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ohhdeanna's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The last in this series, Book 4 was definitely my favourite. I felt like the stories were just consistently engaging and I genuinely loved a large portion of them. Some of these felt like the start of what could be really great novels/novellas. I will cross my fingers that some of these authors expand on these drabbles because they were GOOD.
As always, a few favourites: Extra-Curricular Clone by N.M. Brown (ooh children are creepy), Better of Dead by Zoey Xolton (a sad one), Swing Low by Evans Light (excellent use of a song), Livestock by RJ Meldrum (made me gag a little tbh), The Guest Room by Jack Lothian (subtle House of Leaves vibes), Books-A-Million by David Owain Hughes (this is how I will go one day), The Hunter by Alanna Robertson-Webb (would be great as a longer story!), Bus Home by Russell Smeaton (actually really sad), Diamond Lake Killer by Jack Lothian (another by this author with epic vibes, would be a great movie!) and Ride-Hailling by Ryan Colley (because this is my worst nightmare).
As always, a few favourites: Extra-Curricular Clone by N.M. Brown (ooh children are creepy), Better of Dead by Zoey Xolton (a sad one), Swing Low by Evans Light (excellent use of a song), Livestock by RJ Meldrum (made me gag a little tbh), The Guest Room by Jack Lothian (subtle House of Leaves vibes), Books-A-Million by David Owain Hughes (this is how I will go one day), The Hunter by Alanna Robertson-Webb (would be great as a longer story!), Bus Home by Russell Smeaton (actually really sad), Diamond Lake Killer by Jack Lothian (another by this author with epic vibes, would be a great movie!) and Ride-Hailling by Ryan Colley (because this is my worst nightmare).
jeanne25's review
4.0
I am so terribly happy to have stumbled upon this collection after seeing it in a review feed. Short stories collections are my weakness. I collect more than I will probably ever manage to read. Since I tend to be a bit of a minimalist anyway, last year's introduction to flash fiction just intensified that addiction. To now discover drabbles, could it EVEN get any better?!
The stories are each 100 words, a powerful punch with minimal words. I enjoyed each and every story. There were a handful that simply amazed me. I was pleasantly to find a wide selection of authors. A few of my favorite authors even made an appearance.
These fast stories are short and fun and some of them are simply mind blowing. I loved it and was excited to hear last night that volume 2 is due out later this year.
The stories are each 100 words, a powerful punch with minimal words. I enjoyed each and every story. There were a handful that simply amazed me. I was pleasantly to find a wide selection of authors. A few of my favorite authors even made an appearance.
These fast stories are short and fun and some of them are simply mind blowing. I loved it and was excited to hear last night that volume 2 is due out later this year.
ericarobyn's review
4.0
Before hearing about this book, I had never heard of a drabble but I was intrigued. This was such a fun collection! I really loved the majority of the stories. I will definitely be going back to this collection from time to time to revisit them.
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
My thoughts:
My favorite stories were the ones that either spooked me, or took a turn at the very end that I wasn’t expecting!
On the flip side, the ones I didn’t care for were the ones that I felt just didn’t give us enough information, or left me thinking, "wait, what?" Of course I'm sure it’s very difficult in this format to decide which info makes it and what gets the cut... but with any type of collection, it's very normal for me to love some and dislike some.
Reading through this collection took me a while because I re-read many of the stories a couple of times before moving on.
I definitely need to read more flash fiction! These drabbles were so fun! I highly recommend checking this one out if you're a fan of horror, paranormal, and/or sci-fi and don't mind a little darkness.
Feel free to read on to see my quick thoughts after I read each story. There are very slight spoilers.
My quick thoughts on each story after reading:
The Dead Thing by Lisa Morton
What a great opening line: “I’m watching the dead thing in the corner when it moves.” 4/5
Hide and Seek by Matthew Brockmeyer
This one is terrifying! Hide and seek in a junk yard?! It definitely gave me anxiety! Phew! 5/5
They Came For Me by Glenn Rolfe
Eek, I hate spiders! 2/5
Lunchtime by Andrew Lennon
Wait, what happened to Anne? What happens next?! 3/5
Strength in the Blood by A.J. Brown
Woah, this one was dark and so sad! 4/5
It is Just Local Gossip by Norbert Gora
So terrifying! 4/5
Just A Game by Christopher Motz
Yikes! What a horrible friend Jack is! 4/5
Firing Squad by Mark Fleming
Ut oh! 3/5
Alone by Brandy Yassa
Eek! Another terrifying one that got my anxiety going! What happened next?! 5/5
Baby Steps by Michael A. Arnzen
Eh. 1/5
A Song For Them by Mark Cassell
1/5
The Other Me by P.J. Blakey-Novis
Spooky!! I’d love to know more about this one! 4/5
Late Night Drive by John Dover
*gasp!* I didn’t see that coming! 5/5
Hobby by Matt Hickman
Woah! Another one with a great twist! 5/5
Beauty Mask by Sarah Tantlinger
What?! Eww!! 5/5
Bessy by Mark Lumby
What is Bessy?! 2/5
Heart Shaped Box by Pippa Bailey
2/5
Post Halloween by Veronica Smith
Woah! I love this one! 5/5
The Man in the Black Sweater by Richard Chizmar
Yes!!! This one is perfect. 5/5
Virtual Reality by David Owain Hughes
Ah! What a fun twist of VR! 5/5
I Was Loved by P.J. Blakey-Novis
So messed up! 4/5
The End of the Pier by Amy Cross
Eek! A dark and sad one with a twist that made me jump! 5/5
The Dublin Pub by Veronica Smith
Woah! Creepy! 5/5
I Am The End by Michael Bray
Beautifully written! 5/5
Beasts from Below by Alex Laybourne
3/5
Coming Home by Suzanne Fox
Ooh a sci-fi one! 5/5
Stone Dry by Sarah Tantlinger
2/5
The Box by Valerie Lioudis
Eek! This one was straight out of a nightmare! 5/5
Best Of Friends by Stefan Lear
Woah. Another one that took a dark twist! 4/5
It Came by Mark Lumby
Ew! 3/5
Cold Toes by Georgia Lennon
Oh dang! 5/5
Edmond by James Matthew Buyers
Yikes! I’m not a poetry fan, but I did rather enjoy this one! 3/5
Knock Knock by C. S. Anderson
Ha! This one started so creepy and took both a terrifying and hilarious turn. 4/5
Delusional by Suzanne Fox
So creepy! 5/5
Disregarded Advice by Ike Hamill
Ah! Creepy! What happens next?! 5/5
Harsh Sentence by P. Mattern
Ouch! While very dark and bloody, I loved this one! I wonder what the answer to his question “why?” would have been. 5/5
No More by Mike Duke
Woah! Good for her! 5/5
What is Schizophrenia, Anyway? By Robert W. Easton
1/5
Shower Thoughts by Peter Oliver Wonder
Oh no! Yikes!! 5/5
A Caring Community? by Suzanne Fox
Aww. This was so sad! 5/5
Lightbulb by Matthew Brockmeyer
Eek! What a twist! 5/5
A Demonic Pact by Billy San Juan
3/5
Till Death do us Part by Derek Shupert
Aw no! 4/5
Someone’s in my House by Gord Rollo
Creepy!! 4/5
It by Billy Chizmar
Woah! What a spooky space tale! 5/5
Checkmate Roommate by Michael A. Arnzen
*gasp* so dark! 5/5
Silence by Pippa Bailey
Woah! This one was so crazy! 5/5
Jolly Ol’Infiltrator by Weston Kincade
3/5
Shadows by Antonio Simon, Jr.
Oh! This one was such an interesting idea! 5/5
Winter’s Embrace by Duncan P. Bradshaw
2/5
Cut Down to Size by David Owain Hughes
Ah! So crazy! What a neat idea though! 5/5
Children of the Carnival by Kevin J. Kennedy
So scary! What a spooky idea! 5/5
The Grave by Amy Cross
Dark and scary! 5/5
Will-o’-the-Wisp by Nicholas Diak
Aw, so sad!! 5/5
Stone by Becky Narron
Eerie! 4/5
Meal For One by Howard Carlyle
Eek!! Cannibalism is always so unsettling. 4/5
Don’t Look Back by James Matthew Buyers
Another poem. 3/5
Street-Hearts by Chris Kelso
1/5
Consumed by Desire by Adriaan Bear
Eek! 2/5
Another Tonight? by William F. Nolan
A very creepy poem. 3/5
Destiny’s Embrace by Michael Paul Gonzalez
Oh! This was quite the bloody story! 4/5
Clean by Valerie Lioudis
3/5
Trees by Donelle Pardee Whiting
Eek! I’m a total sucker for stories that feature evil trees! 5/5
Dancing by David Owain Hughes
Dang! 4/5
Running from Him by Michael A. Arnzen
Oh my gosh! So dark! What a twist! 5/5
Night Terrors by Lisa Vasquez
What a nightmare! 5/5
It’s just a dream, right? by Ellen A. Easton
Ah! The last line! 5/5
Over the Edge by Mark Cassell
So creepy!! 5/5
The Beauty of the Sea by Kevin J. Kennedy
Creatures from the sea? This one is my fiancé’s worst nightmare!! 5/5
Breadth of Bone by Sarah Tantlinger
Not a story for me. 1/5
Never Leave Me, Nor Forsake Me by Mike Duke
Yikes!! 4/5
Escape by Megan Ince
So terrifying! I love stories about the woods! 5/5
Forever Men by Eric J. Guignard
3/5
The Artist by Howard Carlyle
Woah!! So gruesome. 5/5
Initiation by Mark Fleming
Oh! Another sad one. 4/5
‘What’s For Dinner?’ by Christopher Motz
Oh dang! What an awful holiday. 4/5
Vermilion by Lisa Vasquez
Eek! 4/5
Jack Frost by Christina Bergling
Burr! This one made me cold! 4/5
Coming Around by C. M. Saunders
Absolutely terrifying!! This one is a straight up nightmare! 5/5
Bad Cop, Bad Cop by James H Longmore
3/5
Experimental Animal 7 by Lee McGeorge
Yikes! Definitely should have bright tranquilizer guns. 4/5
Bummed Light by James Matthew Buyers
Another poem. 2/5
Sugar & Spice by Chad Lutzke
Oh my gosh! Abby is a little terror! 5/5
Air by David McClusky
Oh no! I didn’t know what was going on until that last paragraph! Yikes! 5/5
You Don’t See Me by Christina Bergling
Terrifying!! This one gave me chills! I’m so paranoid about someone being in my house unknown to me. 5/5
The Dead Train by Craig Saunders
2/5
Delivery by Briana Robertson
Creepy and so sad! 4/5
The Guest by Dave McClusky
Ah, another sad one! 4/5
Nights In Whitechapel by Theresa Jacobs
1/5
Betrayal by Lee Mountford
Yikes!! 4/5
Beautiful Francesca by Ike Hamill
Eek! How creepy. I’d love to see how this one played out. 5/5
Priscilla’s Pugnacious Pampered Pugs by Brandy Yassa
Yikes! Bad Pugs! 5/5
Mister Fancy Pants by Rhys Hughes
Oh, what? Haha that took a very unexpected turn. 4/5
Greed Has No Heart by Mark Lumby
2/5
Beast in the Bedroom by Phillippa Bailey
Yikes! What was the beast? Was it a King King like creature? 4/5
The Boy by Richard Chizmar and Billy Chizmar
Oh no! This one could certainly be a whole book!! 5/5
Weeping Keys by Elizabeth Cash
What kinds of people were they?! 4/5
Grand Slam by Christina Bergling
Ah! Who was he? What happened?! 5/5
Shock Collar by Jeff Strand
Yikes! What a messed up idea! But I’m very glad it didn’t involve a poor dog. 4/5
The Festival of Gluttony by Mike Duke
Eek! Another cannibalism one. 3/5
Selfie by Rick Gualtieri
What an absolutely terrifying story!! Better double check your selfies! Especially when mirrors are involved. 5/5
Jonathan by Amy Cross
Aww. I wasn’t sure where this one was going at first. It reminded me of the music video for The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows.
A Flash Beginning by Jessica Gomez
Aw! 4/5
SpellBound by John Dover
Oooh! Spooky! 4/5
I Was a Teenage Eulogist by Jason M. Light
What a neat idea! Very dark though. 5/5
From the Mouths of Drunks and Babes by Alex Laybourne
Gotta love a story about aliens! 4/5
Stage Fright by James McCulloch
1/5
Cupid and Death by Rhys Hughes
Intense! And slightly confusing. I had to read this one a couple times. 4/5
The Feast by Rebecca Brae
Eek! 4/5
The Dolls by Mark Lukens
Creepy!! 4/5
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
My thoughts:
My favorite stories were the ones that either spooked me, or took a turn at the very end that I wasn’t expecting!
On the flip side, the ones I didn’t care for were the ones that I felt just didn’t give us enough information, or left me thinking, "wait, what?" Of course I'm sure it’s very difficult in this format to decide which info makes it and what gets the cut... but with any type of collection, it's very normal for me to love some and dislike some.
Reading through this collection took me a while because I re-read many of the stories a couple of times before moving on.
I definitely need to read more flash fiction! These drabbles were so fun! I highly recommend checking this one out if you're a fan of horror, paranormal, and/or sci-fi and don't mind a little darkness.
Feel free to read on to see my quick thoughts after I read each story. There are very slight spoilers.
The Dead Thing by Lisa Morton
What a great opening line: “I’m watching the dead thing in the corner when it moves.” 4/5
Hide and Seek by Matthew Brockmeyer
This one is terrifying! Hide and seek in a junk yard?! It definitely gave me anxiety! Phew! 5/5
They Came For Me by Glenn Rolfe
Eek, I hate spiders! 2/5
Lunchtime by Andrew Lennon
Wait, what happened to Anne? What happens next?! 3/5
Strength in the Blood by A.J. Brown
Woah, this one was dark and so sad! 4/5
It is Just Local Gossip by Norbert Gora
So terrifying! 4/5
Just A Game by Christopher Motz
Yikes! What a horrible friend Jack is! 4/5
Firing Squad by Mark Fleming
Ut oh! 3/5
Alone by Brandy Yassa
Eek! Another terrifying one that got my anxiety going! What happened next?! 5/5
Baby Steps by Michael A. Arnzen
Eh. 1/5
A Song For Them by Mark Cassell
1/5
The Other Me by P.J. Blakey-Novis
Spooky!! I’d love to know more about this one! 4/5
Late Night Drive by John Dover
*gasp!* I didn’t see that coming! 5/5
Hobby by Matt Hickman
Woah! Another one with a great twist! 5/5
Beauty Mask by Sarah Tantlinger
What?! Eww!! 5/5
Bessy by Mark Lumby
What is Bessy?! 2/5
Heart Shaped Box by Pippa Bailey
2/5
Post Halloween by Veronica Smith
Woah! I love this one! 5/5
The Man in the Black Sweater by Richard Chizmar
Yes!!! This one is perfect. 5/5
Virtual Reality by David Owain Hughes
Ah! What a fun twist of VR! 5/5
I Was Loved by P.J. Blakey-Novis
So messed up! 4/5
The End of the Pier by Amy Cross
Eek! A dark and sad one with a twist that made me jump! 5/5
The Dublin Pub by Veronica Smith
Woah! Creepy! 5/5
I Am The End by Michael Bray
Beautifully written! 5/5
Beasts from Below by Alex Laybourne
3/5
Coming Home by Suzanne Fox
Ooh a sci-fi one! 5/5
Stone Dry by Sarah Tantlinger
2/5
The Box by Valerie Lioudis
Eek! This one was straight out of a nightmare! 5/5
Best Of Friends by Stefan Lear
Woah. Another one that took a dark twist! 4/5
It Came by Mark Lumby
Ew! 3/5
Cold Toes by Georgia Lennon
Oh dang! 5/5
Edmond by James Matthew Buyers
Yikes! I’m not a poetry fan, but I did rather enjoy this one! 3/5
Knock Knock by C. S. Anderson
Ha! This one started so creepy and took both a terrifying and hilarious turn. 4/5
Delusional by Suzanne Fox
So creepy! 5/5
Disregarded Advice by Ike Hamill
Ah! Creepy! What happens next?! 5/5
Harsh Sentence by P. Mattern
Ouch! While very dark and bloody, I loved this one! I wonder what the answer to his question “why?” would have been. 5/5
No More by Mike Duke
Woah! Good for her! 5/5
What is Schizophrenia, Anyway? By Robert W. Easton
1/5
Shower Thoughts by Peter Oliver Wonder
Oh no! Yikes!! 5/5
A Caring Community? by Suzanne Fox
Aww. This was so sad! 5/5
Lightbulb by Matthew Brockmeyer
Eek! What a twist! 5/5
A Demonic Pact by Billy San Juan
3/5
Till Death do us Part by Derek Shupert
Aw no! 4/5
Someone’s in my House by Gord Rollo
Creepy!! 4/5
It by Billy Chizmar
Woah! What a spooky space tale! 5/5
Checkmate Roommate by Michael A. Arnzen
*gasp* so dark! 5/5
Silence by Pippa Bailey
Woah! This one was so crazy! 5/5
Jolly Ol’Infiltrator by Weston Kincade
3/5
Shadows by Antonio Simon, Jr.
Oh! This one was such an interesting idea! 5/5
Winter’s Embrace by Duncan P. Bradshaw
2/5
Cut Down to Size by David Owain Hughes
Ah! So crazy! What a neat idea though! 5/5
Children of the Carnival by Kevin J. Kennedy
So scary! What a spooky idea! 5/5
The Grave by Amy Cross
Dark and scary! 5/5
Will-o’-the-Wisp by Nicholas Diak
Aw, so sad!! 5/5
Stone by Becky Narron
Eerie! 4/5
Meal For One by Howard Carlyle
Eek!! Cannibalism is always so unsettling. 4/5
Don’t Look Back by James Matthew Buyers
Another poem. 3/5
Street-Hearts by Chris Kelso
1/5
Consumed by Desire by Adriaan Bear
Eek! 2/5
Another Tonight? by William F. Nolan
A very creepy poem. 3/5
Destiny’s Embrace by Michael Paul Gonzalez
Oh! This was quite the bloody story! 4/5
Clean by Valerie Lioudis
3/5
Trees by Donelle Pardee Whiting
Eek! I’m a total sucker for stories that feature evil trees! 5/5
Dancing by David Owain Hughes
Dang! 4/5
Running from Him by Michael A. Arnzen
Oh my gosh! So dark! What a twist! 5/5
Night Terrors by Lisa Vasquez
What a nightmare! 5/5
It’s just a dream, right? by Ellen A. Easton
Ah! The last line! 5/5
Over the Edge by Mark Cassell
So creepy!! 5/5
The Beauty of the Sea by Kevin J. Kennedy
Creatures from the sea? This one is my fiancé’s worst nightmare!! 5/5
Breadth of Bone by Sarah Tantlinger
Not a story for me. 1/5
Never Leave Me, Nor Forsake Me by Mike Duke
Yikes!! 4/5
Escape by Megan Ince
So terrifying! I love stories about the woods! 5/5
Forever Men by Eric J. Guignard
3/5
The Artist by Howard Carlyle
Woah!! So gruesome. 5/5
Initiation by Mark Fleming
Oh! Another sad one. 4/5
‘What’s For Dinner?’ by Christopher Motz
Oh dang! What an awful holiday. 4/5
Vermilion by Lisa Vasquez
Eek! 4/5
Jack Frost by Christina Bergling
Burr! This one made me cold! 4/5
Coming Around by C. M. Saunders
Absolutely terrifying!! This one is a straight up nightmare! 5/5
Bad Cop, Bad Cop by James H Longmore
3/5
Experimental Animal 7 by Lee McGeorge
Yikes! Definitely should have bright tranquilizer guns. 4/5
Bummed Light by James Matthew Buyers
Another poem. 2/5
Sugar & Spice by Chad Lutzke
Oh my gosh! Abby is a little terror! 5/5
Air by David McClusky
Oh no! I didn’t know what was going on until that last paragraph! Yikes! 5/5
You Don’t See Me by Christina Bergling
Terrifying!! This one gave me chills! I’m so paranoid about someone being in my house unknown to me. 5/5
The Dead Train by Craig Saunders
2/5
Delivery by Briana Robertson
Creepy and so sad! 4/5
The Guest by Dave McClusky
Ah, another sad one! 4/5
Nights In Whitechapel by Theresa Jacobs
1/5
Betrayal by Lee Mountford
Yikes!! 4/5
Beautiful Francesca by Ike Hamill
Eek! How creepy. I’d love to see how this one played out. 5/5
Priscilla’s Pugnacious Pampered Pugs by Brandy Yassa
Yikes! Bad Pugs! 5/5
Mister Fancy Pants by Rhys Hughes
Oh, what? Haha that took a very unexpected turn. 4/5
Greed Has No Heart by Mark Lumby
2/5
Beast in the Bedroom by Phillippa Bailey
Yikes! What was the beast? Was it a King King like creature? 4/5
The Boy by Richard Chizmar and Billy Chizmar
Oh no! This one could certainly be a whole book!! 5/5
Weeping Keys by Elizabeth Cash
What kinds of people were they?! 4/5
Grand Slam by Christina Bergling
Ah! Who was he? What happened?! 5/5
Shock Collar by Jeff Strand
Yikes! What a messed up idea! But I’m very glad it didn’t involve a poor dog. 4/5
The Festival of Gluttony by Mike Duke
Eek! Another cannibalism one. 3/5
Selfie by Rick Gualtieri
What an absolutely terrifying story!! Better double check your selfies! Especially when mirrors are involved. 5/5
Jonathan by Amy Cross
Aww. I wasn’t sure where this one was going at first. It reminded me of the music video for The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows.
A Flash Beginning by Jessica Gomez
Aw! 4/5
SpellBound by John Dover
Oooh! Spooky! 4/5
I Was a Teenage Eulogist by Jason M. Light
What a neat idea! Very dark though. 5/5
From the Mouths of Drunks and Babes by Alex Laybourne
Gotta love a story about aliens! 4/5
Stage Fright by James McCulloch
1/5
Cupid and Death by Rhys Hughes
Intense! And slightly confusing. I had to read this one a couple times. 4/5
The Feast by Rebecca Brae
Eek! 4/5
The Dolls by Mark Lukens
Creepy!! 4/5
gerd_d's review
4.0
I really did like it.
Sure, a lot of it is subpar, with some of it making bare sense, and at others authors manage even at only a hundred words to miss the point at which their tale should have ended to deliver its full impact.
However, nestled inbetween are some real gems which are bound to scare you, ick you out, or show an expertly crafted black humour.
Sure, a lot of it is subpar, with some of it making bare sense, and at others authors manage even at only a hundred words to miss the point at which their tale should have ended to deliver its full impact.
However, nestled inbetween are some real gems which are bound to scare you, ick you out, or show an expertly crafted black humour.
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