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davinmotion's review
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was my first SGJ book and I agonized over where to start, since the content warnings on his books concern me, knowing he can be brutal with his descriptions and just how far the horror can go. This seemed like a good foray into his writing, and if this is anything like his usual style, I really enjoyed it! I think he captured a teenager well and somehow managed to make empathize with him.
I give it this rating since while I loved the style and how the story was told, I don’t love the execution in its entirety. I can appreciate what SGJ was going for, but I think I wanted something else.
I recommend this to someone looking for a short and fast almost adult Goosebumps-style story. It veers a bit from stereotypical Goosebumps, but it has some similar elements and reads that easy.
I’ll be checking out another story by SGJ in the not so distant future.
I give it this rating since while I loved the style and how the story was told, I don’t love the execution in its entirety. I can appreciate what SGJ was going for, but I think I wanted something else.
I recommend this to someone looking for a short and fast almost adult Goosebumps-style story. It veers a bit from stereotypical Goosebumps, but it has some similar elements and reads that easy.
I’ll be checking out another story by SGJ in the not so distant future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Bullying and Self harm
killmoore_'s review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I loved this - the writing style was perfect for our MC, and led me to imagine an ending that was far better than the one we were given. Fantastic, fast paced and easy to read up until the last chapter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Child death, Murder, Blood, Death, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
directorpurry's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Animal death
ruthypoo2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fun book to read with an excellent first person narrative that just moves along at a pace continuously ramping up like a tornado gaining speed on its path of destruction. This story full-on owns the quirkiness frequently found in Stephen Graham Jones books like Mongrels. I think this author has a very pure voice through his teen protagonists, and in this case, it’s a boy named Sawyer who’s paying a steep price for a movie theatre prank gone awry.
This book can easily be devoured in one sitting. And most readers will feel compelled to stay with it as the story keeps you off kilter and dying to get further into the story to see where it’s actually going and what Sawyer’s fate will be. I listened to the audiobook and feel the narrator, Gary Tiedemann, was excellent in voicing Sawyer’s inner monologue and interactions with the world around him.
This book can easily be devoured in one sitting. And most readers will feel compelled to stay with it as the story keeps you off kilter and dying to get further into the story to see where it’s actually going and what Sawyer’s fate will be. I listened to the audiobook and feel the narrator, Gary Tiedemann, was excellent in voicing Sawyer’s inner monologue and interactions with the world around him.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Mental illness, Child death, and Death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I was getting very 80s vibes from this book and it definitely works better to set it then seeing how the MC is having a psychotic break and he's the murderer after all and that's the spooky factor is a reveal that's from that time period, being real. Yeah, being inside Sawyer's mind is creepy and sad bc at no point in the story is the living mannequin a real possibility so it's just delusions and atrophied logic all the time. But the whole premise is kinda insensitive at the same time? Like idk if it's right to use psychosis like this for scares? I also feel slightly bamboozled bc I thought there was gonna be an actual living killer mannequin on the loose but no. This book was kinda ass but I didn't loathe it and the writing was all right for the most part but I still wasted my time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
r_o_s_e's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Death, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Excrement
Minor: Gun violence, Animal death, and Vomit
alisonfaith426's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Stalking, Violence, Vomit, and Body horror
Moderate: Car accident and Gun violence
lovelymisanthrope's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
5.0
I picked up this novella because I have enjoyed Stephen Graham Jones in the past and I thought this story sounded intriguing.
"Night of the Mannequins" follows Sawyer, a teenaged boy. Him and his friends decide to play a prank at a local movie theater by smuggling a mannequin in, so they can trick the attendant. It is all fun and games until the mannequin seems to come alive...
I adored this story, and it has become my favorite from Stephen Graham Jones. This may be terse in the length, but it packs a powerful punch, and by the time you finish the story, you begin to question your own understanding of what just happened. I have not stopped thinking about this novella since I finished it.
Sawyer's thought process often made me laugh out loud, which is a nice counterbalance to the brutal content in this story.
I will definitely be picking up more from Stephen Graham Jones in the future.
"Night of the Mannequins" follows Sawyer, a teenaged boy. Him and his friends decide to play a prank at a local movie theater by smuggling a mannequin in, so they can trick the attendant. It is all fun and games until the mannequin seems to come alive...
I adored this story, and it has become my favorite from Stephen Graham Jones. This may be terse in the length, but it packs a powerful punch, and by the time you finish the story, you begin to question your own understanding of what just happened. I have not stopped thinking about this novella since I finished it.
Sawyer's thought process often made me laugh out loud, which is a nice counterbalance to the brutal content in this story.
I will definitely be picking up more from Stephen Graham Jones in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Mental illness, Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse
seawarrior's review
4.0
Night of the Mannequins is an electric and entertaining slasher story that traverses through the mind of a paranoid, guilt-ridden unreliable narrator. The pacing of this story is similar to that of a slasher film, the only time we have to get to know the protagonists are the pages between each killing, and I imagine this will turn some readers off. Yet for the horror-obsessed, this is a highly original romp reminiscent of the now-classic movies it takes inspiration from.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Murder
bookedandbusy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Loved this novella! It was creepy and unsettling and I’m even more afraid of mannequins now than I already was!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder