These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker

Release: June 30th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company
Source: Love Books Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N

Dan lived a quiet life in the mostly abandoned town He and the eight other people had become friends. They spent peaceful evenings around the campfire and in particular even made vague plans to journey east one day and leave the ominous mountain behind. However, his quiet life changed when he opened his doors to a wounded woman. She had escaped from the tormentors in the mountain.

Who is she? How does she know so much about Dan’s brother, who remains captive in the mountain? Why are long-forgotten memories rising to the surface? Above all, why does Dan feel it compulsory to keep her presence in his house a secret?

In short, Visionary writer Shawn Smucker is back with an unsettling story that poses two challenging questions: To what lengths will we go to assuage our own guilt? and Is there a limit to the things we will do for the people we love?

About the Author:

Shawn Smucker is the award-winning author of Light from Distant Stars, the young adult novels The Day the Angels Fell and The Edge of Over There, and the memoir Once We Were Strangers. He lives with his wife and six children in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Also, you can find him online at www.shawnsmucker.com.

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These Nameless Things Review:

This book was surreal and strange, yet powerful and amazing. I loved reading it.

The author sets the pace and suspense of the story so well. As soon as I started reading, I was wondering what was happening to the characters. Why can’t anyone remember their past? Also, why does Dan and Miss B suddenly remember snippets of their past? Besides, who is the mystery woman who comes to see Dan? The author maintains a level of suspense and mystery with the characters that all leads to a bigger plot.

The beauty of the story is the feeling I got like I was reading about someone’s dreams. Throughout the tale, you do know know if the characters and the situations are real or not. Dan is wonderful as the protagonist and all the supporting characters like Miho, Karon, Kathy, Abe etc. also add well to the canvas. Moreover, the story takes a turn in different directions where you really don’t know where it leads. As the story progresses, the mystery builds as Dan’s brother Adam seems to be the cause of all their predicaments.
The author paints the story against the gorgeous lush backdrop of nature and the mountains. There is few parts which are symbolic and open to interpretation about forgiveness and moving on. When I finished reading the story, I was just in awe as to how powerful it was.

My only very minor issue with the story was the lengthy descriptions. I loved the tense environment that the author builds for Dan, but many a times, I felt like I was reading repeated sentences about how Dan remembers Adam, and recollects everything that has happened to him till then.

Apart from that, this was a compelling read and I enjoyed it a lot.