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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
This book is exactly what it’s advertised to be. A bunch of very short spooky stories. While I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters and some of the stories bordered on goofy (“ITS THE SAND NOT THE WATER”- I’m looking at you) I really enjoyed them. It reminds me of two sentence horror stories and I eat it up. They were intriguing and as someone who’s never read Darcy Coates before, I definitely will read more of her works, preferably longer.
this was my first book of darcy coates that i've read :)
the dog's grave digger: 3.5/5
hi please skip this one or use caution if animal gore makes you uncomfortable—went in completely blind and felt icky after reading it because of that :/ the plot twist will make your stomach sink though
knocker: 1.5/5
and to think i was finally getting over my fear of being on boats.... this story is a nightmare for individuals with thalassophobia
sixth floor: 1/5
genuinely i would've crapped my pants if i was in that guy's position
the sightless: 4/5
this definitely gave me "bird box" and "the silence" vibes... i would never survive in a world like this
flotsam: 3/5
i'm not sure what my thoughts are on this one or what to make of it exactly... sis is weird. i'm perplexed why she took it upon herself to move a rotting corpse
great aunt enid: 2/5
oh homegirl's a little crazy
red morning: 3.5/5
this seems...like this definitely could happen
footsteps in the night: 1.5/5
i feel like this one could've been more enjoyable if it was a little longer, it was rushed and left me with some unanswered questions
surf: 2/5
this would've been a fascinating short horror film. i love beach related things so i'll give it a 2 for that
those who live in the woods: 5/5
oh hell no leave the wendigo out of this. my until dawn phase reignited after reading this fr
music box: 1.5/5
this made me think of the movie "wish upon" solely because of the music box that kept following her everywhere she went
ghost town: 1.5/5
and that is why you should never take a detour on a road trip
magpie girl: 4/5
police offers are so frustrating to encounter in the horror genre, they're never a help whatsoever
hazard lights: 5/5
if this were a horror movie, it would slap. i can't imagine the sheer terror and panic that girl was feeling
the resident: 3/5
poor, poor allie
host: 5/5
oh man i don't do insects hell no
snowbound: 2/5
i mean this guy was really in a lose-lose situation here
red oak house: 4.5/5
amityville horror vibes. i actually went to a house that had happenings similar to this one; was definitely an eerie experience
overheard: 2.5/5
not good, not bad either
an empty church: 2/5
not today satan, not today
the monster and the moors: 3.5/5
moral of the story is don't trust ANYONE ever
angel of mercy: 5/5
okay malevolent vibes!! this one was really interesting
tune: 4.5/5
all i gotta say is you're next queen
room for rent: 3.5/5
it's always the ones you least expect. always trust your gut instinct and never stay anywhere that you're hesitant about
snow hunting: 3.5/5
yet again we have another prime exactly of why not to break and enter into sketchy places
witch's book: 2/5
meh, this one was a little corny. honestly felt like i was reading a children's scary story. wasn't too impressed
the woman in the morgue: 2.5/5
hospitals never fail to give me the heebie jeebies
undeparted: 3/5
imagine being stuck in a sick loop like that
doll: 4/5
this reminded me of the lily d episode of the "haunting hour" show i watched as a kid. dolls are always a little unsettling–let alone having your own voodoo doll following you around everywhere
left behind: 4.5/5
oh no that would be an absolute nightmare. this was one of my worst fears in the form of a short horror story
underhouse: 2.5/5
didn't do much for me? karma's a bitch i guess
toxic: 2/5
nah because the second i saw those images she had to look at, i would've quit on the spot. you would never catch me willingly look at nasty rotten flesh of burn victims
the last bus: 2.5/5
talk about a bad day...
house for sale: 2/5
kinda gave me AHS murder house vibes??
diagen: 4/5
ain't no way you lot just casually sailed into a big ass monster's mouth
bunker: 1/5
STOP EXPLORING SKETCHY ASS PLACES YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE AT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!
skin house: 2.5/5
i'll give it a 2.5 for creativity
abandoned: 1/5
abominable snowman?
radio: 5/5
a radio station that predicts deaths? tune me in
wax museum: 3/5
man i really thought this one was going to give... but it did not give
bogrot: 3.5/5
beware of animal death in this one!!
beanie's fast food: 2/5
knockoff five nights at freddy's
99 messages: 5/5
this would be a splendid short OR full length horror film
death follows: 3.5/5
welp that's one way to avoid death i suppose
after closing: 2/5
never stay at the library after closing ladies and gents
growth: 2/5
mushrooms!
quarantine: 3.5/5
this one was icky and gross
the cleaners: 3/5
we love cryptozoology!
experimental: 2/5
not sure what to make of this one?
in the space above the wardrobe: 3.5/5
rip queen x
the dog's grave digger: 3.5/5
hi please skip this one or use caution if animal gore makes you uncomfortable—went in completely blind and felt icky after reading it because of that :/ the plot twist will make your stomach sink though
knocker: 1.5/5
and to think i was finally getting over my fear of being on boats.... this story is a nightmare for individuals with thalassophobia
sixth floor: 1/5
genuinely i would've crapped my pants if i was in that guy's position
the sightless: 4/5
this definitely gave me "bird box" and "the silence" vibes... i would never survive in a world like this
flotsam: 3/5
i'm not sure what my thoughts are on this one or what to make of it exactly... sis is weird. i'm perplexed why she took it upon herself to move a rotting corpse
great aunt enid: 2/5
oh homegirl's a little crazy
red morning: 3.5/5
this seems...like this definitely could happen
footsteps in the night: 1.5/5
i feel like this one could've been more enjoyable if it was a little longer, it was rushed and left me with some unanswered questions
surf: 2/5
this would've been a fascinating short horror film. i love beach related things so i'll give it a 2 for that
those who live in the woods: 5/5
oh hell no leave the wendigo out of this. my until dawn phase reignited after reading this fr
music box: 1.5/5
this made me think of the movie "wish upon" solely because of the music box that kept following her everywhere she went
ghost town: 1.5/5
and that is why you should never take a detour on a road trip
magpie girl: 4/5
police offers are so frustrating to encounter in the horror genre, they're never a help whatsoever
hazard lights: 5/5
if this were a horror movie, it would slap. i can't imagine the sheer terror and panic that girl was feeling
the resident: 3/5
poor, poor allie
host: 5/5
oh man i don't do insects hell no
snowbound: 2/5
i mean this guy was really in a lose-lose situation here
red oak house: 4.5/5
amityville horror vibes. i actually went to a house that had happenings similar to this one; was definitely an eerie experience
overheard: 2.5/5
not good, not bad either
an empty church: 2/5
not today satan, not today
the monster and the moors: 3.5/5
moral of the story is don't trust ANYONE ever
angel of mercy: 5/5
okay malevolent vibes!! this one was really interesting
tune: 4.5/5
all i gotta say is you're next queen
room for rent: 3.5/5
it's always the ones you least expect. always trust your gut instinct and never stay anywhere that you're hesitant about
snow hunting: 3.5/5
yet again we have another prime exactly of why not to break and enter into sketchy places
witch's book: 2/5
meh, this one was a little corny. honestly felt like i was reading a children's scary story. wasn't too impressed
the woman in the morgue: 2.5/5
hospitals never fail to give me the heebie jeebies
undeparted: 3/5
imagine being stuck in a sick loop like that
doll: 4/5
this reminded me of the lily d episode of the "haunting hour" show i watched as a kid. dolls are always a little unsettling–let alone having your own voodoo doll following you around everywhere
left behind: 4.5/5
oh no that would be an absolute nightmare. this was one of my worst fears in the form of a short horror story
underhouse: 2.5/5
didn't do much for me? karma's a bitch i guess
toxic: 2/5
nah because the second i saw those images she had to look at, i would've quit on the spot. you would never catch me willingly look at nasty rotten flesh of burn victims
the last bus: 2.5/5
talk about a bad day...
house for sale: 2/5
kinda gave me AHS murder house vibes??
diagen: 4/5
ain't no way you lot just casually sailed into a big ass monster's mouth
bunker: 1/5
STOP EXPLORING SKETCHY ASS PLACES YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE AT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!
skin house: 2.5/5
i'll give it a 2.5 for creativity
abandoned: 1/5
abominable snowman?
radio: 5/5
a radio station that predicts deaths? tune me in
wax museum: 3/5
man i really thought this one was going to give... but it did not give
bogrot: 3.5/5
beware of animal death in this one!!
beanie's fast food: 2/5
knockoff five nights at freddy's
99 messages: 5/5
this would be a splendid short OR full length horror film
death follows: 3.5/5
welp that's one way to avoid death i suppose
after closing: 2/5
never stay at the library after closing ladies and gents
growth: 2/5
mushrooms!
quarantine: 3.5/5
this one was icky and gross
the cleaners: 3/5
we love cryptozoology!
experimental: 2/5
not sure what to make of this one?
in the space above the wardrobe: 3.5/5
rip queen x
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Some were really good. Some were meh. About half had endings left entirely up to the imagination; the “monster” wasn’t described at all, which I don’t particularly like. And the other half left off on a good cliff hanger right before the “monster” attacked. Those were the really good ones. There’s a good mix of sci-fi, fantasy, mythology but all are set in modern times
Some stories in this book are pretty good, but most are disappointing, and without an *actual* ending. The reader is meant to infer what happens next in a good 70% of the stories, which makes for a bland read in my opinion. It's like the stories end when they were JUST getting good. A book like this is fun if you like reading short horror stories, but don't go into it with high expectations
I wish goodreads had .25 star options, because this would probably be a 3.5 instead of a 3. I got through this super quickly. The writing was pretty good, but it felt repetitive. Like every story had a touch of the one before. I think it’s probably because she wrote so many! A few stood out to me- flotsam, growth, hazard lights, etc. These weren’t particularly scary, I just think they’d make for better long-form stories and I’d be interested to read those. I definitely enjoyed myself, just wanted more from this I guess? 3.5 ⭐️
1.5 stars. If you like your stories predictable and repetitive, this book is for you. Pretty much everything here had an interchangeable 'campfire' ending ("... and then they realised they weren't alone...") and the whole thing feels like it was knocked out in an afternoon to fill some contractual obligation. I would say there are a few good ones here, but those that you think are a bit different from the rest inevitably turn out to be just the same.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
The stories were much too short, too simple, and did not evoke any fear. Rather, the stories were more about plot twists. Little effort was put into the characters, which made me not care by the time they met their demise. I read a lot of horror short stories, and this book is lacking.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced