"Have you ever felt the eerie chill of someone’s eyes tracing your every step — not out of admiration, but obsession? The kind of attention that hides in the shadows, follows in silence, and turns your ordinary life into a quiet thriller? In short… have you ever been stalked?"
Name of Book: Penpal
Author: Dathan Auerbach
Publisher: Self
Publication Date: 25 April 2013
No. of Pages: 252
Format: Digital
In an attempt to make sense of his own mysterious and unsettling childhood memories, a man begins to reconstruct his past. As the games and adventures of his youth become engulfed by a larger story, he finds that it forms a tapestry of unbelievable horror that he never could have expected. Each chapter completes a different piece of the puzzle for both you and the narrator, and by the end of it all, you will wish that you could forget what he never knew.
Dathan Auerbach was born in the southern U.S. and has lived there for most of his life. In 2011, he began posting a series of stories to a forum dedicated to horror. After a KickStarter that raised over 1000% of its goal, he was able to release the revised and expanded versions of his story as the novel "Penpal."
My Opinion
Penpal by Dathan Auerbach is an excellent psychological thriller and hair-raising horror novel that lingers in your mind long after you've turned the last page. I had this book on my TBR list for quite some time, and finally getting around to it was well worth the wait. From the very first page, it grips you with an eerie, unsettling atmosphere that only intensifies as the story unfolds. It's a chilling descent into the unknown, and it doesn't let up until the very end.
What makes Penpal stand out is its simplicity—limited characters, yet so deeply fleshed out that you feel their fear, confusion, and helplessness. The storytelling is raw and emotional, building layer upon layer of unease. The events unravel like a puzzle, each piece darker than the last, leaving your brain spinning and your spine tingling. Despite the horror, the story manages to touch your heart, especially in how it captures the vulnerability of childhood and the weight of forgotten memories.
I was completely hooked and ended up finishing the book in a single day. It’s not just a thriller—it’s an experience. If you're a fan of psychological horror that messes with your mind, Penpal is a must-read.
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