Review: Cool S by Die Booth

Be careful with your doodles!


Cool S by Die Booth

Released August, 2022

Source: ARC received for review consideration
Dark Fiction  |  Goodreads  | Buy It Here

Tracy Forrest has it all. A great boyfriend, loyal best mate, good job and new house. But something is missing. There’s a wistful longing for good times gone by that Trace just can’t lay to rest. When she spots a ubiquitous and mysterious teenage doodle in an old schoolbook, she becomes obsessed with finding out what it is.

You know Cool S?
Yeah, you do.
Cool S. Super S. Pointy S. THE S. That thing we all doodled on notebooks and schoolbooks and pencil cases, maybe graffitied on a park bench or a bus stop if you were frisky.

Ever wondered what it was? Where it came from? What it means?
Well, I’m here to tell you. Are you sure you want to know?

Cool S. Some things should stay lost.

My 2 Cents for Free!

I don’t know if I ever drew the graffiti “S” aka “Cool S” while I was in school but I definitely remember seeing them spray painted or carved into wood playsets around the city as a teen. After reading this sinister little story, I am just fine knowing that I don’t have one tucked away in an old notebook or paperback somewhere 😯!

Two old friends decide to rummage through some old things and stop to ponder the “Cool S” they keep spying in notebooks, neither knowing what the heck it meant only knowing they were all compelled to doodle it. Later that night, Trace cannot stop thinking about it, even in her dreams or more accurately her nightmares . . .

This story was wild and unexpected and as I mentioned above, very sinister and eerie like much of Die Booth’s work which is why I enjoy it so much! You get to watch a person unravel (which is always fun) due to obsession and . . . I’m not saying what else because I’m not spoiling things for anyone today. You should surprise yourself with the revelations. Just know there’s a bit of body horror and a whole lot of WTFery and I thoroughly enjoyed it all. At times it reads a little like a weird waking nightmare but it’s not one of those vague and confusing types that some books descend into. I think you’re going to love this if you’re a dark fiction fan looking for a book that’ll keep you guessing and probably creep you out.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2


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Comments

  1. A Voracious ReaderThursday, September 01, 2022

    I want! Even though I don't remember the S thing? Am I too old? Wrong part of the US? Or world? I don't know. lol

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lark Friday, September 02, 2022

    I learned how to draw that S in middle school; never wondered about it's origin though. Now I'm curious about this book. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. GregFriday, September 02, 2022

    Watching a person unravel lol. Yeah that sounds fun. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Erica RobynMonday, September 05, 2022

    YESSS! I loved this one too!! :)

    ReplyDelete

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