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theduchess93's review against another edition
5.0
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this! Ellen Datlow's anthologies are always brilliant, so I shouldn't have been, but the highly specific theme made me think it'd get stale by the end -- it did not. Also, the first story had a queer female protag, so I was pretty much won over from the start.
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, can we talk about "The Seventeen Year Itch" and "Lost in the Dark"??? Oh. My. God. How creepy were those???? I almost lost it while reading those. As much as I enjoyed the other short stories, these two took the cake for me. They were a perfect blend of pop culture and weird curses and isolation and phenomenon. They had me gripping the book so tightly, and I was completely unaware of the world around me as I read those two. Those two stories were something else entirely.
But to broaden it out for a bit... Overall, this as an anthology worked so well for me. It had the perfect amount of creepiness, eerie phenomenon, and horror. It retold old legends, reaffirmed cultural traditions, and played with pop culture and tropes. I am just so pleased with this book. I'm glad I stumbled upon it, that it found its way into my life, because I'm one-hundred-percent sure that I'll be reading this on autumn nights to come...
Review cross-listed here!
But to broaden it out for a bit... Overall, this as an anthology worked so well for me. It had the perfect amount of creepiness, eerie phenomenon, and horror. It retold old legends, reaffirmed cultural traditions, and played with pop culture and tropes. I am just so pleased with this book. I'm glad I stumbled upon it, that it found its way into my life, because I'm one-hundred-percent sure that I'll be reading this on autumn nights to come...
Review cross-listed here!
natatorie's review against another edition
4.0
great selection of short spooky stories! reminded me a lot of the scary stories to tell in the dark books but more adult and haunting. perfect bedside read when you want to read only a chapter or two of something before bed.
aignerloren's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
nickbluth's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
shannonhigg's review against another edition
3.0
I had high hopes for this book but ended up a little disappointed. Some of the stories I found a little cheesy. I kept wanting more from them. A few of the stories were a little too similar as well. It took until the second to last story for me to actually get kind of into the tales. Lost in the Dark is by far the best short story in this anthology. This was still an interesting read but not quite the creepy page turner I hoped it would be.
dnemec's review against another edition
4.0
I really want to re-read this anthology in October. It only seems right. This anthology includes 16 stories by various authors, all with a Halloween connection. While a few weren't my taste, each story was different and interesting.
The highlights for me included:
With Graveyard Weeds and Wolfsbane Seeds by Seanan McGuire - An atypical ghost and haunted house story about a unique old home with a special inhabitant.
A Small Taste of the Old Country by Jonathan Maberry - A lovely story of revenge for the atrocities committed during World War II.
Lost in the Dark by John Langan - Definitely my favorite. A little long perhaps, but well worth the wait. The story is about the origins of a popular horror movie, including some rehashing of the movie itself to compare it to what may or may not have actually happened in an abandoned mine with a crazy woman. Wish it was an actual movie - what a fascinating story!
All in all, a great read!
The highlights for me included:
With Graveyard Weeds and Wolfsbane Seeds by Seanan McGuire - An atypical ghost and haunted house story about a unique old home with a special inhabitant.
A Small Taste of the Old Country by Jonathan Maberry - A lovely story of revenge for the atrocities committed during World War II.
Lost in the Dark by John Langan - Definitely my favorite. A little long perhaps, but well worth the wait. The story is about the origins of a popular horror movie, including some rehashing of the movie itself to compare it to what may or may not have actually happened in an abandoned mine with a crazy woman. Wish it was an actual movie - what a fascinating story!
All in all, a great read!