Book Review - Imp by S.E. Reid

A beautifully written piece of quiet horror

We all love a great book, but there are times when a story just cuts a little deeper than most. That is the experience I had with Imp by S.E. Reid. I absolutely devoured this book, which at 73 pages, wastes zero words on filler and fluff. It is beautiful and got under my skin right from the opening paragraph.

Imp tells the story of Cal Thornton, a writer struggling to find his words after an awful movie adaptation of a successful horror novel derailed his career. He heads to a retreat called Graft Creek in hopes of finding his muse and rediscovering the words that made him such a hit in the past.

While at the retreat, Cal meets an aging painter who has been a regular at the retreat for years. The moments where these two characters sit and talk absolutely bristle with an undercurrent of tension that you can feel sizzling between the lines. The writing is astonishingly good, and you also get little reveals about the “magic” of Graft Creek.

As a writer, I have experienced the feelings of failure and hopelessness experienced by the main character, which helped make the story feel all the more real. If you are looking for violence and gore, you are going to be disappointed, but if it’s a beautifully written tale that worms it way inside and makes you feel uncomfortable you are after, then you need to get your hands on Imp. I can guarantee that many of you will get through it in a single sitting.

Grab a copy HERE.

5 Stars out of 5