Review
An e-copy of the book has been provided by the author, Jeremy Ray, in exchange for an honest review.
What seems to be an event to promote peace becomes nothing more than what it was supposed to be.
The Gatherings wasn’t as effective in creeping me out as Petrified Women but I can see why people are telling that the “monsters” in the story is resemblant of those human shaped vines from Annihilation.
I love the concept of writing that was executed in this book. It was not a full-on epistolary, taking in consideration that it was a continuous writing. But it was definitely a long-arse journal where the writer [main character] shares her experiences before the event that took place. As I began reading the story, I was already processing the conceptualization of how the book would be executed. I wanted it to have writing errors to give it a realistic feel to it. Lo and behold, Ray did not disappoint!
In the progression of the story, it really introduces many possible tangents. One that I absolutely loved was a moment where I questioned the reliability of the main character. It was an interesting point and it really propelled the story for me. It rattled the entire story, gave it a façade, and allows the reader to contemplate on the authenticity of the story. A marvelous situational placement that provided a strong character to the story.
In the depth of this story lies something so real and seemingly innocent. There is a confusing line that separates people and their actions, and it is hard to distinguish definitely if the act is pure and genuine or something that is done in light of making face. I regret that I did not connect with this story more than I want to but it would be a lie to say that I did not like the writing. Jeremy Ray is truly someone to look into if you want a short and fun (more like creepy) read — he writes so well — and I’m very much looking forward to him putting out a novel.
About the Author
Jeremy Ray graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a MFA in Dramatic Writing. He is the recipient of the Max K. Lerner Playwriting Fellowship for his play Boiling Point and the Shubert Playwriting Fellowship for his play Sisters of Transformation. His work has been performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and his screenplays have placed in the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards Competition, The Academy Nicholl Fellowship, and the ScreenCraft Drama Contest.
However, he is most fond of prose. He spends his free time devouring books like the bookworm he is.
Reply