DON'T NEED NO WATER Review

Don't Need No Water - Evans Light

I feel dirty, as if I'm covered in a thick layer of grime and ash. DON'T NEED NO WATER is a helluva a short story. Evans Light managed to actually disturb me. My jaw aches from clenching, and goose flesh seem to be plastered permanently across my arms. Two thing in particular unsettled me. The mention of the smoker, and the chainsaw work at the end. Holy shit. Enough said.

 

I think one of the best parts of the story is the opening. I've lived in towns like Barkersville, and Light's descriptions brought back memories of running the streets of Fontana, California and Troy, Alabama. I'm from Small Town, USA, and Light nails the atmosphere and attitude of such a place.

 

The reveal at the end was a wee bit obvious, as it's made quite clear that Iverson isn't the nicest, most well-adjusted member of society from the get go. In other words, I'd want to get the fuck away from him as well. Also, I noticed a few words left over from editing, along with little flubs like two periods at the end of a sentence and a sprinkling of other punctuation errors, but the story outweighs these minor problems. The only reason I even mention them is because CRAWLSPACE, the last story I read from Evans Light, was one of the cleanest pieces I've read from an independent author as far as editing is concerned, so I was surprised to find as many issues as I did here. Let me be perfectly clear, though, this is well-written and very readable, but I believe the story deserves another proofread. 

 

In summation, DON'T NEED NO WATER is a horrific journey into the mind of a sick individual. If you like horror that stays with you long after reading, you could do much, much worse than this story.