The Vines

The Vines 

The Vines is the latest short story to be checked off my to be read list. Lately I’ve been trying to use my Kindle Unlimited subscription more, and finding new and different authors I’ve never heard of. Which I think is fun. Sometimes you find gold. It can feel like a thrift store scavenger hunt, where every once in a while you find something absolutely perfect and amazing. It forces me to move outside my comfort zone and try new authors instead of my usual favorites. 

My husband often asks me if we’re actually actively using the subscriptions we pay for, and I’ve been making more of an effort with this one. Do you ever forget you have a subscription and it just kind of sits there waiting to be utilized? 

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If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know how much I love a good short story. Reading one is much healthier than mindlessly doom scrolling social media. Which is something I think everyone should make it a point to do more often. In this day and age, it is much healthier. 

“Be nice to your plant-murdering mother, would you?” 

Matt Micheli, The Vines

Have you read The Vines? Come on in and let me tell you about it! 

About The Vines 

After the tragic loss of her father, Madison’s mother Susan moves them to an old farmhouse in hopes of curving the struggling teen’s spiraling behavior, giving her a fresh start at a new school and a chance for a new life. 

The change isn’t a welcomed one and the new surroundings, although vastly different, prove just as difficult for her daughter to navigate. But there’s something about the old house, something growing, that just may save Madison from herself.

Poignant and haunting while never losing hope, The Vines is a story that twists and weaves through love, loss, the confusing complexities of a teen’s self-discovery, and a mother’s unrelenting love of a daughter with a very special gift.

Sometimes wilting plants just need a little love.

Thoughts on The Vines 

When I read the description of this story, my first thought was, it is going to be some kind of Mexican Gothic knockoff. But I still wanted to try it. I don’t know about anyone else, but I often prejudge stories before reading them. This never means I pass it up, but I end up basing my expectations on these judgements. It still has a very Mexican Gothic feel to it, but it isn’t the same either. 

What I love about this story is that it sucked me in from the very beginning. I wanted to read more, and it was a really fast read. Grief at such a young age is something I understand really well and relate to, having lost my dad at the age of fourteen.  If you’ve lost a parent far too young, you’ll feel this story hard. 

It is written with a lot of heart and soul. I actually really like the mother-daughter combo in this story, which is rare for me. Is it true horror? Not really. It is more coming of age turned horror from out of nowhere in the last couple of pages. 

If you aren’t a big fan of horror stories, you can still like and appreciate this one. Although I think my biggest complaint is that it isn’t really horror. It doesn’t live up to that genre title, and that gives me a big letdown. 

Final Thoughts on The Vines 

I’m calling The Vines a three star read. I wanted so much more out of it. I haven’t decided if I think it should be longer or shorter to be complete. But it really is incomplete, and that is my biggest problem. Plus calling it a horror story really set my expectations high, and being mislabeled really was a disappointing factor for me. 

I found myself liking it, but at the same time, it is forgettable because it felt so incomplete. There wasn’t anything wrong with it. It was good, but I wanted it to be great. Which is why I’m calling it a three star read, and nothing higher or lower. 

As with any stories I review, I always encourage you to read it for yourself and form your own opinions. You may end up absolutely loving it and raving about it. It is available on Kindle Unlimited at this time, so you can read it for free there. I looked at reviews others have left after writing this, and I am definitely in the minority of calling it a three star read. Most reviews are four and five stars. 

Discussion 

Have you read The Vines or any other writing from author Matt Micheli? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

About the Author 

Matt Micheli is a horror and dark-fiction writer out of New Braunfels, TX, winner of the 2024 Literary Nasties. He is a loving husband and father to a little girl and husky dogs, spending his days dabbling in domestication and his nights in Tequila, always searching for the next great story.

Purchasing The Vines 

If you are interested in buying the paperback version of The Vines, click here.

Click here for the Kindle version.

Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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