📬 Book Review: Letter Slot by Owen King (Kindle Edition, The Shivers Collection #5)
A haunting, morally complex short story that blends supernatural temptation with emotional realism—Owen King crafts a chilling tale of grief, desperation, and the price of a wish.
🧠 Overview
Published in April 2025 as part of Amazon Original Stories’ The Shivers Collection, Letter Slot is a 46-page horror short story by Owen King, son of Stephen King and a talented storyteller in his own right. The story follows Blake, a teenage boy struggling with his mother’s declining health and the emotional weight of their difficult life.
After pouring his heart into a school assignment—a letter expressing his pain and frustration—Blake impulsively drops it through the mail slot of an abandoned show house. To his shock, he receives a reply. The mysterious letter offers him a deal: all his problems could disappear… for the price of naming someone he hates.
🔍 Key Themes & Highlights
- 💔 Grief and desperation: Blake’s emotional vulnerability drives the story’s tension and moral dilemma
- 🧠 Faustian bargain: The offer to trade pain for vengeance echoes classic “deal with the devil” tropes
- 🕯️ Atmospheric horror: King builds unease through subtle details and psychological suspense rather than gore
- ✍️ Strong character work: Blake is written with authenticity, capturing the confusion and intensity of adolescence
“King throws a plot twist I didn’t see coming… I really wanted to know more about what is revealed, but of course, no details were forthcoming.” — Cannonball Read review
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.00/5 from early reviews
- 📖 Readers praise the story’s emotional depth, unsettling tone, and moral ambiguity
- 🧾 Some felt the ending was ambiguous or underdeveloped, but most appreciated the eerie vibe and character-driven suspense
- 💬 “A compelling story… beautifully plotted for such a short format. I was completely sucked in and invested in the moral dilemma.” — megsbookrack review
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At under 50 pages, it’s a quick read—ideal for fans of bite-sized horror
- 📚 Standalone story: Part of The Shivers Collection, but works independently
- 🧠 Dark themes: Includes emotional trauma and moral compromise—recommended for mature readers
🏁 Final Verdict
Letter Slot is a thoughtful and eerie horror short that explores the cost of desperation and the danger of wish fulfillment. Owen King’s storytelling is subtle and emotionally resonant, making this Kindle edition a compelling pick for readers who enjoy psychological horror with a literary edge.
