Title: The Pale WhiteAuthor: Chad Lutzke
First Published: September 27, 2019
Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing
Pages: 98
Genre: Coming of Age, Horror
Format: Ebook
Source: Purchased
Rating:
Synopsis:
A coming-of-age tale of revenge and survival that explores a friendship and the desperate measures taken to ensure they stay united, held together by the scars that bind them.
After being held against their will in a house used for trafficking, three girls plan their escape.
Alex: A hardened goth-punk who’s convinced she’s a vampire with a penchant for blood.
Stacia: A seventeen-year-old raised by an alcoholic mother, her fellow captives the only family she’s ever truly had.
Kammie: The youngest of the three—a mute who finds solace in a houseplant.
But does life outside the house offer the freedom they’d envisioned? Or is it too late, the scars too deep?
Get the Book: Amazon, GodlessReview
The Pale White is an emotionally heavy book, a coming of age story about sex trafficking. A trio of girls held captive in a house of horrors, until the day comes when they have the opportunity to escape. What follows is a story that is at once about the dark places where trauma can lead to, but also about resilience, of love and hope for the future.
Each of the main characters was complex and written with dignity, and I felt intense fear and sadness throughout their journey. The ending was everything I needed and didn’t expect, and I burst into tears reading the final lines of the book. Lutzke is a writer like no other and weaves painful narratives with heart.
Quote
“As we drive, I tell her how special she is, about how much she’s loved and her bright future ahead. I give her what I can to fight the pain inside, and I pray she understands.”
Content Warnings
View Spoiler »About the Author
About Chad Lutzke
Chad lives in Battle Creek, MI. with his wife and children. For over two decades, he has been a contributor to several different outlets in the independent music and film scene, offering articles, reviews, and artwork. He has written for Famous Monsters of Filmland, Rue Morgue, Cemetery Dance, and Scream magazine. He’s had a few dozen short stories published. He is known for his heartfelt approach to the dark side of humanity with books such as OF FOSTER HOMES & FLIES, WALLFLOWER, STIRRING THE SHEETS, SKULLFACE BOY, THE SAME DEEP WATER AS YOU, THE PALE WHITE, and THE NEON OWL. Lutzke’s work has been praised by Jack Ketchum, Joe R. Lansdale, Stephen Graham Jones, James Newman, Elizabeth Massie, Tim Waggoner, Richard Chizmar and his own mother.
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