Rebel Town Reviews [OPEN]

Stab 2 (Chapters 1-5) - @PhantomWriter17

Stab 2 (Chapters 1-5) by PhantomWriter17 

Reviewed by AmyMarieZ 

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Review focus: Story-line and Character Development

Overview: Stab 2 is a horror-thriller sequel to Stab. In the previous installment of the series, a set of brutal murders ravage Monroe, a small town, leaving it in shambles. Stab 2 picks up one year after the murders when the survivors finally work up the courage to return to the town and face their demons. However, it seems like Phantom, the disguised killer, may not be finished. No one is safe in Monroe as the brutal murders begin again. The survivors must race to find out who the murder is and solve the case before they become the next victims.

Grammar: The grammar in the story could use work. There are a few spelling mistakes and sentences that do not make sense, as well as issues with punctuation. The excessive use of passive voice and awkwardly worded sentences make some parts very difficult to follow. The story uses many complicated words and sentence structures. The combination of the complex writing style and grammatical/spelling errors makes it difficult to determine what sentences mean at times. Special attention should be placed on ensuring that every word is used properly and sentences are worded clearly. At times, the wording of sentences becomes convoluted, making it difficult to follow the action of the story and identify with characters.

Pace: The story is written in a very descriptive style. Large amounts of detail are included to provide scene setting and descriptions of actions. While this is a stylistic choice, it does cause the pacing to become very slow at points. Long segments of description may lose the reader, causing them to forget what is going on in the story.

While the use of very vivid description at certain points is excellent, specifically for the gory scenes that are a cornerstone of this particular story, a consideration could be to cut down some of the description at calmer points in the story. By varying the level of description, emphasis could be placed on the intense gory scenes, and lower key scenes might become easier to follow.

Character Development: A strong point of characterization in the story is the dialog. All of the dialog is well written and has a natural feel. The characters come to life and are relatable through their dialog.

However, at many points where there are no interactions, the individual characters feel distant. This is likely a result of the style of narration. The third person present tense writing style tends to give a distant feel if not done carefully. As with the pacing of the plot, the excessive description can cause the reader to lose track of and forget the characters. A stronger focus on character actions and thoughts, as well as the use of an active voice rather than a passive voice, could make the characters feel more real. Additionally, because the dialog in the story is very strong, more dialog in general could help bring the characters to life.

The story introduces many characters in the first chapter, which is another possible reason why the characters seem to blur together and lose their individuality. It is often difficult for a reader to keep track of many characters when they are introduced in quick succession. However, because this is a sequel, it is likely that a reader who has read the first installment will already be familiar with the characters and have a strong grasp on who they are.

As the story progresses, the characterization and sense of individuality of the characters becomes stronger. One example is in chapter three after the horrifying night at the movie theater where one of the characters is taken by the murderer. The next morning, all of the characters are shown together recovering from the night. Although the dialog and action in the scene is minimal, the small things each of the characters are described doing provides excellent and interesting insight into each of their characters.

Another strong point of characterization occurs in chapter four when Jennifer is reacting to Erik (her boyfriend) being missing. Her reaction is shown very clearly and seems believable. One reason this bit of characterization might be so strong, especially compared to the characterization in other scenes, is because the focus is placed on only one character. Many of the scenes in this story attempt to focus on many characters at once. However, because this scene paid special attention to only Jennifer, the reader feels more attached to her and can get into her head well and experience what she is experiencing.

Vocabulary/Description: In some ways, the vocabulary and descriptions are a conundrum in Stab 2. On one hand, the story includes beautiful and poetic imagery and descriptions. Many of the descriptions are lovely to read, and extremely creative. However, on the other hand, some of the description is excessive and tedious, causing the reader to become lost and forget what is going on in the story. In addition, the excessive use of passive voice causes sentences to feel odd to read and some points difficult to understand and grasp.

The story is written in the third person and in general the style is poetic and formal. The vocabulary fits well with this style for the most part, however, an oddity of the narration is that occasionally slang words, swear words, and blunt phrasing are using in the narration. While this can be a stylistic choice, when mixed in with the rest of the narration it seems odd and sticks out in the story, breaking the reader out of the narration. However, although it is a bit abrasive, it gives the writing style a unique flare that can be enjoyable and refreshing once the reader gets used to it. This may be the intention of the writing style, in which case there is not necessarily anything wrong with it.

Plot: At many points throughout the story, it is difficult to follow the plot. The complex writing style, frequent grammatical, spelling, and word usage mistakes, awkwardly worded sentences, excessive use of description and passive voice, and a lack of focus on characters are all contributing factors to confusion while reading.

However, technical issues aside, the plot of Stab 2 is highly suspenseful and interesting! Although the characters are sometimes hard to grasp, when they do shine through they are very likable, realistic, relatable, unique, and interesting. They are certainly characters a reader can get behind.

The story begins with the characters returning to the town of Monroe. They all attend a movie together, and a horrifying murder occurs at the theater. One of the major elements and draws of this story is the vivid descriptions of gore. In many ways, the plot is a spoon for gore—a device used to place the characters in scenes of horrific brutality. However, the plot does hold a lot of interest in and of itself. The mystery of who is committing the murders is a definite suspense builder. Additionally, the thrill of the murders drives the reader along, making them not want to stop until the end of the scene.

Although it is thrilling and suspenseful, the plot seems somewhat straight forward. Essentially, it is a murder mystery. The murderer just so happens to be a serial killer. Murder mysteries are well-loved and always a pleasure to read. Great murder mysteries have unique elements to set them apart and make them stand out. Stab 2 has a couple of great unique elements to it. For example, the attention to detail and creativity with the descriptions of gore sets Stab 2 apart. Another element, while not completely original, is the idea of the masked murderer calling the characters and threatening them. This element adds excitement to the plot and sets the atmosphere of the story.

Overall, the plot is strong and shows great potential, but is perhaps a little underdeveloped at this point. However, there is plenty of time for the plot to develop. Only five chapters in, the story seems to just be starting up. The plot development in the first five chapters could be strengthened by placing a bit more focus on the mysterious element of who the murderer is. By planting more questions in the reader's head about this masked murderer, the level of suspense and reader engagement could increase even more.

Summary: Stab 2 is an intense horror thriller. The gruesome and gory descriptions are enough to delight any fan of slasher stories and make their stomachs turn. While the plot seems slightly straight forward at first, it develops complexities and good suspense as it progresses. The plot and characters in the first five chapters show excellent potential to develop into a truly thrilling read!