Synopisis (from the publisher): The house was his, an unwanted and unwelcome inheritance. As a child, Tyler Torrence spent many miserable hours beneath its roof, hating his grandfather and the man’s housekeeper, Mrs. Waites. His only escape during those visits had been via the impossible bottles created by his granddad; bottles holding miniature worlds in which he could lose himself for hours.
Sometimes however, he sensed something else living in the house and in the bottles and when he returned home, he took the nightmares with him. Now an adult, Tyler decides one last visit can do no harm, allow him to finally shake off his nightmares. The bottles however, are waiting—and so is Mrs. Waites.
Disclosure:
I received an Advance Reader copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. They give me no money, nor do they in any way influence my thoughts – those are 100% my own for better or worse.
2023 update: Bottled has found a new home with Brigid’s Gate Press!
Edition:
e-ARC via Net Galley
My Thoughts:
Bottled reads a lot like horror novels of the 70s and 80s, which I love. It is reminiscent of authors like Graham Masterton or Ramsey Campbell. In short, it’s reminiscent of some of my horror novel favorites. Not just in it’s story, which is suitably bleak and moody, but in that beautiful cover art as well. Honestly, I’m a bit in love with this cover art. You don’t see really great covers a whole lot anymore – especially in this brave new world of internet self-publishing where many book covers either feature confusingly bad Photoshop jobs, or just subtle variations on the exact same covers.
THIS. ONE. IS. SPECTACULAR.
And the story is good too!
He would lose all sense of time as he savoured every one of those moments until he thought of his mother, alone at home. He could not abandon her, he knew, regretfully, he could not stay, shook his head sadly at those who held out their hands to him, almost imploring him to remain. “I have to go.” “Stay,” said the ringmaster. “Stay,” said the zookeeper. “Stay, stay, stay.” The chorus would grow as he backed away, prepared to return to his miserable little room. “I’ll be back,” he’d call. “I promise.” And then he was lying once more on his bed with dusk falling beyond the brick walls.
This story is really quite clever, and while the story certainly contains some fairly common horror elements (well, common in the 70s and 80s, anyway), Ellis is able to bring them together in a way that doesn’t feel modern, exactly, but doesn’t feel aged either. This is a timeless sort of horror story – there are no elements that would make this tale feel out of place 50 years ago, nor, I imagine it would feel out of place 50 years from now. There are no mentions of era-specific technologies or the like – as long as people are living in houses, this story will likely hold up.
Tyler is a tortured sort of man, and not a lot of fun. But neither is his family nor the role which has been foisted upon him. He doesn’t want anything to do with his destiny, but he also doesn’t want to force that same destiny upon his sole heir. Here’s my one and only problem though – I didn’t like him at all. Like, he’s kind of being a big diaper baby about it all, and it seems like he does a lot more complaining and drinking than anything useful. I know you don’t have to like the protagonist, but I at least want to feel somewhat invested in them, and I failed to do that here. Maybe if the book had been longer and his character developed in any way other than just to show us he’s a mess. Some sympathetic aspect to his character (other than that he has a kid, because really, a lot of people have them, so…) would have been helpful for me.
But no matter what, that house is fucked up, y’all. That family is equally fucked up. It’s ALL fucked up, frankly. And those aspects of the story were a lot of fun.
Like most reasonable horror tales, there will be no happy endings here. But, I think you’ll be pleased with the unhappy ending Ellis provides.
As both house and bottles gradually yield up their secrets, it is made clear to Tyler what is expected of him and what will happen should he fail. Is Tyler master or servant of the house?
About the Author:
Stephanie Ellis writes dark speculative fiction, finding success in a variety of magazines and anthologies, the latest being “Milking Time” in Flame Tree Press’ A Dying Planet, “Asylum of Shadows” as part of Demain Publishing’s Short Sharp Shocks! series and “The Way of the Mother” in Nosetouch Press’ The Fiends in the Furrows. She has collected a number of her published, and some unpublished, short stories in The Reckoning, her dark verse in Dark is My Playground, and flash in The Dark Bites. She is co-editor and contributor at The Infernal Clock, producing three anthologies to-date and co-editor of Trembling With Fear, Horror Tree.com’s online magazine. She is also an affiliate member of the HWA.
Stephanie will also be featured in Silver Shamrock’s upcoming anthology, Midnight in the Pentagram, coming Summer 2020.
Rating:
I’m really excited to dig into Ellis’ short works, and to see what future novels she has in store (hopefully something longer than 126 pages – she’s certainly got the talent, I think, to give us something bigger, and I think her stories would only benefit from having more space).
Bottled By Stephanie Ellis Silver Shamrock Publishing Horror ASIN: B0838MX59C Expected Publication: January 21, 2020 E-book, Paperback 126 Pages Author's Website Publisher's Website
Reblogged this on alysonfayewordpress and commented:
A review of Stephanie Ellis’ novella from Silver Shamrock Bottled, out now to buy in paperback or e book-my review is yet to come – for Horror Tree.