The Octopus Nest by Sophie Hannah
Sort Of Books (ebook), 2014
17 Pages
I borrowed this ebook from my library and read it on my Kobo.
BLURB
Claire and Timothy are chilled to discover that the same strange woman keeps popping up in the background of their holiday snaps. Who is this apparent stalker? The answer is more frightening than Claire ever imagined. The Octopus Nest, Sophie Hannah’s prizewinning short story from her collection of ‘glittering darkness’ The Fantastic Book of Everybody’s Secrets is the first to be published as an exclusive eBook short.
OPENING SENTENCE
IT WAS THE SIGHT I HAD HOPED NEVER TO SEE: the front door wide open, Becky, our sitter, leaning out into the darkness as if straining to break free of the doorway’s bright rectangle, her eyes wide with urgency.
REVIEW
I really enjoyed this short story. The story is well-written and paced well and the big revelation is held until the end. Hannah uses the popular fiction plot – a twist in the tale. This isn’t the most original structure to use for fiction. Hannah makes it work really well in The Octopus Nest. The story makes you think one thing is happening and the final few sentences turn things upside down. Nicely done. I might just read the whole collection the story is taken from.
RATING
