In Feeders, a teenager does whatever (and I mean whatever) it takes to become a popular social media influencer. I so wanted to like this book. It started out well, like a mashup of Squid Game and Keeping Up with The Kardashians. Unfortunately, the ending was disappointing and the amountContinue Reading
Something I Keep Upstairs is a ghost story that is based on a real story. It is creepy and it kept me up late reading a few nights. However, it is missing the author’s usual gonzo uniqueness. I loved She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be, aContinue Reading
Murderous trees! A truly bad day at the office! A not-so-idyllic beach! Ghosts whispering from beyond the grave! An evil mail slot! Malevolent forces are at work in The Shivers Collection of five short stories from the biggest names in horror. As with most short story collections, some stories wereContinue Reading
Nope, just nope. The Unworthy tries to be great literature within a torture porn plot. It implies that even in a newly created society, humans are, and will always be, inherently cruel to one another to advance their own agenda. The problem is that the torture is the entire plot.Continue Reading
Three students go to a strange and seemingly never-ending night school in the new horror graphic novel, Shadowplay: Midnight School. At first, this book seems like a fevered nightmare. The main protagonist is a music student plagued by relentless self doubt. The school is full of shadowy villains, quick toContinue Reading
Calla has terrible nightmares that she must save her younger brothers from a bloody end. Dre is two years younger but seems to have his ducks in a row. Jamie, who is only sixteen, is busy trying to fight, or charm, his way out of every self imposed bad situation.Continue Reading
American Rapture is an uneven overly long horror thriller combining Stephen King’s Carrie with the real life Covid-19 epidemic, if it was made infinitely worse. Novels written during Covid all have a dark heart but this one is the darkest. After infection, everyone starts raping anyone nearby. Then they dieContinue Reading
If you, like me, love the televised adaptations of Lovecraft because you just can’t wade through the thick formal Lovecraft prose, this book will be a treat. All the creepy atmosphere and thought-provoking plots with none of the convoluted wordplay to untangle. In the Mad Mountains definitely gives off VictorianContinue Reading
You Better Watch Out combines a slasher movie “why me?” atmosphere with a classic locked room mystery that will have fans of both cheering. Seriously, I loved it! Greg wakes up in a strange 1950s version of a town with no memories of how he got there. He quickly findsContinue Reading
Newlyweds Nicola and Anton know that death is always lurking nearby. Her cystitis fibrosis is already overdue to kill her. However, neither expect the auto accident that kills Anton first. His final words to her, “I’ll Be Waiting for you”. Nicola misses Anton desperately and goes to medium after mediumContinue Reading
Where I End is scarily not politically correct. The bedridden mother is called a bed-thing and treated as a soulless burden. The protagonist is called a soul-stench but casually mentions her many rapes as a child by the repulsed but sexually aroused island men. The book’s entire mood is distasteful.Continue Reading
Are you too scared to watch iconic horror movies? Do you wish you knew why Rosemary’s Baby and Psycho are so famous? But not enough for you to actually sit through the movies? If so, Horror for Weenies is for you. The book contains chapters about 25 legendary movies fromContinue Reading
The protagonist in The Night Guest is tired all the time. She also awakens with muscle aches and even bruises some nights. When she accidentally leaves her fitness watch on one night, she discovers that she has done 40,000 steps while she was asleep. How can she stop this sleepwalking?Continue Reading
Do you have a twisted sense of humor that can laugh about humanity’s death knoll? Are you either a cat fan or a cat hater (either one will work)? Most importantly, do you play RPGs? If so, you will love Dungeon Crawler Carl. If not, you will probably think itContinue Reading
With ten eerie tales, Alley is a fascinating look into Japanese fears. With serial killers, ghosts and demons, most horror sub-genres are represented. My favorite story, Blessing, even has a mystery to solve within it. Many of the stories are unique enough to be remembered long after the story isContinue Reading
An intern from a gossip magazine is sent to interview a reclusive author. The author recounts a harrowing story of his life and his connection to a cult called The Eleven represented by the symbol XIIX. This is no ordinary cult. The Eleven is a great example of why IContinue Reading