Monstrosity

Apartment Complex On Deadman Lane Box Set

Fiction - Paranormal
408 Pages
Reviewed on 04/21/2022
Buy on Amazon

Author Biography

Hello! I'm KJ Walt. I'm a licensed massage therapist and have been for many years.

I created the 3 book Healthy You series to give you a shortcut to a healthier, less painful life!

If I can help one person achieve their goal or goals, I'm grateful and honored. You are worth it!

I'm also the author of Monstrosity: Apartment Complex on Deadman Lane Box Set.

People acting atrociously...and paying for it.

This is a humorous set of eight episodes that have a deeper meaning lurking in the twist-filled, laugh-out-loud storyline.

Laughter is great for the soul!

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.J. Simmill for Readers' Favorite

In K J Walt’s Monstrosity, Yoska Draper was never going to settle down. He had no ties. His gypsy blood was strong and there was grief in his past he could never outrun. He thought he'd figured everything out until an uncle he never knew left him a monstrosity in his will. As far as Draper was concerned, he couldn't sell it quickly enough, but there was something about the ugly, green, rundown building that spoke to him. Perhaps it was the handsy ghosts, the demon in the corner, or maybe how the most brilliant group of misfits and outcasts had found each other under this old roof. But there was something about this place, this monstrosity, that gave him a strange feeling, and for once, it wasn't the need to move on.

Monstrosity: Apartment Complex On Deadman Lane Box Set by K J Walt is a phenomenal and gripping read that will hook you from the first page. From the first paragraph, the personality of Yoska Draper really erupts from the page, instantly gripping the reader’s attention. I love books like this, ones that get you invested in the first few lines. There isn’t a single character that wasn’t vibrant and unique. I loved Draper’s intense and opinionated personality. While he has a view and opinion on everything, he’s also one to embrace people and their difference without prejudice and is able to kick ass when the need arises. I loved this, loved how his character was so intense, and watching him grow and change as he spends time in the converted mansion was executed brilliantly. I loved seeing his mind work and the evolution of thoughts and understandings as he grows closer to the motley crew, becoming entangled in their lives. This is expertly written, flows beautifully, and holds the reader’s attention from beginning to end. I really hope the author writes more books like this; it was nothing short of outstanding.

K.C. Finn

Monstrosity: Apartment Complex On Deadman Lane Box Set is a work of collected fiction in the paranormal horror, suspense, and psychological thriller subgenres. It is intended for the adult reading audience owing to some moderate violence and explicit language and was penned by author K J Walt. Comprised of eight shorter tales that build on one another in an episodic format, we follow the ill fate of protagonist Yoska, who inherits a dingy apartment complex that has dark dealings happening beneath the surface. As each new stone is turned over, the dark presence weighing on Yoska grows ever stronger, threatening insanity and the pull of forever if he doesn’t find a way to break free.

I could easily see this kind of work being transformed into an American Horror Story-style television series, such is author K J Walt’s commitment to cinematic description and episodic pacing in this thrilling novel. I really enjoyed the concept and was constantly fascinated by each of the apartments in this block and the worry of what is lurking behind any closed door. This creates a great sense of suspense which is well maintained in the overall story arc; plus, there are also some much larger and more devastating twists that really crack Yoska’s reality and test his psyche to its core. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend Monstrosity to horror enthusiasts looking for plenty of thrills, a unique new spin on the “haunted house inheritance” trope, and an author who certainly knows how to tingle your spine.

Nicholus Schroeder

Monstrosity: Apartment Complex On Deadman Lane is a paranormal book by the talented K. J. Walt. Yoska Draper got the shock of his life when an attorney called him over to Deadman Lane to settle an inheritance case. For starters, Yoska didn’t know that he had an uncle, and his inheritance is a hideous apartment complex of no real value. Yoska feels as though he got the short end of the stick and his fears are confirmed once he meets his weird tenants. Javier Solvair is a drug dealer that walks barefooted and Shea Bacino is convinced that Yoska is a troll fated to protect her. Those two are just a few of the eccentrics that live in Deadman Lane. Yoska hopes to sell the complex soon before he loses his sanity but realtors certainly won’t have it easy trying to sell the building in such a strange place with weird tenants to boot.

Monstrosity was a fun read for me as the comedy was pure gold. K. J. Walt had me in stitches throughout her book, as each page either had a hilarious joke or scene unfolding. The author really knows her stuff when it comes to comedy and I don’t believe I've come across a book this funny before or even a film, for that matter. The characters were great too, and each was lovable, funny, and just perfect in every way. They had no shortcomings or flaws and I loved getting to know more about each character. Their backstories were genuinely interesting, and my opinion of them changed greatly as I read the book. It's not often that I get so attached to characters but whilst reading I couldn’t help but care for each one. There were absolutely no weak links as each member of the cast was well-written. This book is sure to stay with me. Thank you, K. J. Walt, for having written this marvelous tale. I'd recommend it to readers that love books with a healthy dose of comedy.

Jamie Michele

Monstrosity: Apartment Complex On Deadman Lane by K J Walt is the entire box set of the author's original stories, written in episodic format and revolving around an apartment complex and the people who reside there, all of which turn out to be exactly as the title says: a monstrosity. Narrated in the first person by the main character Yoska Draper, the book begins with Yoska having unexpectedly inherited an apartment complex. A really gross one, where Draper has decided rent can be subsidized with punches in the face and that the stairwell is really, really creepy. In time, Yoska also learns that the odd-ball tenants are forever, because over the years they have practically become family. Not that Yoska could sell the complex anyway, because “Word is out that it is dangerous.”

K J Walt gives the world a masterclass in the art of dark comedy with Monstrosity. Both the narrative and dialogue are hilarious, wildly acerbic, and weirdly authentic. That last bit is down to the characters being so well developed that everything that comes out of their mouths is believable. Yoska is the best of them all and, please don't tell them I said this, but for as big a steaming pile as Yoska can be, they're also kind of a softie. This is proven when a squatter referred to as “Rainbow Teen” is told that she can stay AND have hot water if she goes back to school. Monstrosity is character-driven and the paranormal stairwell activity is entertaining, but only in how the residents on Deadman Lane respond to it, such as when a man named Carter gets jealous of the amount of time his partner Sang spends in the stairwell. Well done. Very well done. Highly recommended.

Asher Syed

Prolific writer KJ Walt pulls all of her Apartment Complex On Deadman Lane short stories together and bundles them up in the paranormal comedy box set, Monstrosity. Eight distinct and interconnecting episodes are included in the box set and follow the order of chronological release. The first episode and first scene is The Inheritance, establishing Yoska Draper as the main character and complex's new owner. As the episodes progress through several scenes within them, the reader is able to slowly understand the machinations of the old complex and the people who live there.

I'm relieved that I did not know anything about Monstrosity: Apartment Complex On Deadman Lane until KJ Walt released the whole box set. I am not patient where a series is concerned and binging Yoska's troubles is the best way to read. The stand-alone nature of the episodes has the same impact as a syndicated TV show; a reader can start from the middle and would be fine but the build-up between then and now is missed. I would not recommend missing any of what Walt publishes. There is a paranormal piece to the apartment complex's puzzle, although it is secondary to everything else and operates as more of a delightful but supernumerary bonus. Across the street from the complex is The Slow Store where a rubbish beekeeper buys salve, a naked man buys nut milk, and all are rung up by an older cashier with a knack for Marie Antoinette-type hair ornaments. An excellent read!