Customer Reviews

Crazy Little Things

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Adam P. Knave pulls no punches. Zombies, ghosts, demons, donuts, teenage beauty pageants, many hapless victims, and Mr. Binkles all blend magically in this tour de force of horror, dripping sarcasm, and reality inspired mayhem. Knave paints colorful and believable landscapes from the every day reality of our lives. These stories make you jump, laugh, and think and always end in some unexpected fashion. This is not your everyday writer and these are not everyday stories. This is an awesome book that entertains from start to finish.

Adam P. Knave knows that for different people, fear comes from different places. With Crazy Little Things, he explores twelve different sources of fear, and is bound to have at least one which will strike a nerve with you. His stories feel real, packed with the kind of dialog and reactions you would expect were the situations in those stories to come true. This gives gives the twists he applies to traditional story elements of zombies, fairies, and even beauty pageants that much more punch. This is a collection you'll want to read in the dark, curled up with your favorite teddy bear.

On second thought, you might not want the bear nearby.

Knave has a way of getting to me. After reading his Mr. Binkles stories I will never be able to buy a teddy bear for a child again--I won't take on that responsibility. And when it comes to beauty pagents, it didn't take long for memories of Jon Benet Ramsey to fill my head and make me wonder as I read "Pretty Little Dead Girls." But the cream of the crop, and a grand crop it is, is the title story, frightening and tender in its own peculiar way. Can't wait to see what his strange, eerie mind devises next. Now why is a little voice inside my head saying, "be afraid, be very afraid"?

Basically Crazy Little Things is a mix tape in book form. Like any good mix tape each story puts you in a mood and gets you revved up, pulls you right into it. Then? It ends. Often a tad predictably.

The brilliance of Knave's work is in how easily he is able to pull the reader in through the use of realistic nuance. He is excited about his characters, and the reader can feel it and be swept up. His characters notice and play on the small, everyday pieces of the world that make us all human, by highlighting the monsters we all keep inside.

Crazy Little Things is a the perfect mixtape of a book, one song or many at a time. As if he made it just for you, each tale is familiar, just a bit. If only they could be longer, and perhaps with less predictable chord progression.

Adam P. Knave is one of those writers who is incapable of not entertaining. His stories, essays, novels, scripts are always worth reading... The guy just knows how to amuse, scare, delight, and shock his readers -- often simultaneously, which is no small feat. CRAZY LITTLE THINGS is a collection of short stories that contains some of his best work and is definitely worth a purchase, read, re-read, and recommendation to everyone you know who enjoys quality writing.

THE Stories in this collection are a mix of horror, fantasy, and science fiction and I enjoyed them all thoroughly. My favorites were "Causing
Effects and Crazy Little Thing". I am glad to have a new author on
my list, that can make me shiver and that can make weirdness seem
normal.

Adam P. Knave doesn't let the reader get away from the story for a second. Once you open the cover, you are committed. He draws you in. The first story up for grabs involves a beauty pageant for little girls. At first, I was honestly apprehensive for me it felt like a taboo subject. He comes out swinging. He is fearless that way. You know what, you are right there with him. It is ok to squirm. At times you will. I did at least. Sometimes the reading experience works just like a movie where you know something bad is going down. You want to turn away. You are glued to your seat just the same. At the very least, you have to peek through your fingers. You need to know what is going to happen next.

His word choices are fresh. He pays attention to detail. You can't skim. Each sentence is important; nothing is wasted. The stories move at a fast pace. There is no fluff. The characters are well developed. You aren't force-fed. You get their perspective though. You feel and see what they do.

Admittedly, this is my first journey into zombie land. I loved the way Adam used them in stories, seeing the different approaches. I think that is one of the things I enjoyed the most. I like seeing a new take on things.

The fairies were great, but I have to say that a certain evil teddy bear will always keep me coming back for more. It was such a fun ride. Pardon me now. I have to go check and make sure my firewalls are secure.