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106 reviews for:
Vacations from Hell
Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Sarah Mlynowski, Claudia Gray, Maureen Johnson
3.32 AVERAGE
106 reviews for:
Vacations from Hell
Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Sarah Mlynowski, Claudia Gray, Maureen Johnson
3.32 AVERAGE
Pretty predictable and campy. My favorite story, no surprise here, was Libba Bray's, I thought it had an interesting premise and characters, though I was annoyed that they killed off John (what about his parents! oh wait they don't care he's rich). I don't know if it is because I'm Jamaican and I've heard the Witch of Rose Hall story several times, but I knew immediately that she was describing Anne Palmer in "The Mirror House". I was also a bit irritated at the ending in that one and the main character. Crusin' was probably my least favorite, I don't really think it made much sense. The family of witches was cute in "I Don't Like Your Girlfriend." "The Law of Suspects" started off interesting, but then not so much.... Plus how do you go to France and not see France!!!!???
"Vacations from Hell" is an anthology of short stories dipping into the paranormal realm from an assortment of well known young adult authors, some of which may be recognized from their contributions to a stream of series. But I'll admit that it was my first experience reading all of the authors, so I judged the works contained not from the series they've done, but rather the pieces themselves.
In terms of quality, all of the stories are worth reading once, though I had mixed opinions coming out of the collective anthology. I'll break down my thoughts on each story to show you my reaction to each of the five stories contained within.
The first story "Crusin" by Sarah Mlynowski, was an interesting story of a group of teenage girls vacationing on a cruise ship that might be haunted by vampires, or so the weary Kristin believes. But things aren't quite what they seem to be as the story unfolds, and I think those who take the story in just one plane may find themselves fooled by the end. I liked it, though I saw the twist coming before it hit me, so I didn't enjoy it as much as someone who might've had the "a-ha" moment when it came.
The second story, "I Don't Like Your Girlfriend" by Claudia Gray, was probably my favorite story in the anthology, telling the perspective of a young witch hiding her identity at a gathering one summer. Cecily meets a perfect boy who somehow seems to be going with her most ultimate rival, but things aren't always what they seem to be when Cecily decides to dig a bit deeper. I think the part of it that appealed to me was not only the connection Gray establishes with the young protagonist, but also the attitude of the piece feels vibrant and charming, even if it isn't dark like a few of the pieces contained within.
The third story, "The Law of Suspects" by Maureen Johnson, appealed to me for it's eerie qualities and inventive way of establishing a curse. Charlie is a young woman visiting France with her Psychology-studious sister, but she realizes that things aren't what they seem when murder and a cursed document comes into the picture. I was surprised by the ending of this because it seemed like something I'd read when I was younger in the Goosebumps/Fear Street territory, and it definitely captures the spirit of the anthology in a dark way.
Fourth story featured is Cassandra Claire's "The Glass House", which has its own brand of eerieness when a rocky family decides to visit the beach and a witch with her own motives resides within a house with mirrors said to imprison souls. Violet realizes that she's the only one who can save her stepbrother Evan, and what occurs after that might raise a few eyebrows as to how the encounter comes across. I liked the tone and the dark justice handed within the piece. There were a few inconsistencies/mistakes that I saw (such as the fact that Kingdom Hearts 2 was not a two player game and that it wasn't released on the Xbox), but other than that, it was a decent story.
Last offering was "Nowhere is Safe" by Libba Bray, and if I had to say it, this was the weakest offering of the collection of short stories, not so much for the story contained, but the way it was written. Very few people can pull off the charm of a character breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience directly when they're in danger, but I don't think Bray sequenced it well enough to carry what was otherwise a decent story about a young Asian boy caught with his friends in a riff with otherworldly creatures. The way it was written was too scattered in spurts. There were times I liked the character voices within, even from the protagonist speaking, but the majority of the time, it didn't seem to grip on the matter as much as it could've if it'd been sequenced differently. I do think there are teens who would enjoy the story for what it is, but I would warn that it may not necessarily swallow well as a read.
"Vacations from Hell" is a decent collection, not so much to make those who read it with as much chilling factors, but definitely those that could engage those who like paranormal stories, even those who that might make you think in a different way about how things are seen in various eyes.
Overall score: 3/5
In terms of quality, all of the stories are worth reading once, though I had mixed opinions coming out of the collective anthology. I'll break down my thoughts on each story to show you my reaction to each of the five stories contained within.
The first story "Crusin" by Sarah Mlynowski, was an interesting story of a group of teenage girls vacationing on a cruise ship that might be haunted by vampires, or so the weary Kristin believes. But things aren't quite what they seem to be as the story unfolds, and I think those who take the story in just one plane may find themselves fooled by the end. I liked it, though I saw the twist coming before it hit me, so I didn't enjoy it as much as someone who might've had the "a-ha" moment when it came.
The second story, "I Don't Like Your Girlfriend" by Claudia Gray, was probably my favorite story in the anthology, telling the perspective of a young witch hiding her identity at a gathering one summer. Cecily meets a perfect boy who somehow seems to be going with her most ultimate rival, but things aren't always what they seem to be when Cecily decides to dig a bit deeper. I think the part of it that appealed to me was not only the connection Gray establishes with the young protagonist, but also the attitude of the piece feels vibrant and charming, even if it isn't dark like a few of the pieces contained within.
The third story, "The Law of Suspects" by Maureen Johnson, appealed to me for it's eerie qualities and inventive way of establishing a curse. Charlie is a young woman visiting France with her Psychology-studious sister, but she realizes that things aren't what they seem when murder and a cursed document comes into the picture. I was surprised by the ending of this because it seemed like something I'd read when I was younger in the Goosebumps/Fear Street territory, and it definitely captures the spirit of the anthology in a dark way.
Fourth story featured is Cassandra Claire's "The Glass House", which has its own brand of eerieness when a rocky family decides to visit the beach and a witch with her own motives resides within a house with mirrors said to imprison souls. Violet realizes that she's the only one who can save her stepbrother Evan, and what occurs after that might raise a few eyebrows as to how the encounter comes across. I liked the tone and the dark justice handed within the piece. There were a few inconsistencies/mistakes that I saw (such as the fact that Kingdom Hearts 2 was not a two player game and that it wasn't released on the Xbox), but other than that, it was a decent story.
Last offering was "Nowhere is Safe" by Libba Bray, and if I had to say it, this was the weakest offering of the collection of short stories, not so much for the story contained, but the way it was written. Very few people can pull off the charm of a character breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience directly when they're in danger, but I don't think Bray sequenced it well enough to carry what was otherwise a decent story about a young Asian boy caught with his friends in a riff with otherworldly creatures. The way it was written was too scattered in spurts. There were times I liked the character voices within, even from the protagonist speaking, but the majority of the time, it didn't seem to grip on the matter as much as it could've if it'd been sequenced differently. I do think there are teens who would enjoy the story for what it is, but I would warn that it may not necessarily swallow well as a read.
"Vacations from Hell" is a decent collection, not so much to make those who read it with as much chilling factors, but definitely those that could engage those who like paranormal stories, even those who that might make you think in a different way about how things are seen in various eyes.
Overall score: 3/5
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
A collection of paranormal short stories. I initially thought this would be a waste of my precious reading time, turns out I was wrong. I enjoyed reading each of the short stories but there were a few that really stood out.
First story - Cruisin'
I liked the way the author created this one. It gave me the initial feel of wariness from Haylie. I absolutely liked the twist and the ending. I actually craved to read more of this story.
Second story - The Law of Suspects
At first, I really had no idea of what the sisters were up against. The story didn't start out as scary or as foreboding.. It gave me the impression of a nice summer vacation in Paris with vampiric encounters or something like that. But there were no vampires, or werewolves or ghosts.. There were murderers, a story that triggers a person's inner psychopath, and psychopathic contagion. The whole thing was maddening.. how can you stop something from happening when the people you warn will think you're crazy? Such is the compelling nature of this story.
Third story - The Mirror House
The moment I read about the resident in the Pink house, I instantly felt that all the mystery of this story was focused on her. The mere mention of her otherworldly beauty screamed ominous. I picture this story as really dark and gloomy. But I have to say, the stepfather got what he so rightly deserved in the end.
The other two stories I failed to mention will not be mentioned in my review at all. I only focused my attention on the stories which I believe are noteworthy. Kudos to the authors for a wonderful compilation!
First story - Cruisin'
I liked the way the author created this one. It gave me the initial feel of wariness from Haylie. I absolutely liked the twist and the ending. I actually craved to read more of this story.
Second story - The Law of Suspects
At first, I really had no idea of what the sisters were up against. The story didn't start out as scary or as foreboding.. It gave me the impression of a nice summer vacation in Paris with vampiric encounters or something like that. But there were no vampires, or werewolves or ghosts.. There were murderers, a story that triggers a person's inner psychopath, and psychopathic contagion. The whole thing was maddening.. how can you stop something from happening when the people you warn will think you're crazy? Such is the compelling nature of this story.
Third story - The Mirror House
The moment I read about the resident in the Pink house, I instantly felt that all the mystery of this story was focused on her. The mere mention of her otherworldly beauty screamed ominous. I picture this story as really dark and gloomy. But I have to say, the stepfather got what he so rightly deserved in the end.
The other two stories I failed to mention will not be mentioned in my review at all. I only focused my attention on the stories which I believe are noteworthy. Kudos to the authors for a wonderful compilation!
3.5 stars. The first story is weak, but the rest are pretty good.
I read Vacations from hell in the evening time to night time (not suggested), this book was more then expected. It was creepy, scary and disturbing. I suggest this book for older readers. I enjoyed each of the short stories just as much as each other.
Sarah Mlynowski 'Cruisin'' took a very surprising turn, however this was a light start to the book of short stories. It was followed by Claudia Gray 'I Don't Like Your Girlfriend' which was well written and looks at the magical side of paranormal. Maureen Johnson 'The Law of Suspects' is were the scary starts to bump a level, it will also make you think twice about were you decide to stay and who you decide to talk to. Cassandra Clare 'The Mirror House' mellows down from the previous story but is still just as creepy and makes you want to turn each soul stealing page. The reason I mentioned before not to read at the time I did is because once you reach the last story in the book at night you will about to go to sleep and believe me the last short story of this book is no night time story Libba Bray 'Nowhere Is Safe' is the most disturbing story of them all, and you wouldn't want to backpack anywhere, where the paranormal legends began because people may be willing to turn on you!
I completely suggest this book to friends and anyone you likes paranormal stories.
Sarah Mlynowski 'Cruisin'' took a very surprising turn, however this was a light start to the book of short stories. It was followed by Claudia Gray 'I Don't Like Your Girlfriend' which was well written and looks at the magical side of paranormal. Maureen Johnson 'The Law of Suspects' is were the scary starts to bump a level, it will also make you think twice about were you decide to stay and who you decide to talk to. Cassandra Clare 'The Mirror House' mellows down from the previous story but is still just as creepy and makes you want to turn each soul stealing page. The reason I mentioned before not to read at the time I did is because once you reach the last story in the book at night you will about to go to sleep and believe me the last short story of this book is no night time story Libba Bray 'Nowhere Is Safe' is the most disturbing story of them all, and you wouldn't want to backpack anywhere, where the paranormal legends began because people may be willing to turn on you!
I completely suggest this book to friends and anyone you likes paranormal stories.
Terrible collection, the only one that was good (I would rate it 4 stars) was Libba Bray's story it was creepy and the characters were believable. The rest of the stories seemed like really bad fan fiction.And what is up with Cassandra Clare and romance between siblings?
I enjoyed some of these stories- Claudia Gray's and Maureen Johnson's were my favourite. The other three were so-so.
Like any book of short stories, there were hits and misses for me. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Cassandra Clare's story. In my opinion, "I don't like your girlfriend" was probably the weakest, but even it was okay. A good group of YA authors with mostly well-thought-out plot lines.