Plain: David T. Griffith
Reviewed By Steve Stred
Recently, I had the enjoyment of reading Griffith’s ‘Darkness Calls’ from Demain Publishing. It was a blast and when I signed up for Kindle Unlimited, I knew which book would be my first borrow from the program – ‘Plain.’ Released in 2019, I had always had my eye on reading it, but this was the kick in the butt to dive in.
What I liked: ‘Plain’ is a complex, multi-layered story of a young woman named Essy, who is struggling to figure out their place in the world. As the story moves along, we learn more and more about her past, events that have shaped her and cause her to lash out in violent ways.
Griffith has created a really compelling character study here. Essy is deeply flawed, a product of excessive and consistent trauma and it was interesting to watch how she attempted to rationalize her responses to new moments by referring to previous incidents. Griffith makes you love and loathe this character, which made for an engaging experience.
What I didn’t like: The beginning throws you into the mix of Essy’s life and for a bit I struggled to sort out what was happening now and then. I pushed through because Griffith had planted this kernel that was starting to dance and wiggle in the pan on the stove and I wanted to see what happened when it finally popped. For some, the intended confusion may be a struggle, but I highly recommend you keep going.
Why you should buy this: Griffith gives a great take on mental health ‘dilemmas’ one where Essy believes she knows best. The character interactions are all really well done and once finished you’ll see a number of clues pop out that you missed along the way. This was really well done, and one I highly recommend. Happy this was my first book on KU!
KR: For an interview with David T. Griffith please go HERE
Plain
Essy is released from a psychiatric hospital after orchestrating her mother’s death a few years earlier. She moves to the neighboring town, where she can continue therapy with her psychiatrist. In pursuit of an idealistic happiness and normalcy, she finds herself both haunted and driven by those she hurt…
You can buy Plain from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Steve Stred
Steve Stred is the author of a number of novels, novellas and collections. He has appeared in anthologies with some of Horror’s heaviest hitters.
He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with his wife, son and their dog OJ.
You can follow Steve on Twitter @stevestred
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You can visit Steve’s Official website here
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