book reviews
Book reviews for horror fans; weather a sleepless night with literary accounts of hauntings, possessions, zombies, vampires and beyond.
Reed's Literary Horror Review of 'Fright Train' (2021) edited by Charles R. Rutledge and Scott T. Goudsward
Opening with a run-on sentence is a baller move. It's the reader's introduction (well... past the introduction anyway) to the anthology. That's a seriously "high risk" maneuver that could instantly throw off any reader. For me, it had damn well better be a declaration of how amazing every word that follows is. It stuck out so much I had to include it in my review.
By Reed Alexander3 years ago in Horror
Cirque Du Freak Review
I was first sucked into the world of Cirque Du Freak in sixth grade. At the time, I could read well above my grade level, but in no way shape or form, did I have a passion for reading. A friend in my class introduced me to the series. After reading the first few pages, I was completely hooked. The problem with reading a book by Darren Shan, especially with the Cirque Du Freak series, is that you get sucked into the world. You forget that you are holding a book in your hand, and you experience everything that the characters are going through. I couldn't put the books down until I finished the series, and even then, I would constantly go back to my middle school library to keep reading them.
By Ethan Sealey3 years ago in Horror
5 Spooky Facts about R.L. Stine's 'Fear Street' Teen Horror Stories
Streaming services seem to have a special ability to tap into nostalgia. Whether it is a revival of an old, canceled show or easter eggs to previous beloved movies (looking at you Hubie Halloween), there are a lot of offerings online that seem to channel our nostalgia and desire for familiar titles.
By Jenika Enoch3 years ago in Horror
3:15
Steven and his family have just moved into a vast, ultra-modern mansion deep within the Tennessee mountains. Steven immediately begins to have vivid dreams and horrific hallucinations which leads him to believe that he knows what happened to the former family that resided in the home.
By Rebecca Lynn Ivey3 years ago in Horror
Ghoul School: A Spooky Pop-Up Book
I started collecting spooky pop-up books when I was in fifth grade. My aunt would take me to The Book Loft in Columbus, Ohio and I would run through the maze of 32 rooms, knowing exactly where to go — the fireplace in the children's section.
By Abby Draper3 years ago in Horror
Obscure Non-Spoiler Reviews “14″
What I love about this book: It’s neo-Lovecraftian horror that somehow manages to feel very light, like an episode of friends that takes an unexpected hardcore turn into Cthulu-Ville. I also love its ensemble cast of characters who are all compelling in their own ways. Finally, and the biggest reason I love this book, I’m enchanted by the vocal talents of its narrator, Ray Porter, for the audiobook edition—yes, I’m one of those.
By Kevin E Carlson3 years ago in Horror
"A way to Horror Fiction"
Horror is a peculiar genre. If it’s meant purely to scare, then some of the heftier books on this list would have wracked up a body count, terrifying readers to death over 700 pages or more. And what is scary? What might shock one reader is laughable to another. Ghosts, serial killers, great heaving monsters, the loss of self-control, plagues, impossible physics and a creepy clown all figure into our countdown, with entries spanning from the 1800s to the last few years. One (obvious) author makes five(!) appearances, and easily could have qualified for a few more; another has written just one novel during his decades-long career. We narrowed our focus to prose novels, so please don’t ask after The Books of Blood or Uzumaki. And while we kept an eye on the diversity of our featured authors, the inclusion of women, authors of color and queer creators came naturally as we gathered the best of the best. We’re prepared for you to question our choices, we ask only that you leave the chainsaw at home before doing so. Without further ado, we present our choices for the best horror novels of all time.
By shyam sapkota3 years ago in Horror
Who Was (Or Is) Dracula?
Created in 1897, in the novel “Dracula”, Bram Stoker named him “Vlad.” He was the start of the whole horror / vampire ‘world’ in film and thousands have enjoyed being scared to death, reading the novel over and over again. A purely fictional character, the only connection with the ‘real world’ is his name Vlad, which is connected to Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia or Vlad the Impaler.
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff3 years ago in Horror
11 YA Vampire Novels That Don't Suck
Vampires just don’t know how to die, do they? Since the 1819 story Vampyre by John Polidori, these fanged bloodsuckers have sunk their teeth into our literary history. As if each reboot ques them to rise from the grave once more and flood our mainstream media. The 2020 release of Stephanie Meyer’s latest novel, Midnight Sun only serves as proof. Within the first week of sales over a million copies were sold, showing how very alive or rather undead Team Edward is.
By Emilia the Bat3 years ago in Horror
Nature Is Terrifying! 3 Horror Books You Should Read This Spring
It’s Spring! For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the weather has started to turn, the flowers are blooming, and the Sun has finally stopped being shy. But if you’re an avid horror fan like me, then all this pleasantness doesn’t stem your desire for dark, creepy, or gory stories. With that in mind, I’ve created a list of excellent horror books you should read in Spring.
By Nancy Driver3 years ago in Horror