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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.
In a Nutshell: A Bus Ride Into Hell
In this horror novella, Luke is on his third date with Jessica and, finally, is getting to spend the night with her - but first they have to get from their night out in the city centre to her home, in a village miles away. Luke would get a taxi, but it would bankrupt him, so they settle on their only option: the night service.
Also on board are a drunk skinhead, a chatty old man, a woman and a baby, and three members of a rock band. All seems, if not fine, then not too much of a worry, until the bus begins to speed up, and they begin to realise that the silent driver is missing out all the stops...
Born from the author's many travels on the night service in his younger days (it says in the notes at the back), this is a fun horror story that kept me turning the pages in its unravelling of unexpected developments, and well-painted atmosphere. Although horrific, it is not without humour, and it sits well in the novella length, without any padding or excess detail that would slow it down.
The only aspect I was not so keen on was the constant use of the subordinate clause - short, staccato, incomplete sentences - to emphasise urgency, shock, fear. I'm not necessarily a traditionalist when it comes to literary styles, and thought that sometimes, although not 'correct', it worked well, but other times it was used to the extent that it marred my enjoyment of the story.
The ending features another nice little twist; I'd say that if you love this genre and prefer shorter books that will only take you a couple of hours or so to read, you should like this.
Good article about sentences, subordinate and independent clauses HERE
Thank you Terry.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Terry. Not something I'd read before bed!
ReplyDelete