Review: Death, doubts and decisions
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 16, 2014
I was irresistably reminded of Hamlet reading this short story. Thomas, the central character, is indecisive. And, just as for the Prince of Denmark, that carries consequences. Thomas' girlfriend, Keziah is injured while out clubbing with her friends – Thomas doesn't enjoy the club scene and wasn't with her. She believes she was bitten by a vampire, and begs him to bury her and then to disinter her in eight days. Thomas has to decide whether he will comply with her wishes. Does he believe she is truly going to become a vampire? He does not believe in the undead, and he tussles with his doubts as the story continues. Gemma Farrow does a very good job of getting inside Thomas' head so that we understand his uncertainties, his disbelief, and his hesitancy. His world and his job feel very real and very grounded, making his doubts about the supernatural even more poignant.The English setting feels believable and ordinary, and the characters are solid and natural. The writing is good, and the plot holds together. My only criticism is that the finale is almost too rushed after the build-up. This is a bleak story about death and doubt, and it makes a good job of avoiding the cliches of such things as Twilight or the numerous iterations of Dracula.