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bozzi1's review
dark
medium-paced
4.25
Short story collections are always a mixed bag for me. I read the first couple of stories in this one and thought, “hmmm, not what I expected; a little weird…maybe this will be the KPB I don’t connect with.” Then I read Traveler and holy shit, I was hooked.
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I’ve read a few things by Burke before and they’ve pretty much been horror with a bit of supernatural or unknown thrown in. This collection felt more like cosmic horror, which isn’t usually my jam, but I should have known Burke would change my mind. The stories are bleak and yes, weird, but if you’re a fan of horror, there’s something for you in this mix.
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I really liked The House on Abigail Lane and The Monster Under the Bed but the stand outs for me were Traveler, The Mannequin Challenge, and A Wicked Thirst; all three were just fantastic. I also enjoyed the story notes included at the end. It’s always nice to be able to peek inside the mind of an author, especially a mind that creates dark and depraved stories like these.
•
I’ve read a few things by Burke before and they’ve pretty much been horror with a bit of supernatural or unknown thrown in. This collection felt more like cosmic horror, which isn’t usually my jam, but I should have known Burke would change my mind. The stories are bleak and yes, weird, but if you’re a fan of horror, there’s something for you in this mix.
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I really liked The House on Abigail Lane and The Monster Under the Bed but the stand outs for me were Traveler, The Mannequin Challenge, and A Wicked Thirst; all three were just fantastic. I also enjoyed the story notes included at the end. It’s always nice to be able to peek inside the mind of an author, especially a mind that creates dark and depraved stories like these.
monty_reads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
readbyashleyd's review
5.0
I absolutely loved everything about this collection of short stories, from start to finish! I knew I had to read it immediately after reading the novella The House on Abigail Lane which is in this collection but also published on its own. I loved it so much that I figured if the other stories in this collection were even only half as good that it would be a winner. And pretty much EVERY story was on the same brilliant level with only one or two that I didn’t fall completely in love with and it’s difficult for me to pick a favourite story out of the bunch, each of them was unique and captivating and horrifying in its own way. I can’t stress enough how good this collection is, it is a must read for any horror fan!
erinxmegan's review
5.0
* Charlie spends his days wishing he was somewhere else and watching the little girl outside his window
* When he decides to finally talk to the little girl, she takes him to this parking garage where an effigy of a woman is there with a skull on her head.
* The little girl tells Charlie to be blessed by the Bone Mother he needs to read the notebooks of stories at her feet.
The Land of Sunshine:
* This is about a man whose marriage is quite rocky. He feels that something is missing, so he goes on a mission in the night to find the missing piece.
Traveler:
* This ones about a man getting revenge for the murder of his wife, but the murderer isn’t who he thinks it is.
*The Mannequin Challenge:
* Theo, a guy who keeps to himself, decides to go to a Halloween party, but he’s met with a surprise as everyone is acting....strangely.
Go Warily After Dark:
* This is about a family who has to go into their basement due to their city being bombed. Lets just say there’s something not quite right with their basement.
Down Here With Us:
* Brotherly love, a hand garden, and a monster.
*Sanctuary:
* Liam is told by his mother to retrieve his father from the bar. He doesn’t want to leave his room, his sanctuary, because he knows he won’t like what he finds.
*A Wicked Thirst:
* He has an unquenchable thirst for alcohol and will do anything to have some.
The No One- A Rhyme:
* Short but to the point, creepy.
*You Have Nothing To Fear From Me:
* Amantha matches with a handsome man on a dating site, their date is one she’ll never forget.
*The Monster Under The Bed:
* A boy asks his dad to look under his bed for a monster, the dad is met with a surprise.
The House on Abigail Lane:
* A house that people mysteriously vanish in. (Longest story)
* These stories are all so different from each other, but in the best way.
* KPB knows how to write horror, and write it differently than others.
* His stories always leave me with this pit in my stomach, but in the best way.
* He knocked it out of the park once again.
* I recommend any KPB novel, this one included.
* When he decides to finally talk to the little girl, she takes him to this parking garage where an effigy of a woman is there with a skull on her head.
* The little girl tells Charlie to be blessed by the Bone Mother he needs to read the notebooks of stories at her feet.
The Land of Sunshine:
* This is about a man whose marriage is quite rocky. He feels that something is missing, so he goes on a mission in the night to find the missing piece.
Traveler:
* This ones about a man getting revenge for the murder of his wife, but the murderer isn’t who he thinks it is.
*The Mannequin Challenge:
* Theo, a guy who keeps to himself, decides to go to a Halloween party, but he’s met with a surprise as everyone is acting....strangely.
Go Warily After Dark:
* This is about a family who has to go into their basement due to their city being bombed. Lets just say there’s something not quite right with their basement.
Down Here With Us:
* Brotherly love, a hand garden, and a monster.
*Sanctuary:
* Liam is told by his mother to retrieve his father from the bar. He doesn’t want to leave his room, his sanctuary, because he knows he won’t like what he finds.
*A Wicked Thirst:
* He has an unquenchable thirst for alcohol and will do anything to have some.
The No One- A Rhyme:
* Short but to the point, creepy.
*You Have Nothing To Fear From Me:
* Amantha matches with a handsome man on a dating site, their date is one she’ll never forget.
*The Monster Under The Bed:
* A boy asks his dad to look under his bed for a monster, the dad is met with a surprise.
The House on Abigail Lane:
* A house that people mysteriously vanish in. (Longest story)
* These stories are all so different from each other, but in the best way.
* KPB knows how to write horror, and write it differently than others.
* His stories always leave me with this pit in my stomach, but in the best way.
* He knocked it out of the park once again.
* I recommend any KPB novel, this one included.
lastokes61's review
4.0
It took me awhile to finish this book. The first few stories did not grab me, and the gruesomeness of some was a little hard to take but looking at all of the stories in total I was very pleased. The last six stories had me reading. I really loved "You have nothing to fear from me" and "The House on Abigail Lane". I will definitely take a look at more of Mr. Burke's work.
spookyoctopusreads's review
5.0
I don’t even know where to start with this one....it’s that good. Like blew my mind good....like I have to tell everyone good....like Christmas morning good, well if Christmas morning consisted of a dimly lit parking garage with some tattered notebooks detailing a pseudo possession, a horrifying mannequin challenge, and a very disturbing thirst for something that’s definitely not water.
Kealan Patrick Burke hit it out of the park with this one. It’s set up as stories within a story. We have a beginning and ending story that anchor together the haunting accounts in between. Long after I put the book down, I couldn’t stop thinking about some of the images KPB conjured in my head.
You will be left with a blood curdling, spine-tingling, unsettled feeling after reading some of these eerie stories. You won’t want the book to end, but then it will...and you’ll be left not knowing where to go from there.
This really is one you HAVE to read, so I’m not going to bore you with my “synopsis” and likes and dislikes of each story. I will say though, you have to get this book, you have to read it, and if Traveler, The Mannequin Challenge, and A Wicked Thirst don’t disturb you....I’m not sure what kind of person you are.
Kealan Patrick Burke hit it out of the park with this one. It’s set up as stories within a story. We have a beginning and ending story that anchor together the haunting accounts in between. Long after I put the book down, I couldn’t stop thinking about some of the images KPB conjured in my head.
You will be left with a blood curdling, spine-tingling, unsettled feeling after reading some of these eerie stories. You won’t want the book to end, but then it will...and you’ll be left not knowing where to go from there.
This really is one you HAVE to read, so I’m not going to bore you with my “synopsis” and likes and dislikes of each story. I will say though, you have to get this book, you have to read it, and if Traveler, The Mannequin Challenge, and A Wicked Thirst don’t disturb you....I’m not sure what kind of person you are.
wellwortharead's review
4.0
A creepy collection of tales from one of my favorite horror authors. I had previously read The Mannequin Challenge when it appeared in Halloween Carnival 4. It was one of the best stories in that anthology and it was enjoyable to revisit it here, My favorites in this collection were You Have Nothing To Fear From Me in which a lonely middle aged woman finally finds the perfect date, and Wicked Thirst, which is a disturbing tale about an alcoholic who has given up on sobriety and is instead accepting himself the way he is. The longer story The House on Abigail Lane was also quite eerie and is of course about a particularly creepy house where people seem to disappear into thin air.
A solid 4 out of 5 stars from me.
A solid 4 out of 5 stars from me.
bjornsvartalf's review
4.0
Burke wields a dictionary like a sword, cutting with words, alliterations, and rhymes. His works are like trains, slow moving at first but build toward an unrelenting and unstoppable conclusion. This was a fascinating book, well worth the time it took to read.
booklovingcatmom's review
5.0
I love how personal this book feels 🖤
Burke dedicated the book to his bookstagram fans (includes me 💕) and included a section where he shares the inspirations behind each of the short stories (which were all enjoyable). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and an extra ✨
Burke dedicated the book to his bookstagram fans (includes me 💕) and included a section where he shares the inspirations behind each of the short stories (which were all enjoyable). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and an extra ✨
espeidel's review
5.0
Fantastic. Every story amazing and tied together well. Couldnt ask for more and can't wait to read more from Burke!