The Shallow End of the Pool

By: Adam-Troy Castro

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

2008 Bram Stoker Award Nominee for Long Fiction

Includes an introduction by the author.

Resolution. Reason. Respect.

Among US couples marrying today, roughly 40 percent will divorce. About half of those will have children at the time of the split. Ensuing ugliness will engulf the lives of both divorcees and offspring. They can in most cases expect years of legal battles, deceit, rage, depression, baiting, vitriol, manipulation, and hurt. Perhaps there is another way, a better way. A way that allows for resolution, reason, and respect. An agreement, of sorts, but one that confronts rather than masks the myriad troubles at hand. Lays them all out on the table. Settles the issues once and for all in an honorable arena. Something direct. Fair. Final.

Adam-Troy Castro, Hugo/Nebula/Stoker-nominated author of the SF novel Emissaries from the Dead, brings you a brutally horrific tale of the ultimate settlement in the battle of broken-hearted wills. Petty power plays have been cast aside. The facade of decency is shelved. For one blistering week in an abandoned desert motel, there will be no excuses, pleading, or games. Only resolution, reason, respect.

And blood.

©2008 Adam-Troy Castro (P)2019 Skyboat Media, Inc.

Physical manifestation of toxic divorce

2.5 of 5 stars.

Some of the other low score reviewers seem to have been emotionally-triggered by the subject matter (which is completely understandable). Personally, I view "The Shallow End of the Pool" as a metaphoric physical manifestation for toxic divorce where parents use their children as proxies to destroy one another. While I like the idea in theory (after all, divorce is often a legal form of child abuse), I found the execution wanting.

The narrator did the best she could with the material.

Horrible

Wish I could delete this from my brain. Very disturbing & just plain wrong. Hated it!
No stars.

Just terrible

A disgusting tale of depravity. It should never have been written. Couldn’t finish it. Cannot recommend.

Empty

This is a description of mortal combat between siblings in a pool. The underlying story is simple and one dimensional. Too poorly developed to have the shock value it was probably intended to have.

Sick - Not For Me

I read this out of curiosity based on reviews on both Audible and Amazon. While the reviews cautioned, I think I was underwhelmed and not as shocked by the story itself - it is sick and pointless. Perhaps the author just wants to shock the reader - I don't know... I also read it because it was short and wondered what could possibly be said in a two hours? Perhaps the story is just not for me; but I would not recommend the read. There wasn't anything that stayed with me to write about. The narration is good just the story itself that is not for me.