This is mostly my own fault. I consistently have not really enjoyed Coates's work, even though it's probably perfectly fine for people who aren't me. This is mostly my own fault. I consistently have not really enjoyed Coates's work, even though it's probably perfectly fine for people who aren't me. I need to stop picking them up. But every time I have some justification: oh this plot sounds interesting, oh someone I trust recommended it to me, oh it's short horror stories I love those, whatever. And every time I end up bored, disappointed, or annoyed. This one has not broken the streak, and this time I will learn from my mistakes (she says optimistically). If you like her stuff, give it a try; you might like it more than I did.
That being said, there were things about this set of stories that I did have objective problems with, and those are the reason I'm rating it this way. The main issue is that I found a lot of the stories to be basically the same. The mannequin stories, for example, are literally exactly the same plotline and "twist," just set in different locations. The forest monster and the sub-basement monster feel like the same damn thing. This book promises fifteen stories, but it delivers maybe seven to nine, and the other half are just the same stories repackaged. I know there are only so many scary short stories one can tell, but seriously, the mannequin thing was egregious. At least put those two in different books....more
This one feels like it took a bit too long to get where it was going, but it's still wonderfully creepy and ties up nicely at the end. Not quite as goThis one feels like it took a bit too long to get where it was going, but it's still wonderfully creepy and ties up nicely at the end. Not quite as good as the first but still worth reading....more
It was so good. It does take a little while to get going but once it hits the ground, it's dragging you along wherever it runs. These characters are aIt was so good. It does take a little while to get going but once it hits the ground, it's dragging you along wherever it runs. These characters are a fascinating, heartbreaking mess. Small towns at their worst, start to finish.
I would say this one leans a bit more mystery/thriller with some horror and ghosties just. Y'know. Sprinkled in, for flavour. But it works really well.
Tell me why this is the cutest thing ever written. I adore Molly and Majordomo and just all the characters, and the whole story is so endearing. The eTell me why this is the cutest thing ever written. I adore Molly and Majordomo and just all the characters, and the whole story is so endearing. The ending comes out beautifully, and I love Molly coming into her own!
Took too long to get to Kittiscar, considering that Kittiscar is mentioned as the key to the story on the back of the book. The book seemIt was fine?
Took too long to get to Kittiscar, considering that Kittiscar is mentioned as the key to the story on the back of the book. The book seems to depend mostly on Bad Vibes, which for a horror story is very respectable, but I would like to know more of what actually happened at some point, and the story's climax was somewhat underwhelming to me.
Honestly of the three, this one is my favourite, which is a nice surprise.
Ryder turns out to be the most sensible of all three brothers, which I deepHonestly of the three, this one is my favourite, which is a nice surprise.
Ryder turns out to be the most sensible of all three brothers, which I deeply appreciate, and Hope was fun to follow as the main female lead. Getting to the end of the ghost story was also very sweet.
A nice ending, a little too perfectly wrapped up, but I'll take it....more
It's cute and they're cute, most of the time. The ghost story continues to develop.
I would like Owen to stop interrupting Avery in her place of work It's cute and they're cute, most of the time. The ghost story continues to develop.
I would like Owen to stop interrupting Avery in her place of work to deal with their personal shit, up to and including literally carrying her upstairs to work out some argument or other. If I were working there I'd be so annoyed and slightly concerned for Avery's safety. That is all.
On to (I'm sure) Hope and Ryder, with some trepidation....more
Sometimes you just need something soft and easy with good friendships, good relationships, and an unrealistically easy Big Job To Do. And also ghosts.Sometimes you just need something soft and easy with good friendships, good relationships, and an unrealistically easy Big Job To Do. And also ghosts.
That's this book. Anyone who's ever done construction is probably laughing about the timeline for this project, but I never have so I can suspend my disbelief.
It's a light, fast, sweet read and I had fun with it. ...more
Okay, this is a little bit on me because I bought into the hype. So many people said that this was an amazing set of horror stories, if you like horroOkay, this is a little bit on me because I bought into the hype. So many people said that this was an amazing set of horror stories, if you like horror you'll love these, every horror fan ever should read them, etc etc etc. I wanted to love them so badly, and just couldn't.
To be fair, the ideas were good, spooky fun. But the actual stories were bloated, so full of pretentious writing and obnoxious characters that the ideas got lost underneath them. I know, I know, "you're not supposed to like horror protagonists," sometimes, but shouldn't they still feel like people?
Anyway. I'm glad other people enjoyed them but they really were not for me. Best I can say is that reading them was relatively quick....more
Look. Look. Okay. I get where the vibes were coming from but this was just not a good time. I was hoping that the story would have some payoff for allLook. Look. Okay. I get where the vibes were coming from but this was just not a good time. I was hoping that the story would have some payoff for all the Big Sads and Scary Monsters and whatever, but it really didn't. The horror/monster scenes are like...fine, I guess, but some of Mattie's logic doesn't make a whole lot of sense. (view spoiler)[ (Why would she not have been murdered out in the forest on night one if that's how Monster Hunts?) (hide spoiler)]
The ending has no emotional payoff whatsoever. I wasn't really invested in the characters since they all seemed to (view spoiler)[exist to be monster food (hide spoiler)], but if I had been, I'd be very annoyed that I only got to see that as my reward for sticking with them through all this.
It's a fun, spooky little thrill ride. I have to say I have known way too many Kevins in my life to enjoy his character, but that's a personal thing. It's a fun, spooky little thrill ride. I have to say I have known way too many Kevins in my life to enjoy his character, but that's a personal thing.
Unlike a lot of the other reviews here, I found that the story started entirely too slow for my tastes, but once it picked up it really picked up. From there I was hooked until right near the end when (view spoiler)[ Claire gets murdered by the monolith and "ascends" and KEEPS WRITING IN HER JOURNAL???? (hide spoiler)]. This is, however, a pretty common failing of the found-footage genre, especially in written form; there's not really a way to hard cut the scene at the end. Don't love it but can sort of forgive it.
Overall, I had a good time. Might read it again, might not....more
There's a lot going on in this story all at once. It's a lot to tackle in a novel that is not quite 300 pages, and there are definitely parts that sufThere's a lot going on in this story all at once. It's a lot to tackle in a novel that is not quite 300 pages, and there are definitely parts that suffer for it. To be honest I did not really love the repeated attempts to get us to feel sorry for Sawyer and give him a Tragic Backstory (TM). But I like Jake and I enjoyed his story, and the hope at the end.
Wow. This one was so fun and I love that it's so smooth and short and easy to get through. There's a lot of creepiness packed into a tiny little book,Wow. This one was so fun and I love that it's so smooth and short and easy to get through. There's a lot of creepiness packed into a tiny little book, and a lot of fun bits too. ...more
Honestly way better than I expected it to be, and I expected it to be really good. Dickey debunks the ghosts of his stories with exactly the right comHonestly way better than I expected it to be, and I expected it to be really good. Dickey debunks the ghosts of his stories with exactly the right combination of humour and genuine interest, so if you're looking for a True Believer I wouldn't look here, but the stories are told well and his deep dive into the history and more importantly, why we care? Absolute perfection. Wonderful idea, masterfully executed....more
I gotta say, here in May of 2020, this novel hits different than it would have if I'd read it when it first came out.
(yes it's been on my TBR for a cI gotta say, here in May of 2020, this novel hits different than it would have if I'd read it when it first came out.
(yes it's been on my TBR for a couple of years now. let those without stacks and stacks of unread books in their bedrooms throw the first stone.)
The writing is competent and entertaining, as Roberts's work almost always is. I enjoyed the characters although there weren't any that were particularly morally grey--but then, I don't read her books for the tough moral questions and deep examinations of the soul. The first few chapters when the plague hits are damn good and very unique; after that it slides fairly quickly into your standard urban fantasy with some post-apocalyptic, The Stand-esque window dressing. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because it made it easier to read. The first few chapters were hard to get through as I sat in my house during my two weeks of mandatory post-travel quarantine. The addition of magic and fantasy to the story gave it that nice escapist edge that I needed to finish it.
I think I'll like this book better once I've read the rest of the series. This one was more of a prologue than a story that stands entirely on its own; it was a neat idea to write an entire book that introduces the presumable series protagonist in, like, the last three chapters, but it does cause this book to feel kind of unfinished.
(view spoiler)[ Also if we don't see any more of New Hope in book 2 I'm going to riot. I did NOT spend the better part of several hundred pages with these people just for them to drop out of the story entirely once the Special Protagonist came along. (hide spoiler)]
Again, totally fine. Not exactly the sort of style that I like, and I think it may work better as a podcast than it does written, but a great way to kAgain, totally fine. Not exactly the sort of style that I like, and I think it may work better as a podcast than it does written, but a great way to kill a couple of hours while I avoid my studies....more
It's fine. His storytelling style doesn't quite capture me the way I hoped it would, but it's fine, lots of interesting stories and a good break from It's fine. His storytelling style doesn't quite capture me the way I hoped it would, but it's fine, lots of interesting stories and a good break from studying....more
It's good for what it is! Estep writes well and engagingly about his adventures in various "haunted" locales, and if you're interested in something thIt's good for what it is! Estep writes well and engagingly about his adventures in various "haunted" locales, and if you're interested in something that's as much biography as ghost story, you'll like this. I might have preferred more details about the supposed hauntings, and a little less about the investigator's backstory, but those are personal quirks and in no way diminish the actual book! ...more
It's been a long time since I read this one, so I picked it up again out of nostalgia. It holds up...all right, I suppose, though I find Suze's decisiIt's been a long time since I read this one, so I picked it up again out of nostalgia. It holds up...all right, I suppose, though I find Suze's decisions more questionable as an adult than I did when I was around her age. Jesse continues to be a sweetheart, though, so that's nice; a lot of love interests I enjoyed reading about as a child/teenager don't age nearly so well when I reread their stories as an adult.
Worth reading if you like ghosts and relatively out of date slang (though reader beware--I think a couple of the later books in the series are out of print, so finding them might be a bit of a challenge if you decide you want to continue). It's fun, it's cute, it's about what you expect from Meg Cabot....more
