Review: Rotten Little Things by Justin M. Woodward

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis

TWELVE YEARS BEFORE THE EVENTS OF TAMER ANIMALS

Monica has suffered from paranoid schizophrenia her entire life. For the most part, she manages her disease well—that is, until her family moves into an old house in the woods, and she starts seeing an imaginary entity from her childhood creeping around the property. 

NEW HOME. OLD HAUNTS.

Things quickly become terrifying for Monica as her reality begins to blend with fiction, and something else entirely. . . some indescribable evil out in those woods.

Review

Thanks to the author for an advanced reading copy of Rotten Little Things in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this eARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novella.

This is my first foray into the mind of Justin M. Woodward and it certainly won’t be my last. I’d heard/still hear great things about his novella, Tamer Animals, on Instagram and gave him a follow. Shortly thereafter, he was looking for bloggers to take on his newest novella, Rotten Little Things, which I later found out to be a prequel to Tamer Animals. I’ve been told that it would be a bigger gut punch to have read TA before, but RLT will stick with me for days now that I’ve pushed through. Tamer Animals may have to wait its turn, at least until I’ve finished sleeping with the lights on.

Rotten Little Things is the perfect mix of Adam Nevill and Kealan Patrick Burke. Put The Ritual and Blanky in the same room and just let it happen.

RTL is a very quick read at around 91 pages (wait, that was seriously 91 pages?) and Woodward does a fantastic job of never letting up in that short span. It is scary as f^$k and now EVERY SOUND IN MY HOME WILL HAUNT MY DREAMS.

DON’T YOU BOUNCE THAT BALL IN THE HOUSE.

Back to it. Monica… bless her heart. She has no friggin chance and there is not a thing anyone around her can do. Her husband, Jacob, tries his best to “fix” her, but there just isn’t anything in this life that will stop what is coming.

Honestly peeps, I don’t want to say any more because you just need to read it. I do warn you though: read it in good lighting, and make sure you have a weapon at the ready on your nightstand.