| Title | : | Wendy Won't Go |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 25 |
| Publication | : | First published December 16, 2013 |
Wendy Won't Go Reviews
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3.5 stars!
Bill is a single father, raising his daughter on his own, since his wife died in childbirth. He's struggling, but he's doing okay. Until his dead wife starts comes back and keeps coming back, threatening the safety and sanity of himself and his daughter.
This is a dark tale. To be honest, I was a little confused regarding the nature of what was going on with Wendy, but after a second read of that section, it's clearer to me now.
In any case, I enjoyed the characters of Billy and his daughter, and I did care for them. I hoped that they would come out of this okay. Did they? You will have to read this and see for yourself. 3.5 stars for some pretty good writing and character building, and to paraphrase from the story, even if you don't know the meaning of the words they can still speak to your spirit.
I was provided a free copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. Just so you know. :) -
I enjoyed this short story with no chapters. It was frightening–reminded me of the movie Unborn. With the very first paragraph, I was hooked. That mental image of the dead mother crawling with her body all twisted played with my emotions. I had to read this book with the light on!
My favorite lines: 1) He refuses to treat his wife like a boogeyman no matter how much she has come to fit that mold. 2) Death meant pain and loss, but it also meant peace and the hope of a new beginning.
The mom, Wendy, had died while giving birth to Sara. The dad, Billy, was a writer and took care of his daughter. Wendy would show up often to harass and strike their daughter. By the opening, I thought it would scare me up to the end, but it didn’t. Towards the middle, the story started getting more philosophical and drama filled (concerning Sara sad about thinking her mom hates her and getting into how Wendy came about being dead but can still bother her family). It was still a good story though.
I RECOMMEND this book to read -
OMG! i thought this would be your typical ghost story and while that's ok, it's soooo not that. The audio book is just 1 hour long but Amanda Lyons uses that time wisely and weaves one hell of a story. Once things start coming together, i was so surprised. There's some bending of folklore here but i was ok with that. These kinds of stories are my favorite kind.
Andrew Reyes narrates it and he did a great job. Well done Amanda Lyons and Andrew Reyes!
I requested a copy of the audio book from the author in exchange for a honest review. -
Death is a hard thing for anyone to deal with, especially a tragic death. After Wendy died during childbirth, her husband and daughter are haunted by a ghostly image of her. One that leaves them covered in marks and bruises.
My favorite part about this book was the symbolism. When someone dies, especially a new mother, that death can affect the relationship of the husband to the child for years to come.
This is definitely a different sort of story, but it’s worth a listen.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review. -
This book is intended for fans of the horror genre and paranormal spookiness in general. This is not suited for young readers, but teen and adult readers will enjoy this quite a bit. The story does have a few parts that are not for the faint of heart. I won't go into specifics, but if you are easily made squeamish, you'd better have some Pepto on hand!
If you really want to challenge yourself, I personally recommend that you read this book in the dark, at night, preferably during some kind of storm. If you can sleep after reading this, then you are a liar or a skimmer.
There are a few points in the book where the tense changes to present progressive. The tense changes happen when the action picks up, which might be stylistically unappealing to some. However, since it is predictable, I didn't notice any spots where I wasn't able to follow what was happening in the story. It's clear in reading the story that Lyons was very much invested in the action and that you're reading something that the storyteller personally finds compelling.
Lyons wrenches the reader's heart with several parts of the story. Lyons strives to make the characters feel real and I think she manages that quite well in such a short amount of time. There are surprises that I didn't see coming, but they make sense with the way she has developed her characters. Her characters' thoughts are very much in line with what you would expect from a person who was in the same situation, which I find to be admirable. Please note that this comment contains spoilers:
SPOILER ALERT
Sara grows up with her dead mother as a ghost relentlessly haunting her. There are moments where Wendy is not quite as violent and many attacks noted in the book that leave poor Sara with scratches, bruises, and an awful case of fright. She is aware the entire time that this monster is her mother and she wants to identify with her mother. She even tried to talk to her ghost mom about her period because she doesn't feel like her father can relate. It's absolutely heartbreaking, but something that actually holds true with children who are brought up in odd circumstances, especially those who are abused as children. Even though her mother scares her and hurts her, she still wants to connect with her. I found this particularly important because Lyons doesn't treat Wendy as some monster that everyone fears automatically. This shows a lot of the conflicting emotions in this situation, which feel authentic in a strange and horror-y way.
END SPOILER ALERT -
Reviewed by Lee Ashford for Readers' Favorite.
“Wendy Won’t Go” by Amanda M. Lyons is a sad, haunting tale of a young mother and wife who died giving birth to Sara, but could not leave the Earthly plane. Her death was unexpected, and unexpectedly horrendous and painful. Her husband, Billy, was devastated by Wendy’s death, but vowed to raise Sara to the best of his ability. Billy was a writer, working from his home, so he could tailor his work schedule to meet Sara’s needs.
However, when Sara was 8 months old, a ghostly Wendy returned to savage the child unwittingly responsible for her death. Punching, scratching, and generally terrorizing Sara, no matter what Billy tried he could not fully protect his young daughter from the monstrous being her mother had become. After a visit from Child Protective Services, investigating reports that Sara was bruised and lacerated, Billy was forced to move away, or risk having Sara taken from him.
The story continues until the day Billy finally agrees to leave Sara home alone for a short time. When he returned home, Sara’s bedroom had been demolished, and the girl was nowhere to be found. Would he find her? Was she even still alive? What about Wendy… was she responsible for taking Sara away?
“Wendy Won’t Go” is a short but potent story. The writing is very descriptive, leaving the reader to share the pain of all three main characters. This is not a happy tale. There really can be no “happily ever after” for any of the characters, but ultimately there comes a resolution that leaves them with the best of possible outcomes. Sara grows up and attends college, as Billy continues writing and growing old.
Through it all, Sara is left feeling guiltily responsible for her mother’s death, while Billy is left with heart-breaking regrets and sorrow over the loss of his young wife. They say time heals all wounds, but Billy and Sara may have a different point of view on that maxim.
“Wendy Won’t Go” is worth reading, but I would recommend you have something light and uplifting to read immediately afterward. The sadness on which this entire tale is built is not the emotion you will want to take to bed with you. You will quite possibly wake up depressed, if this is the last thing you read before going to bed. -
*This review may contain spoilers*
What's it about?
"Wendy Won't Go," is a horror novella that centers around a father and daughter, Billy and Sara, who are living in fear as they are haunted by a terrible apparition, Wendy, who will not leave them alone. She is cold, cruel, strange and frightening.The story focuses on the events that unfold in the family home, as the apparition terrorizes the pair. No matter what the family do or where they go, Wendy Won't Go.
Who's the author?
Amanda Lyons is an independent author and editor who has been a longtime fan of horror and fantasy. Amanda writes dark novels, which are laced with romance, fantasy, magic and history, from her home in rural Ohio; where she lives with her fiance and two children. With three books published under her own name, Amanda has also co-written and contributed to various other collections and anthologies. She is currently working on a short horror collection, "Apocrypha," with Robert Edward Lyons.
Was it any good?
Despite it's brevity, or maybe because of it, the story races along at break-neck speed and is packed full of action, chills and thrills. Whilst I would have liked to see more of an explanation for Wendy's appearance in the families life. it does what any good horror novel should do; it has you looking over your shoulder, jumpy with fear, as you read! It raises the hairs on the back of your neck; gives you goosebumps; and makes it hard to fall asleep at night, (especially if you read the book late at night, as I did!) As a horror novella, it succeeds.
Would I recommend it?
Certainly - it's a very reasonably priced read that will provide horror fans with a juicy, exciting read. -
I was given this book for reviewing. Not at all sure it would be my kind of book as I am not a great fan of ghosts and the paranormal and so I was pleasantly surprised to find how much I did enjoy it.
It is a strangely riveting short story. Short is not necessarily easier in writing, but I think Amanda Lyons managed very well. One cannot get to know the characters that well in 50 pages, especially when there are three of them - all with equal importance to the plot, no secondary characters here, which makes Amandas achievement all the more remarkable. An author worth watching.
I had to slow down in a couple of places, to sort out events, but overall it works well. There is horror - the dead mother trying to harm a child - love and desperation from a father still grieving, but determined to save his child and the bewilderment of their daughter. All portrayed well for such a short work. Others have said they would like to see it as a full length novel. I'm not sure about that, but it could be lengthened by another 20 pages or so to allow for more character development or background on that family curse.
Those whose favoured genre is the paranormal I think would find this book an excellent read. -
WENDY WON'T GO was provided to me in eBook format for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
In all honesty I wasn't sure what to expect. I am not usually a fan of short stories. I find that good character development is hard to find in stories that are not novel length. However, I was pleasantly surprised by WENDY WON'T GO. This story is fast paced and keeps the reader interested from the first paragraph to the last.
An exciting and horrific story about a man and his daughter living with a vicious ghost who constantly and consistently hurts the girl. Forced to move to cover up his daughter's injuries and afraid of losing her to Child Protective Services, the Father/Daughter duo must lead a secretive life.
What is a father to do? How do you keep your child safe from something paranormal? How does the daughter deal with the constant physical abuse?
In such a short novella, it would be easy to leave at least some of these questions unanswered. But, in the end will they prevail or will they give in and join the dead? You need to read this story to find out.
This is a terrific read.
5 out of 5 stars. -
I love short stories for those in between times when I don’t know what I am going to start next or for even waiting for a doctor’s appointment when getting deep into a novel just isn’t possible while waiting to be called. “Wendy Won’t Go” is the perfect book for those times! It is a dark story of Wendy…late wife of Billy and mother of Sara who will not cross over and leave them in peace! Billy cannot understand how his loving late wife can be so brutally cruel to the daughter she carried for nine months and who loved with her whole being. What is the dark force causing the both of them so much pain? What is the darkness in Wendy’s family that won’t let go? In order to find out the answers you will have to read this tale filled with the descriptive hauntings of a ghost who refuses to leave her family alone and the reasons behind it! I loved the way the author wrote in a descriptive way to bring the horror of the story to life for the readers. This is the first story I have read by Ms. Lyons but will definitely be reading more of her work in the future.
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I was given this short story by the author in return for an honest review. I have to say that I did like this story, but I did not really think it was scary. It was strange, that is for sure, but I would not really consider it to be something that keeps me awake at night. For me, while this was a good story, there is so much more that could have been done. I mean that in a positive way. I would have loved to have read more about the characters from the beginning to the end. Gotten to know Wendy and her background with Billy. Learned how they met and heard stories about Wendy, Billy and Sara over the years. I would have loved for this to be a full novel where I could know and care more about the characters. So for me, I will say I loved the novella, but I want more!
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I found Wendy Won't Go to be a dark, gritty, gothic tale worthy of my reading time. And for people like me, who can't get as much spare reading time as they would like, this tale was conveniently short, yet engrossing enough to read in one sitting with your favorite mug of coco. At night. Alone. During a storm. Lyons' depiction of the character of Wendy evokes both terrifying and tender emotions effortlessly. I knew I was in for a gut-wrenching story mere sentences in because of the powerful opening that Lyons pulls off. And she continues to draw you the entire way through, from first sentence, to the last.
Try it out. You'll love it, if you don't mind intensely dark and chilling. Wendy Won't Go is eerily Poe-esque as far as disturbance factor goes. -
How do you move on, when death won’t rest in peace?
A family being tormented by ghosts is common in horror, but in "Wendy Won’t Go," the one who haunts Billy and his daughter Sara, is family. The tragic loss of Billy’s wife during childbirth leaves her spirit unable to pass on and unwilling to let go. I loved the idea of a child growing up in the presence of a ghost, and a father raising and protecting his daughter from a force he can’t possibly control. To be in fear of someone you love is a powerful and scary prospect, and I loved the way Wendy’s spirit is described.
This hit all the chilling beats I was hoping for in a short story. Give it a read, preferably in a dark room with a flashlight. -
I loved this novella. It was like a little x-files episode (which is a HUGE compliment coming from me!). There were a few issues with tense not matching, and I'm still confused on why Wendy is short, but damn if this story didn't captivate me. The first few pages were alright, but once Billy went out for groceries, I was hooked. It's rare to develop characters that the reader feels attached to in such a short time. Anyone who can draw me in this intensely and create such a well-versed world and story has great skill! I look forward to reading more by the author.
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Holy crap! I just finished reading this short story. I was freaked out, but I loved it! I love stories like this!
Billy and his daughter, Sara live a solitary life thanks to Wendy. Wendy is Billy's wife and Sara's mom. Only she's dead.
Amanda sucks you in and makes you part of the story. You are rushing up the stairs with Billy to check on Sara, to make sure she is okay. You feel their pain and their regret. -
This was a really great story, I think the only thing that got me was it was too short and the information wasn't spread out enough to actually get submerged into the idea of what was going on, but the horror I loved it. I love the descriptions and everything that went into this story. It was very good.
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Wow. It truly is all I can say.
The first page I was not totally into the story but by the second page....I was unable to put the story down. The story telling was phenomenal. -
A moving and chilling story of family, loss, and north American mythology.
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Loved this extremely short novella! I don't often read these type of stories and I quickly read this one. It's a short read, so you can't really say much of it, other than it's amazing.
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The tragedy of a young wife and mother's death continues to haunt Billy and his daughter, Sara. When Billy's wife, Wendy, dies in childbirth, his world is torn apart. That would be bad enough, but Wendy just won't leave! She continues to haunt Billy and hurt their daughter.
I enjoyed this short read and found it to be very haunting, compelling and heartbreaking. The narrator, Andrew Reyes, does a great job and added a lot to my enjoyment of the book. This is more than a typical ghost story and should appeal to many types of readers.
I received the audiobook version of this book from the author and chose to review it. -
audible:Wow!A different kind of ghost story.Short and a bit muddled near the end,but good.Andrew Reyes was a fine narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'
