Julian secures a summer job cleaning the mansion of the enigmatic Mr. V, a recluse fixated on obscure knowledge. Initially unsettled by Mr. V's grotesque appearance and eerie terra cotta statues, Julian is drawn in by the promise of generous pay. As he grapples with Mr. V's cryptic speeches, an inexplicable discomfort gnaws at him. Strange sensations intensify as he becomes entranced by the statues' empty gaze. Julian is left to unravel the sinister secrets lurking within Mr. V's esoteric beliefs, fearing what horrors may be unveiled.

This novella is undeniably peculiar. With engaging writing and a brisk pace, I found myself immersed from the outset, reading it in a single sitting. While I'm left uncertain about its overall meaning, it unquestionably serves as a fittingly eerie diversion, perfect for cleansing the literary palate.

I wanted to like this more than I actually did. The writing flowed nicely, but I just felt... I guess unsatisfied by the end of it. It felt like there could have been more done with it all, maybe more of an explanation.

The premise of the story is quite the attention grabber. While it piques your interest, you start reading the story it will grab you and will not let you go until there very end. Granted it is a short story, but it packs in enough detail to keep the readers interested. The story is intense and strange. The characters are weird and creepy. Just like a horror story should be. It's a great addition to the horror genre.

Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley and Timothy G. Huguenin for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a weird little story! The description of the environment was so lush and realistic that I felt the claustrophobic heat myself while reading it. I also always love a nebulous, barely-seen eldritch horror of human anatomy.

It takes some real talent to take a basic premise that has been done multiple times and then somehow still make it unique and make it stand out head an shoulders above the rest! I'll definitely be looking out for the authors backcatalouge and future releases!!

A young man has an opportunity to make lots of cash which he hopes will intrigue his love interest- however, she finds his mysterious and grotesque employer more interesting, and they sneak onto the employer's property. The stakes are high, higher than anyone could ever imagine.

Unknowing, I Sink by Timothy G. Huguenin was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I have read this author in the past, so when the opportunity arose to read this one, it was a no-brainer to accept the offer. That being said, this novella, which was a fairly quick read, started out very good, the pages flew by with no skimming. However, toward the end, it started getting weird and I had to reverse skim and re-read parts, thinking I had missed something. I had not, it had just gotten weird. If you, or someone you buy gifts for enjoys a book with a high creep factor, a strange main character and some over the top eating habits, give this novella a read.


4 Stars

This is a weird, absorbing, gruesome read that manages to be at the same time direct and poetic.

The writing grabs you from the very start and even though the more you read, the less you understand about what is happening (like our boy in the story), it is just impossible not to keep going till the end.

I loved the author's style and I'm already reading another one of his books.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange from my honest review.

I just finished Unknowing, I sink by Timothy G. Huguenin and here are my thoughts.

Julian gets a summer job so he can buy a car. He gets a job cleaning the mansion of the elusive Mr V, an eccentric man who has a thing for knowledge.
Problem is the man is grotesque in appearance but the pay is good and it comes daily, he will be car ready in no time.
The house is full of cameras and there is nowhere for Julian to go where he cannot be seen. The strange man and the odd conversations have Julian on edge. What horrifying secrets might Julian unwittingly uncover?

This novella blew my mind. I didn’t know what to expect from such a short read but it checked all the boxes. The eccentric Mr V needing his eggs on his belly and barely cooked? CRICKEY!
Really enjoyed the description of the house and the weird conversations they both had. Had me really intrigued all the way through and the ending…. WHOAAAAAA
Did not expect that ending. So well done. Great writing and I was really engaged!
4.5 stars! What a book!
Thank you #netgalley and #timothyghuguenin for my review copy!

I was initially drawn in by the cover art and interesting title. And if I’m honest, Nick Roberts’ blurb calling him a “Southern-fried Clive Barker”. Bring it on.

This was a short read, coming in at a scant 92 pages. But as the saying goes, good things come in small packages. Unknowing, I Sink is the story of a young man named Julian who takes a summer job cleaning the mansion of an old eccentric recluse. The job is strange from the start. Julian performs his job duties while being instructed via intercom. His first in person interaction with his employer is at lunch time, and it is thoroughly strange. He becomes aware of his employer’s mysterious medical condition, but doesn’t really know what’s going on. He’s just happy to get out of that room and back to work. He feels like something is a little off, but he has no idea.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. This book is delightfully creepy. Huguenin really pulls off the whole impending doom thing, as I felt the tension and dread right along with Julian. It checked off a lot of boxes for me. Interesting cover? Check. Well written? Check. Creep factor? Double check. Ick factor? Oh yes, check. I’ll be reading more of Huguenin’s work for sure. I’ve already signed up for his newsletter.

Big thanks to Timothy G. Huguenin and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. You can pre-order Unknowing, I Sink on Amazon and begin reading it on October 1, 2022. This will also be available via Kindle Unlimited and Audible.

Short, and to the point. But none the less creepy and eerie.
My kind of storytelling. The kind that stays with you well after the book ends.
Very fast read.

Unknowing, I Sink by Timothy G. Huguenin is a horror novella about a young boy who wants to buy a car so he starts working for a reclusive man to back some money over the summer.

I love horror novellas and this was no exception. This grossed me out in the best way and the foreboding atmosphere was perfect. I wouldn’t recommend this book to everyone because it is really strange but anyone who likes weird horror should check this out.

This is creepy, spooky, and just a little bit gross. It has great atmosphere. The author has set a chilling, disturbing vibe throughout, and the story is quite mysterious. Not everything is fully explained, but with the hints given, readers can imagine and piece together their own version of the backstory and truth of Mr V’s nature. I appreciate the ambiguity very much.

This is a gem! I enjoyed reading every word, and highly recommend it!

This novella has the perfect setup: A creepy old mansion on the outskirts of town, a teenager who finds himself working there to save up money for a car, and an equally creepy employer. Add the employer's grotesque and mysterious appearance, and you're sure to have a creepy little read. Well, that's what I thought the majority of the book at least. But then came the ending...

I'm not sure if I missed something, or just simply didn't understand what was going on, but I absolutely dislike it when I get invested in a story and then the ending makes no sense. Of course, reading in the horror genre means the endings will most likely not be good, which is not what I'm talking about. I also don't mind an open ending, but this wasn't that either. The ending in Unknowing, I Sink just didn't do anything for me but leaving me confused.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy.

Unknowing, I Sink by Timothy G. Huguenin.
Julian finds a summer job cleaning a mansion belonging to Mr V, an eccentric recluse obsessed with arcane knowledge. The man’s grotesque, swollen appearance, caused by an unknown condition that keeps him bedridden, initially disturbs Julian. And those creepy terra cotta statues lurking in the shadows don’t help to ease his nerves. But the rich old man wants to pay him more than he ever imagined. While Julian struggles to understand his new employer’s discursive monologues, a dreadful ache grows inside his chest. Where has this feeling come from? How is it that a statue’s blank stare can cloud his mind? And what bizarre and horrifying secrets will he discover when Mr V’s esoteric philosophies become manifest?
Omg. Brilliant read. Creepy and spooky are eerie. Loved the cover. 5*.

Julian is 15 years old, and two weeks from now he will be 16, and what is that all American teenagers want more in the world? To have their own car and have their romantic interest ride with them and maybe let them do something, but first Julian needs to get the money to be able to get a car, and for that he gets a job, and with that idea and through his father he gets a job in the house of a very wealthy and mysterious old man, his main job there is to clean and also prepare lunch for the old man, and always 15 eggs, yeah the old man is really weird, but to work there, he has a very important rule, he cant, not even to check for the time, look into his phone, it is better to leave his phone at home, and to make things weirder, he doesn’t get a fixed some of money, he gets what the old man thinks is fair, also there’s cameras all over the place to see what he is doing…

This was a very short read, but very creepy, amusing and gross hahah I know those are words that you don’t usually use in the same sentence, but is true, I think if you like short stories that will creep you out but at the same time you could relate to what the Main character wants to do, yeah this story is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Timothy G. Huguenin for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

Talk about less being more and this novella would be a prime example. This is a tense, chill filled little story that keeps getting creepier and creepier until you're about to pass out from holding your breath.

Atmospheric, unpredictable, and utterly horrifying, this novella is definitely one you need to read just in time for the spooky season!

Huh? I feel like I completely missed the point of this. I was expecting something rather different and horrific but it was just a short, weird story that didn’t really go anywhere. I feel like the author wanted there to be some profound message hidden in it, which I guess you could find, but I was hoping for a bit more!

This is an awesome horror novella. I was able to read this within a couple of hours. I could not put this down until I finished it.

15 year old Julian got a new summer job working for Mr. V, an eccentric recluse living in a mansion. Julian is hoping to save enough money to buy a car for himself, and hopefully impress a girl he likes.

This story is immersive and strange. I enjoyed every bit of it. It almost reads like poetry. The prose was smooth and elegant.

Thank you #NetGalley and Independent Legions Publishing for sending me the ebook to read and review.
#UnknowingISink by Timothy G. Huguenot

This novella is quite strange. The writing and the pace are pretty engaging from the start and I read it in one sitting. I don't quite know what to make of it, but it's definitely an appropriate spooky palate cleanser.
3,5 stars.