ndenitto's review against another edition
5.0
A common thread through all of these stories: nothing is as it seems...or maybe it is.
Growing Things: A story featuring similar characters to Tremblay's novel A Head Full of Ghosts. Bamboo-like plants are growing everywhere, not just in gardens but through concrete sidewalks and up into homes. Sisters Merry and Marjorie live with their father during this crisis. Grade: A-
Swim Wants to Know if it's as Bad as Swim Thinks: A troubled mother no longer able to visit her daughter decides to break that rule when monsters rise from the sea. Grade: B
Something About Birds: A journalist interviews an eccentric author about a cult classic work of fiction he wrote decades earlier. The author invites the journalist to an invite-only soiree. The journalist doesn't know what he's in for. Grade: A
The Getaway: We follow a group of thieves in their getaway car after a robbery gone wrong. As they drive the population of the car begins to decrease... Grade: B+
Nineteen Snapshots of Dennisport: A man verbally describes 19 photographs he has taken from a childhood vacation. Each new photograph reveals a new piece of a sinister story. Grade: A
Where We All Will Be: A young man finds himself swept in an inexplicable lemming-like migration of humanity into the oceans. Luckily his brain is wired differently. Grade: A-
The Teacher: The teacher of your dreams turns his student's lives into nightmares with his unconventional curriculum. Heavily interpretive. Grade: B
Notes for "The Barn in the Wild": It's a real House of Leaves situation. An adventurer/author follows the path of a young man who was found dead on his own adventure. Grade: A-
[Unnamed story]: A man at the beach with his kids is approached by an attractive woman he has met only briefly once before. She starts behaving as though they are married, and that his kids are theirs. For some reason, he can't seem to disagree... Grade: A-
Our Town's Monster: There is a town, and there is a monster. Or perhaps the town is the monster. Not sure it matters to the townies, who end up just as dead. Grade: B
A Haunted House is a Wheel Upon Which Some are Broken: A choose-your-own-adventure story in which you guide an elderly woman through her childhood home, revisiting old ghosts in the process. No matter what you choose, there is only one way this adventure can go. Grade: A
It Won't Go Away: A struggling author receives a disturbing photo in the mail from a recently deceased friend. The photo gives him a dark idea that just won't go away. Grade: B+
Notes from the Dog Walkers: Deeply meta story of the author Paul Tremblay hiring a dog walking service. The walkers leave notes for the author to inform him how they went. The notes become increasingly lengthy and personal, with one walker, KB, becoming obsessed with the author and probing into his life and psyche. I get the sense this was a cathartic story in which Tremblay could blatantly and honestly convey his stresses and fears about success, work, and life. Grade: A-
Further Questions for the Somnambulist: A brief tale in which a woman, man, and child ask questions of a freak-show somnambulist in hopes of learning their future or perhaps some secrets. If you want to fully appreciate this one, watch The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Grade: A
The Ice Tower: An entry into the very specific winter-horror subgenre. An enormous ice tower is discovered in Antarctica that by all means should not be there. The excursion naturally leads to madness. Grade: B+
The Society of the Monsterhood: Four bullied kids claim to have found a monster in an alley of their town. Anyone that messes with them is introduced to the monster, and never seen again. Grade: B
Her Red Right Hand: A little jarring to come across without context. This is a story featuring the Dark Horse comics character Hellboy, but only in a small supporting role. The actual story follows a little girl who uses her drawing pad to cope with the recent death of her mother. Grade: A-
It's Against the Law to Feed the Ducks: A family vacation goes apocalyptically wrong. Grade: A
The Thirteenth Temple: A revisit to Merry and Marjorie from AHFoG. A bit challenging as the story told at face value doesn't have a lot of narrative sense. However, I think Tremblay wanted to have this be more of a "mood" story, and it succeeds in that. Grade: B
Growing Things: A story featuring similar characters to Tremblay's novel A Head Full of Ghosts. Bamboo-like plants are growing everywhere, not just in gardens but through concrete sidewalks and up into homes. Sisters Merry and Marjorie live with their father during this crisis. Grade: A-
Swim Wants to Know if it's as Bad as Swim Thinks: A troubled mother no longer able to visit her daughter decides to break that rule when monsters rise from the sea. Grade: B
Something About Birds: A journalist interviews an eccentric author about a cult classic work of fiction he wrote decades earlier. The author invites the journalist to an invite-only soiree. The journalist doesn't know what he's in for. Grade: A
The Getaway: We follow a group of thieves in their getaway car after a robbery gone wrong. As they drive the population of the car begins to decrease... Grade: B+
Nineteen Snapshots of Dennisport: A man verbally describes 19 photographs he has taken from a childhood vacation. Each new photograph reveals a new piece of a sinister story. Grade: A
Where We All Will Be: A young man finds himself swept in an inexplicable lemming-like migration of humanity into the oceans. Luckily his brain is wired differently. Grade: A-
The Teacher: The teacher of your dreams turns his student's lives into nightmares with his unconventional curriculum. Heavily interpretive. Grade: B
Notes for "The Barn in the Wild": It's a real House of Leaves situation. An adventurer/author follows the path of a young man who was found dead on his own adventure. Grade: A-
[Unnamed story]: A man at the beach with his kids is approached by an attractive woman he has met only briefly once before. She starts behaving as though they are married, and that his kids are theirs. For some reason, he can't seem to disagree... Grade: A-
Our Town's Monster: There is a town, and there is a monster. Or perhaps the town is the monster. Not sure it matters to the townies, who end up just as dead. Grade: B
A Haunted House is a Wheel Upon Which Some are Broken: A choose-your-own-adventure story in which you guide an elderly woman through her childhood home, revisiting old ghosts in the process. No matter what you choose, there is only one way this adventure can go. Grade: A
It Won't Go Away: A struggling author receives a disturbing photo in the mail from a recently deceased friend. The photo gives him a dark idea that just won't go away. Grade: B+
Notes from the Dog Walkers: Deeply meta story of the author Paul Tremblay hiring a dog walking service. The walkers leave notes for the author to inform him how they went. The notes become increasingly lengthy and personal, with one walker, KB, becoming obsessed with the author and probing into his life and psyche. I get the sense this was a cathartic story in which Tremblay could blatantly and honestly convey his stresses and fears about success, work, and life. Grade: A-
Further Questions for the Somnambulist: A brief tale in which a woman, man, and child ask questions of a freak-show somnambulist in hopes of learning their future or perhaps some secrets. If you want to fully appreciate this one, watch The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Grade: A
The Ice Tower: An entry into the very specific winter-horror subgenre. An enormous ice tower is discovered in Antarctica that by all means should not be there. The excursion naturally leads to madness. Grade: B+
The Society of the Monsterhood: Four bullied kids claim to have found a monster in an alley of their town. Anyone that messes with them is introduced to the monster, and never seen again. Grade: B
Her Red Right Hand: A little jarring to come across without context. This is a story featuring the Dark Horse comics character Hellboy, but only in a small supporting role. The actual story follows a little girl who uses her drawing pad to cope with the recent death of her mother. Grade: A-
It's Against the Law to Feed the Ducks: A family vacation goes apocalyptically wrong. Grade: A
The Thirteenth Temple: A revisit to Merry and Marjorie from AHFoG. A bit challenging as the story told at face value doesn't have a lot of narrative sense. However, I think Tremblay wanted to have this be more of a "mood" story, and it succeeds in that. Grade: B
bluemaiden's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide and Animal cruelty
staticspider's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
tmawhir's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
scrollsofdragons's review
1.0
1.5 What was that? None of the stories made any sense and never went anywhere. Not to mention so many of them dragged (especially the dog walking one) and were boring and unmemorable.
Growing Things- 1.5/5
Swim Wants to Know if It’s Bad as Swim Thinks- 2/5
Something about Birds- 1/5
The Getaway- 2/5
Nineteen Snapshots of Dennisport- 1.5/5
Where We All Will Be-1.5/5
The Teacher- 1.5/5
Notes for the Barn in the Wild- 2/5
Untitled- 1/5
Our Town’s Monster- 1/5
A Haunted House is a Wheel Upon Which Some Are Broken - 1/5
It Won’t Go Away - 2/5
Notes from the Dog Walkers- 0.5/5
Further Questions from the Somnambulist- 1.5/5
The Ice Tower - 2/5
The Society of the Monsterhood- 1.5/5
Her Red Right Hand- 1.5/5
It’s Against the Law to Feed the Ducks - 2/5
The Thirteenth Temple - 1/5
For a total of 1.47 rounded to 1.5
Growing Things- 1.5/5
Swim Wants to Know if It’s Bad as Swim Thinks- 2/5
Something about Birds- 1/5
The Getaway- 2/5
Nineteen Snapshots of Dennisport- 1.5/5
Where We All Will Be-1.5/5
The Teacher- 1.5/5
Notes for the Barn in the Wild- 2/5
Untitled- 1/5
Our Town’s Monster- 1/5
A Haunted House is a Wheel Upon Which Some Are Broken - 1/5
It Won’t Go Away - 2/5
Notes from the Dog Walkers- 0.5/5
Further Questions from the Somnambulist- 1.5/5
The Ice Tower - 2/5
The Society of the Monsterhood- 1.5/5
Her Red Right Hand- 1.5/5
It’s Against the Law to Feed the Ducks - 2/5
The Thirteenth Temple - 1/5
For a total of 1.47 rounded to 1.5
manuthebooknerd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
bkmckown's review against another edition
5.0
I love this authors writing style. His stories rely heavily on apocalyptic type events, revolving around families and pandemics. Almost all of these stories were engrossing and held me captive.
kpombiere's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed this book more than I expected because I'm normally resistant to short stories.