2020 READERS' FAVORITE SILVER AWARD WINNER IN HORROR, Re-edited January 2021
"SMALL HEARTS, by Bryan W. Dull, is a visceral, explicitly cathartic horror novel delving into the psychological terror that comes with senseless child murder, and imagined reckoning born of a violence-saturated culture. This is a straightforward horror story with a paranormal twist and a social conscience."-IndieReader.com" Small Hearts by Bryan W. Dull takes us on a skillfully written journey that'll give you chills, and make you cry, but you'll want to continue reading to the end. A surprising, amazing must-read story for paranormal, suspense and horror enthusiasts. - CJ Bowen for Artisan Book Reviews
Synopsis:
Emily Sinclair is a teacher in seclusion, reeling from the loss of several of her third-grade students by the hands of a shooter that opened fire on several classrooms within Marie-Glen Elementary. While dealing with the anxiety of leaving her home and facing the people of the town, Emily is terrified by what is waiting for her outside that takes the shape of shadowy figures resembling her deceased students and the ghostly kids that she refers to as "the pales" that get closer to her with every step she takes. With her sanity in question, Emily seeks help from a psychiatrist, Paul Cusick, as she tells her story of being an educator of children that seemed unteachable to that fateful day in October. However, sometimes what we perceive as reality is skewed.