mx_manda's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
pasuht's review against another edition
2.0
Don't let the 2 star rating fool you. There are some really good stories in this book. I wouldn't recommend reading the book from cover to cover. If you're willing to just skip what you don't enjoy, and the 90s thing interests you, you should give it a try.
While the first story didn't grab me, I was of high hopes after reading The Harvest Queen, being creeped out throughout by the tense atmosphere of creepiness.
And the second and third story kept up the pace. But then too many stories were sub par to make reading on, hoping for the next good one - and they were there, like Nona's First and Last Album - a pleasant experience.
Stories like The Grunge and the return to the setting in the in my opinion overlong Return to Gray Springs: Blockbuster Blues felt bland and stylistically boring to me for example.
In some stories the 90s theme furthered the dynamics of the narrative in interesting ways, like the "sitcom" Alive and Living. But in others the clunky writing was made worse by the repeated dropping of 90s google search keywords.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
While the first story didn't grab me, I was of high hopes after reading The Harvest Queen, being creeped out throughout by the tense atmosphere of creepiness.
And the second and third story kept up the pace. But then too many stories were sub par to make reading on, hoping for the next good one - and they were there, like Nona's First and Last Album - a pleasant experience.
Stories like The Grunge and the return to the setting in the in my opinion overlong Return to Gray Springs: Blockbuster Blues felt bland and stylistically boring to me for example.
In some stories the 90s theme furthered the dynamics of the narrative in interesting ways, like the "sitcom" Alive and Living. But in others the clunky writing was made worse by the repeated dropping of 90s google search keywords.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
bmacenlightened's review against another edition
5.0
A stellar collection of throwback horror to the decade I grew up in. An even collection without any real letdowns the reading experience was great throughout and the callbacks to the 90s were fun and varied. Highly recommended.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
see_kat_read's review against another edition
4.5
So great! Reminded me of my childhoods and highschool and all the things! And the cover is spectacular
andreacaro's review against another edition
3.0
mostly good. found some inconsistencies (based on my own memory, not fact) like in one story, a character said she was going to go home and watch blossom and listen to spice girls. i don't think these coexisted & i lived through both. some leaned in too heavy to the 90's nostalgia, i think, but i had a great time anyway.
i skipped most of patrick barb's story because he decided to be that gross dude that needlessly described a woman's nipples and worse, the actress in the story seemed to parodize jennifer love hewitt - the whole thing gave me the ick.
i skipped most of patrick barb's story because he decided to be that gross dude that needlessly described a woman's nipples and worse, the actress in the story seemed to parodize jennifer love hewitt - the whole thing gave me the ick.
sharron_joy_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Aah! That’s what I call horror
A wonderful mix of horror short stories firmly based in the 90’s, there’s a small town sacrifice, creepy sleepover, an undead rockstar, creepy email (when email was a fairly new thing and we all thought it was a bit weird), killer toys, a dream demon, a Blockbuster video store with a secret, a screenplay with a twist, a slasher movie set turns deadly, a marching band’s bus trip into the weird, possession and revenge.
This is so nostalgic and I loved all the pop culture references although I was a young adult at the time, these made me smile and reminisce. I enjoyed all the stories, some more than others, they are creepy and stay with you after you finish reading. These little nuggets of everyday horror filled me with glee. These are such fun especially as it really warps the perception of what most people think of as an innocent time, the time before social media, no instant gratification, no 24hr entertainment to keep us distracted.
A really macabre walk down memory lane, excellent!
I received a free electronic ARC of this book and this is my honest review
A wonderful mix of horror short stories firmly based in the 90’s, there’s a small town sacrifice, creepy sleepover, an undead rockstar, creepy email (when email was a fairly new thing and we all thought it was a bit weird), killer toys, a dream demon, a Blockbuster video store with a secret, a screenplay with a twist, a slasher movie set turns deadly, a marching band’s bus trip into the weird, possession and revenge.
This is so nostalgic and I loved all the pop culture references although I was a young adult at the time, these made me smile and reminisce. I enjoyed all the stories, some more than others, they are creepy and stay with you after you finish reading. These little nuggets of everyday horror filled me with glee. These are such fun especially as it really warps the perception of what most people think of as an innocent time, the time before social media, no instant gratification, no 24hr entertainment to keep us distracted.
A really macabre walk down memory lane, excellent!
I received a free electronic ARC of this book and this is my honest review
bravesirtoaster's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
kiaraheikes's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
makomom's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you for this free ACR from BookSirens!
This book consist of short “Horror” stories set in the 90s.
It is supposed to be “Horror Comedy” but I didn’t find any humor? Weirdness yes, but not humor.
I’ve read few stories but unfortunately it didn’t keep my interest to continue to read the rest.
The writing was good and easy to follow but that was about it for me.
I see a lot of great reviews and I think I’m just a wrong audience for this one.
I’m giving 3 stars for the efforts but stories just didn’t grab me
This book consist of short “Horror” stories set in the 90s.
It is supposed to be “Horror Comedy” but I didn’t find any humor? Weirdness yes, but not humor.
I’ve read few stories but unfortunately it didn’t keep my interest to continue to read the rest.
The writing was good and easy to follow but that was about it for me.
I see a lot of great reviews and I think I’m just a wrong audience for this one.
I’m giving 3 stars for the efforts but stories just didn’t grab me
bookishactor's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
Many thanks to the editor of this 90s themed horror anthology for providing me a complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
AHH! That’s What I Call Horror is a cleverly named horror anthology paying homage to the last decade of the twentieth century. I was super excited to take a stroll down memory lane and read some awesome stories set 20-30 years ago. For the most part, this anthology did not disappoint. Like most anthologies there are some great stories and some that less fantastic. There were no real stinkers, and stories ranged from serviceable to excellent. Some of my favorites included The Grunge by Caleb Stephens, Return to Gray Springs: Blockbuster Blues (set in the same town as The Grunge) by P.L. McMillan, Nona’s First and Last Album Drop by Edith Lockwood, The One with the Mysterious Package by C.B. Jones, Alive and Living (Pilot) by Carson Winter, and About a Girl by J.V. Gachs.
It was fun to see various 90s references sprinkled throughout the stories. I did notice that some themes and ideas seemed to be repeated throughout the anthology. Sometimes this is inevitable in a themed collection, but sometimes the repetition came from specific horror elements and not just the chronological context. I also found a couple of the stories confusing or less than fully developed. The short story format is challenging, and in a couple cases I felt like the author didn’t give me enough information to completely understand what happened, or why I should care.
Still, overall this was a fun anthology. Since there were a bunch of stories I liked in this book, I’m going to call this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
AHH! That’s What I Call Horror is a cleverly named horror anthology paying homage to the last decade of the twentieth century. I was super excited to take a stroll down memory lane and read some awesome stories set 20-30 years ago. For the most part, this anthology did not disappoint. Like most anthologies there are some great stories and some that less fantastic. There were no real stinkers, and stories ranged from serviceable to excellent. Some of my favorites included The Grunge by Caleb Stephens, Return to Gray Springs: Blockbuster Blues (set in the same town as The Grunge) by P.L. McMillan, Nona’s First and Last Album Drop by Edith Lockwood, The One with the Mysterious Package by C.B. Jones, Alive and Living (Pilot) by Carson Winter, and About a Girl by J.V. Gachs.
It was fun to see various 90s references sprinkled throughout the stories. I did notice that some themes and ideas seemed to be repeated throughout the anthology. Sometimes this is inevitable in a themed collection, but sometimes the repetition came from specific horror elements and not just the chronological context. I also found a couple of the stories confusing or less than fully developed. The short story format is challenging, and in a couple cases I felt like the author didn’t give me enough information to completely understand what happened, or why I should care.
Still, overall this was a fun anthology. Since there were a bunch of stories I liked in this book, I’m going to call this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)