secondhandbookshelves's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
It's a collection of short, haunting dark tales with a few "letters" between the curators who assembled the stories.
A quick read.
I enjoy short stories (and collections of them best of all!) Since I can finish one during a lunch break.
Definitely enjoyed some of the tales better than others, but I was Enchanted with the way they were presented.
A quick read.
I enjoy short stories (and collections of them best of all!) Since I can finish one during a lunch break.
Definitely enjoyed some of the tales better than others, but I was Enchanted with the way they were presented.
i_will_papercut_a_bish's review
4.0
Perfectly disturbing, like a modern collection of Grimm's fairy tales. Suspenseful and dark enough to make you need to watch a Pixar film after to recover.
heyhannahrae's review against another edition
4.0
More like a 3.5.
I’m not usually someone who reads a whole book of short stories all at once, but this book kept my interest. Some of the stories were really fun and weird. Others could have used a bit more editing. Like, for example, in “The Sandman Cometh,” the main character is interchangeably called Harvey and Henry. I think the author must have originally opted for Henry, later switched to Harvey, and neglected to go back and make all of the necessary changes. I thought that was a bit odd.
Anyway... I enjoyed this overall.
I’m not usually someone who reads a whole book of short stories all at once, but this book kept my interest. Some of the stories were really fun and weird. Others could have used a bit more editing. Like, for example, in “The Sandman Cometh,” the main character is interchangeably called Harvey and Henry. I think the author must have originally opted for Henry, later switched to Harvey, and neglected to go back and make all of the necessary changes. I thought that was a bit odd.
Anyway... I enjoyed this overall.
meaganmart's review against another edition
4.0
Although billed for a middle grades audience, what the authors leave unsaid may make these stories even more enjoyable for an adult audience. They are, as described by the subtitle, an incredibly sinister examination not only of things that go bump in the night, but also of the worst of the human condition. I have found that stories featuring evil deeds done by ordinary people to linger in the mind much longer than the ones about make believe monsters. And there are several sprinkled throughout this collection that will follow me into my dreams, or should I say, nightmares.
beammey's review
3.0
3.5 out of 5 stars. I've been on an anthology kick lately and this one has been my least favorite so far. It was still good, I would still recommend it, it had some great stories, but none of them really stood out to me. They were kind of all just okay to me. That aside the cover art is gorgeous and the reading is easy. Over all, 3.5 out of 5 stars, I like I said.
aet_rebecca's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
itsme_lori's review
I was given a sneak preview of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss and I can say from that preview that this book seems to be sufficiently creepy for fans of middle-grade books. I'm not a huge lover of horror stories but the ones I read from this book were perfectly creepy without being overly gory or too scary for the younger crowd. I'm not sure if I'll ever get around to reading the rest of this book because it isn't entirely my thing, but if it is your thing and you enjoy short stories or anthologies, I'd give this one a try. It would probably also be a good introduction to scary stories for the middle-grade group.
sarahrusty's review
4.0
Horrifically delicious! This collection of story has the scary and the mysterious! Perfect book for Halloween and amazing amount of creativity in each story.
ameliaflint's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book is very... solid. I do mean that in the best of ways, but this book is unextraordinary. It is great for young middle grade readers, and I enjoyed this book a ton when I was in sixth grade. It's definitely creepy and had 11-year-old me sleeping with the lights on a few times. The stories are good, if a bit plotless at times. But now as a high schooler, I'm seeing that the stories aren't all that well written and that there are many duds with the few gems. Overall, it's a decent read. I wouldn't recommend this book, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it, either. To any bold, excitable twelve-year-old, this book full of bite-sized spooky tales would be perfect. And I'm pretty much assuming that's the target audience, so this book achieved its goal.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood and Child death