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Jack & Jill
Alternate Cover Edition can be found here.
When they were kids, Gillian and John used to visit the local cemetery every Sunday after church. It was a curious place for children to frequent, but they had their reasons. The main attraction was the lofty hill that separated the cemetery from the elementary school, and the act of tumbling down it like Jack and Jill was a ritualistic escape from the abuse they were suffering at their father's hands.
It was an escape that lasted only until John's tragic death.
Now, Gillian is all grown up. Married with two children, she has managed over the years to force the trauma of her nightmarish childhood into the darkest recesses of her mind.
But lately there are dreams, and in them Gillian sees impossibly vivid reenactments of the horrors she endured as a child. Nightly, she sees John die all over again, only not in the way she remembers.
And something else is in those dreams, stalking her, a terrible figure with wire-hanger hands and a plastic bag wrapped around its rotten face. A monster whose reach starts to extend beyond the boundaries of sleep into the waking world, threatening everything Gillian holds dear.
A monster she once called Daddy.
When they were kids, Gillian and John used to visit the local cemetery every Sunday after church. It was a curious place for children to frequent, but they had their reasons. The main attraction was the lofty hill that separated the cemetery from the elementary school, and the act of tumbling down it like Jack and Jill was a ritualistic escape from the abuse they were suffering at their father's hands.
It was an escape that lasted only until John's tragic death.
Now, Gillian is all grown up. Married with two children, she has managed over the years to force the trauma of her nightmarish childhood into the darkest recesses of her mind.
But lately there are dreams, and in them Gillian sees impossibly vivid reenactments of the horrors she endured as a child. Nightly, she sees John die all over again, only not in the way she remembers.
And something else is in those dreams, stalking her, a terrible figure with wire-hanger hands and a plastic bag wrapped around its rotten face. A monster whose reach starts to extend beyond the boundaries of sleep into the waking world, threatening everything Gillian holds dear.
A monster she once called Daddy.
106 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 2, 2013
About the author
Kealan Patrick Burke
189 books2,181 followersBorn and raised in a small harbor town in the south of Ireland, Kealan Patrick Burke knew from a very early age that he was going to be a horror writer. The combination of an ancient locale, a horror-loving mother, and a family full of storytellers, made it inevitable that he would end up telling stories for a living. Since those formative years, he has written five novels, over a hundred short stories, six collections, and edited four acclaimed anthologies. In 2004, he was honored with the Bram Stoker Award for his novella The Turtle Boy.
Kealan has worked as a waiter, a drama teacher, a mapmaker, a security guard, an assembly-line worker at Apple Computers, a salesman (for a day), a bartender, landscape gardener, vocalist in a grunge band, curriculum content editor, fiction editor at Gothic.net, and, most recently, a fraud investigator.
When not writing, Kealan designs book covers through his company Elderlemon Design.
A movie based on his short story "Peekers" is currently in development as a major motion picture.
Represented by Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House Agency.
Kealan has worked as a waiter, a drama teacher, a mapmaker, a security guard, an assembly-line worker at Apple Computers, a salesman (for a day), a bartender, landscape gardener, vocalist in a grunge band, curriculum content editor, fiction editor at Gothic.net, and, most recently, a fraud investigator.
When not writing, Kealan designs book covers through his company Elderlemon Design.
A movie based on his short story "Peekers" is currently in development as a major motion picture.
Represented by Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
April 23, 2018
*non spoiler review*
I was told that this novella is dark. No stranger to fiction with teeth, I was excited to see just how "dark".
When I finished the last page, I peeled myself up off the couch to get my laptop so I could write up this review and my head felt, foggy. I had a funky taste in my mouth. My eyes glazed over as I stared at my homescreen.
Yes. This book is dark. Very dark.
So it's not for everyone and I feel an obligation to offer up a trigger warning for victims of sexual abuse when they were children.
But Kealan Patrick Burke further proves to me that his wheelhouse is character development under tragic circumstances. This is what he does best. This story is ugly--it travels back and forth from real-time events to the narrator's distressing dream life. In real-time, we witness the bleak aftermath of a life ravaged by an unnatural, abusive childhood and in the dream life, we are given glimpses into the past as well as something more ominous.
The ending has left me with some questions--so if you've read this story--let me know on Instagram so I can see if other readers feel the same way.
Final word: Kealan Patrick is a deft hand at novellas. I have previously read Sour Candy, Blanky and a collection called Milestone-all of which are excellent! This one is no exception.
I was told that this novella is dark. No stranger to fiction with teeth, I was excited to see just how "dark".
When I finished the last page, I peeled myself up off the couch to get my laptop so I could write up this review and my head felt, foggy. I had a funky taste in my mouth. My eyes glazed over as I stared at my homescreen.
Yes. This book is dark. Very dark.
So it's not for everyone and I feel an obligation to offer up a trigger warning for victims of sexual abuse when they were children.
But Kealan Patrick Burke further proves to me that his wheelhouse is character development under tragic circumstances. This is what he does best. This story is ugly--it travels back and forth from real-time events to the narrator's distressing dream life. In real-time, we witness the bleak aftermath of a life ravaged by an unnatural, abusive childhood and in the dream life, we are given glimpses into the past as well as something more ominous.
The ending has left me with some questions--so if you've read this story--let me know on Instagram so I can see if other readers feel the same way.
Final word: Kealan Patrick is a deft hand at novellas. I have previously read Sour Candy, Blanky and a collection called Milestone-all of which are excellent! This one is no exception.
January 15, 2014
So, yeah...this book ROCKED.
Start with a marriage on the rocks. Add in the horrible long term effects of child abuse. Sprinkle in some hallucinations and what have you got? Jack & Jill.
I've been a fan of Kealan Patrick Burke for a while now, and this novella only reinforces my belief that he is one of the finest horror and dark fiction authors working today.
He nails the marital problems emotionally. Any couple that has been together a long time will immediately recognize these domestic arguments as real and true.
The turn this story took was gripping, horrifying, gut-wrenching, and somehow, extremely satisfying. My satisfaction was, however, tempered by the sadness that child abuse can cause, not only for the victim, but for their future families as well.
My highest recommendation!
Start with a marriage on the rocks. Add in the horrible long term effects of child abuse. Sprinkle in some hallucinations and what have you got? Jack & Jill.
I've been a fan of Kealan Patrick Burke for a while now, and this novella only reinforces my belief that he is one of the finest horror and dark fiction authors working today.
He nails the marital problems emotionally. Any couple that has been together a long time will immediately recognize these domestic arguments as real and true.
The turn this story took was gripping, horrifying, gut-wrenching, and somehow, extremely satisfying. My satisfaction was, however, tempered by the sadness that child abuse can cause, not only for the victim, but for their future families as well.
My highest recommendation!
September 10, 2019
Coat hangers for hands – wow, a picture worth a thousand words when you feel the truth that bears the picture. And that's what I like about reading Burke. This would only be my second (with a short story collection on the horizon), but as in Blanky, more than just a little substance lies behind the story of Jack & Jill. This is Gillian's story, nicknamed Jill by the little brother of her youth, and as the nightmares of those many years past return her to the place she's tried to forget, her current family is taken down that road with her. It's crazy how nightmares can also reveal the things hidden and buried in childhood, and even more so how events replay themselves through generations.
February 26, 2021
4.5 stars. Dark and twisted... and what an ending!! Burke always delivers. Full review to come
October 2, 2018
Kealan Patrick Burke knows horror. In this novella, he once again shows us that real horror lies in tragedy, and is at it's strongest when it's tied to emotional pain rather than simply the physical. I don't want to say too much about the plot other than we follow a woman still struggling to cope with childhood trauma. Burke pulls the rug out from under us and the ending is as horrifying as you can imagine, immediately making you want to read it over again just to see if you read it right.
But part of the reason why this works so well is how much of a grasp Burke has on the characters and the interactions. Gillian and her husband. The way they interact with their children. Everything is so recognizable that it hurts even more when it all begins to crumble in an epic way. Kealan Patrick Burke is definitely an author you can depend on.
But part of the reason why this works so well is how much of a grasp Burke has on the characters and the interactions. Gillian and her husband. The way they interact with their children. Everything is so recognizable that it hurts even more when it all begins to crumble in an epic way. Kealan Patrick Burke is definitely an author you can depend on.
December 23, 2017
So normally novellas and short stories don't hit me as hard as a standard book would. Not in this case. First of all, it's Kealan Patrick Burke - I read his horror novel, Kin, and immediately knew I had to read more of his work. When I saw him posting about this novella, based on the nursery rhyme (kind of), and in a darker, more horrific way, I could NOT pass it up!
I loved Gillian and her brother (the Jack to her Jill), John's ritual of tumbling down a hill as an escape from the abuse they received at the hands of their father. Flash forward to the future and we find that John has passed away. While Gillian has moved forward in her life, basically disowning her father, getting married and having two children, she cannot leave the past behind It has a tenuous hold on her, its tendrils grabbing onto her soul. Her nightmares intensify as she relives her brother's death and soon it starts to appear in her real life. Is she going insane? Soon she doesn't know what's real and what's not.
For a quick read, this one really packs a punch. It's dark, gritty and a look at how sometimes your nightmares are all too real. Burke knows how to bring full on horror to his descriptions. The chapters where she's dreaming, or even when she's hallucinating, are cringe worthy in the best possible way.
Now, the subject matter may not be for everyone. And the ending may have some of you scratching your everything. Personally, I loved it. I was satisfied and didn't need all the answers. When something is written this way and it's done right, then I'm happy to let my imagination take me in any direction I want.
I loved Gillian and her brother (the Jack to her Jill), John's ritual of tumbling down a hill as an escape from the abuse they received at the hands of their father. Flash forward to the future and we find that John has passed away. While Gillian has moved forward in her life, basically disowning her father, getting married and having two children, she cannot leave the past behind It has a tenuous hold on her, its tendrils grabbing onto her soul. Her nightmares intensify as she relives her brother's death and soon it starts to appear in her real life. Is she going insane? Soon she doesn't know what's real and what's not.
For a quick read, this one really packs a punch. It's dark, gritty and a look at how sometimes your nightmares are all too real. Burke knows how to bring full on horror to his descriptions. The chapters where she's dreaming, or even when she's hallucinating, are cringe worthy in the best possible way.
Now, the subject matter may not be for everyone. And the ending may have some of you scratching your everything. Personally, I loved it. I was satisfied and didn't need all the answers. When something is written this way and it's done right, then I'm happy to let my imagination take me in any direction I want.
February 16, 2014
Sometimes, the past just won't stay dead. And never are those words truer than when it involves the victims of abuse. Kealan Patrick Burke knows how thin the scar tissue is over that kind of trauma. How old wounds can suddenly reopen, disintegrating relationships and sanity, years later. One of the most powerful pieces of fiction I've read in a long time, one I will not soon forget. Kealan Patrick Burke doesn't just touch a nerve. He hooks it up to an emotional powerline and cranks up the juice.
This one hits like a bolt of lightning.
Highest possible recommendation.
This one hits like a bolt of lightning.
Highest possible recommendation.
December 21, 2013
An incredibly well-constructed novella about the physical/sexual abuse a father perpetrates on his children, and the repercussions it has on one of them years later.
Gillian and her brother, John, are both victims of their father's perverted attentions, until John's mysterious death. After that, the father's transgressions are brought to light, and Gillian grows up, marries, and has two children of her own. Once Gillian had a loving life with her own family, until nightmares of the past come to haunt her relentlessly. The lack of sleep and questions raised by these haunting visions, eventually lead to inevitable, deteriorating family conditions. Gillian decides to confront her past, in order to put her present back in order--but is that a path that she really wants to take?
A frightfully emotional novella, with compelling characters and a smooth, vivid writing style. I did not leave this story until I had completely finished it--and even now, there are parts that are still haunting me….
Highly recommended!
Gillian and her brother, John, are both victims of their father's perverted attentions, until John's mysterious death. After that, the father's transgressions are brought to light, and Gillian grows up, marries, and has two children of her own. Once Gillian had a loving life with her own family, until nightmares of the past come to haunt her relentlessly. The lack of sleep and questions raised by these haunting visions, eventually lead to inevitable, deteriorating family conditions. Gillian decides to confront her past, in order to put her present back in order--but is that a path that she really wants to take?
A frightfully emotional novella, with compelling characters and a smooth, vivid writing style. I did not leave this story until I had completely finished it--and even now, there are parts that are still haunting me….
Highly recommended!
October 30, 2016
HOLY MOTHER OF ...!!!
Throughout this book I would have thought the only words to describe the story with would be: dark, difficult, heart-breaking, sick.
Now that I've finished the book however, I feel so elated. *lol* And yes, in an evil sort of way. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
The story is that of Jill (Gillian actually) and of what has happened to her and her brother Jack when they were children. It's an awful story of child abuse and the scars that leaves behind. It's also the story of offenders throwing themselves a pity-party, actually blaming their victims when their crimes come to light. And it's a story of how different mothers reactions can be. Unfortunately, the entire story is very realistic on that account.
After actually feeling sympathy for Chris after how Jill treated him thanks to her depression (I feel for her, but that doesn't mean it is easy for the husband or the kids), he completely ruined it when admitting that he had cheated on her. At this moment, the author graces us with this insight (from Jill herself): It made a certain sick sense that, given my recent behavior, my condition, a lonely man would seek solace and satisfaction in the arms of another woman, no doubt a more stable and loving one. No. Just no. Nothing EVER gives any spouse the right to cheat.
But that was not the worst of it, oh no. It's even worse than that.
I won't say more about where the plot is going because that would seriously spoil the story. All I can say is that I was blind-sided and the sort-of open ending (in two ways even) was BRILLIANT. The short story definitely is difficult to go through at first because Jill's nightmares are horrible, but is so worth it, especially considering the implications of the ending.
Throughout this book I would have thought the only words to describe the story with would be: dark, difficult, heart-breaking, sick.
Now that I've finished the book however, I feel so elated. *lol* And yes, in an evil sort of way. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
The story is that of Jill (Gillian actually) and of what has happened to her and her brother Jack when they were children. It's an awful story of child abuse and the scars that leaves behind. It's also the story of offenders throwing themselves a pity-party, actually blaming their victims when their crimes come to light. And it's a story of how different mothers reactions can be. Unfortunately, the entire story is very realistic on that account.
After actually feeling sympathy for Chris after how Jill treated him thanks to her depression (I feel for her, but that doesn't mean it is easy for the husband or the kids), he completely ruined it when admitting that he had cheated on her. At this moment, the author graces us with this insight (from Jill herself): It made a certain sick sense that, given my recent behavior, my condition, a lonely man would seek solace and satisfaction in the arms of another woman, no doubt a more stable and loving one. No. Just no. Nothing EVER gives any spouse the right to cheat.
But that was not the worst of it, oh no. It's even worse than that.
I won't say more about where the plot is going because that would seriously spoil the story. All I can say is that I was blind-sided and the sort-of open ending (in two ways even) was BRILLIANT. The short story definitely is difficult to go through at first because Jill's nightmares are horrible, but is so worth it, especially considering the implications of the ending.
June 29, 2015
Gillian is tormented by her abusive childhood. When she's not plagued by insomnia, her nightmares are a constant reminder of the pain she suffered. Lately, it's been taking a toll on her marriage and parenting. Gillian realizes that she must face the demons of her past once and for all by confronting her abuser. But it isn't long before she's questioning whether the past will ever let her escape or rather, if history will repeat itself.
Brilliant story-telling, as expected, from a brilliant author. It is not scary, but rather, chilling. The pacing might seem a bit slow, but I think it effectively adds to the suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and highly recommend it to all.
February 28, 2020
3.5 Stars
Once again, Burke demonstrates his writing chops with another dark and twisted horror novella. Given the subject matter, there are serious content warnings for abuse. The book is never overly explicit, yet the discussions itself made the book uncomfortable. My only negative was that I personally dislike the use of dream sequences and hallucinations in stories, so I did not love that aspect. However, the ending was great. I would recommend this book to any readers who can handle the content and want a wonderfully disturbing story.
Once again, Burke demonstrates his writing chops with another dark and twisted horror novella. Given the subject matter, there are serious content warnings for abuse. The book is never overly explicit, yet the discussions itself made the book uncomfortable. My only negative was that I personally dislike the use of dream sequences and hallucinations in stories, so I did not love that aspect. However, the ending was great. I would recommend this book to any readers who can handle the content and want a wonderfully disturbing story.
April 23, 2014
Reaction from the beginning....
This is me while reading.....
This is me after the ending....
I need more....
This is me while reading.....
This is me after the ending....
I need more....
February 26, 2021
‘A nursery rhyme tale to relish and remember’
Gillian was sexually abused by her father as a child and has suffered from recurring nightmares that remind her of these traumatic, life-altering experiences ever since. But now, in adulthood and with her own family, these vivid, but extremely disturbing dreams, are affecting her state of mental health to such an alarming degree that her own family are beginning to really suffer too. So, now the time has finally come to act, address and search for closure to these hellish and disturbing visions before she loses her mind and her family forever. But will she be able to deal with these terrifying messages and bury those bad times forever or will she just open up a can of worms and make life even worse for all concerned?
A well crafted horror plot written sensitively and with real expertise. Lots to enjoy and plenty thought provoking passages to really make you think twice - especially the end. This was excellent, but then again, have I really understood and interpreted it correctly? - I think so, but then again....Nicely done.
Rating: 4.2 dreamy stars in the land of our own opaque subconsciousness.
Gillian was sexually abused by her father as a child and has suffered from recurring nightmares that remind her of these traumatic, life-altering experiences ever since. But now, in adulthood and with her own family, these vivid, but extremely disturbing dreams, are affecting her state of mental health to such an alarming degree that her own family are beginning to really suffer too. So, now the time has finally come to act, address and search for closure to these hellish and disturbing visions before she loses her mind and her family forever. But will she be able to deal with these terrifying messages and bury those bad times forever or will she just open up a can of worms and make life even worse for all concerned?
A well crafted horror plot written sensitively and with real expertise. Lots to enjoy and plenty thought provoking passages to really make you think twice - especially the end. This was excellent, but then again, have I really understood and interpreted it correctly? - I think so, but then again....Nicely done.
Rating: 4.2 dreamy stars in the land of our own opaque subconsciousness.
October 2, 2018
I want to start this review by offering a trigger warning for sexual abuse in children.
Jack & Jill went up a hill...
This book is DARK. It doesn't go into detail about the abuse our main character, Gillian, endured but it does revolve around her life as an adult and how she copes with her past trauma, leaving us with quite the ending. (Wow!)
Kealan Patrick Burke has an incredible talent when it comes to giving his readers something dark and gritty to read without going overboard with disgusting details. We're allowed to use our imaginations and I think, in some cases, that aids in just how dark we are able to get in our own minds while devouring his work.
I typically avoid books of this nature because authors tend to go into detail and sometimes that detail is just enough to bring up some unwanted memories and make me nauseated. That was not the case here and I appreciate how well this was written.
Jack & Jill went up a hill...
This book is DARK. It doesn't go into detail about the abuse our main character, Gillian, endured but it does revolve around her life as an adult and how she copes with her past trauma, leaving us with quite the ending. (Wow!)
Kealan Patrick Burke has an incredible talent when it comes to giving his readers something dark and gritty to read without going overboard with disgusting details. We're allowed to use our imaginations and I think, in some cases, that aids in just how dark we are able to get in our own minds while devouring his work.
I typically avoid books of this nature because authors tend to go into detail and sometimes that detail is just enough to bring up some unwanted memories and make me nauseated. That was not the case here and I appreciate how well this was written.
October 2, 2019
3.5 Stars
December 2, 2018
Jack And Jill is a well written dark story with disturbing subject matter . Not a light easy read . It sticks with you so you may want to have a change of pace read for after . Burke is a good writer . I'll have to check out his other novels .
November 1, 2021
It's only 104 pages. But WHAT horror is crammed into that small amount of pages. To say this story got to me would be an understatement. Kealan Burke has easily easily earned himself a place on my list of favorite authors. This story is horrifying and chilling in so many ways. The story is told from the perspective of Gillian, our "Jill" .."jack" was her little brother John who died. Even as an adult and mother Gillian sufferers from PTSD and has nightmares that see more real to than the everyday reality. The monster that haunted her childhood is a constant terror, and with her mind set on blaming the "monster", Gillian sets out to try and fix things. Things escalate quickly, and we see the damage mental illness and childhood trauma can cause. The only fault I have with this novella is that the ending seemed too sudden...but it doesn't negatively affect the overall plot at all.
Actual rating 4.5 Stars
Actual rating 4.5 Stars
June 15, 2020
While I did thoroughly enjoying this novella, it didn’t quite pack the same punch for me as other Burke novellas that I’ve read. I think that may be because I was left with a few questions at the end and it left me feeling like the story was unresolved. If you’ve read it, hit me up in private because I’d very much like to discuss! That being said, I still very much enjoyed this story. Burke is the master of packing A LOT into a small package and this novella is no different than his others in that respect. Jack and Jill is particularly dark and disturbing, there are trigger warnings galore so do beware before you jump into this one blindly!
April 15, 2018
I have fallen in love with the novella, and it's all because of Kealan Patrick Burke.
And this novella! I knew it would be good, but I didn't expect it to affect me the way it did.
I'm not going to give away the ending, but stop here if you haven't read Jack & Jill. Trust me, and go into this one knowing as little as possible.
Gillian is grown up now and married to Chris. They have two kids, Jenny and Sam, but Gillian isn't able to connect with her family anymore. Every night she dreams of her brother John, and is chased by a nightmarish version of their father who abused them both when they were children. John died from a terrible accident when they were young, but Gillian finally managed to escape her father. Except he still haunts her dreams every night, and now it's affecting her marriage and her children. Gillian still has a lot of anger inside her, and the dreams that torment her every night cause that anger to be directed at her family. She's so sleep deprived that she's starting to hallucinate too, and the entire family is worried Gillian will never get well.
Fed up and worried for the kids, Chris takes them away for a few days, hoping that Gillian will seek therapy and decide that her marriage is worth saving. But Gillian refuses to believe that the problem lies with her, so she visits her father who is still alive and living a short distance from her home. She thinks that if she can get him to admit to the things he did to her and John that she can start healing and fix her marriage. But Gillian doesn't get what she wants. Her father doesn't think he did anything wrong, and after experiencing another hallucination, Gillian leaves with a resolve to do better and work at fixing her relationship.
I won't give away the rest, but Burke's writing is so good that you fully trust Gillian until the first awful moment that you realize that you really can't trust her at all. Burke does unreliable narrators so well, that I forget how well he does them, and with each new book I end up trusting his protagonists completely. The truth about Gillian is shocking, and then it just gets worse from there. Much worse. I didn't see the end coming, and it's still haunting me. I expect nothing less from Burke.
And this novella! I knew it would be good, but I didn't expect it to affect me the way it did.
I'm not going to give away the ending, but stop here if you haven't read Jack & Jill. Trust me, and go into this one knowing as little as possible.
Gillian is grown up now and married to Chris. They have two kids, Jenny and Sam, but Gillian isn't able to connect with her family anymore. Every night she dreams of her brother John, and is chased by a nightmarish version of their father who abused them both when they were children. John died from a terrible accident when they were young, but Gillian finally managed to escape her father. Except he still haunts her dreams every night, and now it's affecting her marriage and her children. Gillian still has a lot of anger inside her, and the dreams that torment her every night cause that anger to be directed at her family. She's so sleep deprived that she's starting to hallucinate too, and the entire family is worried Gillian will never get well.
Fed up and worried for the kids, Chris takes them away for a few days, hoping that Gillian will seek therapy and decide that her marriage is worth saving. But Gillian refuses to believe that the problem lies with her, so she visits her father who is still alive and living a short distance from her home. She thinks that if she can get him to admit to the things he did to her and John that she can start healing and fix her marriage. But Gillian doesn't get what she wants. Her father doesn't think he did anything wrong, and after experiencing another hallucination, Gillian leaves with a resolve to do better and work at fixing her relationship.
I won't give away the rest, but Burke's writing is so good that you fully trust Gillian until the first awful moment that you realize that you really can't trust her at all. Burke does unreliable narrators so well, that I forget how well he does them, and with each new book I end up trusting his protagonists completely. The truth about Gillian is shocking, and then it just gets worse from there. Much worse. I didn't see the end coming, and it's still haunting me. I expect nothing less from Burke.
January 26, 2018
Jack & Jill is a novella by Kealan Patrick Burke about a girl who experiences some out-of-the-ordinary terrible things and how those events still haunt her as an adult with a family of her own. We get to see childhood innocence, death of a family member/sibling, grief, mental illness, and child molestation all in one short novella. It’s like a smorgasbord of cringe-worthy debauchery! The way that KPB can craft all of this together the way he does is just further proof that he is brilliant and MUST be either sacrificing goats on the daily or summoning some badass dark wizard for help!
What I enjoy most about this story is the imagery Burke uses. A lot of this book is non-dialogue so his descriptions have to be good, am I right? One of my favorite examples is when he is talking about a childhood home: “Entering the gloomy hallway was like stepping back inside the womb… the house was smaller than I remembered it, the rooms narrower, as if my absence had created a vacuum that pulled the walls in closer.” Being able to evoke those same feelings a lot of us have about returning to our childhood homes and now they seem so small and faded is just the start of how good he is in this book! And some of the chapters are the protagonist’s dreams… and… they are TWISTED!
Another strong aspect of the book is how there seems to be this constant struggle of perception versus descent into madness versus reality. It’s not until at least halfway through that you begin to question the accuracy of the protagonist’s recollections and status of her stable mental faculties. What starts out as relentless nightmares results in a twist and shocking moment that made me cringe, drop my jaw, you name it. But that is what KPB does; he pushes his stories to those points that make you go, ‘OH MY GOD!” and then you thank all the Gods that you are reading his stuff! That climactic moment…
As with some of the best horror stories, this one really messes around in humanity and reality. It is easily a 5 out of 5 from me and I am excited there are so many more stories from him that I still get to read!
What I enjoy most about this story is the imagery Burke uses. A lot of this book is non-dialogue so his descriptions have to be good, am I right? One of my favorite examples is when he is talking about a childhood home: “Entering the gloomy hallway was like stepping back inside the womb… the house was smaller than I remembered it, the rooms narrower, as if my absence had created a vacuum that pulled the walls in closer.” Being able to evoke those same feelings a lot of us have about returning to our childhood homes and now they seem so small and faded is just the start of how good he is in this book! And some of the chapters are the protagonist’s dreams… and… they are TWISTED!
Another strong aspect of the book is how there seems to be this constant struggle of perception versus descent into madness versus reality. It’s not until at least halfway through that you begin to question the accuracy of the protagonist’s recollections and status of her stable mental faculties. What starts out as relentless nightmares results in a twist and shocking moment that made me cringe, drop my jaw, you name it. But that is what KPB does; he pushes his stories to those points that make you go, ‘OH MY GOD!” and then you thank all the Gods that you are reading his stuff! That climactic moment…
As with some of the best horror stories, this one really messes around in humanity and reality. It is easily a 5 out of 5 from me and I am excited there are so many more stories from him that I still get to read!
March 11, 2014
This excellent novella from KPB deals with a particularly unsettling and horrific topic, Gillian is married with two kids and is plagued by nightmares of the abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of her father.
Her nightmares and the fall out, place a tremendous strain on the relationship with her family and she decides to confront her issues head on, with a visit to the origin of all the pain.
This story is distressing in places, very well written and completely consuming. Stand out parts for me were Gillian’s visit to her mentally ill and seriously deluded father, the visions she experiences as her nightmares blend into reality and the chilling nightmares themselves. When the past resurfaces in horrific circumstances, she decides to act in the most brutal way imaginable.
Loads of quotes amidst some wonderful prose, here’s one that stayed with me.
“I am twelve, John is nine, and we have not yet learned of death. Pain and horror, however, are kindred. They visit us nightly, and take away little pieces of our soul. We live in nightmare and escape during daylight.”
Highly Recommended.
Her nightmares and the fall out, place a tremendous strain on the relationship with her family and she decides to confront her issues head on, with a visit to the origin of all the pain.
This story is distressing in places, very well written and completely consuming. Stand out parts for me were Gillian’s visit to her mentally ill and seriously deluded father, the visions she experiences as her nightmares blend into reality and the chilling nightmares themselves. When the past resurfaces in horrific circumstances, she decides to act in the most brutal way imaginable.
Loads of quotes amidst some wonderful prose, here’s one that stayed with me.
“I am twelve, John is nine, and we have not yet learned of death. Pain and horror, however, are kindred. They visit us nightly, and take away little pieces of our soul. We live in nightmare and escape during daylight.”
Highly Recommended.
July 22, 2014
Mr. Burke tackles family dynamics in this intense well written book of life gone wrong with this book . The main character Gillian, or Jill, is not doing so well. She is having re-occurring dreams of the death of her younger brother Jack. Jill’s dreams are so vivid they awake her and she is not able to get the sleep she needs. During the day she hallucinates. She can no longer deal with her own children, her fourteen year old daughter and younger son. She will not seek medical help and her husband is becoming quite concerned.
Jack and Jill may have been victims of the worst kind of abuse by their father. Now Jill is discovering signs, either real or hallucinated, that the cycle is being continued by her husband toward their children.
Mr. Burke handles his characters believably and courageously in this heart wrenching tale of terror and betrayal that could be taking place in any of our neighborhoods. This story will touch you.
This is copy 172 of 532 signed hardcover copies of this book.
Cover artwork by Fabio Selvatici
Jack and Jill may have been victims of the worst kind of abuse by their father. Now Jill is discovering signs, either real or hallucinated, that the cycle is being continued by her husband toward their children.
Mr. Burke handles his characters believably and courageously in this heart wrenching tale of terror and betrayal that could be taking place in any of our neighborhoods. This story will touch you.
This is copy 172 of 532 signed hardcover copies of this book.
Cover artwork by Fabio Selvatici
April 4, 2014
Kealan Patrick Burke can sure mess you up.
He writes fantastic characters and then proceeds to torture you with the awful things that happen to them. Tackling the most difficult of subjects is one thing. But to present in such a way, so deep inside the main character's fractured mind, that you cannot tell what is happening and what is dream, is masterful.
Genuinely horrifying either way, this story works on so many levels. I have discussed this book with several friends and we all came away with different takes on this novella---except we all agree that we were squirming throughout. It is a deep and very uncomfortable read---we can all agree on that.
Dark fiction at its best by one of the best---who still just keeps getting better with every book.
He writes fantastic characters and then proceeds to torture you with the awful things that happen to them. Tackling the most difficult of subjects is one thing. But to present in such a way, so deep inside the main character's fractured mind, that you cannot tell what is happening and what is dream, is masterful.
Genuinely horrifying either way, this story works on so many levels. I have discussed this book with several friends and we all came away with different takes on this novella---except we all agree that we were squirming throughout. It is a deep and very uncomfortable read---we can all agree on that.
Dark fiction at its best by one of the best---who still just keeps getting better with every book.
December 31, 2014
A truly disturbing tale of childhood abuses and one woman’s struggle to deal with the present, while confronting her troubled past. A brutal and flawless short work by KPB. 5 Stars! Highly Recommended!
October 12, 2019
Kealan his writing and atmosphere building is something I will keep looking forward to. Yet again the story, doesn't matter what he writes about really, pulls you in. I did expect a bit more creepy shit. But there certainly was a paranormal and psychological factor that made it dark and made me feel uneasy.
August 13, 2018
In order to escape the brutal reality of their childhood, Gillian and John would visit the local cemetery by their church every Sunday. Perhaps an odd place to frequent, but they had their reasons. Here they would pretend to be Jack and Jill. They would roll down the large hill that separated the cemetery and the elementary school. Pretending to be Jack and Jill was an escape from the abuse they were facing in their father’s hands. This fantasy world brought them comfort until the day that John tragically died.
Gillian is all grown up now with a husband and two children. She is trying to make a normal life for herself, but recently the nightmares about her childhood and her father have gotten worse. The overwhelming fear from these nightmares, the feeling that someone is stalking her. A shadowy figure with their head wrapped in a plastic bag haunts her every move. The terror has become so real that these dreams have transitioned into hallucinations. Can Gillian gather the strength to fight back or will she ultimately succumb to the monster of her nightmares?
Coming in at under 100 pages, JACK & JILL packs a literary punch! This novella is dark and focuses on the sensitive subject of child sexual abuse. Despite this cringeworthy topic, this story is very readable. The pages reveal a look into Gillian’s adult world and the nightmares that haunt her, as well as the hallucinations that these nightmares have transformed into. She is consumed by her past to the point of being unable to sleep at night, hold a job, and know what is happening in her family. I’m not usually a fan of ambiguous, did that or didn’t that happen endings, but I was surprisingly happy with this one. There were definitely a lot of questions for me when I finished reading, but I think that’s ultimately what made me love the story. JACK & JILL is a read that is impactful no matter what the truth to the story ultimately is. Kealan Patrick Burke is an absolute mastermind novella writer and I can’t wait to pick up another!
Gillian is all grown up now with a husband and two children. She is trying to make a normal life for herself, but recently the nightmares about her childhood and her father have gotten worse. The overwhelming fear from these nightmares, the feeling that someone is stalking her. A shadowy figure with their head wrapped in a plastic bag haunts her every move. The terror has become so real that these dreams have transitioned into hallucinations. Can Gillian gather the strength to fight back or will she ultimately succumb to the monster of her nightmares?
Coming in at under 100 pages, JACK & JILL packs a literary punch! This novella is dark and focuses on the sensitive subject of child sexual abuse. Despite this cringeworthy topic, this story is very readable. The pages reveal a look into Gillian’s adult world and the nightmares that haunt her, as well as the hallucinations that these nightmares have transformed into. She is consumed by her past to the point of being unable to sleep at night, hold a job, and know what is happening in her family. I’m not usually a fan of ambiguous, did that or didn’t that happen endings, but I was surprisingly happy with this one. There were definitely a lot of questions for me when I finished reading, but I think that’s ultimately what made me love the story. JACK & JILL is a read that is impactful no matter what the truth to the story ultimately is. Kealan Patrick Burke is an absolute mastermind novella writer and I can’t wait to pick up another!
June 29, 2015
**** 4 This Is Not Your Sweet Nursery Rhyme Stars ****
Yes, there is darkness hiding in the wings.
Yes, there are dangers that only night will bring.
Yes, there are bad things that wish to quiet your heart.
Jack & Jill is the story of Gillian and her tortured life as a child. The abuse her and her brother lived thru at the hands of her father.
The abuse is relived thru Gillians' horrible nightmares. As she struggles with the memories of her attacker and abuse, her marriage is falling apart and her relationship with her children is deteriorating.
As the nightmares continue to increase and become more vivid, Gillian begins to feel things she is not sure how to comprehend.
Her dreams are giving her riddles into her present life but she just can't wrap her mind around what the riddles mean. As her breakdown of these dreams continue, she gets a confession she is not expecting.
Her husband Chris confesses to being unfaithful. What Gillian never saw coming, was who he was unfaithful with.....her 14 year old daughter. This news twists Gillian's already broken mind. The next turn of events....well....let's just say.....
I DID NOT see any of that coming.
Why did you do this to me? It was a mistake, that's all.....that's all it was. A stupid mistake. Please Gillian, please get me help.
Hush now, someone will hear.
Definitely one shocking read.
Yes, there is darkness hiding in the wings.
Yes, there are dangers that only night will bring.
Yes, there are bad things that wish to quiet your heart.
Jack & Jill is the story of Gillian and her tortured life as a child. The abuse her and her brother lived thru at the hands of her father.
The abuse is relived thru Gillians' horrible nightmares. As she struggles with the memories of her attacker and abuse, her marriage is falling apart and her relationship with her children is deteriorating.
As the nightmares continue to increase and become more vivid, Gillian begins to feel things she is not sure how to comprehend.
Her dreams are giving her riddles into her present life but she just can't wrap her mind around what the riddles mean. As her breakdown of these dreams continue, she gets a confession she is not expecting.
Her husband Chris confesses to being unfaithful. What Gillian never saw coming, was who he was unfaithful with.....her 14 year old daughter. This news twists Gillian's already broken mind. The next turn of events....well....let's just say.....
I DID NOT see any of that coming.
Why did you do this to me? It was a mistake, that's all.....that's all it was. A stupid mistake. Please Gillian, please get me help.
Hush now, someone will hear.
Definitely one shocking read.
December 30, 2013
A disturbing story that had me thinking I knew the abuser well and how the story world unfold but what do you know, I was wrong on both accounts. Gotta love a novella that can pack such a punch.
July 1, 2022
3.5⭐️
Please read trigger warnings before picking up this one!
I took me a long time to decide on a rating as the main “topic” made me really uncomfortable. I do think it could have been a full 4 stars if not for the very unsettling theme chosen by the author.
I liked the dream versus reality(?) chapters and the dialogues were engaging and rather well crafted!
My only issue is that it seemed like everything unfurled at the very end and stopped quite abruptly so I was left a bit lost as to what happened… had to read the last 3 pages a few times to make sure I really didn’t miss anything.
Overall, quite spooky and I like the writing and ideas, I’m just too uncomfortable with the main topic and confused about the abrupt ending . Would love to read a longer novel by the author!
Please read trigger warnings before picking up this one!
I took me a long time to decide on a rating as the main “topic” made me really uncomfortable. I do think it could have been a full 4 stars if not for the very unsettling theme chosen by the author.
I liked the dream versus reality(?) chapters and the dialogues were engaging and rather well crafted!
My only issue is that it seemed like everything unfurled at the very end and stopped quite abruptly so I was left a bit lost as to what happened… had to read the last 3 pages a few times to make sure I really didn’t miss anything.
Overall, quite spooky and I like the writing and ideas, I’m just too uncomfortable with the main topic and confused about the abrupt ending . Would love to read a longer novel by the author!
March 11, 2022
My third Burke, and second novella. Two years ago, I don’t read horror, but Burke’s crazy world just pulled you in. I am more and more intrigued by his writing and imagination. This one did not disappoint. Using trauma as a theme, this dark tale intertwines Jack and Jill nursery rhymes/poem with the relationship between Gillian and her brother John, the childhood abuse they endured and its connection to Gillian’s current life. I didn’t expect the twist but I should have seen the ending coming, knowing how Burke works!
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