This book is a fantastic examination of the people and movies that created horror as we know it. If you want to understand why we had so many slasher This book is a fantastic examination of the people and movies that created horror as we know it. If you want to understand why we had so many slasher films in the 80s, or why horror seemed to be completely subverted into weird satire that wasn't particularly scary in the 90s, you should read this book. ...more
It's very very very good, but falls just short of being great and I can't say exactly why. I loved the characters and the metaphor of possession (whicIt's very very very good, but falls just short of being great and I can't say exactly why. I loved the characters and the metaphor of possession (which is not just a metaphor in this story). I loved the references to 1988, and how seamlessly they were dropped into the narrative.
It's a supernatural horror story, and the third act drives that home without mercy, but at its core, this is a story about friendship, and I'm glad I read it. I think it would make a great 6 episode series....more
There aren't as many choices as I would have liked, but the stories you can choose are satisfying.
The warehouse in the story is full of things inspireThere aren't as many choices as I would have liked, but the stories you can choose are satisfying.
The warehouse in the story is full of things inspired by actual myths and legends and historical figures, and there's a short appendix with a guide to them at the end, which is something I would have loved as a kid, because I was such a big fan of Believe It Or Not, In Search Of..., and similar programs.
It's too intense for younger readers, but kids who are into Goosebumps or Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark will love this....more
This is the first book in the Choose Your Own Nightmare series that I read, and it was a lot of fun. We hit three different endings, and all of them wThis is the first book in the Choose Your Own Nightmare series that I read, and it was a lot of fun. We hit three different endings, and all of them were suitably dark, without being too gruesome for a YA audience.
Some of the stories in this very uneven collection are really good, but too many entries just did nothing for me. I abandoned it a little less than haSome of the stories in this very uneven collection are really good, but too many entries just did nothing for me. I abandoned it a little less than halfway through (so feel free to judge me and this review accordingly), because I have a huge stack of stuff that I genuinely want to read, and life's too short....more
What if vampires were real, ancient, and spread their vampirism like a virus? That's the central premise of The Strain, and I was on board from the fiWhat if vampires were real, ancient, and spread their vampirism like a virus? That's the central premise of The Strain, and I was on board from the first page. Ultimately, it was a disappointment for me, and I won't be reading the other books in the trilogy.
This book starts out with so much promise. It's a taught, intense, compelling thriller that gradually introduces compelling characters that it's easy to care about.
Then, in its middle third, it starts to wobble a little bit. The characters start doing things that don't make sense based on what we know about them, but because the slightly-too-convenient plot demands it. There were still enough interesting bits to keep me reading, but just past the halfway mark, I started to lose interest.
In the final third, it completely collapses under the weight of lazy, hacky writing that moves from one set piece to the next, sloppily throwing in brief and unsatisfying character moments as an afterthought.
So I'm of two minds on this: one, everything I stated above. The other, maybe I could have just suspended my disbelief and enjoyed the ride (which, I suspect, a lot of readers are able to do).
Strangely, I expect that a lot of what didn't work for me in this book will actually play out fairly well on the television series that starts in July, and I'm interested to see how they will handle it....more
Readers who are fans of Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim series who are expecting something as dark and gritty as that wonderful series will probably be Readers who are fans of Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim series who are expecting something as dark and gritty as that wonderful series will probably be disappointed by Dead Set. However, readers who are looking for a realistic portrayal of a teenage girl in turmoil, who is a heroine you can definitely cheer for, will find a lot to enjoy in this quick and evocative volume.
I did not know that it marketed as Young Adult, but I figured out that it clearly was YA as the story unfolded. It's something that I know a lot of my friends would have LOVED when we were part of the Young Adult market, but If you're expecting something a little darker than we typically experience in YA, you should probably know that going into it to modulate your expectations.
Some parts are a little exposition-y, and we occasionally get ahead of the characters as the plot develops. The first half is stellar, and the second half is a a little clunky in places (lots of goodbyes, lots of people getting separated and then finding each other again) but overall it's a solid story and an enjoyable read. Like I said, it's YA, so the things that I frowned at as a 41 year old reader are things I wouldn't have noticed at all when I was younger.
Another reviewer here compared this to something that would happen if Gaiman and Palahniuk had a book baby, and I certainly got a lot of that. Someone else said it would make a great Miyazaki film, and I couldn't agree more.
I highly recommend this to any young readers who enjoy dark fantasy....more
Absolutely wonderful book. This is a collection of stores that will have you crying, checking for monsters under the bed, and wondering how the hell JAbsolutely wonderful book. This is a collection of stores that will have you crying, checking for monsters under the bed, and wondering how the hell Joe Hill came up with that.
Comparisons to Joe's dad will be unavoidable, especially from those of us who read Night Shift and Skeleton Crew at a certain age ... and though I believe Joe has more than earned the right to be far, far out of his father's shadow, I say with love that the comparisons are well-deserved. This is a sensational collection, and very much worth your time....more
Just like the great second chapters in epic series (like Empire Strikes Back or The Two Towers) this ends on a very dark, down, disturbing note. ThingJust like the great second chapters in epic series (like Empire Strikes Back or The Two Towers) this ends on a very dark, down, disturbing note. Things just keep getting worse for the Locke family, and I'm really glad that I'm so late to the party on Locke & Key, because I can go right into Volume 3 without letting the despair of Volume 2 linger too long....more
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