Manic mutterings and growled gibberish… is what two cousins are confronted by when an unfathomable force has overtaken an elderly relative’s soul. Can they reclaim her body from the grip of this demon?Eric Meisinger longs to crawl back into his warm bed. But the forty-something cartoonist is both intrigued and alerted to his cousin’s midnight plea for help dealing with an aging mother who’s acting uncharacteristically violent and volatile. When he reluctantly enters the house, he’s shocked to see the frail Jewish octogenarian atop a massive cabinet hurling objects and growling indecipherably.
How the hell did she get up there?
As her improbable acts grow more vulgar and menacing, Eric becomes convinced that her affliction is not physical but metaphysical. He persuades his cousin Bernie to invite the local rabbi. Sadly, the latter is unable to help and is as much threatened by the apparent demon and rushes away. At the cousin’s desperate plea, he tells them of a Haitian clergy that he’s heard about that has experience with possession.
Can they arrest the blood-curdling growling’s and maniacal behaviour before Aunt Agnes is placed in a straitjacket and carted away to a lunatic asylum?
Rue Rosco 13 is a spine-chilling horror novella. If you like dark comedies, hair-raising creepiness, and seeing the mundane turn maniacal, then you’ll love Eddie Russell’s mystifying and threatening rituals.
Take a peek – if you dare - at Rue Rosco 13 on the journey to hell.
I really wanted to enjoy this short read, but unfortunately, it wasn’t to my liking. While the main premise was intriguing, I found the execution to be lacking.
I liked the behavior of Zippy and the gross humor in this story. However, I believe the author needs to conduct more thorough research regarding the languages he used. For instance, there were a few phrases that were inaccurately translated, which detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I guess Google Translate might have been used, which unfortunately marred the reading experience for me.
On a positive note, I enjoyed the few illustrations in this book - a nice gimmick! Also, the open ending was well-executed.
First off, I enjoyed the illustrations, its rare to see pictures when reading horror, even horror comedies. I just would have preferred them to be a bit darker.
Second, the parts where an 80 something person goes to town with a beaker and a veggie totally caught me by surprise, I was not expecting that.
Thirdly, this had no ending.
Fourthly, yes its a word, I actually liked the storyline as short as it was.
“There is no rhyme or reason as to how or why a demon will occupy a particular subject.”
Rue Rosco 13 is a tale of an elderly woman’s possession, and how her son and nephew go about finding her some spiritual help.
It’s short, sometimes comedic, and an interesting account of Jewish exorcism rites. I would’ve liked a bit more understanding on if Agnes’ departure from her faith made her a demonic target, and what was the purpose of the curse that was told to her and Albert.
I gave this a three star because I appreciate the approach of the book, and I loved that there were illustrations, however, the book fell a bit short for me. I would have loved a bit more backstory on the possession itself. Secondly, the pacing was just very odd. I did like the religious context in this book, and the characters were almost interesting. It did fall short of my expectations, but I did really enjoy the premise at least!
"I am not hallucinating, I am Not" , "Agnes is lying sideways on top of the cabinet, staring malevolently at the both of us".
Two middle aged cousins Eric and Bernie find themselves in an unforeseen situation. At the dead of the night bernie phoned eric, to inform that his mother Agnes had unexpectedly taken ill. Amidst the call, Bernie was attacked by his mother who had suddenly became violent and speaking gibberish.
Eric swiflty made his way to Bernie's, only to find bernie severely wounded and Agnes lying on top of a tall cabinet. Taken aghast by the current situation, eric tries different ways to get the 80 year old women off the cabinet, while tending to his wounded cousin. Their desperate attempts to get Agnes in control turn futile and only aggravated her more.
Believing that Agnes has been possessed by a demon and pertaining to Agnes' Jewish roots, they decided to ask a Rabbi for help. As time passes by, Agnes turns more verbally and physically violent. How did agnes ended up in such mishap? How much more can a 80 year olds body can take? Is she really possessed or is it an outburst of insanity due to dementia? Get "Rue Rosco 13" and find out.
It's a Novella of 100 pages, A short, comedic and interestingly light read. Featuring two middle aged characters and an 80 year old women as the lead makes it more contrasting and eye catching than the usual YA lead characters. Less characters, small plot and humorous narration certainly made it an awesome read. Rue Rosco 13 is a second novel of Eddie Russell, unfortunately I didn't get to read the first one. Story ended up on a cliffhanger, indicating that there is more. Which has left me wondering, "now what?". Definitely a must read for Horror and Mystery Thriller genre lovers. Although, its A and NC rated. Clearly, not for kids.
I got this Book as a Free ARC from NetGalley. Thank you to both #Netgalley and writer #EddieRussel.
“There is no rhyme or reason as to how or why a demon will occupy a particular subject.”
Rue Rosco 13 by Eddie Russell is labeled as a horror/thriller novella where the FMC, Agnes, becomes possessed and her son (Eric Meisinger) and his cousin (Bernard) do what they think is right to help save her.
“Not that anyone could ever be construed as normal after this chaos.”
This wasn’t the ‘thrill’ or the ‘horror’ I was searching for. However, it was gross. You should see what this confused and possessed elder does with a glass bottle and some vegetables.. As for the ending.. There really wasn’t much of one.
“The devil is very cunning is all I can tell you.”
One thing I did love in this read was the illustrations/artwork. I am one of those readers who really has to think about what I am reading to picture it (instead of seeing a movie in my brain) so these were a nice touch!
*I received an advance review copy for free through BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Movies and mainstream media often show Catholic possessions with priests coming in to perform spiritual cleansings and exorcisms. However, author Eddie Russell offers a unique portrayal by providing representation from the Jewish perspective.
Readers are introduced to Eric Meisinger as he is startled by a call from his cousin Bernard. Bernard is down on his luck in a recent divorce and is back living with his mother. His concern stems from his mother’s seemingly psychotic episode, chanting into the fridge and acting wholly unlike herself. Forbad from calling the ambulance again for assistance, Bernard is left no other option, turning to Eric in his time of need.
From the opening pages of “Rue Rosco 13” readers are taken on this horrific rollercoaster ride as Eric is committed to assisting his cousin in dispelling whatever this thing is from his aunt. Startling scene to startling scene, readers are taken back to the history of Aunt Agnes’ cursed inter-faith marriage.
Coming from my own split home of Jewish and Catholic ancestry, I actually found this religious curse and subsequent possession to be quite intriguing. Playing on the pain of the Jewish Holocaust and the tender emotions still riled by these events, Russell guides readers through an ever creepy and wholly representative state of possession.
I found myself weirdly enjoying the terrifying nature of this read, only further enhanced by the detailed and disturbing illustrations peppered throughout, adding to the vivid realness of this story. Author Eddie Russell’s second novel, “Rue Rosco 13” captures reader’s imagination and takes us on a disturbing religious experience.
I read Rue Rosco 13 after receiving an email request to review it. I don't often accept random review requests, but this cover and the fact it was horror caught my attention.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary e-book edition of the book.
"The call came in just after midnight."
Rue Rosco 13 is a story about Eric Meisinger helping his cousin Bernie whose mother is possessed by a demon. Eric persuades Bernie to seek out help from the local rabbi and priest. Will they be able to save his mother, Agnes?
This satiric horror novella created creepy imagery in my mind and made me laugh. With inspirations taken from the exorcist, this was an okay story for me. I loved the artwork.
Some parts didn't make sense to. Why did this happen to Agnes? The explanation of why Bernie didn't call the police didn't feel believable to me. Then they left and went out to eat in the middle of it? There are weird time/pacing issues (a phone conversation we read about doesn't have much dialogue but is somehow 2.5 hours long). There is drunk driving with no consequences and no one calls them out on it.
This story also fails the Bechdel Test. I didn't like the portrayal of women.
I don't think I'll be reading anything by Eddie Russell again. This one wasn't for me.
I'm very thankful to the author and BookSirens for providing me with an ARC and giving me the opportunity to read this book.
I started this book with excitement, expecting to get into some nice short horror story. Sadly, that wasn't the case. The writing style is the first thing to put me off. It's not bad but it's not my thing and I couldn't get used to it and comfortably read it.
The plot is simple yet not what I expected it to be. The character's conversations and reactions make it feel more like a comedy and I wouldn't say unrealistic but they're definitely not suitable for the genre, in my opinion. The whole situation felt like a joke, like it was meant to mock some of the paranormal stories and movies, and if that was the case - I would've loved it. But judging by the fact this book is only tagged as "horror" I didn't like it. I didn't enjoy it. It didn't meet a single criteria i have.
Overall, I would say that this book is not for me. The writing style isn't my thing and the plot lacks horror elements I seek. But I like the drawings. They were a nice little touch.
I'm leaving this book without a rating but I would give it 1 star.
Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I really enjoyed this book and it’s a great short story for horror/supernatural lovers. The inclusion of illustrations added a layer of realism to help me visualise the possession in a way I wasn’t imagining before the image (I was still imagining the frail old lady not the demonic entity). I also liked that there was more than just the bog standard possessed call the Catholic priest, I liked seeing this one from a Jewish and Anglican point of view instead. Although, I did find the hint of a curse from the flashback disappointing as it wasn’t confirmed to be the cause of the possession or what was aside from something entering at the point of death. I would also have liked a little epilogue at the end to resolve what happened to Bernie after the losses and what happens to the house.
Favourite Quote: "Australia to me represents a nation of immigrants looking to the future. Affiliation with any imported tradition or religion is about clinging to the past."
This story may be short, but it packs more horror, suspense and psychology than many other longer books. Exorcisms are a fascinating subject and, as a Catholic, I’ve read many novels and non-fiction books about them. What I loved about this one is that it brings the Jewish perspective, since the possessed woman was a secular Jew, and the information provided by the Rabbi who tries to help was very interesting. It’s curious to see the similarities and differences between religions in a plot that is pure suspense. The scenes of possession were so creepy that they made my skin crawl. There are a few excellent illustrations that add to the spooky vibe. I liked the characters and how their beliefs and religious backgrounds influence their decisions. Agnes, the possessed woman’s backstory was also engaging. Spooky! I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Eddie Russell!
For me, this is not a five-star book because the ending was whack and I didn't enjoy the amount of blaspheming in it. I found it ironic that this book has religious themes, but there is also blaspheming in it. I know that there were non-believers in this anecdote, but I cannot wholeheartedly say that I loved it. I understand that a lot of horror books contain profanity and/or blaspheming, but I think the author should tone this down a notch in the future. It detracts from the reading experience.
The storyline was OK. I liked the illustrations, and I was debating as to whether I should issue this book a four-star rating instead, but that would suggest that I really liked the book when I didn't. I personally will never read this novella again.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was an incredibly short and to-the-point horror novel. I appreciated how (for the most part) direct the storytelling was, and how easily the plot moved along. There were some parts I felt that were over-explained which added seemingly unimportant details and dived away from plot. There was a lot of missing “whys” as well, which is just a personal pet peeve of mine. I fully get it was most likely done to keep an air of mystery but it’s frustrating me as a reader when we aren’t privy to it all. Especially as the “event” was never fully explored as to what could have caused it to happen. The horror presented in this is classic paranormal. I was honestly left feeling let down by how cookie-cutter it was and how the shock effect quickly wore off. What I did find interesting was the significance of religion in both fighting the paranormal and the general background of the plot as well.
For this to be so short, it wasn’t bad. It was definitely not what I was expecting. The illustrations within the book are pretty cool kind of scary. The book itself is not scary. You do need a translation app for certain parts throughout the book. Some of it is German. Other part i am unsure of because Apple Books couldn’t translate it. Kindle probably could.
The plot was lacking. It could used more background information or at least more descriptions from within the book. This all takes place within roughly 12 hours from start to finish of the book. As i have mentioned before it was really short so I don’t expect a lot of detail. The story was complete from beginning to end. The biggest part I struggled with was the translations.
This was a super short horror novel that I read in under 30 mins.
It’s creepy but more gross than anything.
Wait til you see what this 80 year old granny does with a glass tube and veggies. Lots of farting and excrement in this one. Oh yeah real nasty. So get ready…or if your stomach is weak…maybe think about passing on this one.
There wasn’t much of an ending to the story. I mean considering this lady had a demon exorcised from her body, it just seemed a little anticlimactic BUT overall I still really enjoyed it.
My fav things were the illustrations, creepiness and the how disgusting it was.
I’m excited to check out other work by this author.
Thank you, BookSiren, for the ARC, and thank you to the writer and publishers for all your hard work. This review is voluntary and happily left!
This was a quick and easy read. It was enjoyable and definitely funny. The possessed definitely made me think of the movie the exorcist. The humor was definitely there, and the twisted parts I was still laughing at them. It didn't take me long at all to read this as it kept my attention. The one thing I do wish this book has was a translation at the end to tell you what everything means.
Will I read this book again? Possibly. I have to be in the right sort of mood to read it again. It certainly earned its stars for making me laugh.
I appreciate when a horror story reaches its conclusion without a lot of fluff and filler just to boost the word count; but this story didn't really seem to have an ending or, if it exists, it wasn't easily noticeable. I also appreciate the rise of tension which this story took to an extreme. Comedy horror is a thing but it's not my thing. it wasn't advertised as such and, while lighthearted scenes are good palette cleansers, knowing what to expect would've been appreciated. It took me longer than expected to finish this book because I wasn't attracted to it. I received this book for free to review and I'm providing this review voluntarily.
Rue Rosco 13 had an interesting concept from start to finish but I feel like it was lacking something. You understand why the possession takes place, based on the backstop, and how they know it's a possession. But I felt like the exorcism itself was lacking. Either the priest was super powerful or the demon didn't really care at all. Either way, it was missing something.
I was kind of hoping for "The Exorcism" type exorcism based on what Agnes was doing prior to the priest coming, but it felt short.
Overall, the story was decent, just wished it had more indepth of the exorcism.
I personally loved the drawings that were included.
I was really excited to read this one, particularly because it was a possession story from a jewish perspective, or so I thought. While the possessed character was Jewish and that backstory was somewhat relevant to the plot this was *not* a Jewish based take on a possession story and I was utterly disappointed.
That being said, this is a very fast paced creepy novella- A bit gross in a few points, but it did keep my attention from beginning to end. While I liked the art- it reminded me more of the style you'd see in Hardy boys books, and for me didn't really fit the tone of this book. I think this one could've been a lot better if it was a full length novel.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Eddie Russell for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Rue Rosco 13. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This was a novella. It’s the first book I’ve read by this author, so I didn’t know what to expect. I love horror books, but I don’t think this book was quite for me. I thought the writing was interesting, but it was very dark. It was a little too graphic for me. It’s about a possession, but it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I would check out other books by this author though.
I don't read a lot of thriller books, but I did like this one. It felt like a person going crazy but not necessarily be possessed is something that could happen in real life, making the story somewhat realistic. What happened at the ending was unexpected and it makes you wonder what could happen after this book if it was expanded. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I'm rating this higher based on the excellent creepy illustrations, but I was disappointed overall. I think people don't realize that a shorter story actually has to work harder to make its point. This book kind of went along with what was really just an incident where a family is dealing with a possessed relative, only to be let down by the ending. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this
Definitely a fun little story, A really quick read that doesn't take too long at all to read. The illustrations are the biggest winner her but the book itself is well enough written that it doesn't habe many slow moments at all.
This was quite the interesting take on a possession case. Then to figure out how to help get rid of it was also quite the tale, funny at moments. It was a quick read. And great for spooky season! Thank you Netgalley for allowing me access to the eARC.
I enjoyed the fact this book took us away from the traditional Catholic exorcism. It was a quick dark somewhat comedic read. I wish there had been more back story on Agnes and Albert. Why was she targeted? I would definitely recommend this to someone looking for a quick read.
This was a novella length story of possession and exorcism. While I did enjoy the writing style, it was easy to read and fast paced, I was left really wanting more. I found the story to be lacking in depth and backstory so I was never really drawn in. I think there was a ton of potential to expand on the religious lore presented in the story as well as any backstory at all when it came to the characters. I really couldn't say if I liked the characters or not since I really had no real grasp of their motivations. Overall I am happy to have read the book and look forward to exploring more of what this author has to offer.
Thank you to Net Galley and he author for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.