Anathema

By: Nick Roberts

Narrated by: Zach Nesmith

Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

Bryan and Ellie Stockton hope they left behind their demons when they move to their idyllic new home in southern West Virginia. Above all, they want a fresh start for their young son Derrick, who witnessed the tumultuous first years of their marriage - years that were rife with substance abuse, rage, and resentment.

Their bright hope for the future is darkened when a child disappears from their neighborhood. The couple becomes suspicious of a reclusive resident with a degenerative brain disorder.

Strange events begin to happen in their house, just as Derrick tells them about a new friend who visits him at night. Their son may be acting out from the trauma he endured...or he could be the obsession of something much more sinister.

©2020 Nick Roberts (P)2020 Catt Dahman

Stick with it

I am not a big review writer; however, after listening to The Exorcist’s House, I immediately got this book without checking the narrator. Silly me. When I first started the book, I almost (several times) gave up on this one simply because of the narrator. It was jarring to hear the flatness in this narrator’s voice, as well as the choppy manner in how he read each statement.

However, I stuck with it because I trust the author’s ability to write an amazing story. At some point, either I got used to him, or he got into the telling of the story, but his flatness and choppiness fade away. I wasn’t noticing these nearly as much and was absorbed into the story. I even felt the narrator was absorbed in the story. I know it sounds strange, but I felt it was worth mentioning this, as I feel a narrator can make or break a book for me.

Please authors: listen to your narrators before releasing them to us. We beg of you!

Hang in there!

I found myself needing to take several breaks due to the monotone of the narrator’s voice. I got through it and I’m glad I did because the story itself was wonderful.

Anathema

Narrator was a bit too flat and monotone at first but seemed to pick up towards the end

Love this story!

So creepy and very well written. Love this writer and his writing style. Never boring or drags. The narration however was very bad but despite that- this was a fantastic story! 5 stars!

*trigger warning* Creepy premise poor execution

This review includes some spoilers. I want to start by saying that there is a dog that is abused,tortured, and killed. If you are like me and can’t stand pets being harmed then I just want you to have a heads up there is that in this book.I hate this trope. It’s not scary or terrifying it just sparks anger at the author for having such poor taste.I know,I know “why are you reading horror if something like a dog dying is in poor taste to you?” I don’t have an answer for that- just that my opinion is that it doesn’t belong in books unless to enlighten people of the situation a lot of strays go through and to get them help. Pet abuse shouldn’t be glorified or encouraged. It’s not something we should be desensitized to. Anyway… off my soap box now….

Now….the plot-The idea that you might be sharing a townhome wall with someone who is mentally disturbed and able to sneak into your house at night was great. But it fell flat after a hour or so into the book. The narrator didn’t help either, and there seems to be some sorta skipping or something because I noticed lines kept getting repeated. Overall a meh book. I expected more- I mean something akin to the plot of disturbia or hangman- this just fell flat.

Editing?

Story was great. Narration not so great. Narrator repeated sentences twice several times. The monotony of the voice is terrible.

Absolutely Sinister

A small family moves across town & is targeted by a frightening evil that lurks next door. Derrick's imagination friend is initially blamed but his parents realize all to quickly how terrifyingly real the monster they are dealing with is. Absolutely sinister feeling from beginning to end. Step into the darkness if you dare.