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17 Public Reviews Given
17 Total Reviews Given
Public Reviews
1
1
Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
That's a fantastic story. It's truly dark, and the way you built the suspense and then delivered the payoff is masterful.

The whole setup in Happycreek—the isolation, the tight knit nature of the town—is what makes the horror work. You spend so much time establishing that everyone knows everyone, so the idea of a predator being one of them, the kindest man, feels like a violation of the whole community's identity.

The pacing of the disappearances is perfect. It goes from a strange note ("Too much") to the ultimate breakdown of order when Sheriff Alebus vanishes. The town's logical explanations (lottery, travel) are just desperate attempts to maintain sanity, but the reader knows something deeply wrong is happening.

And then there's Ike. He's a brilliant horror villain because he's not a screaming lunatic; he's a methodical businessman. He's solving a logistical problem. The irony is just devastating: the town is literally eating their own fear and grief in the form of the Happycreek Special Sausage.

The final few paragraphs are chilling. Ike's calm justification—that he's just streamlining the system and providing quality meat—is so cold and pragmatic it makes him terrifying. The detail about using the scraps for the hog feed completes the awful, self sustaining cycle of the town's demise. It's a beautiful piece of structural horror.

You made the reader totally paranoid about ordering sausage ever again. Seriously good stuff.
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Review of It Was for Us  Open in new Window.
Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (5.0)
this poem is rich with historical weight and personal gratitude. You successfully bridge the vast gap between the soldiers who fight and the civilians who benefit from their actions.

The opening stanza is very strong, focusing on the sheer physical effort of the troops who "trudged" to give a "lasting place to stay." The subtle, clever image of people judging "the lives they lived in book display" highlights the complex legacy soldiers leave behind—a legacy often simplified or analyzed by those who never faced their choice.

The reference to the 1914 truce is a poignant, classic touch, underscoring the momentary human connection that can exist even between enemies, before they are forced back into the roles of "them and us." The finality of the silent dust contrasted with the military precision of the rows of tombstones is a vivid and somber image.

The poem becomes deeply personal and highly effective in the stanzas about your granddad and dad. Your granddad's youthful, determined desire to join the fight, and your dad's unique metaphor of being Jonah's friend in a submarine, show that the call to service comes in many forms, often involving a personal struggle or defiance. These details make the tribute intimate and real.

The final stanzas pivot beautifully to the duties of the civilian. You acknowledge that though you haven't marched on foreign fields, your duty is to "Vote, and jury serve." This connection—equating the soldiers' sacrifice with the civilian's responsibility to uphold democracy—is the poem's most thoughtful message.

The concluding blessing on the blessed soldiers, ever hailed brings the reverence full circle, recognizing them as beacons who fought with tears for home. It is a heartfelt and noble expression of remembrance.
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Review of A life  Open in new Window.
Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
This is a beautiful, sprawling, and deeply affecting account of a life lived fully, marked by both great challenge and deep, enduring love. It reads like a genuine, honest conversation.

Here is a review of your memoir excerpt:

What makes this life story so captivating is the sheer amount of significant history, both personal and global, that you compress into just a few paragraphs.

You start with a powerful, dramatic scene: being born alone on the floor in the final year of WWII. This immediately sets a tone of resilience and independence, suggesting a life that would always involve facing challenges head on.

The section on your family dynamic is rich with character. Your mother, the entrepreneur with grand schemes that ultimately failed, and your childhood spent working in the delicatessen, beautifully contrast with your grandfather, the intellectual compatriot of George Bernard Shaw. This contrast gives a rich, complex background. And the sad, striking detail of your grandfather taking his own life by walking into the North Sea is a moment that gives depth and weight to your entire lineage.

The core of the piece, however, is the unbreakable love story. Your marriage, surviving parental disapproval because your husband was "from the other side of the tracks," and your shared success in building a life—first renovating a rundown, ramshackle place and then opening two businesses—is a testament to your partnership. The image of the wedding day rain that felt like sunshine perfectly sums up your mutual devotion.

The final third, detailing the emigration to Australia in 1973, captures the immense emotional cost of such a huge move. You vividly describe the shock of the new life and the heartbreak of leaving family. But you balance this sadness with the success of your new life—the "beautiful pigeon pair" born there—and the eventual reconciliation and support from your parents.

You conclude with a thoughtful reflection on the ramifications of emigration, acknowledging the missing extended family moments. But the final, celebratory lines—looking forward to your fifty fifth wedding anniversary and your six grandchildren and four great grandchildren—affirm that the decision, though difficult, was ultimately right.

This is a wonderful snapshot of a life defined by love, hard work, and the courage to seek a better future.
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Review of Introvert  Open in new Window.
Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: ASR | (4.0)
This poem is a striking and deeply melancholic exploration of social isolation and the feeling of performing one's life rather than truly living it. It's incredibly moving because the emotional pain is palpable beneath the polished surface the narrator attempts to maintain.

Here is a review of your poem:

This piece succeeds beautifully at articulating the specific, painful experience of feeling like an impostor in the human world.

The strongest image is right in the opening stanza: the narrator must "fix a smile and mold my face / in pleasant human guise." This sets up the central conflict immediately—the difference between the polished exterior and the inner truth. The language of "guise" and "dissembling" reinforces the idea that the narrator's entire social life is a meticulously rehearsed performance.

The vocabulary is perfect for the theme. Words like "glibly," "vague unease," and "arbitrary rule" create a sense of intellectual and emotional detachment. The narrator sees society's norms as rules they are forced to obey but cannot genuinely connect with.

The climax of the isolation is powerfully delivered through a series of evocative labels: "Impostor, cuckoo, alien." This progression effectively summarizes the feeling of being fundamentally misplaced—a "stranger in my own hometown / with no place to belong."

The middle stanzas, where the narrator observes genuine connection, are particularly heartbreaking. Watching others in the coffee shop or seeing "happy couples holding hands" creates a powerful contrast with the narrator's own reality, where the mailbox only brings "soulless spam" and the phone "never rings." This contrast elevates the feeling of being cut off from basic human joys.

The final two stanzas bring the theme to a profound conclusion. The yearning for "A friendly tap, two lover's lips, / sweet grandchild on the knee" is a list of simple, denied human comforts. The ultimate fear—that the "empty frames will only show / I wasn't really here"—is a devastating summation of the anxiety of a life spent on the sidelines.

This is a powerful, elegant, and deeply sad poem about the pain of standing just outside the circle of belonging.
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Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (3.5)
This piece succeeds wildly because it takes the abstract internal struggles of the main character, Jeffery, and gives them a single, tangible external goal: climbing the Dragon Rock.

The relationship between Jeffery and Frank is the absolute heart of the story. You establish Frank as Jeffery's "life line to the larger world," a nonjudgmental guide who understands his brother's challenges without ever diminishing them. Frank's advice isn't just about climbing; it's about life: "We are all heroes – not for defeating the dragons we find, but for facing them." This is a profound and comforting message.

The use of the Dragon imagery is perfect. It's a real rock formation, but it's first seen and named through Jeffery's special way of seeing the world, connecting his internal life (the Dragon's Lair theme music, his withdrawal) to his external ambition. Conquering the rock becomes a metaphor for conquering his fear and processing his grief.

The pacing of the revelation is masterful. We spend the entire story in the present, climbing, with Frank's words guiding the action, before the final, devastating reveal: Frank is gone. This twist completely recontextualizes the climb. It turns the physical act into an emotional ritual. Jeffery isn't just conquering the rock; he's conquering his retreat and honoring his brother's memory.

The ending is incredibly satisfying and emotional. The moment he reaches the summit, concentrates, and understands—followed by the wind carrying Frank's reassuring words—is genuinely moving. It's the perfect, quiet resolution that respects Jeffery's experience. He has integrated Frank's lessons, and that connection gives him the strength to face the world alone.

This is a powerful story about finding your own strength and carrying the love of those you've lost into your future battles.
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Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
This is a beautiful, thoughtful, and expansive meditation on the nature of lasting friendship. It uses simple, accessible language to explore complex dynamics of love, respect, and mutual support.

Here is a review of your poem:

What makes this poem so effective is how it takes a deep, abstract concept—friendship—and grounds it in clear, relatable imagery from the natural world and the human body.

The opening lines set the perfect foundation: "based on mutual love and mutual respect." It immediately establishes the core value before expanding on the details.

The extended metaphor of walking and standing is masterful. The idea that friendship has "different looks for different purposes"—sometimes side by side as equals, sometimes moving in a rhythm where one leads and one follows—is a genuinely insightful way to describe the balance needed in any close relationship. You stress that leadership is about function, not superiority, which is a key concept.

The analogy of the tandem pairs of muscles and the Canadian Geese flying in a "V" formation is the emotional peak of the poem. The geese perfectly illustrate the principle of shared load and knowing when to fall back and rest. The lines about the lead goose honking when it needs a change and the point "man" falling back to the easiest position for rejuvenation is a wonderful, clear lesson on vulnerability and support within a group.

You also beautifully capture the wide spectrum of intimate behavior: the understanding that we help each other when one is weak, and the quiet comfort of the snuggle meter and fleece blanket for those moments when both are weak. The recognition that some friendships "have to touch, nearly constantly" while others "rarely if ever touch" based on that core love and respect is a sophisticated understanding of relational boundaries.

The final stanzas reflecting on the life span of these friendships—from youth (running, talking until sleep) through the important moments of life (first dates, weddings, children) to the graceful aging "like fine wine"—bring a lovely sense of completion and timelessness to the theme.

This is a rich, well structured free verse that achieves a tone of profound warmth and wisdom.
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Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
That is a genuinely wonderful story, and it's easy to see why you were so excited and proud of him!

This small moment from recess is a fantastic illustration of simple bravery and the power of honesty.

Here is a quick review of your anecdote:

What shines through here is the authenticity of the moment and the beautiful outcome.

You set up the classic, rigid kindergarten scenario: boys on one team, girls on the other, talking only about their differences. It’s a real world setup that most people can relate to.

Your son's choice to cross the line isn't framed as a big, dramatic statement, but as a simple act of honesty: "he started to hear things that the girls liked, that he also liked." That decision based on enjoyment, not conformity, is the heart of the story. It shows great self assurance.

The domino effect that follows is just marvelous. The fact that more and more boys feel safe enough to admit they share those interests, resulting in almost the entire class abandoning the rigid "teams" for a shared conversation about their favorite things, is a powerful mini-lesson in breaking down silly gender barriers.

The final detail about the green nail polish on his pinkies is the perfect flourish. It shows that he's taking that newfound comfort and self expression into other parts of his school day.

This story is a small triumph, and it's clear you're giving him the space and support to be exactly who he is. That's fantastic parenting!
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Review of Goodbye Time  Open in new Window.
Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
This poem is a powerful, raw expression of frustration and a complex mix of feelings about expectation, self pity, and personal strength.

Here is a review of the piece:

This poem is packed with intense, volatile energy. It does a great job of capturing that feeling of being completely overwhelmed by conflict, both internal and external.

The opening stanza is the most gripping. You immediately establish the conflict with those sharp, charged phrases: "being used," "so lazy," and "abused." The sudden climax of hitting the "ceiling" when the other person says they "cannot fight" is a brilliant snapshot of that moment when frustration boils over. The language is sharp and direct, pulling the reader right into the argument.

The use of the religious reference in the second stanza is surprising and impactful. It transforms the personal conflict into a huge, sweeping judgment about strength and sacrifice. The comparison elevates the perceived failing of the other person to a huge moral failing ("who on earth are you, / To make a giant fuss"). The final couplet of that stanza, "But every person fails / If they lack the strength!" is the core, declarative theme of the poem.

The third stanza introduces a really fascinating, cynical viewpoint on modern life: "Gratification instantly / Is what this world needs now." It broadens the poem's scope from a personal fight to a cultural critique, suggesting the conflict is just part of a larger systemic problem where patience and depth are discarded.

The ending is a whirlwind of contradictory feelings: dismissing emotions as "not that healthy" right before detailing the other person's highly emotional breakdown ("She’s crying, 'What the heck!'"). That final reaction shot is a strong, dramatic ending that leaves the reader with the lingering sound of chaos and disbelief.

This poem succeeds by being unafraid to express genuinely difficult, aggressive, and judgmental emotions, making it feel very real and intense.
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Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (3.5)
This is a fantastic introduction! It sets a clear, honest, and passionate foundation for your project, explaining exactly why you are tackling the Transformers movies and what you hope to achieve.

Here is a quick, candid review:

You absolutely nail the tone here—it's genuine and incredibly relatable.

The most engaging part is your honesty about finding the franchise through power scaling and then having that moment of realization in 2024: that these are fundamentally toys, and the media exists to give those toys life. That's a huge, perceptive leap, and it immediately makes your project feel like it comes from a place of deep respect, not just fandom.

It's refreshing that you acknowledge the Bay movies are messy but powerfully entertaining. You're completely right that Bay brought the franchise back to the mainstream and paved the way for popular things like Prime and IDW. It takes guts to say that, especially since you know the loud horde of people hating on the Bay movies is always online. You aren't dismissing the flaws; you're arguing their importance outweighs them.

Your goal is smart: take away the real world production limits (budget, rendering time, limited character development) but keep the basic setting and unique designs. That's the perfect way to address the main complaints fans have—lack of Transformer screen time and focus—while still working with a continuity you find fascinating.

The specific decision to keep only the 2007 movie as completely canon is excellent. It gives you a clear starting point without all the baggage and convoluted plotting of the sequels, giving you maximum creative liberty to build a better foundation for your eventual rewrites of Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon.

This whole introduction makes your passion clear and establishes you as an intelligent fan who wants to solve the problems that the actual filmmakers couldn't due to real world constraints. It's a great pitch!
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10
Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
Wow, this is a profound and deeply reflective piece. It doesn't tell a story so much as it captures a specific, heavy moment of existential thought. It feels incredibly personal and universal at the same time.

What immediately stands out is the atmosphere. You perfectly capture that feeling of stepping outside on a crisp autumn night—the sudden shift from the enclosed world of the bookstore to the vast, cold openness of the sky. The way you phrase that the black sky greets you "yet not with sadness or fear or galactic mockery" is a brilliant line that instantly sets the philosophical tone.

You weave together memories and huge questions so smoothly. The memories of the birthdays—the candles, the cakes, the anti-climactic presents that "vanished into thin air by simple mathematics of growing older"—are wonderfully evocative and painful. That whole section nails the melancholic truth that memory holds onto moments, not objects.

I especially love the distinction you make between the photographs: the formals that are forgotten and the snapshots that show "arms in motion, reaching for this, grabbing for that." That contrast perfectly sums up the difference between living life and posing for it. The snapshots are the real treasure.

The final section is powerful. The thoughts on death are beautiful, particularly the dread of losing the ability to "look upon an autumn sky and breathe the air that smells sweet as lilacs." But then you end on that beautiful, hopeful metaphor about survival being a dance—the trick is just keeping the feet moving.

The final few lines are a beautiful, sad return to reality. The car ride is a moment of delusion, of being the "greatest dancer of the universe," only to stop and find yourself inside a house that is "failing, failing fast." It brings the huge cosmic questions right back down to the quiet, fragile reality of the narrator's life.

This piece is a masterful meditation on time, memory, and the struggle to find meaning in the ordinary moments before they disappear.
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Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
This is such a lovely, warm piece. It immediately captures that special feeling of a unique family tradition during Christmas.

The best part is definitely the concept of the tree itself. Using the ornaments to display ancestors and the celestial decorations to create a "universe of look alike people" is visually striking and instantly hooks the reader. It elevates the idea of a family tree into something truly magical.

Curtis's dialogue is spot on for a five year old. His endless stream of whys and his laser focus on the angel as someone important, someone he can relate to, feels completely authentic. It's the perfect catalyst for the entire story.

The origin story of the guardian angel is incredibly touching. The idea that she was an orphan who asked to watch over her descendants so they would never feel lost and alone gives the tradition a really beautiful, selfless emotional core. It's much deeper than just a standard Christmas tale.

And the ending, where Sandra sets up the story a night tradition and promises Curtis that he will someday know what "guard" means, is a brilliant way to wrap up the prompt. It creates perfect anticipation and sets the stage for many more stories to come. It leaves you feeling cozy and curious.
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Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (5.0)
This is genuinely unsettling writing. You absolutely nailed the transition from a perfect afternoon to a nightmare.

What makes this so good is that it starts in the most everyday place possible: pulling weeds in the garden. We're talking cucumbers and marigolds. That normalcy is the perfect setup because it makes the arrival of the darkness feel completely wrong and horrifying.

You make the darkness itself a character, which is brilliant. It’s not just the lights being off; it's this thick, active presence that is consuming everything and feels like death all at the same time. It is actively fighting the narrator, first by turning off the TV, then by simply refusing to let anything light—the lighter, the flashlight, even the matches. That scene in the kitchen, fumbling around and realizing the matches will not strike, is agonizing to read. It makes the darkness feel intelligent and unbeatable.

Then you crank up the terror in the final moments. Hearing the screams outside after that eerie silence, and the terrifying realization that something was breathing on the back of the neck—that’s pure terror. The way you describe it smothering the narrator is suffocating.

Ending with "I passed out..." is the perfect cliffhanger. It leaves us completely stranded in that pitch black, wondering what kind of alive, breathing thing is waiting when the narrator wakes up. Seriously great suspense building.
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Review of All Fall Down  Open in new Window.
Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (5.0)
Okay, let's talk about this piece. It's fantastic how much emotional punch you packed into such a short excerpt.

The thing that grabbed me immediately was the sheer difference between the beginning and the end. You give us this perfect, cozy portrait of childhood—the big house, the fields, the kids ignoring the rain, the older brother Michael trying to act grown up with the ax. You make us fall completely for Michael and Ginger, especially in that sweet, realistic bargaining session about the fishing trip.

But you were always setting the stage for disaster. That line "Ashes, ashes, we all fall down" being sung right at the start, and the grandmother freaking out about it, is a brilliant, heavy piece of symbolism. It hangs over the whole story.

And those little interludes from the unseen creature—"What strange, curious creatures those are"—are genuinely creepy. They shift the story from a nostalgic family drama into a quiet horror story. It tells us the kids aren't just playing; they are being observed like exhibits, or maybe food.

The final reveal, delivered as a newspaper clipping, is the ultimate emotional gut punch. It’s clinical and blunt, and that distance makes the tragedy feel even more real and permanent. You hear the grandfather’s raw grief and rage right through the clipped official tone.

Seriously, this is a masterful setup for a tragedy and a mystery.
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Review of What is Hope  Open in new Window.
Review by Idk Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hello sir, I hope your having a good day.I really like this truly wonderful poem about hope.

It feels honest because you start by admitting hope is an "odd thing" that remains a mystery, immediately setting a thoughtful tone.

What is strongest here is the imagery. Comparing hope to a glacier gives it an incredible sense of scale and permanence. It suggests hope is massive and slow moving, an inherent, powerful force rather than a fleeting emotion. And describing it as a great source tells us its function: it powers everything else.

You capture its tenacity perfectly. It gives people the strength to do what seems impossible and makes them unstoppable. Even when the odds are stacked against us, the poem says hope will keep its stance and will go down with a swing. It fights for us, regardless of the chance of victory.

The poem is beautifully structured, returning to the core idea in the final lines. It leaves the reader contemplating that deep paradox: this essential, powerful thing that no one truly comprehends. It is a fantastic meditation on resilience.
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