Review: D.H Sidebottom's "The Decimation of Mae."

5 Hearts Review: D.H Sidebottom's "The Decimation of Mae."

Amazon UK:     http://amzn.to/1shRr3b

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Synopsis:

***WARNING***

This story doesn’t contain hearts and flowers, it doesn’t even contain the word ‘love’. It isn’t for the fainthearted, nor those who want romance and happy ever afters.

It’s dark, in fact it goes beyond the dark realms of misery and despair. It makes your heart suffer, it will beat you down and it will still demand more from you.

Yet, it is still a story of hope and courage. Friendships develop and understanding digs deep, whilst acceptance and surrender give way to reverence and sacrifice.

It contains disturbing scenes of sexual violence, cruelty and torture. It also includes self-harm, pain addiction and brutalisation. 

Please bear this in mind before purchasing this book. Thank you.

The Devil visited me three times in my life, albeit, my short life. Not in the physical sense you must understand, but very much literally.

He was persistent, if not resolute and tenacious. His ruthless greed to annihilate me was utterly disturbed. I am sure if he had hierarchy, the man at the top would have dragged his arse into Hell prison just for his unscrupulous methods.

I was just fifteen when I first became aware of what he was capable of. This initial taste of him set the playing field for how my life was to be lived – for want of a better word.

He mocked me at this point, showed me mercilessly how he played the game, and how he liked to cheat at said game. He ridiculed and taunted until six months later, he won and took something of so much importance from me that I would never be the same again.

His second visit was, in my eyes, so much more cruel and heartless. I know we’re talking about the devil here, and yes, you have a right to say he had no heart, but even then, even when I was so utterly broken, I begged to differ and hoped – no prayed, that somewhere deep in the caverns of his black and tortured soul there was something that beat and confused his emotions once in a while.

But the third visit was somewhat different than the other two. He tried, and at first succeeded, to bring me to my knees once and for all but then something happened. God finally intervened and altered Satan’s intention; he sent hope and morphed the Devil’s minion into an Angel, hoping to break and shatter the anguish and suffering. He gave the ability for me to feel pleasure in pain, order in the chaos and light in the darkness.

But in giving me a reprieve, he also gave me something that would finally and ultimately obliterate me. He gave me the capability to love, therefore giving me the ability to be destroyed.

And Satan made sure that I was destroyed. Cruelly, viciously and sadistically.

I am Mae Swift, and this is the story of my decimation.

Review: Surj Harvey

Before I'd even turned the first page, "The Decimation of Mae" already had me intrigued. The cryptic synopsis was enough to wet my appetite  and as for that big ass warning giving me the opportunity to turn back whilst I had the chance... nope wasn't going to happen and so I threw myself in head first. Holy crap, nothing could have prepared me for what lay ahead. This was one sick, twisted, depraved, mind fuck of  of a read where everything went and nothing... and I mean nothing was held back. Take heed of the warning folks... it's there for a reason. This book will mess with your head but for me... that's what I loved about it. Yup, my mind's a little warped!!! lol

"You are the lamb. I am the shepherd. I will control your every move. 

I will direct and govern you until you learn your place. 

And I will guide you along the path to your slaughter."

From the word go, "The Decimation of Mae" pulled emotions from me. I felt so much sorrow and hurt which then morphed into anger and frustration and even hatred on so many occasions. And even now, after I've finished up, I still can't stop thinking about the story. How could a book be so brutal, so ugly, so tragic, so horrific for the most part yet bring me to my knees at the end? I don't know how D.H Sidebottom did it but my heart ached, it broken and eventually it shattered into a million pieces, the tears that had threatened to fall  finally making their appearance during the last 10%. 

Twists and turns toyed with me, leaving me gob smacked and shocked to the core time and time again. I'll be honest, there were a couple of curve balls that seemed maybe a little unrealistic, that had me saying 'WTF?" But I think that was more towards the end of the book where the proverbial well and truly hit the fan and every single skeleton came out of the closet!!! I never saw any of it coming. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion with things coming to the surface left right and centre. There was a lot to take in but looking back, I can see how it all fit. My advice... Take your time and absorb every little detail you read. It will all eventually come together and make sense. 

"I intrigue you. You can't understand me and that aggravates you, infuriates you even. 

Whatever or however you try, you know deep down that you will never own me. 

You will never control me and I will never surrender to your darkness."

Mae's character was just amazing. She had a real strength to her despite everything she had been through and all that lay ahead. Her fighting spirit, her defiance left me in awe and that mouth of hers had me in stitches more times than I can count... yes I know...who laughs when a book holds so much sadness within it's pages...trust me... when you meet this woman, you'll completely get it. It somehow worked. 

As for "the devil"... what can I say. He was ruthless and unforgiving in his quest to break Mae, a monster of the worst kind. He was evil in its purest form, not once giving me the opportunity to feel anything but hatred for him. His actions, his behaviour, his words... everything about him was cold calculated and sadistic, never apologising for the way he was. There was a reason Mae called him the devil... he was Lucifer himself and Mae was in his playground... hell!!! 

"I will break you, Mae," he hissed in my ear, his hot breath torture against my cold, damp skin.

"I will possess you so entirely that you will ask for permission to breathe"

D.H Sidebottom wrote an amazing book in "The Decimation of Mae" and I was 100% invested the story. Her writing was so visual, it made my stomach turn at times but I wouldn't have it any other way. It was perfect and really helped to bring Mae's story to life. This was one hell of an amazing read and I need more.... I want inside "the devil's head!" Crazy I know but I need answers to questions I have, answers only this man could give me. Unfortunately, told solely from Mae's POV, I got very little from him... very little indeed, the author holding the cards on this character very close to her chest.. I wonder why? Lol

I can't begin to give this book anything less than 5 Hearts. This is one story that will stay with me for a long time. 

"The devil wears many masks Mae." I smiled at him.

"And an angel has many personalities."