The Eye Unseen

By Cynthia Tottleben

Lucy Tew’s life is a labyrinth of darkness. She has no food, no water, and a mother who can’t wait to test her axe on Lucy’s neck. Locked in her room for weeks on end, with only her dog Tippy for companionship, Lucy faces hours stacked like corpses as days dwindle to little more than watching corn wither in the fields and animals stir within it. But they aren’t the only ones aware of Lucy’s predicament. Inside the house, the very walls come alive as Lucy flounders with sanity. A stranger appears to lead Lucy through her darkest days, but is he the savior she craves? He revels in the turmoil that shadows him. His old relationship with her mother will soon rekindle. And his name is so obscene, no one dares utter it. Except for the one that calls him Father.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JournalStone
• Release date: Jan 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781940161112

Cynthia Tottleben

Cynthia has been writing almost as long as she could talk. As a child, Cynthia illustrated and authored a series of books based on Homer the Grasshopper. Since then her work has grown much darker and her characters incredibly disturbed. She loves exploring the lives of women straddling that fine line between sanity and the bleak world on the other side. Sometimes she finds that world very tempting herself. Cynthia currently resides in small town USA with her six cats, a beautiful black lab, and the humans that make up her family.

Book preview

The Eye Unseen

By

Cynthia Tottleben

JournalStone

San Francisco

Copyright © 2014 by Cynthia Tottleben

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

JournalStone books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

JournalStone

www.journalstone.com

www.journal-store.com

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-940161-10-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-940161-11-2 (ebook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013950838

Printed in the United States of America

JournalStone rev. date: January 17, 2014

Cover Design: Denise Daniel

Cover Art: M. Wayne Miller

Edited by: Dr. Michael R. Collings

For my mother, Carolyn Houck, who would want the world to know she is not the model for the character in this book. You have blessed me with many wonderful days, not to exclude the incident with the ghetto blaster or your warped gingerbread houses. Thanks for being my greatest supporter.

Acknowledgements

I cannot thank my writing group enough. The members of the Quad Cities RWA who have tolerated my high drama and bloodbaths despite their gentle natures: Theresa Davis, Jan LaRoche, Jan Steffens, Crystal Donahue, Ellen Tsagaris, you are a fantastic group and have taught me a tremendous amount about the craft.

My beta readers, Maria Del Mar Carrasquillo, Judy Brosche, Kerri Miller Ebright, your help and input have been invaluable. Thank you for taking the time to read and let me bounce ideas off you!

Howard Olson, the quiet keeper of Rancid, has tried to lead me in the right direction though I often refuse to follow. I appreciate all of your support. You are an excellent friend.

Ann Pierson D’Angelo, who has endured the bone-chilling neediness of my offbeat creative talents since she performed my piano composition in high school. Thank you for listening, reading, giving feedback, and inspiring me with your artistic talents.

Simon Wood and CJ West, my Bouchercon buddies, who never hesitate to answer my questions or dole out advice and encouragement, you guys are the best!

I am forever indebted to the crew at JournalStone Publishing for their patience while I’ve learned the ropes: Patrick Freivald, fellow author, kind enough to take me under his wings, my editor Dr. Michael Collings, for not only his hard work on my project, but the headache of breaking in a newbie. And, finally, to Christopher Payne for giving me this opportunity.

Chapter 1

Lucy

The prelude was subtle, as insidious as a gradual infection. For the past several months Mom had done a slow waltz around the sanity drain, the mutations in her behavior spreading like tumors through all of our lives.

But the snap was instantaneous. The flick of a match. A camera capturing an image.

Nuclear detonation.

I could see it in her eyes. Like someone had finally turned on the garbage disposal and cleared out the bits and pieces of her that still existed. A flip of the switch, and Mom was all but gone, mush corroding somewhere at the bottom of a pipe, barely a remnant of the woman I remembered.

She came at me fast, pinned me against the wall. I dared not fight, for I knew the repercussions. I had experienced them once months ago and still trembled each time I approached the shed in the back yard. Looking out the sliding glass doors I could see the building cast shadows across the grass, inviting me back in.

Tippy ran up beside us, her nails clattering on the linoleum as she hurried to my rescue. I mentally scolded her as she began barking, but Mom was on her in a flash. I watched as she kicked my miniature dachshund and sent her flying next to the kitchen table, Tippy whining and then running off in a panic. She couldn’t protect me from my mother and both of us knew it.

Tippy was much better off in the other room. While I appreciated her efforts, I was also so embarrassed by my predicament that I didn’t want her to witness it.

The left side of Mom’s mouth curled up in a sardonic grin. My flesh shivered as her expression broadened into a twisted sort of joy. I half expected her tongue to flick in and out of her mouth like a snake’s.

The first slap stung as Mom’s hand found my face. I had anticipated it the moment Mom walked in the door and challenged me with her stare, the second I felt the air shift in the kitchen with her approach. My toes ached from walking on constant egg shells, and for a second I was relieved that the violence had finally begun.

Your coach called me at work, Mom announced, her words coated in bile.

I could taste the rotten stench as it crept out of her mouth, a blend of soured milk and eggs left in the heat for three days. With anyone else I would have politely walked away and wrapped my long hair under my nose to filter out the nastiness. But with her I lacked such freedom.

I stood chest to chest with her. A voice punctuated my panic, screamed up my spine that I could poke my fingers in her eyes, kick her in the jaw as she flailed around blindly. But that thought caused my legs to jerk and I almost fell in place, Mom pulling me back up by my hair. She pressed her palms flat against the wallpaper, directly over my shoulders. I was wary that both hands might jump out at me as our interrogation proceeded, for they often worked as if they had a life of their own.

I’m sorry, Mom. I tried not to move. I struggled not to vomit from the odor that oozed out of her pores, came at me on her dragon’s breath.

Do you know how embarrassing that was? Mom’s body scooted a quarter of an inch closer to mine. Not knowing that your daughter had quit the team?

My instinct was to run. Open the sliding door, escape the treachery of the outbuildings, flee like the deer into the rows of corn that bordered our side yard.

But I knew better. Mom no longer had boundaries. Even if she couldn’t catch me on foot, I didn’t doubt she’d come after me with her car or even the shotgun. Although our land in rural Iowa had plenty of hiding spots, I didn’t want to live like the animals in the woods that adjoined our property, hiding in the trees, always on high alert.

Constantly waiting for someone to kill me.

I didn’t know what else to do. I’m sorry.

I gripped the kitchen chair, waited for the pain to come. Again.

I’m ashamed of you, Lucy. School hasn’t even started yet and already you’re in trouble?

The worst part of her psychosis was trying to squeeze the truth in between the walls of Mom’s irrationality.

I’m sorry. The other kids, they were talking about me….

Her hand switched to my neck. I flinched when I thought she would slap me, but instead she traced the edge of my mouth with her index finger and then spidered her whole hand across my jaw until it settled with her thumb stroking my jugular.

Yes? Mom directed me to finish.

I didn’t want to answer. I contemplated lying but knew that Mom would see straight through that. Making up even half-truths had never been a skill of mine.

They were looking at…and the coach….

Lucinda Shay Tew, you have about ten seconds to spit it out before I get really mad.

Fingernails bit into my skin. Mom’s face was no longer just florid with anger, but I could tell she had started to enjoy this. My suffering. Tippy, whimpering in the background. All three of us knowing that soon that would be me as well.

Brandy has always told me not to talk about it. To tell no one but her what really went on in our house. Not to even acknowledge the abuse to Mom.

 Of course, my sister was immune to the cruelty. Her worst offenses were my bruises. Even when she’d snuck out one hot August night, taken Mom’s car and driven to the quarry to hang with her friends, she was sent to her room while I endured the punishment. Mom could never believe Brandy had flaws. Brandy preferred not to rock the boat.

Then again, she had never joined the swim team and couldn’t be blamed for my current condition.

I couldn’t pad the truth. The situation with Mom was lose-lose.

I could hear them talking about my bruises, I began.

This time my head bounced off the wall.

Mom moved back a step, uncurled her fist, and rubbed her knuckles. All expression exited her face.

What bruises, Lucy?

Mom, please. You know. Shame catapulted through my entire system. I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation.

No, Lucy, I don’t.

At school the girls talked about everyone, even their own best friends. In the locker room I had listened to many of these conversations, virtually unseen as I showered and changed after practice. But lately when I entered the pool area or hit the showers, all chatting stopped. Even among the boys. On the day I quit, I had dared to glance at my own skin. All I could see was the imprint of Mom’s fingers colored onto my thigh.

Please, Mom. People notice, on the swim team. It’s not like I can wear a full body suit in the pool. I had to quit. What if the coach called someone?

I closed my eyes for a second and waited for the blow that did not come. Instead Mom moved her hand under my chin, pulled my face up so that I had to look directly into her mad eyes.

Say it, Lucy. The words slithered out and curled alongside my face. My belly lurched from the odor. What do people notice?

Brandy had warned me never to talk about it.

The bruises you gave me.

Brandy was right.

This time when my head hit the wall it left an indentation.

*  *  *

Brandy snuck into my room after Mom left for work. We both listened for the crunch of tires on gravel before so much as breathing.

Hey. You okay? My older sister asked.

I can barely open my eyes. I held out my hand and Brandy grasped it.

After Mom had finally gone to bed, Brandy had been the one to take care of me. We both imagined that our parent instinctively knew this would happen and let nature play its course, for she never chastised my sister. But then again, Brandy rarely got in trouble for anything.

You really took a whuppin’ this time. I’m sorry, sweetie.

Brandy crawled into my bed, pushed my hair up and over the pillow. I felt a rush of relief as she spooned around me, pressed her face into the back of my neck. It amazed me how she always made me feel protected, loved.

I think she’s getting worse, I told my sister. You should’ve seen the look on her face. It’s like she’s an entirely different person.

I know. I could hear her muttering all night. I swear it sounded like she was fighting with Dad. She said his name enough times.

Chills raced up my back.

What are we going to do? I relied on Brandy to make the big decisions. She was smarter than me, had experienced a lot more. What if she goes completely crazy?

You mean she’s not already? Brandy giggled and tried to lighten the mood.

I’m serious.

So am I, Luce. So am I.

*  *  *

I don’t want you to go to school, Mom said flatly, sipping her coffee while I finished my oatmeal.

But Mom, it’s the first day. I can’t miss that. I knew my bruises would set off a few alarms with my teachers, but I had prepared a story about having a bike accident and running into a tree. With my face.

No, you’re right. If you miss the first day you might as well skip out on the whole year. Her lips left the mug, and I could see Brandy relax a bit when Mom chuckled. I’ll tell them you moved in with your dad.

What? Brandy and I asked as one. We looked at each other, then back to Mom.

But don’t think for a minute that I’m going to let you off that easy. While I’m working I expect you to clean the kitchen, top to bottom. The oven, the cabinets. Even the walls. You know how to use the oil soap. Mom set her coffee back on the table.

Are you serious? Brandy spat with disrespect and then physically retreated. I took note of how she moved back in her chair as fragile as a secret, as if she immediately regretted her bold question.

Lucy is perfectly capable of washing the walls. Do you think I’d just let her stay home from school all day and read?

No, Ma’am. Brandy stepped back into formalities. What would you like me to tell people at school?

I’ve already called them. Say just what I did. Lucy has officially moved in with her father. That’s why she quit the swim team. Because she no longer lives with us. Mom flexed the morning paper, folded it open to the business section.

I sat still as a bird. Transfixed. Transparent.

Silently I glanced at Brandy, pleaded with my eyes. Neither of us had anticipated this.

But, Mom? Brandy dared ask. Everyone knows Dad is dead.

Mom continued reading for a moment, unbothered.

Whoever said the two of you have the same father?

The second the car scooted down the drive, I grabbed the sponge and started cleaning. I knew Mom’s expectations.

I also knew I could never meet them.

*  *  *

Keep away from the windows. You know Mom’ll freak if people see you! Brandy warned.

I had served my first week under house arrest and was aching for fresh air. In my new regime I was only allowed to open the door in the blackest of night, and in no other situation, not even an emergency like a house fire or gas leak, but with all the inside lights off and nothing to help me see outside. Mom let me walk Tippy around our five acres in the pitch dark and only on the backside of the house, away from the road. Once I moved from under the cover of our magnolia, I was in forbidden territory.

She never had to spell out the consequences if I did not follow her directions. Misbehavior was not an option.

Brandy, when you look outside what do you see?

Corn.

Row after row of it. No roads, no other houses. Just corn. No one will see me, not even the Hanleys, I reminded her as I stepped forward and cracked the window. Besides, the air in here is stagnant, don’t you think?

Brandy had spread out her homework, ready to give me a lesson in College Algebra.

Why do they call it College Algebra if you take it in high school? I quizzed.

Because it’s college level. But it’s really not that hard.

Jealousy gripped me as I looked at my sister. She was one of the prettiest girls in her class, with long, glossy dark hair, and freckles that accentuated her hazel eyes. In the past year Brandy had developed a much more mature frame and looked at least twenty, not the eighteen she was soon to become.

I’ve always liked math, but this isn’t so bad. Plus my teacher is really cool. You’d like him. He’s new this year.

Really? What’s his name? I sat next to the open window, let the breeze coat me with its warmth.

 If I closed my eyes I could see the yard I already missed worse than any of my classmates. Behind the house, our picnic table sat empty, staring at the pine trees that guarded our land. Was it covered in bird poop? Had anyone washed it? Were the frogs that lined our creek wondering what happened to me?

Mr. Meller. Now, look at this equation. It seems really complicated with these other problems set in parentheses, but they’re all the same….

I couldn’t concentrate on my sister’s lesson. A thousand questions filled my head as she rambled on about her classes. Had the principal cared that Mom removed me from school? Did anyone in town find it strange? Was I still considered part of the Class of 2003, or would I not graduate with the others, even if Mom allowed me back on school grounds?

What do they say about me? In school?

Brandy’s lip dropped open like she was going to say something and then thought better of it.

The girls in choir were concerned about you, but after I told them about your fantastic new living arrangements, they were insanely jealous! Brandy sparked back up.

Her energy egged me on. Really? Who?

Oh, that loud girl with the freaky glasses. And her funny friend who belches all of the time. I can’t remember their names. Freshmen…who cares who they are? My sister tried to act cool, but then stopped.

We both realized that if I weren’t confined to the house I’d be a freshman, too.

Becky? Becky asked about me? I screeched with excitement. What’d you say?

I told them you’ve gone to France to stay with your father for a while….

France? I was surprised.

Tours, more directly. He works for the University there, you know.

Of course. And what exactly does he look like? I played her game.

Tall. Extremely tall, for a Frenchman. He has reddish hair and a little moustache that he combs and curls up at the side.

We started laughing at the image of my mystery parent and couldn’t stop. When the tears came I crawled into my sister’s lap and shared with her the terror that gripped me constantly. Her hug lent me camaraderie, but even the slight touch made me yelp in pain.

Maybe he’s my father, too. You never know. Just because I don’t have red hair doesn’t mean a thing.

Four minutes before Mom came home, the table was set and dinner ready to come out of the oven. Brandy and I decided that we would never give her another opportunity to lash out at me again.

*  *  *

Sundays were the worst for me. I had always loved church. Well, maybe not so much the sermons, but the music and the picnics and the activities of our youth group. Mom didn’t allow Brandy and me to go out with friends very often, but she never challenged the leaders of the First Methodist and gave us free rein to attend almost every get-together they had.

Now, instead of Sunday afternoon skate parties or our Thursday trips to the nursing home, I was in charge of preparing a family meal and having it on the table by the time Mom and Brandy arrived home.

I loved setting a formal dinner table. In the past Brandy had done most of the cooking. We always relied on Mom for clean-up duty, as each of us took our turn with one segment of the chores, and quite frankly she was much better at scrubbing the pans than getting them dirty in the first place.

But since I had moved in with Dad, I had taken over all of these responsibilities.

I still enjoyed table setting. Last Christmas Mom gave me several books on napkin folding and building center pieces that she found at a yard sale. Every Sunday since I have used one book or another to create my very own masterpieces.

Looking at my presentation, I was pleased with the autumn assortment I had picked out of the linen closet. Pumpkin was my theme color and also the flavor of our meal. Brandy and I had baked pumpkin bread on Saturday afternoon. Now Mom’s favorite pie sat cooling on the kitchen counter, the crust delicate yet as picture-worthy as the one on the cookbook cover.

Even so I couldn’t help but be nervous. Mom and I hadn’t had an episode since the one over the swim team, and I could feel it brewing in the air. As I glanced at the mashed potatoes growing cold on the stove and again at the clock, I worried about the condition of our main course. Mom liked to amble in the back door, put down her purse and jacket, and then take a three-minute break in the restroom before sitting down to eat. She performed like clockwork. She expected everyone else around her to do the same.

Which translated into having a hot meal ready to be moved to the dining room table the moment she entered the house. Usually I poured the side dishes into serving bowls as soon as I heard the car approach. Brandy would follow Mom into the house but immediately start carrying food so there was no delay.

But not today. I wondered if the congregation was sharing lunch or if Mom and Brandy had had some tragedy coming home. Since we no longer used a house phone, I couldn’t call. Plus I would never be able to explain why I was calling Mom from France to see why she wasn’t home for dinner.

I stood vigil by the stove and waited. While the buns warmed with the ham in the oven, I contemplated rolling the potatoes into balls and blasting Brandy with them when they finally came home. Tippy and I had a good laugh over this, but we both knew it would never happen.

Instead I refolded the napkins, did cleanup work, wrapped saran around the pie after it had cooled. When my family was two hours late, I cut a bit of meat for myself and gave Tippy a couple of scraps. She was overjoyed at the treat, and I had grown incredibly hungry while waiting.

At 4:30 the car sounded warning, crunching up the gravel drive.

Tired and not knowing which way to jump, I kept my post by the oven. The meal was ruined, although the meat and rolls were still salvageable. Mom would be furious, either that I had wasted food or that I had eaten part of the ham without permission.

I had no idea how to proceed.

Brandy’s voice drifted into the kitchen as they hurried from the car. Mom was even laughing! I desperately wanted to run open the door or pull aside the curtains and wave at my family.

But this was forbidden.

Hey, Luce. Brandy smiled at me as she hurried through the kitchen and then caught sight of the table. Oh, wow. That looks fantastic!

For an instant I was offended by Brandy’s happiness. The fact that she hadn’t wasted hours, emotionally spent, waiting for the disaster that lurked behind the kitchen door. My sister could have hurled one of the potato balls at Mother and fallen over in hysterics as the food fell out of her hair while Mom chased me for the outrage it caused. 

Life was not fair. It was not a circus, either.

Mom entered the house and glared at the inedible food. I could feel goose bumps marching up my arms in double time.

What is this all about? She waved her hand at the stove.

I kept trying to keep it hot for you, but I think I’ve cooked it too long. I’m sorry.

I watched Mom’s hand hover in the air. But instead of hitting me, she put it to her side.

Well, I’m not surprised. You certainly can’t cook like your sister.

No, Ma’am, I can’t. I lowered my eyes.

Clean it up. We’ve already eaten.

Brandy reappeared and rolled up her sleeves. She started to draw dish water and made herself immediately comfortable working around Mom and me.

The woman continued to glare. My skin grew hot with tension.

Here you go, Luce. Let’s scrape these for the compost bin and I’ll run that out in a second…. Brandy stepped in front of Mom and gave me a chore list.

I hopped to it.

Later, after the threat of violence had dissipated, I asked Brandy where they had been.

Don’t you remember? The second Sunday of September is always the autumn banquet. God, I wish you could have gone. It’s so boring without you, and Mrs. Bradford made that Jell-O salad you love so much….

Thanks. 

Lucy, I can’t do anything about her. You know that.

No, I wasn’t being sarcastic. Thanks. For what you did, getting her out of the kitchen. I had no trouble holding eye contact with my sister.

Listen, kid. It’s getting better, can’t you tell?

My nod brought tears. Brandy took her dish towel and wiped them away.

Are you hungry? I bet you haven’t eaten a thing, have you?

Brandy made me a ham sandwich and stood guard while I wolfed it down.

*  *  *

I wish she would let us listen to the radio again, Brandy

Reviews for The Eye Unseen

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If V. C. Andrews wrote supernatural horror, this would be it. Some parts might be a little hard to stomach, but that adds to the horror

[pixiedark · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this book from Library Thing Early Reviewers. The Eye Unseen is a horrifying, heartbreaking read about a girl named Lucy. She has to endure terrible abuse from her mother, Joan. Lucy then begins to hallucinate. She sees a man that she thinks is her "savior" Is this man her savior, or something evil. Nobody utters the strangers name, it is obscene.This book was scary! I felt like I was Lucy and went through the things she did. This book is extreme horror and is not for the faint of heart.

[kpjackson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is very disturbing, sometimes in a good way, but more often in a bad one. Technically it is very well written and held my attention throughout, even when repulsing me with it's themes, however, it's hard to recommend this book due to the nature of the subject matter (abuse). I would recommend this to those who have a high tolerance for sensitive subject matter and have not experience abuse in their past.

[zjordi_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book simply failed to keep my attention beyond the first pages. I don't know whether the reason is that it ain't my kind of book or because it is plain boring, but I couldn't advance beyond 10% of it.

[kommana-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, I won this book from LibraryThing Giveaway in December. But I couldn't review till now as I was so horrified with the child abuse presented in the book. I can't truly say that I disliked the book but it is sure a lot disturbing. I think the book dragged with so many repetitions. I really liked the writing style and the way it was presented through different viewpoints. But I was unable to tolerate the level of abuse. And it has a good twist at the end. I can recommend it to those who enjoys a psychological and violence read.I give 3 out 5 stars to this.

[crazy4reading · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well I don't even know how to start with this review. It was a very weird book. I had read some reviews while I read the book and people are calling it horror. I haven't read much horror but this book reminded me of when I read The Lost Boy by David Pelzer. The abuse that he went through growing up. That book was fact. The Eye Unseen is fiction and I felt it dealt with abuse but as I read the book I realized it was more then just abuse. Lucy, her mother Joan and her sister Brandy just seem to be crazy people. I felt like I was reading about schizophrenia in a family.I enjoyed the story and found myself enthralled in the book. The things that Lucy goes through is horrifying but I guess if you think your child is the devil child it makes you do strange and dangerous things.

[polypsodd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent, involving and ambiguous HORROR story. I have really enjoyed this story and would thoroughly recommend it. It is a well written and unflinching journey into evil and madness. Yes, there is much 'psychological' horror here, (isn't it all?), but also plenty of blood, guts and sex. I think the ambiguity is a great strength of this tale, I don't want to be lead by the hand and have every plot line explained and resolved - I think Cynthia Tottleben pitched her story perfectly in that respect, I will be looking for more stories by this writer.

[davide63-211389 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even if it's more a psychological novel than a horror one, it's very well written and I felt myself steadly in the scene.Just a warning: it's very very tough!!!

[flying_monkeys_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rating: 3 of 5The Eye Unseen was definitely more psychological than typical "horror" fans would expect based on the book cover and description. It took about 60 pages before I fully committed to the story - mostly because I didn't connect with Lucy right away, and I disliked Brandy immediately. After Joan's brutal experience with the red-headed man was revealed, my suspicion about Brandy was confirmed.The story's strongest hook was the uncertainty about everything being Lucy's descent into madness as a result of her mother's abuse or whether Lucy really was Her and her mother was right about Him.I wouldn't read The Eye Unseen again, but I would read another book by Tottleben.

[ed_gosney · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cynthia Tottleben’s The Eye Unseen, published by JournalStone, is a page-turning look at a family gone terribly wrong.Teenager Lucy Tew has not had an easy life. Her mother seemingly hates her, never showing her the kind of love that she does to her older sister, Brandy. Sometimes Joan lashes out at her daughter in irrational ways, but this is the life Lucy has grown accustomed to, having only her sister and her dog Tippy to give her any hope or joy. But not all is as it seems, and as the story unfolds, we find out about a cursed bloodline that Joan believes in that could affect not only the Tew family, but all of mankind.The question is though, is Joan telling the truth, or is she really crazy? Tottleben has given us first person point of view chapters so that we can see into the minds of various characters, from Lucy to Joan to an aunt, and even from Tippy the dog’s perspective. Tottleben did a nice job with this and plants shades of doubt about some of the action taking place, yet at the same time making it all seem so real. Are the narrators reliable or unreliable? That’s part of the intrigue as you continue reading this fascinating and well-written novel. But I do want to give potential readers a word of warning. There are some very gross descriptions of murder and mutilations. And I mean gross. So if you are squeamish, you’ve been warned.

[copefiend2 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book in awhile that I cannot review. I have started and stopped reading this three times now and just cannot get into the story. The writing is okay but the storyline and inability by the author to grab my attention made this a loser for me. Sorry but the beginning of this book is to ponderous and slow of a read for me. Which I had more to offer but that is it.

[teritree001971 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

THE EYE UNSEEN is a supernatural horror story combining both psychological and graphic imagery to scare the reader through the lives of Joan and her two daughters, Lucy and Brandy. Joan and her daughters are the last of the family and when the year 2000 comes, thousands will be killed by the cursed one. It is up to them to take care of the would be killer. From the first to the last page the reader is engaged in the story and I found myself sitting up late to finish it. We start out with Lucy explaining to her mom the reason she had quit the swim team. After all, people notice the bruises and start to ask questions. What was she supposed to do? Things quickly escalate when Joan finally decides that Lucy will no longer continue in school. They will tell everyone she has moved in with her father. Both Brandy and Lucy have been both physically abused by their mother, but for some reason Lucy tends to get the worse of it. The house they live in is within sight of their neighbors farm and in fact as she is kept in the house, Lucy is able to see her neighbors as they plow the field, as they watch TV. The sad thing is that no one ever seems to notice Lucy alone in the home. No one questions why she left and who her father is. Yes, they have suspicions, but no one in the community ever acts on them.Upon her 18th birthday, Brandy is given a party. Things are going well until, she learns she is to be moving out for good. Joan has done her duty. She is now an adult. We don't know what Brandy does, where she goes or how she lives while on her own and this is one area I would have liked to seen more on. It is as if she just drops off the planet and Joan is left to wonder why Brandy never sends her help or if she is even still alive. As the story progresses, we learn the reason Joan does things and of the personal torments she lives with every day. The family history is explained through Evelyn and her journals. As we read them, we are given a view into the supernatural, as well as the demons that haunt our dreams. We learn those dreams may not be pure fantasy after all. Finally, in the end we see that good does seem to win out for the moment.I would have liked to seen more details on Godless and the reason he wanted to retire? How he lived throughout the eons? What would happen upon his demise. How Evelyn first came to know him? How they first met?

[bracey85 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book tells a horrible story of a women’s abuse of her child. This is a well-written and powerfully emotive novel that manages to keep the reader in suspense. The story is told from different character’s point of views. I found it to be very readable but be warned it is not a book for the faint-hearted as the scenes of abuse can be quite intense.

[dianek93 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I Received this book from a LibraryThing Giveaway. This book is great and terrible. I enjoyed the writing, even when sometimes I got confused with what character's perspective the story was being told. That was my problem, though, what with falling asleep with the book in my hands and all. The child abuse, rape, incest, psychosis are all very tough to handle because it is very easy to feel like you are there. I enjoyed the story in spite of the painful parts. This story is going to haunt me for awhile.

[booksniff · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this book for free to review. I give this book three stars because I really liked the author's writing style. It was very read, and caught my interest right away. On the other hand, I found the descriptions of child abuse just too disturbing and did not enjoy reading about that. Because of this, I really could not recommend this book, or could only recommend it to those really don't mind reading about violence. I would love to read something else by this author that is not quite so disturbing.

[tinasnyderrn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is a good book but the idea is a little far-fetched. While the story flows smoothly and has many interesting twists it is difficult to believe the plot. I did like the way it had the different characters telling the tale. That was an unusual aspect. I like that layout. The characters were strong and interesting, I just thought the story would have been just as good without the "God" aspect. A story of a mentally ill mother and the injustices her daughters encounter would have been a much better story I think. It was a good read for those with a big imagination. Overall, not bad.

[carrie.kilgore · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is said that the best fiction is that which tells the truth. Anyone who has suffered abuse as a child will almost certainly recognize the verisimilitude of the emotional content of this book (I was eerily reminded of my stepmother time and again, and the central character's struggles, conflicts, and walk along the edge of sanity resonated deeply). But this is far more than a picture of one child's abuse... it is a family group portrait of the strange kind of madness that passes along from one generation to the next, of the terror that erodes and turns the once abused into the abuser.The author has done a magnificent job of keeping the reader in suspense. What is real? Told from four viewpoints, the story is intensely mesmerizing, completely compelling. This is not a tale for everyone. Some will find it too upsetting to tolerate. Others will be drawn into a catharsis. The themes are haunting. Why do we love? What are we willing to suffer for love? What finally opens our eyes to harrowing truths? Is escape from the savage twist of love and hate gone mad even possible?Definitely not the average horror tale. I was initially put off by the cover art, wondering if I'd stumbled into a retelling of "The Omen." Nothing that simple here. Exceptionally well-written, images abound that will remain with the reader long after the final page.

[tsisqua · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Yes, this story is a story of horrible child abuse, and Tottleben uses dramatic moments of abuse to show just how horrible. It's also listed as a horror story. Well, aren't ALL stories of child abuse horror stories?If you don't read this and get cold chills, shake your head in disbelief and with sorrow in your heart, you aren't reading the same book or you are heartless. The images the author draws upon are absolutely daunting. Here's a sample of what you will get throughout this book: "You pulled yourself through the threshold. Stood at the top of the stairs . Your face was hideous, blackened with coal dust, the vapor rub I had smeared on your cheeks causing a skin infection that looked like boils. Rancid, seeping ulcers with blood crusting their every edge". That passage impacts the reader as do many other passages. l remember reading this one paragraph over and thinking that it's so horrible.I would definitely read this book again and recommend it to anyone who wants a good read. The last book I read that came anywhere near being this good with daunting imagery and powerful emotion is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.Another great thing about this book are the different points of view. Multi POV is so nicely incorporated because it doesn't stop the flow of the story, it doesn't seem abnormal or out of place, and it doesn't disrupt the plot at all. Also, you see many of the same things repeated, like the oily hands image that comes up and darkness/blackness. However, in an abusive relationship, that's what happens; the same thing gets repeated. This technique was very intelligently crafted. It makes getting into the story and connecting to the characters very easy. You are able to actually understand what the characters are witnessing and experiencing. You find yourself emotionally attacked to a character or emotionally detesting a moment.Please take the time to read this book in its entirety and dedicate your thoughts to becoming the characters. I promise you will have a better read of it. As horrible as some of the moments are in the book, and as difficult as it is to read through some scenes, imagine being there. Reread the book. I know I will be!

[ibnalnaqba · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first thing that hits you about this novel is its intimacy with domestic violence. It doesn't read as if a fantasy, at least the first half reads as if a recollection. Without wanting to overburden readers with detailed descriptions of the intense violence and suffering contained in this volume, I should say that it doesn't stop. Not at any point in the story. Yet that isn't to say it isn't somehow redeeming, though not entirely or exactly how one might expect. The narrative switches from one character to another, providing different perspectives from time to time as needed, altering perspectives on the struggle between the characters so that the reader can understand each character's perspective as desired by the author. More than one side of the conflict is seen, and even unexpected perspectives are represented, (Evelyns, Tippys), despite the main narrative being between Lucy and Joan (daughter and mother). A cataclysmic result seems to hang in the balance, but one never seems to fully realize the result in the aftermath. A resolution is implied, but the reader who is perhaps generous could imagine what they wish as a result to have come true, while the more nihilistic or pragmatic reader could see a result much bleaker and less pleasant in which human will is subordinated to the inevitabile domination of supernatural power. But the result of the story is largely an afterthought. Its main effectiveness is in its progression toward the inevitable end. It's a narrative fiction, and a well-written one for the most part.

[bellymonster-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book started out simply enough, a story of a woman's abuse of her child, seemingly through mental illness. As the book progressed though the story got darker and events took a turn for the worse, and the reader began to wonder if the horror that create the abuse was imagined or a supernatural reality.I found the book to become more and more uncomfortable to read the further through I got, but it was still captivating. I enjoyed how the characters were written from different characters' perspectives as this lent a different feel to the story.I wouldn't recommend it to younger readers.

[nubian_princesa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

***I Received this book from a LibraryThing Giveaway***Never judge a book by its spectacularly creepy cover. I really thought this book would shine but it failed to impress. The chapters very rarely moved the story along, was repetitious and a bit boring. On the bright side it had an ending that I did not envision.

[frankerrington · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review copyThe Eye Unseen starts out looking like it's going to be a straight-forward tale of the horrors of child abuse and it is that, but it's much, much more.Told in a first person narrative with each chapter told by one of several characters in the book, including Tippy, the dog. Lucinda Shay Tew, or Lucy as she's called, has quit the swim team because she can no longer hide the embarrasing bruises from her mother's frequent beatings. Her older sister, Brandy tends to escape her mother's wrath, but Lucy seems to be hated just for being who she is.To keep this child abuse from being discovered, Lucy's mother, Joan tells the school that Lucy is now living with her father in France and proceded to keep her idolated in the house, locking her in her room for days at a time and eventually forcing her to live in the basement.Lucy's mother makes the mother in Stephen King's Carrie look like a Saint.At times, I found The Eye Unseen to be extremely disturbing to the point of horrifying. "After rummaging through my drawers I came up with some toenail clippers, and together we dissected the rodent. Cut the poor guy's fur like we were stripping him of a suit and peeled it back from his body. A few months earlier, and Brandy and I would have squealed at such a thought. Funny how hunger made you immune to some things. 'I'm sure this would taste a lot better cooked.' I made my aplogies to Tippy as I split the small bits oif meat between us."The writer, Cynthia Tottleben, was the winner of JournalStone's writing competition for 2013. Deservedly so, as I found this to be one of the most compellingly original horror stories I've read in recent memory.If you're in the mood for something different in your horror reading, be sure to add The Eye Unseen to your To Be Read pile.Highly recommended.

[saginawhorror · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was very uncomfortable to read. It didn't even seem to be a horror novel. Unless of course the horror people do to each other.

[wenchiebrat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this book quite interesting. It is told from various viewpoints, including one completely unexpected. At first it seemed a bit disjointed as it went from viewpoint to viewpoint, however that aspect actually worked quite well in conjunction with the premise of the tale. Most of the time I was entirely unsure what was "reality" and what was delusion, and who exactly was delusional, everyone, no one ... which added to the atmosphere, and increased my interest. Would Lucy's mother kill her, was she really what and who her mother thought she was? Though this is not an entirely new topic I found this a fresh and pleasing take, with some fun twists and turns, and a great surprise ending. I would definitely recommend.

[mary6endersbe · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book is listed as a horror book but I would list it as a story of child abuse. About 90% of this book is about a poor girl being starved, physically abused, locked in her room for weeks with no food or water, locked in a basement with the heat turned up with no food, sweating until near death. This girl was near death so many times I was just wishing she would die and the poor thing would be put out of her misery. The horror part of it is the fact that the mother's family has been cursed with daughters down their lineage who have killed other relatives. Told through the different views of four characters, chapter by chapter, we learn that for generations mothers have had to decide whether or not to kill their daughters to stop them from becoming crazed murderers. The devil eventually shows up to fulfill a prophecy and torture the family while waiting for his "daughter" to take his place at the appointed time. There is plenty of horror when you consider the torture and abuse of the daughter, Lucy, and the rapes, incest, torturing, mutilations, cannibalism and murders as described by past experiences of the other characters. The big twist at the end was a shocker for about a minute until I started to really think of all the whys and hows and the ending really did not make sense to me at all. I would have given the book 1 star but I did go 2 because the writing was well done and I did like the way the story was told from the four different characters' viewpoints.

[gryphon8kl · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book was just unpleasant to read. Throughout the story, one runs into child abuse (pervasive, and consisting of physical and emotional abuse and neglect), rape (mostly off-camera, although the after-effects aren't), murder (bloody and rather graphic), torture (mostly leading up to some of the murders), incest (largely implied, fortunately), possible pedophilia, and the after-effects of most of these. None of this is glamorized by the author, fortunately (a couple of characters do, but one is Satan and the other is under his influence), but the effect is just an unrelenting slog through misery and depravity even so.The book also isn't helped by the fact that the two main viewpoint characters (the abused child, who's supposedly going to replace Satan at the turn of the millennium, and her mother, who's responsible for the abuse) and one of the two minor viewpoint characters (the child's great aunt, who's the character under the influence of Satan) are of, at best, dubious sanity, and the last viewpoint character is the child's dog (who felt a bit off to me somehow, but I couldn't say why). Another character, who feels more sympathetic than the main two (by being neither abusive nor completely passive) is shuffled out of the story early on, leaving the reader to alternate between the child's suffering the effects of abuse and neglect and the mother's trying to justify it to herself.For the most part, the writing itself is reasonably well done. One late twist was both far too abrupt, with a character suddenly showing up in the last chapter and revealing some story details while taking care of one of the plot conflicts (replacing it with another, almost identical one), and rather obvious (or, at least, was exactly the twist I'd have introduced if I'd written the story).

[06nwingert · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A mysterious man visits Lucy Tew and her mother. Lucy's mother immediately recognizes this man as the devil, who latched onto her daughter, Lucy. In order to rid Lucy of the "devil-man," her mother abuses her, including locking her in her room without bathroom breaks or food, and attempts to murder her daughter. While this is a horror story, it felt more depressing. Perhaps its because there are some people who've experienced this in real life. I enjoyed reading from different character's points-of-view; it gave the story a more well-rounded feel. I also enjoyed the personification of Tippy, the family dog.

[debbieaheaton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In Tottleben’s horror novel, Lucy Tew spends weeks at a time locked in her room with only her dog Tippy for company. No food, water or another companionship ever appears. When a stranger arrives wanting to rekindle his romance with her mother, true evil comes with him.This story is told from multiple viewpoints which seem to add to the aura of creepiness. It is a tale of physical and mental abuse by a mother perpetrating the unthinkable acts believing that her youngest is the devil’s own.Lovers of horror stories will devour this with relish!

[dstawarz-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a family. All of the people in the book were very insterting, the best was Tippy...

[carolannhill · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this book to be so sad, and could not understand how a mother could treat a child like that. It made little sense to love one and hate the other. As one moves through the book, the plots and twists keep you riveted as the reality of the situation escalates and becomes so much clearer. A most enjoyable read, and recommended to all readers. hold onto you tissues though and keep the lights on!