Review: A dark and brilliant novella
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 25, 2011
Joanna Raines was losing her sight. It crept upon her stealthily until she was left in almost complete darkness. As a young photographer her entire world revolved around her visual impressions.Electing to risk transplant surgery before being forever trapped in blackness, what at first seemed to be a miraculous cure has turned into Joanna's worst nightmare.Through her new eye, a dead man's eye, she is now able to see what others can't, an evil that resides within, an evil that is spreading. But what can one former photographer do to stand up against the powers of hell? Will Joanna be able to find help before it's too late? Or will the legions of hell claim her first.***Dead Man's Eye is a novella in the horror/thriller genre. Joanna Raines has Fuchs' corneal dystrophy and received a transplant in one eye. While still in the healing stages, she is witness to a terrible accident and begins seeing what appear to be dark corona-like shadows around the victim.Afraid that she is going crazy, she is reluctant to seek treatment, but when the shadows turn out to be something other, something evil, she can no longer stand idly by.Author Shaun Jeffrey has written a dark and brilliant novella. The author has a very smooth quality to his writing which offers a nice contrast to the subject matter. While only a short narrative, there is enough substance to the plot to make this story feel complete. And it is the author's ability to really paint a picture with his words that elevates this from being just another horror story.From the very first line, the writing captivates:Joanna Raines looked at the world through a dead man's eye.On a personal note:I was pleasantly surprised by this book. From its description I anticipated this to follow along the lines of those horror stories where someone receives a possessed body part from a transplant and evil and violence ensue. That was not the case here.Although similar in concept to the film "Jian Gui" and its American re-make "The Eye," the story progresses very differently. As I've read hundreds of horror stories, I didn't expect this one to wow me. And while the plot itself and its ending are not unexpected, it was the writing that stood out.I did not anticipate an indie horror author to have such command of their words and the ability to craft such a well-written novella. I would typically never rate a short horror story a five (aside from Stephen King), but the writing in this one deserves it.