Slasher Witch at the Waterpark by Penny Moonz

 I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolute blast this book is!

Slasher Witch at the Waterpark is a farcical horror comedy book about a witch killing a bunch of people at a waterpark. It is equal parts ridiculous and fun, with a lot of creative deaths and details which made this book such a delight to read. An ancient witch getting drunk off frozen margaritas whilst she murders dozens of people? Timeless.

There's honestly not much else to say about this book. The title tells you what you are in for, and it certainly delivers. I will say, I genuinely did love the range and creativity behind the deaths and the horror. Parts of the waterpark start coming to life, sea creatures reign terror and the skies open up to meteorological horrors. There are a few gross moments to be aware of but I am usually quite sensitive to certain elements (bodily fluids etc) and I found it manageable. If you're looking for a fun horror read that is goofy in all the right ways, I cannot recommend this more!

Overall Rating:

.5

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry

 I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.

It should be no surprise that I absolutely love everything Christina Henry writes at this point, and The House that Horror Built is no exception. This book tells the story of Harry, a single mother who begins cleaning the home of famous horror movie director, Javier Castillo. This involves cleaning all of the creepy props which adorn his home and following a very strict set of rules. Harry manages to successfully keep a professional distance from her boss until one day, she and her son are forced to move in with him due to her limiting financial circumstances. She then has to balance maintaining her boundaries whilst also suspecting there is something very odd about the house...

This is a hard book to pinpoint. If I had to, I'd say it was a slow-burn ghost story with a few psychological elements. Most of the book is focused on a creeping sense of dread, with only minimal horror 'stuff' actually happening. This was more than enough for me as a reader though. I found the characters interesting and I wasn't really sure where the story was going to go. I think the climax more than makes up for the slow pace of the beginning. The story gets very intense and troubled, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I am a huge fan of horror as a way of exploring human emotion and trauma, and this book does that very well in my opinion. I also like books which keep you on your toes. Which characters can you trust? Are things are sinister as they seem? This book plays with that well, and that's where the more psychological aspect comes in.

It should also come as no surprise that I am going to recommend this book. It's admittedly a little different than Henry's other, more-action filled works but I think that's a strength rather than a detriment. I think there's a lot here for horror fans to love

Overall Rating:

Try Not to Die on Slashtag by Jon Cohn

 I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Vincere Press  in exchange for an honest review.

I was a huge fan of Choose Your Own Adventure books as a child. I particularly loved the Goosebumps ones and I was super intrigued when I discovered a whole series focused mostly on taking horror properties and turning them into Choose Your Own Adventure books. The first one I read was a little bit of a disappointment but I am so glad I tried again.

Try Not to Die on Slashtag is the story of two people who get invited to playtest a horror reality TV show focused on outwitting an evil ghost. To do so, they will have to overcome horrific puzzles and deathtraps, like a mix of Saw and an escape room. This is already a great premise and I really enjoyed how it was integrated into the CYOA format. Admittedly it is a shame that there is only one right path, but the correct choice was obscured fairly well throughout most situations and I enjoyed not knowing whether I was making a good call or not. The Kindle version is also fantastically formatted, with quick links to take you directly to the correct choice you didn't make, after your grisly death of course.

I believe this book is based off a fiction book (which I now fully intend to pick up) but it absolutely did not matter in the slightest for knowing what was going on. I went in blind and I fully enjoyed the story and the characters. I didn't feel lost at any point and I was able to slip into the world seamlessly. Overall I would say the writing was strong, with good emotion, peril and plenty of fun horror content throughout. I already mentioned how the right choice wasn't always predictable, and that made it more rewarding when I did manage to make a good call.

Overall, this book is a ton of fun and I strongly recommend it for any fans of the CYOA genre, particularly if you want to recreate the Goosebumps feel with a more grownup novel. It was an absolute blast and I am definitely going to give others in the series a try

Overall Rating:

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.

Did I ever think I would be reading a serious horror book by Chuck Tingle? Absolutely not! But I am so glad I did.

Camp Damascus tells the tale of Rose Darling, a 20 year old woman who is happily living a very Christian life in her very Christian community. Everything seems idyllic until one day, her male best friend tries to kiss her. Shortly after, she throws up an astonishing amount of flies and her life takes a demonic spiral from there.

This book is a little different than the kind of horror I normally read, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It has good queer rep (in my queer opinion), it has some really memorable characters and addresses an important modern issue through a horror lens (mainly, conversion camps). I was particularly impressed by how 'real' the characters felt. This book does a good job of capturing the complexity of having a shitty family whilst absolutely making no excuses for them.

My only issue with this book is it felt a little linear? Not every book has to have twists or surprises even, but it felt reasonably obvious what was going on quite early into the book and the story didn't evolve much from that point. I still enjoyed it a lot because of the characters but the horror aspect was lost to me due to the predictability, which was a bit of a shame.

Overall if you can handle the subject material, I would definitely give this book a try. It's definitely not a book that I will forget for a while, and I look forward to more serious work by this author given the standard of the character writing

Overall Rating:

.5

Nightingale House by Steve Frech

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ Digital in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good haunted house book and this is a brilliant example of the genre. Shortly after moving into the titular house, Daniel loses his wife and is left having to care for his daughter by himself. When she starts being slightly obsessive about her imaginary friend, he is prompted to find out about the history of the house and he starts to realise her friend might not be quite so imaginary...

There isn't much original to tell about the plot of this book but it doesn't need to be original. The strength of this book comes from two things: the characters and the atmosphere. The main character is very likeable and I feel how he deals with grief about his wife is executed very well. He had a great relationship with his daughter and your investment in these characters is what brings the haunted house genre to life.

The atmosphere is also great and it hits a neat tone for a haunted house story. Rather than featuring the ghost of the house doing creepy things, most of the hauntings are related to Daniel's dead wife. You get the horror tinged with sadness and emotion, and it creates a unique, enjoyable tone. I have spent most of this month reading ghost stories and Nightingale House stood out in this regard.

Overall, there's not much else to say about this one. If you love haunted house stories, this is worth checking out. It's an enjoyable addition to the genre, if not hugely groundbreaking.

Overall Rating:

.5

Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Orion Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

I was incredibly hyped to read this book and I have to say, I'm a little disappointed. I think the blurb is rather misleading and it gave me the wrong impression of what this book was. Rather than it being a set of alibis/ghost stories presented after the billionaire has died mysteriously, it is instead a short story collection of various people in the building encountering various ghosts before being invited to a dinner with the billionaire. The short stories themselves are only connected by a few characters and the building, so this book resembles more of an anthology than one cohesive narrative. It is only the final story where the billionaire dies and you find out what happens at the dinner party, tying the stories together.

Having said that, once I got over my disappointment with the premise, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The stories can get a little repetitive with the structure, but some of the ghost ideas are exceptionally cool. I particularly liked the haunted smart house, the concierge one and the imaginary friend. Apart from the smart house story, the final one is easily the best. It was a brilliant payoff to the premise promised by the blurb and had much needed (if a bit heavy handed) social commentary.

I do really wish this had been a full length novel. You could have taken 3 or 4 of the characters and focused on them, plus the billionaire. It would have allowed for more interaction between the characters and a deeper exploration of the ghost stories and social themes. But for what it is, Thirteen Storeys is decent. It's a shame the anthology format did it no favours.

Overall, I would still recommend this book to anyone who enjoys ghost stories and is looking for one with a more modern/unusual twist. There are plenty of interesting ghost concepts and goings on to enjoy, and the bonus of the last story tying everything together really does make this collection worth a look.

Overall Rating:

.5

It Came from the Multiplex edited by Joshua Viola

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Hex Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Though admitting so might revoke my 'horror fan' badge, I must be honest and say that I've not seen many 80s horror films. I've seen a decent chunk of cheesy, almost comedy horror films though and this was absolutely the tone this anthology was going for. It was a whole lot of fun but I want to make this clear in case people are expecting more of a violent slasher/sexual horror vibe. This anthology is mild on those elements but is all the stronger for it in my opinion, instead serving up some good old cheesy horror fun. I agree with other reviews that it would benefit more from being compared to 60s or 70s horror films.

Number of stories: 14

Great stories: 3

Good stories: 7

Meh stories: 3

Stories using the slur 'gypsy': 1

ALIEN PARASITES FROM OUTER SPACE/RETURN OF THE ALIEN PARASITES FROM OUTER SPACE-I am combining these two stories together as they are essentially one story (a story and its 'sequel'). This was a fun story about a teen who goes to see a movie about alien parasites and realises that the movie may be more real than it appears. I wish the sequel had been included later on in the anthology as it was a little repetitive when it followed straight after the first one and I think I would have enjoyed a break later on. The first one was also by far the stronger story for me with the sequel not being as good. But both were fun romps with some neat details, and they were a good way to introduce the tone of the anthology.

NEGATIVE CREEP-This had the really cool concept of kids being stalked by some kind of entity which behaved in uncertain ways. I really liked how films were incorporated into this story and I thought it was a lot more clever and original than some. It wasn't my favourite but it had strong moments and managed to stand out.

HELLULOID-This was the story where I realised just how strong the cinema/movie theme was. Honestly I don't really remember much about it, apart from that it used film reel in a kind of interesting way but the plot itself wasn't very gripping.

RISE, YE VERMIN!-Some neat lesbian representation here but not much else going for it sadly. It felt like it was a retread of previous stories with the bug and film reel motif, and it really struggled to stand out as unique to me. It was at this point I wondered if all the authors had been given the same specific brief for writing stories.

THE CRONENBERG CONCERTO-A man recounts his personal history of going to the cinema to watch horror films. For most of this story, I was kinda meh. Then something happened and I fell in love. This was deliciously dark and really caught me off guard, which made the ending all the better. I adored this story and I think it will stay in my mind a long time.

CREATURE FEATURE-A fun story about a teen who gets a new job at a very unusual movie theatre. This uses a type of horror I'm not a huge fan of but it really was a more lighthearted horror read and it deserves points for uniqueness. Ended a little abruptly but all in all, a good romp.

INVISIBLE-A chilling tale of a serial killer and how he selects his victims. This was another unique way to incorporate the cinema theme and I really enjoyed it. Parts are definitely hard to read but this didn't skew super graphic which I appreciated. The ending was really neat and dark in a good way.

SCREEN HAUNT-A woman afraid of everything creates a horror movie. This was a little hard to follow but had some great moments and imagery. I really liked parts of it, I just wish it had been told in a clearer style.

THE DEVIL'S REEL-A travelling man comes to a small town and opens up a cinema with a nefarious purpose. A lot happened in this story and I appreciated the pacing and plot elements. It went big scale and fit well into the movie theme for that reason.

ON THE ROCKS-Four teenagers go to see a werewolf film. This ended far too abruptly and was a little predictable, which was a shame because I dug the writing style.

COMING ATTRACTIONS-Four teenagers use a broken panel in a cinema to stay after dark. This story was amazing! I was completely gripped throughout and it actually properly scared me which rarely happens. A definite gem and my favourite of the collection.

LATE SLEEPERS-A student leaves his house in disarray after a family Thanksgiving meal and goes to the cinema. I really liked the main idea of this story and it did have a creeping sense of dread throughout. However, the ending was a little unclear (and not in a good way, just in a confusing way) which was a bit of a shame. Still a strong concept though!

SPECIAL MAKEUP-Okay, so this story has a great idea with the horror item but uh, repeatedly uses the g slur for traveler. And the whole plot is based around a 'gypsy curse'. I was actually pretty shocked to read this because I thought everyone had the memo now that it's not okay but apparently not. It was a shame as well since it was the last story so I was left feeling a bit sour about the whole thing.

Overall, this anthology is a very fun one with a strong theme and some truly great stories. Most of the stories kind of overlap a bit and so I think more variety could have been beneficial, but the second half is much more varied and so I found it more entertaining. Maybe a rejiggling of the order of the stories would have helped? Either way, this is perfect if you're looking for a quick campy read this Halloween and I'm very glad I picked it up.

Overall Rating:

.5

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.

I've not had the best experience with this author's books in the past but I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. The Only Good Indians is a powerful tale of Native American culture and the inevitability of nature, featuring some truly great horror moments. Four young Native Americans break into an area where they're not meant to hunt and end up killing a very young female elk. Years later, things begin to happen to them one by one as they start believing they see a monster.

The strengths of this book really come from the moments of horror. I was surprised at several points and really excited by the directions the plot took at times. Unfortunately this was also a bit of a flaw. The book chooses to focus on each man one at a time (for the most part) which means I would get very into a storyline only for it to end abruptly and for the book to change. I was definitely most into Luke's plot and I very much wish that had been the focus of the whole book.

On a less personal preference note, I do struggle with this author's writing. I have only tried to read one other book by him and I didn't get very far because I found it very incoherent and difficult to follow. The Only Good Indians sadly also has this problem, though thankfully to a much lesser extent. Most of this book's plot is coherent but there were large chunks were I just couldn't work out what was going on, and not in a good way. The style is very reminiscent of magical realism in that sense so it might be a genre blend that just isn't to my taste.

Having said that though, I did very much enjoy the majority of this book. It has such a unique plot and one that is executed really well for the most part. It's been a while since a horror book has literally made my mouth drop open in shock and those moments will stick with me for a long time. I definitely recommend this to any fans of horror and this has prompted me to give this author another try for sure.

Overall Rating:

Holt House by L.G. Vey

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher W.F. Howes Ltd in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolute treat this was! I am a longtime classic horror fan but I had never heard of the Eden Book Society and I am delighted to discover them. I think the idea of a secret publishing society of horror books is already incredible, and the fact the recordings have been discovered and are now being shared is even more amazing. I wasn't sure what to expect from Holt House but it did not disappoint.

There are two things I would like to make clear about the audiobook. Firstly, it is an old recording and it does sound like one. However, once I got used to the slightly muffled sound, this did not matter in the slightest. The narrators are great and put a lot of passion into their acting, and it is definitely clear enough that I wasn't struggling to hear it. The second thing is that this is very short, maybe around 3 hours in total minus the introduction and follow-up interview/comment parts. It's a great story so it didn't bother me but I was a little surprised at first and might have been bothered if I'd paid a lot for it.

The story itself is great. It starts with an old house in the forest and a creepy coat made of otter skin, and from there the story develops in the most wonderful way. I never knew what was going to happen and I found myself completed fascinated by the directions it took. The narrators definitely helped here. I got completely absorbed into the world of this book and the great voice acting was a huge part of it.

I don't really want to say anything more as the book is so short, but if you like the feel and atmosphere of classic horror then this is definitely worth checking out. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for the other books hopefully being released, and I am excited at the thought of more hidden gems being uncovered.

Overall Rating:

Untold Mayhem by Mark Tullius

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Vincere Press in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warning tags might not be entirely accurate for this book due to the length and my memory. Please contact me if you are worried about a tag not included on the post and I will do my best to find out for you.

Untold Mayhem is a fantastic collection of 24 horror stories and a cast of 6 narrators, making for a brilliant audiobook experience. Each new story will rotate to another narrator so it's really easy to keep track of, and the change in voice means you are compelled to pay attention as well. As for the stories themselves, there is a huge range and a lot to enjoy for horror fans. I will say that several of the stories get really graphic on different aspects (sexual, violent, disgusting etc) so this is not for the faint of heart. However, I found it relatively easy to skip over the aspects less appealing to me.

I am struggling to get a complete list of the titles of the stories so instead I will discuss the subject matter of some of my favourites without the titles. One I really enjoyed was about two businessmen who were having a disagreement and so paid a mediation company who promises to help them resolve it, no matter what. That was dark and built up well. The second story about a man introducing his date to his art collection was also really great, and 'Taking Out the Trash' was so dark but very well written.

Overall, if you're looking for a short and decidedly not sweet horror anthology collection, Untold Mayhem is absolutely one to check out. I strongly recommend checking out the audiobook version as well as it gave a great experience of the book and I really enjoyed listening to the stories around other tasks. Each story is pretty short so it was easy to listen the way I wanted and not forget important details the way I might with a longer book. Tullius's writing is very strong and I am looking forward to checking out some of his other anthologies.

Overall Rating:

Malorie by Josh Malerman

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Hachette Audio UK in exchange for an honest review.

SPOILERS FOR BIRDBOX AHEAD.

I wasn't sure what to expect from a Birdbox sequel. The first book ended so perfectly that, while I was excited for this book, I wasn't entirely sure it needed to exist. Malorie opens by undoing the positive ending of Birdbox rather abruptly which was jarring, but thankfully it was all uphill from there.

Malorie is interestingly named because really it's the story of her and her children. We initially pick up two years after where Birdbox ended, followed quickly by a ten year time skip. Olympia and Tom are now 16 year old teenagers with stronger opinions and thoughts of their own. Tom in particular is beginning to doubt his mother's view of the creatures and thinks there might be another way to live his life rather than in fear of them. When Malorie gets some news which causes them to consider venturing out from their home, Tom's new rebellious streak only continues to grow.

I was really surprised by how much I ended up loving this book. I genuinely think it improves upon the first as it expands the world, raises the stakes and crafts a far less predictable story (in my eyes). I had no idea where this story was going to go and it was exciting to see how certain things developed. The tension built throughout the story and I loved the new characters and new elements of the world we were introduced to. I only really had one criticism and that's that certain aspects of the ending felt a bit too contrived. There was one story element I was enjoying and it was a key part of Malorie's paranoia, but then this element gets pushed too far and I feel it was a little hard to swallow. It's a shame because it was the only thing that got in the way of me enjoying it really. I really enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook as well and I felt she added a lot to the story.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Malorie. I'm so happy that I got the chance to read a sequel to a book I really enjoyed and that it managed to expand upon and continue the story in such a satisfying way. This is definitely worth a read if you've been sitting on the fence about it and the audiobook is a great way to experience it.

Overall Rating:

.5