Penpal

Penpal by Dathan Auerbach

This non-linear novel follows the story of an unnamed narrator who learns the secrets of his dark past.

The protagonist believed he lived a normal life, just like any other child, but when he begins to put the pieces together of his mysterious childhood, he wishes he can forget what he learned. It all started with an innocent kindergarten activity—releasing a balloon with a note.

If you’re into reading creepy and disturbing stories then Penpal is for you. It’s an easy and quick read that will allow the reader to use their imagination and detective skills while expanding their curiosity. The protagonist is an extremely likable character and as a reader, you’ll only want to help him make sense of what happened. There were certain nights where I had to put the book down because of its overwhelming eeriness, but even when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. I had to make sure to restrain my curious and impatient eyes from skimming future pages. It had me internally screaming, “I need to know!”

The first half of the book is much scarier than the second half. There were certain sections in Penpal that had me dosing off, but most of it was intriguing and captivating. Auerbach knows how to effectively spook the reader, but some of the story was a little unrealistic. Knowing that it was a fiction novel, I kept wishing it was a true story so it seemed more practical. With that being said, I really did love the book. I mean I did finish it in three days so it obviously did something right. Definitely looking forward to reading more from Auerbach.

If you don’t feel like purchasing the book, you can read a shorter version on HERE.

7.5/10