Reviews with content warning for Murder - Horrorstor

I just finished this, and it’s the first horror book I’ve read in a while. I really really hated and loved this book so much. I don’t ever want to read it again, but I will talk about it for years to come. It was so unique right off the bat. I expected this to be a dumb and silly little haunted IKEA, which it was initially and drew me in. The characters felt real but I didn’t realize how much I liked them until I wasn’t sure they’d make it out. Once it got ugly, it got UGLY. There were a handful of times I physically squirmed and had to put the book down because I could FEEL the disgusting gory bits in my mind. I usually read romance and fantasy books and they tend to feel repetitive after a while so I like to throw in a book like this to shake things up. This one for sure did the trick. I want to crawl under the covers and read sweet books until the urge to shake things up grips me again. I highly recommend reading this book if you want suspense, gore, disgust, humor, and just overall a terrifying good bad time

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alexisgarcia's review against another edition

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mysterious tense

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

3.0

if you go into this book knowing it’s a sillier thriller based on a parody of ikea, it’s a pretty good time. i think the ending was really well done.

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kathrynok's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

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alissamargaret's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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meaghanelizabook's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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markieh's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No

3.75

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

Before I start this, I want to say, if you have the chance to get the physical copy, do, because the design of the book alone is worth it. I grabbed the Kindle version from the Libby App, and it still had the elements, but I think it would have been better in print.

Overall Book Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

This book is like if Saw had a baby and then graphically delivered that baby on a bed display in an Ikea. It's gross. I'm not usually bothered by gore and all that, but there were a few times I had to take a break from this one because it was 🤢. That's probably the main reason I didn't rate it higher.

The story itself is a masterclass in horror trope. You get the five stereotype personalities. The no man left behind attitude. A reluctant hero. A terrifying villain. Eldritch Location style building layout (Nothing is where it should be, and the paths change. The building also disappears from maps and view to the outside). And so much darkness. I mean, literal, the lights are out, our flashlights are dead, darkness. If jump scares while reading are a thing for you, I'd skip this.

All in all, I loved it once I got past the gore. I mean, I can only read about swimming in oily filth so many times. Also. There are a lot of 🐀. It got a little heavy handed in its "We are just cogs in a machine" narrative, but I think that was intentional.
The ending and epilogue made me feel like I was reading R.L. Stine all over again. It spoke to me. And bonus points for the chapter titles and beginning pages.

Content Warnings

cottagecoregrandma's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

As a retail worker, I found it relatable and funny. However, not my favorite Hendrix work

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devowynn's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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