3.5I think it's a case of the wrong book at the wrong time. I saw the twist coming from the beginning and I wasn't able to get into the story.

David Richard Berkowitz is better-known as the Son of Sam. He was responsible for the murder of eight women and much fear and panic, in New York during the late 1970s. Nell Sullivan's concerns lie less with him and more on the women at her workplace, however. She is desperate to fit in with them, despite knowing her social anxiety and frumpy clothing mark her as one to be pitied or ridiculed rather than accepted and befriended. A girl can dream though, and so she does. Everyday she imagines othe...

It was pretty good. My biggest disappointment being that I figured it all out VERY early on. However the writing was so good I barely cared.

Ania Ahlborn has become one of my favorite thriller/horror writers!!! Within the last year I've read four of her books and every single one of them has blown me away! Her style is one of a kind, she's brilliant!The Pretty Ones is in my opinion right up there with the best of her work!! Brother is still my favorite, but this one is seriously neck and neck. Just when I thought I had things figured out, Ania threw in a curve and had me wide eyed with my jaw to the floor! I freaking loved the end of...

Likeable novella from Ahlborn about a mousy desk worker who struggles with dealing with more popular co-workers during Son of Sam's reign of terror. The story progresses well enough, building tension along the way, and ends with a flourish, at least part of which you'll likely see coming. The biggest problem is that there isn't much new or original here and what is here, while enjoyable, doesn't blow you over. The length is just right (118 pages), as it would have been difficult to sustain the s...

My crush on the author in no way influenced my rating of the book more than maybe a little.

I have become an instant fan of author Ania Ahlborn. I recently finished up two of her novellas on my kindle and am currently reading Brother.There isn't anyone better than Ania Ahlborn at character development. You not only know each character, you feel them. Nell is socially awkward and peculiar, and considered an outcast by her co-workers. Ahlborn skillfully pulls the reader into each uncomfortable moment and it is as unsettling for the reader as it is for the character. The story takes place...

Really well done! A story that was just as fulfilling as a long novel, full of foreshadowing and hints at the real horror to come throughout the writing. --Jen from Quebec :0)

I’ve been wanting to try Ania Ahlborn horror novels since Scribd suggested her books last year! In The Pretty Ones, its a novella that uses the story of Son of Sam, the murderer who was responsible for the death of eight women in New York during the late 1970s as the background for the killings in the book. Or so that’s what the author wants you to believe. Using a pitiful, vulnerable character, the author slowly unravel Nell’s background and past experience which leads to hints, clues and reali...

It took 10 months from the time I pre-ordered Ania's mystery e-book (in September of 2014 it was still untitled on Amazon) until on July 6th my profound patience and curiosity paid off and The Pretty Ones arrived on my Kindle. It was absolutely worth the wait. Nell Sullivan is the epitome of unpopular, in her work as well as her home life. As appealing to the rest of her co-workers as Poison Ivy, they have nicknamed her 'sweaty' and avoid her like the plague. Nell is overweight, frumpy, and frie...

GREAT short story!!! I was surprised by where it took me, as well. Ah, the things we've likely done to try to belong ... to fit in a little better. The 130 or so pages FLEW by. Definitely recommended.

"The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on." –Robert BlochI loved the Robert Bloch quote the author used before she begins the story. It really sets the tone. Ania Ahlborn gives a great depiction of NY during the seventies era, and does an excellent job at showing the reader just how unstable, the lead character is. You can read my full review here http://bit.ly/1F2ytFZ

Review can also be found here: http://bit.ly/1Rd4KJB4.5 stars "Wherever you go, there you'll be." Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa. This was... amazing.I was expecting to like this, but not love it! To begin with I wasn't sure what to think, it felt slow and boring to be honest and I thought Barrett was such an arsehole, but wow. The ending really satisfied me, really pleased me!Nell is an outcast, she doesn't fit in. She's carrying a little extra weight and she hasn't got the money for nice clothes but...

THE PRETTY ONES does not really fit into the horror category (for me) but does fit crazy and still good albeit predictable pretty early on. Poor Nell. Only 22 and just doesn't fit in with the pretty shapely girls at work. As a social outcast and often bullied, she is not only harassed at work, but on the unsafe streets as she returns to her dilapadated apartment building each evening....with a killer on the loose. Thank God for brother Barrett though. Older by two years, her wannabe writer broth...

This is one of those short novellas that feels that incredibly long. Ania Ahlborn has such a knack at putting so much into her stories, and this one is no different. Edit: I forgot to add that the author really makes the reader feel the pain of loneliness and being an outcast that the main character feels. Aside from the great twist in the plot, this makes the book very compelling on its own.As I was reading the first 25% or so, I thought I was reading a "Falling Down" scenario about a young lad...

Ania Ahlborn pens an ode to Robert Bloch’s Psycho with a mid-1970’s New York backdrop in The Pretty Ones. The Son of Sam is on the loose and Nell Sullivan is undergoing some major changes at work. Despite the growing fear and tension in the city, this may be Nell’s big year. She may finally fit in and have some friends at last. Luckily for her, she has her brother Barrett with her to guide her thru her extreme social awkwardness. That is if she can navigate “the pretty ones” in the office and ma...

I liked it!! A solid serial killer story overall. The main character was definitely something, what an interesting POV! 😂

I consider myself as a fan of this writer as all her books are different and doesn't give the vibe that I am reading the novels from the same author.This novella was also spectacular. The plot revolves around a typist in a big company, Nell, as she tries to get above her physical insecurities and blend in with the popular and beautiful co-workers. However, things don't go according to Nell's plan and soon the colleagues who bullies her start to end up murdered in narrow alleys. Nell gets stuck b...

Ahlborn set this in '77, Summer of Sam, but it would have been the same story set anytime, anywhere. She has such a gift at making us actually feel what her characters feel. Nell is an unpopular outcast and as much as I wanted to feel sorry for her, she was also a bit of a bitch, so I couldn't. This is another gift of Ahlborn's, making me care about characters I don't like. The writing itself was worth five stars, but the story was not. I found the plot predictable, and despite being surprised a...

This fast-paced novella is about an awkward typist whose only friend and companion is her older brother, Barrett. Nell would like to be like the other pretty girls she works with, but her brother is terrified she will turn into an alcoholic monster like their mother. In the meantime, the Son of Sam has terrified female New Yorkers into cutting their hair and dyeing it blonde. It's the perfect backdrop for revenge ... This is the second book I've read by Ania Ahlborn, and I remain very impressed....