Title: Gargoyle
Author: J. Scott Coatsworth
Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited
Length: 1700 words/short story
Category: Horror
At a Glance: For being a short story, I thought J. Scott Coatsworth gave a good portrayal of the characters. It’s a creepy, quick and easy read that leaves us with a lesson to be learned.
Reviewed By: Maryann
Blurb: James Matson – Mattie to his friends – has it bad. It’s 1974 in Alabama, not the best time or place for a young gay guy to have a crush on his college football quarterback. But James can’t help himself.
Randy Paxton is a football player with needs. His girlfriend isn’t putting out, so he takes what he can get. A warm mouth is a warm mouth, after all.
And Daniel O’Malley has a crush too… on James. But James hardly gives him a second glance. What’s a guy to do?
It’s Halloween night, the time when the veil between this world and the next thins, and anything can happen. And tonight, something will happen, something that will change all three of their lives forever.
Review: James Matson is naive and tries to keep that he’s gay a secret, but he has his eye on Randy Paxton. He knows Randy is straight and will probably just use him. But James thinks he needs to be used.
Randy considers himself the big man on campus. He knows everyone wants him, male or female. He’s crude, obnoxious, a bully and homophobic. And, he’s targeted James as his next victim.
Daniel O’Malley knows what it’s like being gay on a campus in Alabama. As he watches James interact with Randy, he decides to try his best to warn James before he gets hurt. Can Daniel show James that even though they both made the same mistake, life can still be good?
On Halloween night, outside the girl’s dorm, Randy leads James to what’s known as the “black hole” behind the dorm. After James leaves, humiliated and hurt, Randy has his mind on only one thing—a gargoyle that sits at the top of the dorm.
For being a short story, I thought J. Scott Coatsworth gave a good portrayal of the characters. Daniel and James both had a certain chemistry that brings them together nicely. The author uses some harsh wording to create Randy’s character as very unlikeable and deserving of what he gets. This creepy tale is a quick and easy read that leaves us with a lesson to be learned.
You can buy Gargoyle here:
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