show less

I was given a free copy for an honest review.

I read the author's second book, The Telephone Company first. I absolutely LOVED it. I saw this on LT after I reviewed the Telephone Company, and rushed to click the giveaway.

This book is very different. It reminded me of Phillip K Dick. Weird bizarre things happen. "OK this guy is totally cray." Is Ben crazy or is the world? Just what the HELL is going on?!

The nods to Stephen King are abundant. Since King is my favorite, I loved it. Also, Ben Little. Bentley Little?

Ben Little is an indie author and he wants to hit the big-time. Faustian contract with a big-time author arrives, and of course he doesn't read the fine print. The author texts Ben, and things quickly escalate into strange show more territory. His wife and disabled son are affected, and things spiral into WTFery quickly.

The Telephone Company was the second best book of 2014 for me. The evil was delicious. The Pen Name has evil, but nowhere near the deliciousness of the Telephone Company. Also, the Pen Name is a bit hard to follow. But it is definately a must read for horror fans. I don't really think of it as a "thriller." show less

I was given a free copy for an honest review.

I read the author's second book, The Telephone Company first. I absolutely LOVED it. I saw this on LT after I reviewed the Telephone Company, and rushed to click the giveaway.

This book is very different. It reminded me of Phillip K Dick. Weird bizarre things happen. "OK this guy is totally cray." Is Ben crazy or is the world? Just what the HELL is going on?!

The nods to Stephen King are abundant. Since King is my favorite, I loved it. Also, Ben Little. Bentley Little?

Ben Little is an indie author and he wants to hit the big-time. Faustian contract with a big-time author arrives, and of course he doesn't read the fine print. The author texts Ben, and things quickly escalate into strange show more territory. His wife and disabled son are affected, and things spiral into WTFery quickly.

The Telephone Company was the second best book of 2014 for me. The evil was delicious. The Pen Name has evil, but nowhere near the deliciousness of the Telephone Company. Also, the Pen Name is a bit hard to follow. But it is definately a must read for horror fans. I don't really think of it as a "thriller." show less

The Pen Name

by David Jacob Knight

I loved this book! Could pass for an adult version of a Goosebumps book or episode, they were my favorite when I was younger. This book has you wondering what will come next at every turn. I look forward to reading more from these authors.

2.5 Stars

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

When will people ever learn it? If a deal seems like it's way too good to be true, that's usually what it is. Stay away from it. When Ben is asked to co-write a book with a famous author, he jumps at the opportunity immediately. Soon, he finds out that wasn't such a good idea.

This was a weird book, but not really in the good way. A lot was going on. The stalking/bullying together with a lot of mysterious (and unfortunately completely unexplained) things and more than a touch of fantasy and horror as well. It takes a wonderful conclusion to fit all these different elements together in the right way, but that's not what happened. The ending let the book down, as it show more didn't explain most of what happened and only left me with more questions. The last twist on the final page just left me with another sigh.

Ben is also a very annoying character. He felt like the character you love to hate, as he is portrayed as a jerk making fun of literally everyone who wants to help him, although I believe it was probably the intention you felt sorry for him, for all the bad things that are happening. He's not as freaked out as he should be considering what's happening to him and does he call the police at any point? Of course not, and all of that for perhaps 50.000 dollar. I admit, that's a lot of money, but way not enough for the things he's had to endure.

Besides this book broadcasts some of the worst German caricatures I've read in the last years. The whole company doesn't make any sense to me, but I won't disclose too much since I don't want to spoil it.

The writing was okay but the story far too long. Perhaps it was just me, but I didn't like the main character and I thought the story at times was just weird for the weirdness of it since it didn't get explained at the end at all.

I won a copy of The Pen Name in a BookLikes giveaway. show less

I started to get very confused about the characters but other than that it was a good read