“Four months to the day he first encountered the boy at Walmart, the last of Phil Pendleton’s teeth fell out.”At first glance, Phil Pendleton and his son Adam are just an ordinary father and son, no different from any other. They take walks in the park together, visit county fairs, museums, and zoos, and eat together overlooking the lake. Some might say the father is a little too accommodating … is a little too accommodating given the lack of discipline when the child loses his temper in public. Some might say he spoils his son by allowing him to eat candy whenever he wants and set his own bedtimes. Some might say that such leniency is starting to take its toll on the father, given how his health has declined.
What no one knows is that Phil is a prisoner, and that up until a few weeks ago and a chance encounter at a grocery store, he had never seen the child before in his life.
A new novella from the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TURTLE BOY and KIN.
Praise for Kealan Patrick Burke
“one of the most clever and original talents in contemporary horror ”
“A newcomer worth watching.”
“one of the best writers in horror fiction today.”
bestselling author of ROT & RUIN and PATIENT ZERO
“Reminiscent of Stephen King”
“a true master of his art”
more
Great story and just the way I like ’em-short, to-the-point, and twisted.
This book was enough to put it’s author right up there with my favorites. I can’t wait to read another of his work!
This book came massively hyped via all of my social media accounts and I was tentative at first when I started it. I was afraid that it would be a let down. I need someone to slap me for ever thinking KPB would deliver a let down.
I wasn’t expecting what was within. I didn’t read the synopsis truthfully. I loved the messed up cover, the interesting title, and seeing so many reviewers rave about this, I made the leap and read this in one sitting.
This is such a great cosmic/old ones tale. It has all of the elements horror fans will love – creepy kid, odd occurrences, brutal deaths and of course tentacles!
If you’re looking for a visceral, haunting tale that will cause you to read it at break-neck speed, look no further! Such a great read!
This book was wonderfully interesting, so much so that I actually wanted more. I think as far as build went, which I find to be an incredibly useful tool in horror, there was a bit lacking but it was immensely fun still. It’s a very short read, around seventy pages and not extremely in depth in feeling, aside from maybe loss which seems to be an underlying theme within this novella. I think the main character himself was a bit off putting personality wise, but not so much that it’s at all unbearable. I also think that, specifically, is mostly personal taste. The plot, however, was fast and enticing. I really enjoyed this as a short work and it kept my interest throughout. I think the author’s writing, while not extremely intricate, was tactful and smooth and really roped me into the plot well. As a side note, I also found myself loving the fact that this author doesn’t keep information from the character that the reader knows, and having that in a horror story is like a breath of fresh air. It was explained in a way that was believable and actually helped the lore behind the antagonist. If you enjoy surreal reality bending horror, creature horror, or just creepy stories, this is a fun, easy read.
This was my first book by Burke, but it won’t be my last!
As a self-professed massive wimp, I’m always a little shy with horror – it does’t take much to rob me of sleep – but this was perfect for me. I love a horror book that’s more disturbing than outright horrifyingly nightmare-inducing, and Sour Candy was that for me. Not sure if that means that it’s not terrifying or that I’m made of sturdier stuff than I thought, but either way, I slept fine *shrugs*
Anyway, I loved how dark this was. I’m excited to read more by him as my horror horizons widen!
Horror is supposed to tap into your worst fears. This short story/novella nails that when it takes the premise of “What if that horrible, shrieking child in the Walmart suddenly becomes yours?” Yeah, that’s a real nightmare lol. This is a quick, dark read.
Chocolate and Walmart will ruin your life…
That’s the basic message I gathered from the novella Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke. Just kidding. If I learned anything from Sour Candy, it’s that our lives are a result of not just the major choices we make, but also the mundane decisions that we give little thought to. The route we take to work, what time we check the mailbox, and yes, even the store we choose to buy our chocolate at, can all drastically alter the course of our lives.
Good horror reminds us that a scary story can start anywhere. Nordstrom’s can be just as hazardous as Walmart. And sometimes, the only reason an individual is marked for a supernatural event is for the simple reason that they were in a certain place at a certain time.
This is exactly what happens to Phil Pendleton in Sour Candy. Phil’s girlfriend Lori convinces him to spend a day on the couch doing nothing more than watching TV and eating—you guessed it—chocolate. So Phil drives to the local Walmart to satisfy Lori’s sweet tooth, but while there he witnesses a disturbing scene. A young boy, dressed more appropriately for Amish country than a Walmart, is screaming in the middle of the candy aisle. Meanwhile his mother stares vacantly into space, until she finally starts mashing handfuls of candies into her mouth, so forcefully that her teeth chip and gums bleed. Before he can back away, the shrieking child locks eyes with Phil and offers him a treat.
Once a choice is made, it can never be undone…
After leaving the store, Phil stops at a red light. Moments later, his car is rear-ended. Banged up and dazed, he crawls from the car and finds that the driver who hit him is the same woman from Walmart—the one with the Amish child. She is bloody and confused as she staggers toward Phil. Instead of doing him further harm, she leaves a piece of sour candy in his lap then walks into oncoming traffic…
Holy crap! Is what I’m thinking right now. Once the action starts, it doesn’t slow down.
When the cops arrive, they treat Phil more like a criminal than a victim. They specifically question him about the boy who Phil believes is still in the woman’s car. According to the cops though, there is no boy in the car. Weirder still is that no one from Walmart or the intersection ever saw the boy Phil describes. After more questions, the cops finally take Phil home to Lori—Nope! His girlfriend is gone, and just his son is at home. This is upsetting on many levels, one of which being the fact that Phil does NOT have any children. And can you guess who the young boy saying ‘Hi Daddy’ is? Yep, it’s the Amish kid.
You’ve heard of the Mandela effect? Phil is experiencing this effect on a whole new level. This is far beyond a little confusion regarding whether the Monopoly man wore a monocle or if Darth Vader says “Luke, I am your father.” The entire fabric of Phil’s life has been re-arranged. Everyone and everything, down to the family photos that now adorn his house, backup the fact that Phil is the father of the creepy Amish kid. A kid who eats nothing but sour candies.
Phil is left wondering if the child is pure evil and using some sort of dark magick to destroy his life or if he has totally lost his mind. Both are equally terrifying. I can’t imagine what it feels like to go insane. How would you even know you’re crazy? You just assume you’re you…normal. Yet everyone else keeps telling you about major aspects of your life that you simply cannot recall. Who can you believe? The doctor, the cops, your family?
Sour Candy is a fast-paced horror thriller from start to finish. It works really well as a short novella, only I do wish there was a little bit more information on the Elders. The plot is as addicting as a sugary treat and I devoured it in just a few sittings.
If you don’t want to know more, STOP here. I won’t spoil the ending, but I do want to mention one more thing about the elders…
It was refreshing to see ancient occult ‘old ones’ that aren’t overly Cthulhu-ish. Granted, there may have been some tentacle action in Sour Candy, but beyond that, Burke’s creation of evil elders felt very original. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next treat Burke feeds to us.