williamsdebbied's review against another edition
3.0
A creepy collection about the dead who won’t always remain dead to read with all the lights on. A few of the stories were excellent.
Highlights:
“The Wrong Grave” by Kelly Link (boy digs up a grave to retrieve his poetry)
“The Necromancers” by Herbie Brennan (two boys on a quest to bring their grandpa back from the dead)
“No Visible Power” by Deborah Noyes (a home is terrorized by an unquiet spirit)
“Bad Things” by Libba Bray (best story in the collection—kids traipsing through a graveyard looking for satanists find more than they bargained for)
“The Poison Eaters” by Holly Black (a dark fairytale)
Highlights:
“The Wrong Grave” by Kelly Link (boy digs up a grave to retrieve his poetry)
“The Necromancers” by Herbie Brennan (two boys on a quest to bring their grandpa back from the dead)
“No Visible Power” by Deborah Noyes (a home is terrorized by an unquiet spirit)
“Bad Things” by Libba Bray (best story in the collection—kids traipsing through a graveyard looking for satanists find more than they bargained for)
“The Poison Eaters” by Holly Black (a dark fairytale)
andreablythe's review
4.0
This anthology of presents ten short stories by young adult authors, involving zombies, vampires, ghosts, and all other restless dead not so easily defined.
The collection as a whole is quite good, as the writers selected really know their craft. There are two traditional ghost stories in the book ("The House and the Locket" and "No Visible Power"), which are well written and developed, but are also rather generic and predictable for my tastes (maybe I've just grown out of ghost stories). My favorites are below.
-- I read "The Wrong Grave" in Kelly Link's collection of stories, Pretty Monsters. The tale of a boy who accidentally digs up the wrong grave was just as creepy and humorous the second time around.
-- In "Kissing Dead Boys," Annette Curtis Klause presents a story steeped in the dangerous and addictive lust of vampires.
-- "The Necromancers," by Herbie Brennan, is a darkly comic tale of two brothers who raise the dead with unexpected results.
-- As an author Libba Bray continues to surprise me, and her story "Bad Things" gave me genuine chills. It's a terrifying and disturbing story of two brothers with images that haunt me well after the story is over.
-- Holly Black's "The Poison Eaters" is a dark fairytale of murder and political intrigue.
-- "Honey in the Wound," by Nancy Etchemendy , is a more traditional zombie tale (of the voodoo-ish variety).
The collection as a whole is quite good, as the writers selected really know their craft. There are two traditional ghost stories in the book ("The House and the Locket" and "No Visible Power"), which are well written and developed, but are also rather generic and predictable for my tastes (maybe I've just grown out of ghost stories). My favorites are below.
-- I read "The Wrong Grave" in Kelly Link's collection of stories, Pretty Monsters. The tale of a boy who accidentally digs up the wrong grave was just as creepy and humorous the second time around.
-- In "Kissing Dead Boys," Annette Curtis Klause presents a story steeped in the dangerous and addictive lust of vampires.
-- "The Necromancers," by Herbie Brennan, is a darkly comic tale of two brothers who raise the dead with unexpected results.
-- As an author Libba Bray continues to surprise me, and her story "Bad Things" gave me genuine chills. It's a terrifying and disturbing story of two brothers with images that haunt me well after the story is over.
-- Holly Black's "The Poison Eaters" is a dark fairytale of murder and political intrigue.
-- "Honey in the Wound," by Nancy Etchemendy , is a more traditional zombie tale (of the voodoo-ish variety).
maggie_the_reader's review
4.0
The Restless Dead is a solid collection of horror themed stories.
It begins with The Wrong Grave - a clever little story with no real point.
The real horror starts with the second story, The House and the Locket - a gothic style tale with elements that every fan of the classics will recognize but much more chilling than we might expect.
This is followed by some truly enjoyable reads:
Kissing Dead Boys - a satisfying story of the supernatural,
The Heart of Another - a well told tale inspired by Poe.
The Necromancers - a fun romp with the dead told in a convincing voice.
No Visible Power - a common ghost story that manages to be surprising in the best way.
Things go downhill a little with Bad Things - a story told in a good voice but without much to say other than ‘ooohh demon’.
The Gray Boy’s Work - a drawn out fable that is utterly predictable and not as important as it thinks it is.
The collection picks up a little with The Poison Eaters - a wonderfully creative fairytale with an ending that isn’t satisfying but seems like the only possible end.
The whole thing ends on a strong note with Honey in the Wound - a little creepy, a little gory, and more than a little sad, but a well told finale.
It begins with The Wrong Grave - a clever little story with no real point.
The real horror starts with the second story, The House and the Locket - a gothic style tale with elements that every fan of the classics will recognize but much more chilling than we might expect.
This is followed by some truly enjoyable reads:
Kissing Dead Boys - a satisfying story of the supernatural,
The Heart of Another - a well told tale inspired by Poe.
The Necromancers - a fun romp with the dead told in a convincing voice.
No Visible Power - a common ghost story that manages to be surprising in the best way.
Things go downhill a little with Bad Things - a story told in a good voice but without much to say other than ‘ooohh demon’.
The Gray Boy’s Work - a drawn out fable that is utterly predictable and not as important as it thinks it is.
The collection picks up a little with The Poison Eaters - a wonderfully creative fairytale with an ending that isn’t satisfying but seems like the only possible end.
The whole thing ends on a strong note with Honey in the Wound - a little creepy, a little gory, and more than a little sad, but a well told finale.
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