Reviews

Someone Else’s Horror Story by Rebecca Crunden

connorjdaley's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Decided to give this one a go to get in another short read for the month, and it was already on my TBR. A tiny review for a tiny read. 

This is a 26 page short story, and somehow it packed in a solid and unique plot! Although this isn’t for children, it did have kind of Goosebumps vibes to it! That could be because of its bite-sized format though, making it feel like a TV episode. 

Jace is taking over and cleaning up his father’s farm after his passing. He wants to get his affairs in order and perhaps give the country life a try. The solitude is working for him, but one night when he finds a runaway in his barn, he ends up feeling like he’s living someone else’s horror story. 

I absolutely love when authors drop their story’s name in the writing. I personally think I’ve done this for everything I’ve ever written. Sometimes it’s even where I pull the names from. It feels like a little wink from the author whenever I read them. 

Well written and concise, this short packed a punch with its unique plot and fleshed out atmosphere. Honestly until the author mentioned phones and laptops, I wasn’t even sure what the time period was. It really lended itself to the atmosphere building.

fantasyfairy's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

cyisreading's review

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

 This was a lovely, spooky novella. I would totally watch a movie based on this or ever a full version. I recommend if you're in a slump and want to reach something spooky this October. 

seherina's review

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Jace Venable is in the process of doing what we all want to do. Live in an isolated place, eating interesting things grown in his own garden, and is setting up a barn as a rental property so that he can quit his job forever. We don't get a sense that he wants more from life; he wants peace and he's so close to getting it! 

And then Jace discovers a runaway boy seeking refuge in his barn. If Jace had kicked Gabe out, I'm sure a lot of people on the AITA subreddit wouldn't have called him an asshole. They would have pointed out that Jace needs to keep himself safe. Someone on the AITA subreddit would also have called him an idiot for going out of his way for a boy who seems to have bloodstains on his clothes. It's Jace's own kindness that is his downfall! 

The shot story form works in Crunden's favour because she paces the book accordingly. We don't have weird gaps in the timeline; it's set over 2 days and works in those days. And as she writes we get a sense of foreboding; perhaps that's because of the genre or because of the clothes; we know something is very wrong. 

I will say that the reason why I didn't give this book a full 5 stars is because I do feel like Jace was incredibly passive towards the end. I know that the point was to highlight his kindness, but some greater reaction would have magnified the horror of this. To a certain extent he has accepted that he can't drag someone else into this, but he also knows that he is unlikely to escape any other way and is not just here.

I'm also a bit concerned as to how they got partners and I really want to know how their marriages went. I would love to read a full series on this family and the curse and what brought us here!

In short, "Someone Else's Horror Story" is a chilling and thought-provoking read that lingers in the mind long after the final page. As readers we do want more (a series), but that's not a drawback!

katherineshawwrites's review

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This a really enjoyable story with a unique premise. It grips you from the start and is very well-written. My only criticism is that I'd have liked a punchier ending. As it stands it peters out a little, losing some of the impact. It's a solid read, though, that I would definitely recommend for any horror fan.

annettenis's review

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

igetcarriedawayy's review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Truly enjoyed this short story. 
Coming into Jace’s story and point of view right away paints a clear picture of the atmosphere and the sweet honest person Jace is. The type of person who will truly give the shirt off his back for a stranger. 

Was I expecting that ending, no.. It’s different and interesting and leaves you wondering. 

I loved it!