This review is JUST for Boy with No Name by KA Wiggins. I received a copy of this short story through Story Origin and I haven't read the rest of the This review is JUST for Boy with No Name by KA Wiggins. I received a copy of this short story through Story Origin and I haven't read the rest of the anthology.
The world that Wiggins created certainly looks interesting. Not having read their other work, it definitely had me intrigued. The dynamics of the people in power, plus how the world was split up, also very intriguing. It had me interested enough to want to read the story this spawned from.
The short story itself, though, was trying to do a bit too much all at once. I had a very hard time keeping track of the plot and who was doing what where. There was a lot of expositionary flashbacks that kept ripping me out of the current plot, which alone was really hard to follow. It felt like I was being bombarded by a lot of information with not enough room to explore it. By the end of the story, my head was spinning.
Again, with that being said, I'm still interested enough in BLIND THE EYES, the first story in this series, that I'd like to read it. I don't think this short was the author's best showing, but I think she's on to something with this world and the magic and the characters, so I'd like to see where she goes with it.
Why? I’m not sure what’s going on with this book, but it doesn’t have much, if anything, to do with Christmas. I read half theWhere did I stop? 46% in
Why? I’m not sure what’s going on with this book, but it doesn’t have much, if anything, to do with Christmas. I read half the book and only two stories were even set at Christmas, and that’s where that ended. The holiday was a mention, and then the story had nothing else to do with it. With the way it’s packaged, from the cover to the blurb, you’d expect something nominally holiday-like. That’s really not happening here. The stories are odd, and I think in another anthology I could have appreciated some of them, but they don’t really seem to be linked in any meaningful way. This just felt like a book of random short stories packaged as something to do with Christmas. It’s very misleading. I honestly think this book would do better not packaged as having anything to do with Christmas. That’s really what made me stop reading. I’d picked it up because I was expecting something creepy, maybe spooky, and left of center around Christmas. That’s not what I got. Creepy, spooky, odd, yes. But not Christmas. That’s literally the whole reason I bought this book, and I did not get what I thought I was paying for. To be clear: I was NOT expecting a cozy out of this book. It doesn’t come off as cozy at all. I was just expecting something vaguely Christmasy, and it’s not there....more
Why? I’ve now learned that this more “classic” mystery voice is just not something I can take in doses larger than mayWhere did I stop reading? 31% in
Why? I’ve now learned that this more “classic” mystery voice is just not something I can take in doses larger than maybe one book a year. I get why people like it, but it’s just not for me. I’m also not a fan of the storytelling style where two people sit around and recount a story instead of the story actively happening. I’ve also learned that Sherlock Holmes is less of a highly intelligent man and more of someone who has the ego to speak confidently about anything, and people will believe him and not question him. Kind of takes the wind out of the sails on a Holmes story when you realize that....more
HALLOWEEN SEASON is a solidly okay anthology of short stories that all take place on or around Halloween, but have varying levels of Halloween involveHALLOWEEN SEASON is a solidly okay anthology of short stories that all take place on or around Halloween, but have varying levels of Halloween involvement. That latter part is what drops this book into the realm of solidly okay for me. Everything about this anthology, from the cover to the blurb, tells me it’s going to be all about Halloween with Halloween as a central focus of the storytelling in each. That is not the case here and it left me feeling disappointed.
The stories were well-written, and I liked some more than others. ‘Hazelnuts and Yummy Mummies’ and ‘Cosmic Cola’ were great stories, and ‘The Toymaker’s Joy’ was thoroughly hilarious and amusing. But that last story, for example, is for all intents a purposes a Christmas story that just happens to be set around Halloween. The date is October 31st, but the concept of Halloween was otherwise irrelevant.
‘Porcupine Boy’ and ‘In the Family’ were both good stories, but they had nothing to do with Halloween other than the date the story is set. That’s where my disappointment is. Not in the storytelling acumen of the author, but in the packaging of the anthology. When I’m picking up an anthology of Halloween stories, I expect them to be distinctly Halloween, not just coincidentally being set on the same day in a calendar year.
I liked the variety of stories. I liked that some of them were lighter, comedic (again, I kind of LOVED ‘The Toymaker’s Joy’), while some were gruesome or just all around out there. But this is not a Halloween anthology. I probably would have liked this better if it had not been sold to me as being something it’s not. Because it was, it’s left me feeling disappointed and deceived. I based my expectations on what the cover and blurb were telling me, and the book did not meet them. I don’t think my expectations are particularly far out of line here.
A fun collection of short stories that I enjoyed reading. Just to keep in mind, they’re all kind of dated (check that published date) in terms of contA fun collection of short stories that I enjoyed reading. Just to keep in mind, they’re all kind of dated (check that published date) in terms of content and style, and it’s kind of short on diversity. Also the characters are on the younger side for YA nowadays, many of them coming in around 15 (which can speak to the style) whereas a lot of YA today aims toward 17 or 18. I enjoyed the works despite these things, although they were all very obvious reading ETERNAL SPRING.
My favorites were The Vanishing Spring (almost horror-esque, no surprise there), The Princess of Egypt Must Die (you had me at Egypt), Picture Not Perfect (I liked the message in this one), and Potionate Love (it has a fun twist). There’s a good mix of stories in here, spanning contemporary, historical fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy, and paranormal. So there’s literally something for everyone.
I don’t think the stories themselves aged poorly or anything. In fact I think they held up quite well, if just the style aimed toward a slightly younger audience. And in all honesty there’s a dearth of books for this younger YA age range today so it can at least fill in a gap (although there is one story in here that is New Adult, however there’s no sex on the page, just a baby and a father who doesn’t know about it).
I don’t really have a whole lot else to say about ETERNAL SPRING. I enjoyed myself reading it. It reminds me of a time back when I first started book blogging, and it’s a book that’s really representative of the YA market at that time, the good things and the less than good things. Take that for what you will. I recommend it because it’s a fun anthology.
IT CAME FROM THE MULTIPLEX was a super fun book that had my nostalgia feelings all a tingle. I couldn’t help but be immediately sucked in by that coveIT CAME FROM THE MULTIPLEX was a super fun book that had my nostalgia feelings all a tingle. I couldn’t help but be immediately sucked in by that cover. Look at it. Isn’t it fantastic? While I was never super into the B-movie level creature features that were just dripping in gouda, I appreciated the level of fun that some of these stories wished to recreate here because, let’s face it: they just don’t make movies like these anymore.
I also liked how everything centered around the super grimy movie theater of years past. As an adult now I pretty much won’t go to anything other than an Alamo Drafthouse, although I certainly remember those discount theaters where you were thankful the lights weren’t fully up because you just didn’t want to know what could potentially be all over your seat. And what the hell did you just step in? Anyone else’s LA Gears get spot-welded to the floor if you kept them in place for too long? No? Just me? So yeah. I totally get it.
On of my favorites was The Devil’s Reel, simply because I’m a sucker for Christianity vs the devil type stories and how those whacky plots can go so terribly wrong. I also liked the one about keeping the Old Ones in check in an old movie theater. I think that one was Creature Feature. Special Makeup was a good one too. I thought it was really unique and I liked how it was set in 1950s (I think) Hollywood.
I was totally in the mood for something like IT CAME FROM THE MULTIPLEX and I was not disappointed. It has that certain level of kitsch that pokes the nostalgia button while at the same time still being a little on the creepy side too. I liked it. I liked it a lot.
4.5
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Another fun anthology, DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS excellently captures that spooky, creepy, giddy feeling I had when I first read Scary Stories, compleAnother fun anthology, DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS excellently captures that spooky, creepy, giddy feeling I had when I first read Scary Stories, complete with nightmare fuel illustrations. Not all of them, but really. Stephen Gammell is pretty hard to best in that regard. Still. Some of those illustrations I quickly turned the page on because I was pretty sure it was looking back at me.
The stories themselves run the gamut, centering in on children between the ages of 8 and 12 although there were a few that ran a bit younger. But they definitely gave me that nostalgic feel but at the same time appealing to the age-appropriate kids reading the book. Brain Spiders was particularly shuddersome and had me on the verge of a gag the entire story. The neighbor was another one that really stuck with me because it really plays with the concept of time (without broaching time traveling) and reality. Big fan. The House on the Hill actually made my brain start spinning with my own story idea about a house that doesn’t let people go.
It’s just such a huge mix of stories that span the world with a diverse cast of authors, you’d be hard-pressed to not find anything worth reading in here. It brings me joy that there’s room on the shelf for this kind of horror still and that kids still want to read it. These kinds of books formed my childhood and not going to lie, this kind of made me want to write my own middle grade horror, and I don’t write middle grade!
5
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Okay, I really loved VAMPIRES NEVER GET OLD. Never mind that I practically squealed when I found out about it because VAMPIRES ARE MAKING A COMEBACK. Okay, I really loved VAMPIRES NEVER GET OLD. Never mind that I practically squealed when I found out about it because VAMPIRES ARE MAKING A COMEBACK. But Donna, it’s one book, you say. I DON’T CARE. There are actually like 4 or 5 vampire books getting put out by traditional publishers (that I’m aware of), but that’s beside the point. This one was awesome.
Written by a compendium of diverse people who each provided a much-needed breath of fresh life back into this genre, VAMPIRES NEVER GET OLD is everything we need in the genre. While I adore vampires and I, on the surface, liked a lot of those older vampire stories, there’s certainly room to provide more flavors in this bowl of mashed potatoes. Not all vampires are tall, pale, and glittery and the world would be damn boring if they were, even factoring in the realness of vampires themselves.
Some of my favorites were The House of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton that takes the ‘needs homeland dirt’ idea and flips it completely on its head. Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy is a nod to Buffy with more meat on her bones. A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed is hilarious and quirky. First Kill by Victoria Schwab really blurs the line between the vampire and slayer and which is actually good and which is actually bad, if either. And The Boys from Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse has this Near Dark grit to it that I loved.
So that’s like half the book and that’s not helpful. So just read it. If you’re a vampire fan you’ll appreciate all the nods and if you’re a fan of good storytelling you’ll appreciate the variety and perspective that makes you look at vampires from a whole new light. If you’re looking for a movie that holds on to those old vampire tropes while simultaneously flipping it on its head and makes gentrification an even greater horror than it already is, may I recommend Vampires vs the Bronx, especially if you’re a Lost Boys fan. So many easter eggs!
5
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
First off, that cover. I’m a total sucker for it. I am absolutely in love with that old VHS-type art that book covers are using more and more of latelFirst off, that cover. I’m a total sucker for it. I am absolutely in love with that old VHS-type art that book covers are using more and more of lately. So I was pretty much sold on the cover alone. Luckily, the actual contents of the book is pretty stellar too.
Not going to lie, I was a little concerned at first because the first two stories of the book are pretty similar, albeit equally disturbing. But each one after that brought its own brand of old school horror flavor that I greatly enjoyed, even if some of them made me a little queasy. But I love visceral reactions like that while reading, despite the fact that I may be eating when they happen. It’s a sign of good writing, IMO.
2017 isn’t that long ago, but all of the stories had sort of an antiquated feel to them, especially any that had to do with bullying. It felt more like bullying from my youth (more physical and what people my age and up might think of when they think of bullying) than anything current, but I think that added to the nostalgia factor I kept getting with each story. They were current enough for me and once I settled into the cadence of the era the author was writing for, everything else fizzled away and I really enjoyed the stories.
Another honest moment, I’m pretty hand shy when it comes to reading dudes writing horror, especially when there are women in the stories, because bro. Ugh. I’m still not over the vagina eating demons from the last book I read. But no complaints with VIDEO NASTIES. Everyone was an equal opportunity victim who went through equally gender-relevant horror things so the scales were nice and balanced. I appreciate that.
I liked VIDEO NASTIES because it provided a good peek into the author’s style and how he writes a variety of different stories and they’re quite compatible with the type of horror I enjoy. When I got to the end of the book, I immediately signed up for Ralston’s newsletter (and got a few free stories out of it too), I just purchased the paperback version (OMG I need that book cover, ugh), and I look forward to reading more of his work. His horror is genuinely creepy and toes the line of being too gory but never quite crosses it, which I can appreciate.
If you’re looking for a good horror anthology, look no further than VIDEO NASTIES.
Our July book (and technically just squeaking in under our out-for-two-years-minimum rule, which I’m just realizing now, oops), no surprise I loved thOur July book (and technically just squeaking in under our out-for-two-years-minimum rule, which I’m just realizing now, oops), no surprise I loved this so. As a huge fan of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, I adored Bardugo’s lyrical storytelling and how she harkened back to those old timey folktales but attached a deadly knife’s edge to them.
I ended up with a sample of THE LANGUAGE OF THORNS thanks to my last BEA attendance that I coincidentally read not too long before Laura chose this book for July. So lucky me the book made for a quick read because I’d already read maybe 40% of it (although it would have been a fairly fast read anyway), but I also knew what to expect and it made me even more excited for reading the rest of the book.
My favorite story out of all of them is The Soldier Prince. So dark and devilish with hints of sadness scattered throughout. When Water Sang Fire is probably my second favorite for how gut-wrenching the story became as it went on, and also how it kept to its gruesome roots (the transformation from mermaid to human in particular was rather rough). Not to mention just who the story follows . . .
And the art is lovely. I love how it builds on itself as each story progresses, turning into this piece-by-piece work of art that perfectly compliments the story it’s attached to.
All around amazing. There’s nothing to not like in THE LANGUAGE OF THORNS. Truly. I don’t say that often about books, but when I do you better believe I damn sure mean it.
I’m always up for scary stories and SPINE CHILLERS sounded interesting enough. And with my digital copy coming in at just 71 pages it was going to be I’m always up for scary stories and SPINE CHILLERS sounded interesting enough. And with my digital copy coming in at just 71 pages it was going to be a super short read regardless.
Overall this is definitely a middle grade read. My fifth and sixth grade self would have loved this book and probably would have kept it with my collection of scary story books in my desk at school.
In the vein of GOOSEBUMPS but less cheesy, SPINE CHILLERS is to the point and each story had its own level of creep. One of my favorites was ‘Seaworthy’ where a too-proud boy gets his just desserts after bargaining for more than he could afford. ‘The Healer’ was another good one where a little girl has the healing touch and the jerk of a dad decides to capitalize on it. Except that might not work out too well for him. My most favorite was probably ‘Prom Date.’ A girl who feels she’s been wronged tries to get revenge only to wake something up from the dead. All three of these stories have the running theme of someone getting their comeuppance and those are sort of my favorite. There’s a sense of satisfaction at the end of them all.
The stories are simply written, but the punch is packed at the end where they all turn themselves on their heads. A younger reader will definitely be up at night reading these under the sheets with a flashlight, and probably won’t be able to get to sleep after that. The world needs more horror-addicted youth and SPINE CHILLERS will help convert those youths.
4
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review....more
I wasn’t wowed by THE BACCHANAL. Most of the stories were trying just a little too hard to be scary and they came off just flat. The pacing on a lot oI wasn’t wowed by THE BACCHANAL. Most of the stories were trying just a little too hard to be scary and they came off just flat. The pacing on a lot of them was a bit too quick, many of them lurching into action far too quickly for the good of the greater plot. Most were not memorable.
In all fairness, it takes a lot to scare me and monsters pulled from drawings by toddlers and acting like a child’s nightmare won’t do it for me. That’s what these stores were: just a lot of overt LET ME SCARE YOU type of scenarios that had me shrugging more than anything else. Tension was left by the wayside for typical scares that, like I said, might scare a small child but just had me reading through the words in order to get to the end of the book. Thankfully it was short.
None of it was all that original and it just didn’t invoke any kind of fear. Maybe I read it on the wrong couple of days or I just wasn’t in the mood, but I wasn’t feeling it. I didn’t get any spine-tingling thrills, I’m not impressed by over the top monsters that are caricatures of themselves, or violence for the sake of violence that’s supposed to be in and of itself scary. I need something more cerebral. Something that really drills in and festers under the skin. None of these stories did that for me, unfortunately.
On top of that the editing appeared inconsistent depending on which story you read. I noticed that one or two had far more errors in them than others and it was really jarring. It made me wonder if the authors provided their own editing before the stories were pulled together. Even then there were errors that should have been caught in copyedits.
2
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
For the most part I felt these stories were rather forgettable. They were less terror and more thriller which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when For the most part I felt these stories were rather forgettable. They were less terror and more thriller which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when I think of terror I think of horror and therefore I was misled somewhat by the title. The voices in all the stories blended together for me and even has I look at the contents list now I have a hard time remembering what story was what.
The Doll-Master definitely had a horror feel to it and it was by far my favorite. It blended the pseudo-supernatural with the psychological and really played with reality, something I like in both horror and thriller. So that one really jumped out at me.
Big Momma was the other solidly horror story of the lot and ended on a creepy note. However, it left a lot of holes because the target in the story, while on the very top surface was someone easily skimmed for the plot’s purpose that wouldn’t have lasted very long at all. From that aspect I don’t think it was developed enough because ultimately too many people would have been asking questions on that one.
Soldier, Gun Accident, Equatorial, and Mystery, Inc. were all rather meh. They were engaging enough to read but the stories were all transparent. The endings were nothing short of obvious from the very beginning. Mystery, Inc. was probably my favorite out of the lot because I think it was the most demented and slimy of the stories but it was still obvious what was going to happen.
Overall I was just not impressed with this collection. The writing was fine from an overarching standpoint but since a lot of the characters from completely different stories sounded the same it really wasn’t that great. And they were predictable. I haven’t read much of any of Oates’s work but I’m not all that impressed. She’s a good storyteller and I think is good with getting in her characters’ heads. In that same vein the breadth of characters is pretty thin.
Eh. Not much of an impression, this one.
2
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I wasn’t as blown away by THE ANATOMY OF CURIOSITY as I was by THE CURIOSITIES but that’s not to say it wasn’t good. Truly, it was. I just didn’t feelI wasn’t as blown away by THE ANATOMY OF CURIOSITY as I was by THE CURIOSITIES but that’s not to say it wasn’t good. Truly, it was. I just didn’t feel as absorbed by it as I did the last one. Maybe because this one was a digital copy and the first one wasn’t and it involved so much more complimentary STUFF to reading the stories and I was missing that here. I don’t know. I don’t have a hard copy of this one so I can’t rightly compare if I’m missing doodles and little notes and tiny asides that would just add to the overall Merry Sisters of Fate reading experience.
But I liked the stories and ANATOMY was more focused on teaching writing to others where CURIOSITIES was more internalized with the authors teaching writing to each other and the readers got to watch their process from the sidelines, munching on popcorn. As a writer I was more involved on a studious level with this one as I read the notes, saw how each other approached writing and just how deeply they all delved into it. I felt wholly inadequate but it also made me think that maybe that’s what I’m missing. That my stuff’s good but not GOOD because it’s missing that level of authorial depth that Stiefvater, Gratton, and Yovanoff put into it. Or maybe my style is just far more chaotic (I seemed to match up with Brenna a bit more here with approach) and I’ve just never been forced to face my own process. My process just happens but maybe if I actually sat down and thought about it I wouldn’t be too far off from these ladies. I don’t know, because writing is so varied.
I liked the “real world” examples of their writing being put up for dissection. ANATOMY isn’t about critiquing but about studying an already polished novella and breaking it down to its basic parts. Basically breaking the finished puzzle apart piece by piece and getting an explanation as to why this corner was laid out first, followed by this blotch of red in the middle, and then this edge section. So even though their finished products were broken apart by the end, it still gave me not only a complete picture of each story but three completely different processes on how each world was created.
It all made me content. ANATOMY is less about telling a story for a story’s sake. Don’t go into this one thinking that you’re going to get a Maggie story, a Brenna story, and a Tessa story. You are but I don’t think they’ll affect you in the same way they usually do. But as a writer it’ll rile up your world and put you at peace with it as it showcases three very different writing styles, the depths of writing, and the glorious finished products that come with it. As a reader it’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look as to how something that really is so short is put together and the incredible amount of brain power used to glue it all together. The amount of work required to make a great story so that you don’t actually see that work is awesome in the true meaning of that word. So while I second-guessed everything that I’ve written I also had my eyes opened even wider and I learned from this book. Had I gotten nothing out of it 1) that would have been a crime and 2) I wouldn’t have been listening (or reading, as it were). If you are receptive to letting these women into your space they will have much to teach you.
Read THE ANATOMY OF CURIOSITY to get a peek inside the brains of three great authors. And read it to make yourself grow as an author. I’m going to file this away with my love for FICTION EDITING (Browne/King) as a tool for helping me. Getting rules talked at you is helpful (to an extent). But seeing authors deconstruct their work just adds a whole other level of learning to writing that I feel greater knowing.
4.5
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
A bunch of mystery/thrillers set in New York during various decades? Yes, please. Anthologies can end up being a mixed bag (no pun intended) and you nA bunch of mystery/thrillers set in New York during various decades? Yes, please. Anthologies can end up being a mixed bag (no pun intended) and you never know how many of the stories you’re going to end up liking, if any. Most of the writers pitching in to this one I’ve never read so I was going in blind. New York was what drew me, coupled with mysteries.
Luckily MANHATTAN MAYHEM didn’t disappoint at all. It was wonderful, actually. There wasn’t one story in this book that I didn’t like, and that doesn’t happen all that often. None of them were overly long and, in fact, most were rather poignant and didn’t give me a lot of fat to wade through. A lot of them ended rather abruptly with some eye-popping, oh snap! endings that made me a little giddy. Endings that are just like you’re walking along in the story, soaking up the details, and then BOOM. Revelation. End. I was never pissed that that happened (and I sometimes can be) because none of the stories that did end like that ever felt unfinished.
‘The Five Dollar Dress’ by Mary Higgins Clark, the first story in the book, was phenomenal. Short, sweet, to the point and with one of those BOOM endings that with one tiny piece of evidence it said everything it needed to say. ‘Red-Headed Stepchild’ by Margaret Maron was another good one. The BOOM ending was a bit more subdued but it was devious and exquisitely deceptive that I couldn’t help but laugh.’Dizzy and Gillespie’ by Persia Walker was a sad one. I don’t believe it had a BOOM ending but it all wove together like a finely honed blanket and really touched my heart. ‘The Baker of Bleecker Street’ by Jeffrey Deaver was a more classic spy tale from WWII-era New York that had you trying to sift through the details to find out who the double agent was. I was surprised by the ending, of course.
Another great thing about the book was that each story was set in a different Manhattan neighborhood. From Harlem to Hell’s Kitchen, Alphabet City to Wall Street, it covered a good scope of New York and allowed you to read about a wide variety of people all across the island. For a place so small it always amazes me how a few blocks completely changes everything.
An excellent compendium of stories written by some fantastic writers, I highly recommend MANHATTAN MAYHEM to anyone even remotely interested in a good mystery. Or someone looking for a new author to read but doesn’t know who to choose. You have a whole slew of them right here!
5
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
At this point I’ll read anything by Neil Gaiman so when the publisher offered TRIGGER WARNING for review I snapped it up. While I’m not faintingly in At this point I’ll read anything by Neil Gaiman so when the publisher offered TRIGGER WARNING for review I snapped it up. While I’m not faintingly in love with the book all of the stories are very much Gaiman-esque while showcasing the range he has as a writer. I’m not as widely read in his work as other people are so I’m sure they’ve known he’s had range for a while but this anthology is a great peek into the myriad of ways that Gaiman can suck you into a world and hold you there.
‘The Thing About Cassandra’ was a good little mind-bender about a guy’s made up girlfriend while ‘Click-Clack the Rattlebag’ may just give you a scare. If nothing else it’ll creepy you out a little. ‘Nothing O’Clock’ gave me a look into the whole Who world and I liked what I read. (Don’t look at me like that. Dr. Who’s never really interested me but I like the story Gaiman wrote. Give me credit for that, at least). ‘The Sleeper and the Spindle’ was the f/f Snow White/Sleeping Beauty story that everyone lost their minds about when word first got around that Gaiman was writing it. While I liked the story itself it’s nothing like you would think a potentially lesbian fairy tale would work out and it all ends up being properly Gaimaned. I was tickled by the ending on that one. ‘Black Dog’ is a bit travel story, a bit finding oneself story, and a bit of a homicidal maniac story with some ghost-like things thrown in. It’s rather well-rounded in that regard.
I know it’s such a cliched thing to say but there really is something for everyone in TRIGGER WARNING although things tend to lean toward the darker side of life. But that’s sort of my thing so I end up liking demented things like this. Even if it’s just a little demented it’s better than no dement.
Bit of a short review but I tend to have problems reviewing anthologies. Because they’re set up to be one whole I look at it from a macro level but it’s not a cohesive story so there isn’t a lot to really dig into. Just little bursts of genius that are enough to make me sigh contentedly before moving on. And that’s okay. But I think I’d prefer a full Gaiman novel to shorts only because I like it when he starts fleshing out a story. I think that’s when he really becomes something to faint over and I have a lovely fainting couch just waiting for my limp body to fall upon it.
I’ve read anthologies edited by Datlow before so I got this one through NetGalley thinking that I’d like what I was reading. Not so much here. I’m notI’ve read anthologies edited by Datlow before so I got this one through NetGalley thinking that I’d like what I was reading. Not so much here. I’m not disappointed that the stories aren’t actually about horror movies or anything like that. They’re all rather creepy in their own right regardless of how cinema is mentioned. I’m just disappointed in the quality of the stories. Aside from the fact that there isn’t a Neil Gaiman story in here, I can really only say I genuine enjoyed three of the stories: Cuts by F Paul Wilson, about a guy getting slowly garroted around his limbs; each thing I show you is a piece of my death, and Illimitable Dominion by Kim Newman, the latter two I can’t even remember what they were about. Shows how big of an impression even the stories I liked left on me.
Most of them were just rather heavy-handed, more interested in being experimental and intelligent than telling a good story. A few were a too abstract for my liking and the couple of poems, well, I’m not big on poems. Neither of them left anything with me. There were more than a couple that really had me struggling to get through and had me constantly checking the page count to see how much farther in the book I had to go. Chalk those up to a combination of odd storytelling and just not being interested in what was going on.
Not to mention my digital copy wasn’t edited very good. It was a file that was mashed together and any illustrated chapter headers were cut off. I had to write down the table of contents before reading because I couldn’t easily access it while reading and I had to reference some kind of title when each story ended. Since I couldn’t see any of them in their rightful places in the book I needed something.
Less than impressed with THE CUTTING ROOM. It’s just not a fit for me as far as anthologies go. This would be something that I’m forced to choke down in a college English class for dissection instead of something I read for fun. There were a few gems in this pile but not nearly enough to render slogging through the rest of the book to get to them.
Mari sends me pretty much everything she writes so it’s no surprise that Zombiewood Confidential ended up in my hands. That is How did we end up here?
Mari sends me pretty much everything she writes so it’s no surprise that Zombiewood Confidential ended up in my hands. That is the only story I read out of this anthology so it’ll be the only one I review. Originally published with Dorchester a handful of moons ago Zombiewood Confidential was re-released in My Zombie Valentine by a publisher that wouldn’t bone over its authors. And since I love pretty much everything Mari writes here we are.
Okay, book. You've got 50 pages. Go!
It’s a novella. There are barely more than 50 pages to the story itself.
Outside of that it came with a classic Mari voice that’s spunky and fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s a chick with wobbly knees that isn’t very sure about herself and the hot dude action hero that she’s been lusting after. It’s not YA so it’s pretty neat to see Mari’s writing with a more adult perspective and doesn’t have to concern itself with teen angst. It has enough zombies here to manage that!
The story opens from the perspective of a zombie movie extra that’s getting a little too noshy with his teeth so the zombie element is immediate and slightly B horror in a campy, fun sort of way. She had me at braaaaaaaaaains.
What worked . . .
Between the voice and the kitsch and the action and the heat and Hollywood there isn’t much left to not like. Mari pokes fun at celebrities, wannabes, bad perfume, the zombie genre, Hollywood as a whole, everything but it’s done in such a way that it preserves the zombie atmosphere. The zombies are still zombies, with a bit of an interesting twist at the end, and then kooky things happen around them. The humor is great and is persistent from beginning to end without being over the top of dropping off into a lull for even a page. Mari really knows how to write this slightly sarcastic humor and makes it look effortless. I’m kind of jealous.
What didn't work . . .
Not much. Maybe it was too short? The whole romance aspect was a bit rushed but that may have been a product of the novella more than anything although I did feel the guy’s attachment to the female protag (I’m completely blanking on names at the moment) was incredibly sudden and kind of frightening but I think it played into the atmosphere better than if it were anything more serious. All the pieces fit and I didn’t find myself scoffing at any of it, mainly because the zombies were rather awesome and took up most of the story space anyway.
And in the end . . .
A great addition to the zombie genre. Mari’s token snark is front and center here and it blends well with the stage she’s set. She keeps zombies true to form and lets the antics fly around her characters. They get battered and beaten but the Hollywood ending doesn’t escape this story and I’m okay with that. All things considered the characters deserve it. Covered in zombie body parts but, you know, beggars can’t be choosers....more
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