masteryoda716's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
kellyp's review
4.5
Bought this after hearing the author interviewed on the Talking Scared podcast, where the host raved about it. As good as promised! Will seek out more of Jones’ work for sure.
hooklings's review
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Story 1: Corporation - holyyyyyy shit I did not expect that straight out of the gate!
Story 2: Trigger - ok, now I see the SK comparison. A very deliberate voice details a vignette of sorts, where horror unfolds alongside a discovery. A sense of dread permeates from the very first paragraph, even though it’s hard to pin down exactly what causes it. Very clever!
Story 3: The Golden Rule - oh this was good. Told in the broken English of a man who had immigrated across the world, it tells the story of a box that grants a wish in equal terms.
Story 4: The Devil on the Stand - so clever! An odd, slightly unbalanced courtroom sketch artist can’t control the images emerging in her drawings. The ending left me bubbling with questions, but it was still so satisfying.
Story 5: Boo! - this one didn’t land for me. I feel like I missed something? I suspected at a possible interpretation of the ending but I wasn’t convinced.
Story 6: A Sharp Black Line - very SK-like. Atmospheric story about missing kids (this feels familiar).
Story 7: Charwood - I liked this! A girl faces down a menace in the woods with her dog. It has a horror-appropriate happy ending, and it felt like a good midpoint for this collection - a reminder to read them in order!
Story 8: Crate 42 - a Lovecrafty sort of ‘what’s-in-the-box’ tale that didn’t capture me for some reason.
Story 9: How We Learn - oh, I loved this one. Another young protagonist with a strong voice and also without. It feels like a mere glimpse into the life lived by this boy and his sister, part of the journey they’re sharing. He has a power that is revealed only at the end, and it’s intriguing, but enough. This author can handle a short story like the best of them.
Story 10: Warlock - a Faustian bargain story for the ages. I felt the cold air from the beach town it’s set in! Nicely set up so that no matter how you truly to turn your thoughts, it’s bad.
Story 11: Lion’s Den - don’t remember this one at all…probably my failing and not the author’s!
Story 12: Deep Down - excellent. This one takes the trope of a phantom limb and explodes it into something new and gruesome.
Story 13: Red Hands - another with echoes of SK. The figure that haunted the childhood of a group of protagonists has returned (and yet, done in less than 1000 pages?!).
Story 14: White Glove - a Christmas nightmare that ended at the exact right moment.
Final story/novella: Full Fathom Five - the crown jewel of this collection. Utterly brilliant.
Story 2: Trigger - ok, now I see the SK comparison. A very deliberate voice details a vignette of sorts, where horror unfolds alongside a discovery. A sense of dread permeates from the very first paragraph, even though it’s hard to pin down exactly what causes it. Very clever!
Story 3: The Golden Rule - oh this was good. Told in the broken English of a man who had immigrated across the world, it tells the story of a box that grants a wish in equal terms.
Story 4: The Devil on the Stand - so clever! An odd, slightly unbalanced courtroom sketch artist can’t control the images emerging in her drawings. The ending left me bubbling with questions, but it was still so satisfying.
Story 5: Boo! - this one didn’t land for me. I feel like I missed something? I suspected at a possible interpretation of the ending but I wasn’t convinced.
Story 6: A Sharp Black Line - very SK-like. Atmospheric story about missing kids (this feels familiar).
Story 7: Charwood - I liked this! A girl faces down a menace in the woods with her dog. It has a horror-appropriate happy ending, and it felt like a good midpoint for this collection - a reminder to read them in order!
Story 8: Crate 42 - a Lovecrafty sort of ‘what’s-in-the-box’ tale that didn’t capture me for some reason.
Story 9: How We Learn - oh, I loved this one. Another young protagonist with a strong voice and also without. It feels like a mere glimpse into the life lived by this boy and his sister, part of the journey they’re sharing. He has a power that is revealed only at the end, and it’s intriguing, but enough. This author can handle a short story like the best of them.
Story 10: Warlock - a Faustian bargain story for the ages. I felt the cold air from the beach town it’s set in! Nicely set up so that no matter how you truly to turn your thoughts, it’s bad.
Story 11: Lion’s Den - don’t remember this one at all…probably my failing and not the author’s!
Story 12: Deep Down - excellent. This one takes the trope of a phantom limb and explodes it into something new and gruesome.
Story 13: Red Hands - another with echoes of SK. The figure that haunted the childhood of a group of protagonists has returned (and yet, done in less than 1000 pages?!).
Story 14: White Glove - a Christmas nightmare that ended at the exact right moment.
Final story/novella: Full Fathom Five - the crown jewel of this collection. Utterly brilliant.
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