Scan barcode
morgob's review
5.0
Super scary! This had me hooked from the beginning. I've been wanting to read this for a few years now and snagged it during one of my latest Barnes and Noble accidental shopping sprees. I've read one of Grady Hendrix's books before, and I can definitely tell now that he has a style and a unique voice. He puts a healthy dose of sarcasm in his writing along with splashes of everyday modern references that makes his books very easy to slip into. The main character of this book, Amy, was very difficult to like for the first half of the book, but she did get better (dark chuckles). The premise of this book was what caught me: a haunted Ikea ripoff that had great mysteries and made people get lost inside it. But it turned out to be so much more than that. It had its own little Grady twist worked into it, as always. My one critique is that there seemed to be a bit at the end that was gearing up for a possible sequel, otherwise it felt a bit unnecessary. That was my one complaint about it. There was a whole lot of creepy stuff going on inside that place! It was trippy, I couldn't put it down, and I finished this baby in about two and a half hours. It was great!
humblebee20's review
3.0
I came into this expected schlocky "IKEA" themed horror, and I guess I got what I paid for, however lukewarm it may have been. I'm sure there are millions of people who have made jokes about how creepy an IKEA would be after dark and how easy it would be to get lost in there. With how safe this book plays it, I think this could have remained just that, a joke made between friends.
This entire book reads like a corny 80's made for tv horror film, and maybe if that was how it was made, it might have made it more tolerable. It feels like a screenplay that is begging to be made into the cheesiest movie possible and I spent so much of this book wishing that this was what it was instead.
With half of the book being set up, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Unfortunately, when it did, it was kind of a let down. Let us spend more time in the creepy parts! It feels like we only got a glance at the truly horrifying aspects and the books taunts us with cool illustrations and list of people who need to be cured. Again, if this were a film, that wold make sense, but this is a book where the author had all the pages imaginable to expand and draw us into the world.
Speaking of, the books design was probably my favorite part. There are so many little details that I loved. The entire book is a catalog, with items listed throughout that are both illustrated and have a little description of the item. Even though the joke has been done to death, the fake "Swedish" names did get a chuckle out of me, with "dritsekk" being my favorite. The serial numbers all have a "666" within them which is such a cute touch and the coupons at the final stretch tie it all together. Major props to the cover and overall book design.
While not breaking any new ground, I found this book enjoyable enough for what it was and would recommend it for people who like cheesy, goofy horror if they're willing to wade through some boring set up first.
This entire book reads like a corny 80's made for tv horror film, and maybe if that was how it was made, it might have made it more tolerable. It feels like a screenplay that is begging to be made into the cheesiest movie possible and I spent so much of this book wishing that this was what it was instead.
With half of the book being set up, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Unfortunately, when it did, it was kind of a let down. Let us spend more time in the creepy parts! It feels like we only got a glance at the truly horrifying aspects and the books taunts us with cool illustrations and list of people who need to be cured. Again, if this were a film, that wold make sense, but this is a book where the author had all the pages imaginable to expand and draw us into the world.
Speaking of, the books design was probably my favorite part. There are so many little details that I loved. The entire book is a catalog, with items listed throughout that are both illustrated and have a little description of the item. Even though the joke has been done to death, the fake "Swedish" names did get a chuckle out of me, with "dritsekk" being my favorite. The serial numbers all have a "666" within them which is such a cute touch and the coupons at the final stretch tie it all together. Major props to the cover and overall book design.
While not breaking any new ground, I found this book enjoyable enough for what it was and would recommend it for people who like cheesy, goofy horror if they're willing to wade through some boring set up first.
_readingwithellie's review
3.0
It took me a little bit to get into this book, but once I got there it was really good! The storyline is crazy, lots of twists and turns and how the hell did we get here?! I liked the overall spookiness of this story. It’s basically IKEA meets paranormal activity meets Hellraiser! It’s well-written, creepy and fun all in one. I thought the Orsk ads were a nice touch, very different! I enjoyed reading this one.
kortovaver_'s review
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
tarsharks's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I loved the unique layout of this book. I don't normally read horror stories, so I thought this would be a good intro. It was quick and easy read. Some of the horror elements were difficult to picture and just seemed so random but overall I liked the book.
jerr13's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
rthpr's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I thought some of the horror plot points could be a bit tighter, but was definitely still creeped out at points. I normally don’t like funny books but did enjoy this one!
betseyboo's review
4.0
I don't read horror stories, but I just couldn't resist this book. I have seen it pop up in different reviews and then I found it at my public library. When I flipped through the book I knew that I had to read it because it looked fun. This is really a quick, easy read. If you would like to add a little scariness to your normal reading list (for all those wimps out there), this would be a great addition.