This grabbed hold from the beginning and didn't let up. A quick 81 page novella that held on until the very last page.
It does contain some horrific themes, so if you have any issues with graphic death, death of a child/baby, or grief, please skip this one.
I really enjoyed this, and am happy I was given the opportunity to read it early.

Caz is left looking after her newborn niece after her sister dies during childbirth. Death seems to follow them as the people around them start dropping like flies.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book! I think it could have easily been turned into a full length book with more details and focus on the deaths that took place.

Unfortunately, for me, I felt like the story focused too much on Caz and the fact that she didn't want to be a parent. Not to mention how annoyed she was at her partner for being a kind, caring and supportive person. It just took me out of the horror. With that said, I found the horror really intriguing, I just wish that the book was longer so that there could have been more depth to the deaths and stronger focus on the suspense and fear that the characters felt.

Essentially, I just wish that it would have been longer!

Seen by James Yates is a short horror novel with a solid concept: an eerie baby with a mysterious lazy eye and a series of unsettling events surrounding her. From the opening chapter, there’s a heavy sense of dread that builds nicely in the first few chapters, and the grief surrounding Julie-Ann’s death was handled with emotional weight.

The story follows Catherine (Caz), who takes custody of her sister’s baby after she dies during child birth. Something’s clearly not right with the baby. People begin dying in strange ways. It all points to something sinister. Caz’s descent into this eerie mystery is compelling, maybe a little bit much at times.

While the pacing was quick and the story easy to fly through, I found the horror a bit cheesy at times. The characters felt a bit surface level, and there were missed opportunities to connect with people who could have added more emotional or psychological weight to the story. That said, I appreciated the slow unraveling of the lore. By the final few chapters, I was more engaged and curious to see how it would end.

Overall, Seen is a quick and entertaining horror read with a creepy core concept. If you're looking for a light, spooky story to breeze through in an afternoon, this is worth picking up.

This was a great super short, brutal novella! I'm usually a very character-driven reader, but with hardly any character development, the author managed to make me invested and blew me away with this spooky little story. The action literally kicks off on page one and doesn't let up! At only 65 pages, there is NO filler to this story - it is just straight plotline and action the whole way through. I wish all short stories/novellas were written this way.

Brief Synopsis:
Caroline ('Caz') suffers a horrific tragedy right at the start of the story, which leaves her and her partner, Geoff, in care of an infant even though they had never really planned to have children. When Caz suspects something is off about the baby, the reader is left wondering whether there are bigger, supernatural forces at play, or if Caz's trauma is impacting her judgment.

Definitely recommend! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, Victory Editing, for the opportunity to receive an ARC! 'Seen' is set to publish on 10.3.25 and is the perfect mini read for Halloween szn!

I recently received an ARC of Seen by James Yate courtesy of NetGalley. This horror novella drew me in from the very first page, weaving an unsettling tale with an atmosphere that lingers long after the story ends.

However, I found the portrayal of the female protagonist difficult to connect with. At times, her characterization felt unnecessarily insufferable, which gave the narrative an undercurrent that came across as slightly misogynistic. While this aspect lessened my overall enjoyment, the novella’s core horror elements remain effective as dark, memorable, and thought-provoking. Let's just say.. I’m very grateful I got through my pregnancy BEFORE reading this book.

Seen by James Yates

Beware the eye!

I love a good horror novella! This one was fast paced and easy to read which is exactly what I like. It follows Caz whose sister Jules dies during childbirth in a very STRANGE manner(breaking her own neck). After her sister’s death Caz and her fiancé Geoff agree to take in the baby but soon after they find themselves amid strange and unusual deaths all stimming from the baby. In an effort to stop it Caz sets out to find out exactly what her sister has birthed into this world. Without going further and ruining the ending, this book does a good job with the evil baby trope! I would say as a seasoned horror reader I didn’t find the book over the top gorey but if you do have trigger warnings such as child or animal death it may not be for you but I also don’t feel they are too gratuitous!

This is a short story, but incredibly effective and chilling. We follow Caroline, who takes in her sister’s newborn after a tragic and disturbing delivery. From the first moments, the baby seems wrong. Animals panic, children scream, and even adults who meet her react with terror, often with fatal consequences. As Caroline investigates, she uncovers the terrifying truth about her sister, the demon Ashrael, and the price of protecting a child that never should have been born.

The story is brief but feels complete, with tension that builds relentlessly toward a shocking yet inevitable ending. The imagery is unsettling, from the drifting eye of the infant to the inexplicable deaths and the dreadful pull of the sea. The resolution is haunting and heartbreaking, leaving an impression long after the final line.

A compact but powerful horror tale that is perfectly paced and deeply disturbing.