Monday 21 October 2019

Alfie And The Dead Girls by Jamie Stewart


Alfie And The Dead Girls by Jamie Stewart
Self published on the 24th July 2019.

One of my 2019 New Release Challenge reads

How I got this book:
Received a review copy from the author

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The car continued to keep pace, trailing her.
It was unlike any other car she had ever seen. It was old and well maintained, its coat a brilliant aquamarine that gleamed in the sun’s rays.
‘Do you like my car?’ asked Fred, catching her admiring gaze.
Emma’s cheeks burned.
‘Most people do,’ he said, chuckling, ‘it’s a great ride’.

Emma Woods, a quiet, bookish, eleven-year-old is about to start her first day at secondary, which means new classes, new teachers and new classmates.

Emma is terrified and in her terror-stricken state she reaches out to her new school’s social media page to make friends. That’s where she meets Alfie.

Alfie is joining Radcliff Secondary School as well. Alfie likes the books she likes and most importantly he wants to be Emma’s friend. However, now there’s a strange car driven by a strange man trailing Emma with a promise to take her to Alfie.

What follows next is a story that is every parent’s worst nightmare. Alfie And The Dead Girls is perfect for fans of Stephen King, Joe Hill, John Grisham, Shirley Jackson, and Harlan Coben.

Jamie Stewart's short story, Alfie And The Dead Girls, might clock in at less than forty pages, but it really punches above its weight - a deliciously chilling tale that I very much enjoyed reading. Obviously there isn't space for detailed scene setting or in depth character analysis, however I was impressed by Stewart's ability to concisely put across emotions and ideas. A strength of this story, I thought, is that it frequently prompted me to let my imagination jump ahead. Stewart's sharp changes of tack were then very unsettling and, therefore, perfectly suited to the thrilling atmosphere he has created! On the downside, I would have liked stronger proofreading as errors often distracted me. That said however, I felt Alfie And The Dead Girls was a good introduction to Stewart's writing and I look forward to starting his full length novel, Mr Jones, soon.


Etsy Find!
by Hippy Gypsy Fairy Ware
Michigan, USA

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Books by Jamie Stewart / Short stories / Books from Northern Ireland