Clockwork
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“Some stories are like that. Once you've wound them up, nothing will stop them; they move on forward till they reach their destined end, and no matter how much the characters would like to change their fate, they can't."
Clockwork is a tightly wound novella that doesn't waste a word. The creepy tone is established in the preface and the story marches on, switching viewpoints in an occasionally disorienting but impactful journey that holds true to the feel of a dark fairytale. It felt very much in the vein of Neil Gaiman's Ocean at the End of the Lane if it had been written for children. It's so short that it’s only about an hour to read, but I highly recommend
picking it up if you run across it at the library or used book store.
Since this book is so brief and so beautifully creepy, it had to be paired with a drink from my childhood! Warm milk with a dash of cinnamon and honey, made when having trouble sleeping for better dreams.
