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mialeyden's review against another edition
4.5
I enjoyed this collection quite a lot. The atmosphere was fantastic and the stories were interesting and creative. It left me with a smile on the face. 4.5 overall.
Follow Me In - It was sad and lovely at the same time, 4 stars
Pumpkin Light - Very emotional and heartwarming? in a way, 4 stars
Burnt Brownies - Quite an ending, the last lines will stay with me for a while, 4.5 stars
Frost - Creepy in a great way, 4.5 stars
Saving Face - This one left me with a "Yes!" feeling, 5 stars
I Have No Mouth And I Must Feed - I enjoyed the concept, 4 stars
CRYPT-TV - I liked the story but the ending was a bit underwhelming, 3.5 stars
There Are Monsters Here - The descriptions were on point, especially towards the end, 4.5 stars
Follow Me In - It was sad and lovely at the same time, 4 stars
Pumpkin Light - Very emotional and heartwarming? in a way, 4 stars
Burnt Brownies - Quite an ending, the last lines will stay with me for a while, 4.5 stars
Frost - Creepy in a great way, 4.5 stars
Saving Face - This one left me with a "Yes!" feeling, 5 stars
I Have No Mouth And I Must Feed - I enjoyed the concept, 4 stars
CRYPT-TV - I liked the story but the ending was a bit underwhelming, 3.5 stars
There Are Monsters Here - The descriptions were on point, especially towards the end, 4.5 stars
richardleis's review
5.0
On Halloween in Autumncrow Valley, Ohio, the moon is always full and it never rains, but even at other times, the things that go bump in the night are always real and every resident is a little more cautious than they would be just about anywhere else. They’ve become somewhat inured to everything that does and could happen here, though, because the fictional town that’s the setting for the short stories in Cameron Chaney’s first collection is a character itself, shaping people and events with its own shadowy desires.
I was sold from the atmospheric first-person first story “Follow Me In,” about a resident of Autumncrow Valley hoping to return to a corner of town they haven’t been able to find since their beloved died many years ago. When they finally get the opportunity, there’s a chance that the guide they follow is not who they think it is. In just a few short pages, this story introduces a mysterious town that cannot ever be precisely mapped. It is a place of light and magic as well as darkness and threat.
Some of the town’s inexplicable power comes from the soil, and in “Pumpkin Light,” a local resident tells a young visitor about a gifted widow at the local pumpkin farm who planted in the field the seeds for reunion, with a little help at harvest time from her young neighbor impatient to go trick-or-treating.
Characters in earlier stories might be mentioned or cameo in later stories, another technique that ties the stories together and allows Autumncrow Valley to develop as a character. The events of “Burnt Brownies” haunts many of the later stories, adding poignancy to the variegated terrain of emotions this collection traverses. Some stories are magical and fun, others are dark and terrifying, and others challenge as characters deal with trauma, hope, despair, opportunity, escape or no escape. In “Frost,” Autumncrow Valley demonstrates its reach across space and time to affect people outside its shifting borders, in this case, a 16-year-old runaway. That story echoes into “Saving Face,” where the tone and mood shift dramatically, and a father will show his son how to be a man, dammit, or die trying.
For me, one of the highlights in a collection that is all highlights is “I Have No Mouth and I Must Feed.” Chaney has a deep knowledge of horror, from books to movies—his expertise in his YouTube show and online presence “Library Macabre” was my gateway to his own fiction—and this is perhaps best showcased in this story with its clever allusion to Harlan Ellison’s famous short story, as well as references to several other horror books and movies. Chaney as a twentysomething today is inspired by an era of middle grade and young adult literature that I sadly mostly missed out on as a twentysomething in the 1990s, which makes for plots like the one in this story that I simply couldn’t predict from scene to scene. Ellen Reid is a fascinating and lovable character in a heartbreaking place, a place, in my opinion, that truly becomes a character all its own in this incredible story.
“CRYP-TV” plays up the humor, Halloween, and Autumncrow Valley myth-building in a delightful way right before my favorite story of the collection: the much darker and more solemn “There Are Monsters Here.” This final story of the collection may or may not be set in the titular town, but it carries all of that town’s mystery and atmosphere within it as the protagonist and his family deal with figurative monsters become literal. “There Are Monsters Here” feels like a culmination of everything that comes before it in the collection, including the author’s potent themes and astute observations about life and death.
I truly love this perfect-for-October and Autumn book, with its fun and wicked, but frequently dark and troubling, stories that whisper to me about my own trauma and personal history, suggesting dark and light new ways for me to look at things. Chaney has a knack for seeing right into the soul.
This collection with its fantastic tales by Chaney and that wonderful cover art by Cameron Roubique will likely become an annual read for me. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I was sold from the atmospheric first-person first story “Follow Me In,” about a resident of Autumncrow Valley hoping to return to a corner of town they haven’t been able to find since their beloved died many years ago. When they finally get the opportunity, there’s a chance that the guide they follow is not who they think it is. In just a few short pages, this story introduces a mysterious town that cannot ever be precisely mapped. It is a place of light and magic as well as darkness and threat.
Some of the town’s inexplicable power comes from the soil, and in “Pumpkin Light,” a local resident tells a young visitor about a gifted widow at the local pumpkin farm who planted in the field the seeds for reunion, with a little help at harvest time from her young neighbor impatient to go trick-or-treating.
Characters in earlier stories might be mentioned or cameo in later stories, another technique that ties the stories together and allows Autumncrow Valley to develop as a character. The events of “Burnt Brownies” haunts many of the later stories, adding poignancy to the variegated terrain of emotions this collection traverses. Some stories are magical and fun, others are dark and terrifying, and others challenge as characters deal with trauma, hope, despair, opportunity, escape or no escape. In “Frost,” Autumncrow Valley demonstrates its reach across space and time to affect people outside its shifting borders, in this case, a 16-year-old runaway. That story echoes into “Saving Face,” where the tone and mood shift dramatically, and a father will show his son how to be a man, dammit, or die trying.
For me, one of the highlights in a collection that is all highlights is “I Have No Mouth and I Must Feed.” Chaney has a deep knowledge of horror, from books to movies—his expertise in his YouTube show and online presence “Library Macabre” was my gateway to his own fiction—and this is perhaps best showcased in this story with its clever allusion to Harlan Ellison’s famous short story, as well as references to several other horror books and movies. Chaney as a twentysomething today is inspired by an era of middle grade and young adult literature that I sadly mostly missed out on as a twentysomething in the 1990s, which makes for plots like the one in this story that I simply couldn’t predict from scene to scene. Ellen Reid is a fascinating and lovable character in a heartbreaking place, a place, in my opinion, that truly becomes a character all its own in this incredible story.
“CRYP-TV” plays up the humor, Halloween, and Autumncrow Valley myth-building in a delightful way right before my favorite story of the collection: the much darker and more solemn “There Are Monsters Here.” This final story of the collection may or may not be set in the titular town, but it carries all of that town’s mystery and atmosphere within it as the protagonist and his family deal with figurative monsters become literal. “There Are Monsters Here” feels like a culmination of everything that comes before it in the collection, including the author’s potent themes and astute observations about life and death.
I truly love this perfect-for-October and Autumn book, with its fun and wicked, but frequently dark and troubling, stories that whisper to me about my own trauma and personal history, suggesting dark and light new ways for me to look at things. Chaney has a knack for seeing right into the soul.
This collection with its fantastic tales by Chaney and that wonderful cover art by Cameron Roubique will likely become an annual read for me. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
fearnerd's review
4.0
I've been an admirer of Cameron Chaney's YouTube channel since I found it during Fear Street's resurgent popularity thanks to the Netflix films. Obviously, I read a lot of '90s young adult thrillers while I was in middle school and still feel passionate about those books to this day. It was great to find a kindred spirit in Cameron through his channel. I was excited to also see that his love of these books is inspiring his own creative journey, so I wanted to check out his writing with his first book during the appropriate Halloween season. I can say that Autumncrow doesn't disappoint in capturing the atmosphere and excitement of this special time for horror lovers.
As with most short story collections, this book has its gems, and it also has some stories that didn't click for me. The stories share the common theme of tying to Cameron's fictional town Autumncrow except maybe for the book's closing story, "There Are Monsters Here," although there is a brief line hinting to it. Tying Autumncrow into these stories helps establish it as this fantastical Halloween town where anything is possible. It also sets the stage for his new series, Autumncrow High.
My two favorite stories in the collection were the aforementioned "Monsters" and "Burnt Brownies." The former had more of an adult quality to it with great symbolism while the latter scratched that Fear Street itch with a more modern style. From there, I enjoyed "CRYP-TV," "Saving Face," and the Twilight Zone-esque "Frost." I was hoping for more from "I Have No Mouth and I Must Feed" (great Harlan Ellison tribute with the title), but the story took too many sharp turns in where it was going. "Follow Me In" and "Pumpkin Light" were just OK but well written. Overall, this only made me want to check out more of Cameron's writing, which is a definite plus. It's a great Halloween read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5. Fear Nerd says, "Check it out!"
As with most short story collections, this book has its gems, and it also has some stories that didn't click for me. The stories share the common theme of tying to Cameron's fictional town Autumncrow except maybe for the book's closing story, "There Are Monsters Here," although there is a brief line hinting to it. Tying Autumncrow into these stories helps establish it as this fantastical Halloween town where anything is possible. It also sets the stage for his new series, Autumncrow High.
My two favorite stories in the collection were the aforementioned "Monsters" and "Burnt Brownies." The former had more of an adult quality to it with great symbolism while the latter scratched that Fear Street itch with a more modern style. From there, I enjoyed "CRYP-TV," "Saving Face," and the Twilight Zone-esque "Frost." I was hoping for more from "I Have No Mouth and I Must Feed" (great Harlan Ellison tribute with the title), but the story took too many sharp turns in where it was going. "Follow Me In" and "Pumpkin Light" were just OK but well written. Overall, this only made me want to check out more of Cameron's writing, which is a definite plus. It's a great Halloween read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5. Fear Nerd says, "Check it out!"
hotsake's review against another edition
medium-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
2.75
This read really young which really isn't my thing but was usually easy to overlook. The stories were uneven with some being entertaining and others a bit of a chore to get through. I'm also not a big fan of short stories but that certainly wasn't held against the book.
dragnfly18's review against another edition
4.0
Such a fun seasonal read! It reminded me of Goosebumps books but with adult stories. Spooky but not scary. I loved all the stories. But, the last one was an amazing metaphor for fighting the demons inside. Loved this collection of tales!
mostlyreadinghorror's review against another edition
4.0
This was the perfect start to my Halloween 2021 reading. I love this town and I want to live in Autumncrow-I think..The writing is flawless IMO-I found it so easy to get into his writing and I was so immersed. TBH I didn’t really expect to be creeped out at all. I thought this would be a cutesy like Halloweentown with some horror elements, but shit was I wrong, lol.
There was a scene in Frost that was effectively creepy and it was my favorite story of the collection. Closely followed by “I Have No Mouth and I Must Feed”-Tara the Android
There was a scene in Frost that was effectively creepy and it was my favorite story of the collection. Closely followed by “I Have No Mouth and I Must Feed”-Tara the Android
deathbypaperbacks's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely adored this book! The perfect collection of creepy Halloween/October stories that I just couldn’t put down!
All of the stories were super fun and quick, but still packed with twists, ghouls, ghosts, and creeps. My favorites were Burnt Brownies, Frost, CRYP-TV, and There are Monsters Here.
All of the stories were super fun and quick, but still packed with twists, ghouls, ghosts, and creeps. My favorites were Burnt Brownies, Frost, CRYP-TV, and There are Monsters Here.
gaulien's review
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.75
neon_capricorn's review against another edition
5.0
Autumncrow is an anthology book comprised of short stories that are based in and around the fictional town of Autumncrow (hence, the title). Overall, I really enjoyed the diverse atmosphere of each story. Some stories are pretty gnarly with the creep factor, others are just fun. The other thing I liked about the book, is that some stories make reference to characters that appear in other stories, so the book has a cohesive feel to it and doesn't feel like only a compendium of short tales.