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hagganmaggan's review
5.0
A delicious little collection of some of the most interesting short stories I've read in a long time and, for some of them, ever! Applegate manages to pack so much into so few pages, sometimes leaving me feeling like I've read an entire book's worth of narrative when in reality it's only been five to ten pages. "You will be the one to find this" really, really stuck with me.
rosita13's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
4.0
taobooks's review
4.0
A very good little collection of short stories, mostly horror related. It has a nice range of different kinds of horror and the stories were intriguing and kept me interested. I liked the notes at the back where the author is talking about how he got the idea.
georgesreads's review
4.0
I flew through this within an hour or two. I wanna start by saying Brandon’s not only a brilliant writer but he has impeccable taste in music. Yes, the book comes with a playlist (a track for each short story). They were all absolute bangers but also had real thought put into them and helped me fully emerge myself in the stories. I’m not normally a sci-fi or a fantasy fan, but I really enjoyed the vast majority of what I read. There was gore, great characters and some absolutely emotionally devastating moments. From a grandfather recounting a story to his grandson, to a little girl who meets some devious creatures in the forest, “Those we left behind and other sacrifices” is a roller coaster worth riding.
chuckstafer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
5.0
This was a wonderful short story collection by Brandon Applegate. The stories were a mix of weird, heartfelt, and tense and there was not a single story that wasn't solid in this collection. After putting together an excellent horror anthology in The First Five Minutes of the Apocalypse, my expectations were high for this collection and Mr. Applegate didn't disappoint!
kalypsowolf's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.75
3.75
Averaged all of my ratings of the stories to get 3.75. There's a lot of variety to the stories. Not all of them are horror, but most tend to lean that way, so I think if you're looking to be creeped out, at least one of these will do that for you. As someone who grew up reading creepypasta on my phone at 2 in the morning, it kind of reminded me of that experience. Every now and then you find a few gems that really get you. It's the same with this collection of stories.
There are 16 stories so I'm going to skip giving individual reviews for them and just give my ratings for each story.
Bedtime Story - 2.5
The Paper On Which We All Are Drawn - 4
Tea Party - 4
The Last Days of The Old Man - 3.25
Roots Run Deep - 5
The Goat Man - 3.5
A Little Break - 2
Elevator - 3
In The Trees - 4
The Open Mouth - 4.5
You Will Be The One To Find This - 5
And The Revel Went Whirlingly On - 2
Drain - 3.75
The Black Wood - 5
The Creature - 5
Those We Left Behind - 3
Averaged all of my ratings of the stories to get 3.75. There's a lot of variety to the stories. Not all of them are horror, but most tend to lean that way, so I think if you're looking to be creeped out, at least one of these will do that for you. As someone who grew up reading creepypasta on my phone at 2 in the morning, it kind of reminded me of that experience. Every now and then you find a few gems that really get you. It's the same with this collection of stories.
There are 16 stories so I'm going to skip giving individual reviews for them and just give my ratings for each story.
Bedtime Story - 2.5
The Paper On Which We All Are Drawn - 4
Tea Party - 4
The Last Days of The Old Man - 3.25
Roots Run Deep - 5
The Goat Man - 3.5
A Little Break - 2
Elevator - 3
In The Trees - 4
The Open Mouth - 4.5
You Will Be The One To Find This - 5
And The Revel Went Whirlingly On - 2
Drain - 3.75
The Black Wood - 5
The Creature - 5
Those We Left Behind - 3
raincorbyn's review against another edition
5.0
I do love some sad horror, and this collection brings it in wet shovelfuls. Applegate visits a variety of genres, from Sci-Fi to pulp to western, and lends his patient, contemplative, earnest voice to all. There are monsters and some gore, but mostly it's the melancholy that pervades: grief, disappointment in one's self and others, forgiveness, and the many ways one can die emotionally before one's body gives out. Outstanding, sure to be one of my faves for the year.
lloydhanneman's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this collection from Brandon Applegate. Each story hits you in the feels or leaves you plenty unsettled, usually both at once. Highly recommend!