Hey Bibliophiles and lovers of all things strange,

It’s been a while since my last post, so I’m doing a brief update before getting into this book review.

I went on vacation to NJ! I had a great time at my best friend’s wedding and couldn’t be happier. I also got to see some great sights in the process. I’ve gotten back on track in Kansas City since returning and am now working diligently on my last grad school assignments for the semester, which also means this is my last review before finishing the semester. Wish me luck!

Now to the juicy bits.

Today I’m sharing my nonfiction book review of Black Eyed Children by David Weatherly.

The original inspiration behind my interest in these creepy little kids occurred when I was listening to the Scared to Death podcast (it’s under the episode Visibly Shaken). The story was so bizarre and chilling, and it just captured my attention right away. I also heard it on Sinisterhood and other podcasts as well. It’s a very popular topic in the paranormal scene!

I just knew I had to write a short story about it, but without any real knowledge on the subject, I had to dig in and do some research.

So, did this nonfiction book capture enough information about the BEK to help me with my research? Keep on reading to find out!

Blurb

Residing on the fringes of the paranormal are these black eyed kids. B.E.K.S. Are they a diabolical threat or the stuff of urban legend.

“Just let us in, this won’t take long.”

Strange children are appearing around the world.

Attired in old fashioned clothing, their skin is pale and their mannerisms awkward.

Their most startling trait however, is their solid black eyes.

They are knocking on doors and rapping on windows. Their voices are monotone and demanding and they have one simple request:

They want to come in.

GoodReads

Amazon

***Brief disclosure***

I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the Amazon links in this post. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review

Wow, these kids are creepy, and this was the perfect body of research to showcase that!

This book is a study of accounts of the BEK (black eyed kids), strange paranormal beings who show up on doorsteps or at your car door at night. Many have experienced their presence, and this book explores this phenomenon in a well-rounded approach that seemingly started with Brian Bethel and his fateful encounter from the 90’s.

First and foremost, I have to say that this book was very well written. I don’t read nonfiction very often, but each page felt like it was part of a conversation that I could easily follow. Since I didn’t know much about BEK going in, that was very important.

Weatherly starts with generally agreed upon traits of the BEK, which was super helpful since I plan on writing a fictional short story about them. He then shares a number of stories, which highlight some outliers on the BEK’s traits, as well as theories on what they might be and other relevant wanderings closely related to them.

Each story felt different, with each just as terrifying as the next, especially this one about a man who was working a late shift in Toronto. That one really stuck with me. I have seen others mention that the stories felt too similar overall, but this is a body of research, not fiction, so entertainment is not the main focus here.

I especially appreciated that Weatherly took a skeptic’s view trying to disprove the BEK phenomenon. In the end, he couldn’t, which was very exciting. This doesn’t seem to be some crazy hoax that a bunch of kids are in on, and the number of reports alone suggest that these encounters will continue to happen over time.

I will say that some of the more minor wanderings related to BEK could perhaps be cut out, but overall this was a solid read and very educational if you want to know more about the BEK. They are definitely something to be feared, and I hope that I never cross paths with them!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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