by Michael Penkas
Genre: Supernatural, Short Stories
Dead Boys was a welcome departure from what I find myself usually reading. Would I have picked it up had it not been submitted? Probably not. Why? Because short stories aren't my normal thing. Simply because I enjoy investing the time to get to know the characters and follow a story through it's arc. Penkas succeeded by giving me the appetizer, but I still wanted the main course. Thankfully, his concepts were intriguing and thought provoking enough to make the read satisfying.
Classified as horror, it is a collection of ghost stories. With a very spiritual feel to it, the stories were unlike what I've seen before. Each story eerie and completely different from the last.
Do you believe in ghosts? The afterlife? If you could visit your loved ones in the afterlife, would you? Can ghosts have sex with the living?? All questions you'll ask yourself after reading Dead Boys.
If you're looking for something short and unique, Dead Boys is where it's at. Pick it up and see for yourself.
The Bookie Monster's Rating:
They're not hard to find, if you know where to look. In the back of a pub after happy hour. In a dorm room between semesters. In a dog park after sunset. In a hospice room on Christmas Eve. Dead boys.
Michael Penkas brings you four stories about the dead who refuse to leave and the living who refuse to let them go.
Parable of the Lazy Rooster - A priest offers consolation and the most exotic drink on Earth.
Cold Comfort - A prostitute visits the scene of a tragedy in order to render her own brand of absolution.
Wet Dog Perfume - A lonely man mourns the death of one friend as he makes another.
Midnight Cappuccino - Christmas Eve brings together a family separated by more than miles.
Following the dissolution of Twilight Tales in 2010, he became part of Cult Fiction, a writers workshop and seasonal reading event. His stories were performed at five events before the group was put on hiatus in late 2011.
Currently, Michael Penkas is a regular participant at the Top Shelf Books (Palatine) open mic event, Tamale Hut (North Riverside) reading series, the Bad Grammar (Chicago) reading series, and the Gumbo Fiction Salon (Chicago). He is the website editor for Black Gate.
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Website: http://michaelpenkas.blogspot.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelPenkas
Website: http://michaelpenkas.blogspot.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelPenkas
Length: 37 Pages
Published by: Self-Published
Publication Date: May 9, 2013
Where to Buy:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Boys-ebook/dp/B00CQB2GNA
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/314981
Published by: Self-Published
Publication Date: May 9, 2013
Where to Buy:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Boys-ebook/dp/B00CQB2GNA
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/314981
About the Reviewer:
Shay Festa A.K.A. The Bookie Monster reviews horror and paranormal books, with an emphasis (but not limited to) zombie fiction. With a background in Psych Nursing, Shay brings her unique perspective to the online reading community. Follow her on Twitter or Facebook. And keep an eye out for the future release of her debut novel, Time of Death