Swallow
by Sam Smith
If Stephen King's Carrie taught us anything, it's that you never push a girl to her breaking point.
In Swallow--a young-adult horror novel by Wattpad author Sam Smith--the exact same thing can be said.
Our story begins simply enough. Mildred, a seventeen-year-old girl, is a victim of constant bullying. Conventionally unattractive and overweight, she is the butt of seemingly everyone's insults, including from her parents and teachers. In her senior year of high school, things reach a peak. Mildred's bullies aren't leaving her alone, ad the girl's life, though simple, is depressing. So when her bullies push her to her breaking point, Mildred finds that her only hope for salvation might lie in the local occult shop. What she doesn't know is that, by inviting help from someone who practices dark magic, she will ultimately change her life--and awaken a hunger she could've never possibly imagined.
Swallow is the first full-length novel that I've read on Wattpad, and judging by the quality of the writing, it's not going to be the last. Filled with dread, horror, demon possession, and enough gore to satisfy the most die-hard horror fans, it's a novel that keeps on giving up until the very last page.
In Swallow--a young-adult horror novel by Wattpad author Sam Smith--the exact same thing can be said.
Our story begins simply enough. Mildred, a seventeen-year-old girl, is a victim of constant bullying. Conventionally unattractive and overweight, she is the butt of seemingly everyone's insults, including from her parents and teachers. In her senior year of high school, things reach a peak. Mildred's bullies aren't leaving her alone, ad the girl's life, though simple, is depressing. So when her bullies push her to her breaking point, Mildred finds that her only hope for salvation might lie in the local occult shop. What she doesn't know is that, by inviting help from someone who practices dark magic, she will ultimately change her life--and awaken a hunger she could've never possibly imagined.
Swallow is the first full-length novel that I've read on Wattpad, and judging by the quality of the writing, it's not going to be the last. Filled with dread, horror, demon possession, and enough gore to satisfy the most die-hard horror fans, it's a novel that keeps on giving up until the very last page.
Unfortunately, Swallow didn't completely hit the this book is absolutely amazing mark for me like it could have. About halfway through, we are introduced to a minor subplot (which you will easily find should you choose to read it) that seemed out of place and jarring considering we are in Mildred's point-of-view up until this point. This subplot exists until the ending, wherein we find that there may be a sequel of sorts. I, personally, believe that the novel should have concentrated more on Mildred's struggle post-possession rather than detailing the exploits of two other characters, but I understand the author's reasoning for it. It just didn't seem to move the plot along. Combined with this, the revise-and-upload format indicated that there might not have been a second set of eyes on it before publication, which resulted in some minor typos and tense shifts.
However, those things aside, Swallow is a solid horror novel, and one that is immensely entertaining. It keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end, which is definitely what you want in a horror novel of this caliber.
Reviewer's note: I read this novel for free on Wattpad
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