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A review by motherhorror
Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked by Christa Carmen
4.0
I need to remember to choose the right edition (format) when I start doing my updates for a book--I didn't read the Kindle edition but I can't change that now or I'll lose all my updates and progress. I read a physical copy sent to me by Unnerving Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars!
As much as I read horror, you'd think I go to bed terrified every night, but I don't. It's not that the books I read aren't scary, they are--I just think that my house feels safe, I have my husband beside me and books don't penetrate the visuals in my mind the way that movies do.
That being said, a couple of the stories in this collection got through. One in particular I'm sure gave me a nightmare. But the nightmare (after analyzing it the next day) was a combination of the book cover and the story inside titled RED ROOM.
Christa Carmen went places with that particular piece that seriously got under my skin and stayed there. It unsettled me. I went to bed with frightening images in mind that later generated a nightmare! Success Christa! (ha)
Another story that stood out was SOULS DARK AND DEEP--not a traditional babysitter at all, Christa toyed with a growing sense of "something's not right here" until you arrive at a startling scene involving one of *my* personal favorites...creepy dolls! Whoooo! That one was pretty dark.
And then, almost as if she wanted to show off her versatility for us, Christa switched gears with ALL SOULS OF EVE and I really enjoyed the tone of that story--a modern, Halloween twist on the classic Dickens tale, A CHRISTMAS CAROL. I thought it was really clever and engaging. I was wowed by the author's ability to write in a variety of styles by this point in the collection.
LIQUID HANDCUFFS was another standout because it gave me a new fear--I don't want to spoil it at all but as someone who has never fooled around or experimented with any illicit drugs, the idea Carmen brings to the table is a very terrifying one and it really freaked me out.
Lastly, LADY OF THE FLIES was so cool because I 100% understood the meaning of the title and the way it connected to the story (LORD OF THE FLIES is one of my favorite, classic books). I also imagined the actress that played, Brienne of Tarth on the GOT shows, Gwendolyn Christie as the main character Pris-killa.
Anyhoo, I realized I've shared almost every single story in the collection and that wasn't my intention so I'll just say, I enjoyed this very, very much. There were only a few that didn't resonate with me, the rest were all my favorite flavors.
I would definitely add it to any October TBR or for solid horror fans, your everyday library...hahaha...you need it. This author is one to watch.
4.5 stars!
As much as I read horror, you'd think I go to bed terrified every night, but I don't. It's not that the books I read aren't scary, they are--I just think that my house feels safe, I have my husband beside me and books don't penetrate the visuals in my mind the way that movies do.
That being said, a couple of the stories in this collection got through. One in particular I'm sure gave me a nightmare. But the nightmare (after analyzing it the next day) was a combination of the book cover and the story inside titled RED ROOM.
Christa Carmen went places with that particular piece that seriously got under my skin and stayed there. It unsettled me. I went to bed with frightening images in mind that later generated a nightmare! Success Christa! (ha)
Another story that stood out was SOULS DARK AND DEEP--not a traditional babysitter at all, Christa toyed with a growing sense of "something's not right here" until you arrive at a startling scene involving one of *my* personal favorites...creepy dolls! Whoooo! That one was pretty dark.
And then, almost as if she wanted to show off her versatility for us, Christa switched gears with ALL SOULS OF EVE and I really enjoyed the tone of that story--a modern, Halloween twist on the classic Dickens tale, A CHRISTMAS CAROL. I thought it was really clever and engaging. I was wowed by the author's ability to write in a variety of styles by this point in the collection.
LIQUID HANDCUFFS was another standout because it gave me a new fear--I don't want to spoil it at all but as someone who has never fooled around or experimented with any illicit drugs, the idea Carmen brings to the table is a very terrifying one and it really freaked me out.
Lastly, LADY OF THE FLIES was so cool because I 100% understood the meaning of the title and the way it connected to the story (LORD OF THE FLIES is one of my favorite, classic books). I also imagined the actress that played, Brienne of Tarth on the GOT shows, Gwendolyn Christie as the main character Pris-killa.
Anyhoo, I realized I've shared almost every single story in the collection and that wasn't my intention so I'll just say, I enjoyed this very, very much. There were only a few that didn't resonate with me, the rest were all my favorite flavors.
I would definitely add it to any October TBR or for solid horror fans, your everyday library...hahaha...you need it. This author is one to watch.