Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke is a psychological horror tale of a man stuck in a supernatural nightmare who is forced to constantly second-guess what is going on.
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke –
Based on general appearances, the relationship that Phil Pendleton and his son have is a typical father/son relationship. There’s only one problem. Phil just met the boy in a local Walmart before a car accident changed everything.
Feeling like he’s either losing his mind or being horribly gaslit by everyone, Phil struggles to understand what is happening. Feeling like he’s constantly one step behind what’s actually happening, he plays along for a while. Finally reaching his breaking point, he makes a plan. But little does he know, he’s still one step behind.
This is one of the most unsettling reads I’ve encountered. The constant second guessing what was happening was absolutely terrifying. You can’t read this tale without questioning what you would do in this situation.
My Favorite Passages from Sour Candy –
Four months to the day he first encountered the boy at Walmart, the last of Phil Pendleton’s teeth fell out.
The bones in his chest felt like shards of broken glass and he feared if he stood, he’d shatter into pieces.
Somewhere along the line his life had jumped the tracks and he had found himself in a nightmare, and like the worst kind of nightmare, he could not move, the people around him too busy chatting, redirecting traffic, or filming the scene with their iPhones to realize the very real and possibly dangerous drama taking place on the edge of it.
My Final Thoughts on Sour Candy –
What a twisted and intense psychological tale! While I do love my sour candy, I don’t think I’m going to look at it the same way ever again…
Thanks for reading!
Given that I am someone who is constantly second-guessing what is going on combined with your saying that this is one of the most unsettling reads you’ve encountered and I’m afraid I’m out as this book would surely prove a bit too daunting a psychological thriller for me.
Great cover though, I love the artwork.