Day: May 16, 2013

a review of ‘unseen moon’ on mangojuiced.com

Tricia Gervacio reviews Unseen Moon (ebook edition) on Mangojuiced.com:

This most recent work of Eliza Victoria involves beautifully woven stories of horror, insanity, and juvenile crimes. I am not exactly a fan of dark and scary novels but I found myself enjoying Victoria’s book. It was wicked and creepy. Reading this book was a new experience for me because I’d never before come across a Filipino book that touches on the sensitive themes of juvenile crime, gender, and sex.

She reviews each of the four stories in the ebook. “The Ghosts of Sinagtala” is a favorite of hers. (This story appears to be the favorite of readers, so far.)

“Ghosts of Sinagtala”
Just like most grandparent’s stories, this is about the ghosts that live in a mansion built during the Philippine Spanish occupation. It touches on the dark histories of Filipino families who lived during those times. Ben and Emma inherited a big mansion called Sinagtala, located in an isolated place in the province. It was taboo in the community to talk about the ghost stories about the mansion, and Ben, the oldest sibling, dismissed them as nonsense. This is the creepiest and scariest story I’ve read in the book (or maybe all my life). I started reading it one night but I had to stop and finish it in the morning because it was too terrifying. Victoria uses a technique — connecting the past to the present — that can be found in other horror stories, and it was intense! I can’t even believe I survived reading the story. Despite that (or because of it), “Ghosts of Sinagtala” is a favorite.

Go read the full review on the site!

In Which A Short Story Chills Me to the Bone

A reader, Krysty, shares her thoughts on “The Ghosts of Sinagtala”, one of the stories in Unseen Moon:

If you really think about it, there’s nothing entirely new in Ghosts of Sinagtala. It progresses like any other horror story; you might even think it a paean to horror movies given the presence of notable genre tropes.

So why would ice fill my insides right after reading the story?

Perhaps it’s true. It’s not just the story. It’s the words. In that regard, there’s no question that Eliza Victoria is a master. So good, in fact, that at some point after reading the story – with the chill still making its way through my veins – I started wondering if the story itself was haunted.

Krysty's avatarI'm Not Really Here

2013-054

Unseen Moon

Eliza Victoria

Unseen Moon is a collection of five short stories. My favorite is “December”, because it's creepy yet heartbreaking at the same time. Kind of sweet, in a way. It's a beautifully rotten story. (Does that make sense? Because I can't find a better way to describe it.) The following, however, is a review of a different story from the collection: “Ghosts of Sinagtala”.

I was on a bus, stuck in traffic because someone decided it was a good idea to jump in front of a train. I was already late for work. Didn't really care.

10 in the morning, on a bus with no air conditioning, my face practically scrunched up against a policeman's gun. He was standing beside my seat, gun in the holster next to my head.

Shiny.

I ignored him, ignored the people crowding the bus. Kept on reading.

I'm not sure…

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