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mehsi's review
4.0
Eight spooky and creepy stories featuring kids in lakes, dickhead guys, dead kids lurking in the dark, and more! I flew through this book.
I spotted this book in September over at the amazing Mediadrome blog (check it out)! And decided to buy it as soon as I could. I am happy I discovered this book because it had some great stories.
I wrote a very mini review for each of the stories, are you ready? Here we go!
Bitey Bachman: Star rating, 3.5 stars: A failed zombie apocalypse story, though given the ending, teehee. It is about a guy working in a mental prison and normally things are already pretty weird but this is a night that will stay with Brian for a long time. I did find it weird how Amy just assumed that Brian was a prisoner there, wth? Girl, I get you are new but that was just dumb. The zombie stuff was scary, but also gave me a giggle. I wasn’t a fan of the characters per se, but the story was good.
Bits and Bobs: Star rating, 2 stars: A dude who cannot do jobs because he just sucks decides to take a piss at his old job and OMG I just wasn’t a fan of this story that much. I rated it two stars because I believe I heard about that farm in one of the crime shows I used to watch, and for the title which matched the story perfectly. Oh and another reason, but I won’t say that one.
Siren: Star rating, 4.5 stars: A story that started as 5+ stars, went to 5 stars, and ended with 4.5 stars. It was good, but good lord in the end I am conflicted who I dislike more, the mom or Lucy. It was a creepy, and at the end gory, story.
So so not a fan of the mother. I get that your hubby hurt you, but talk to your kid. She is eleven, she needs to know. You cannot just rip her away from all she loves and knows without explanation and then demand her to understand it all. No just no. Though… she never deserved that.
Now You Can See Them: Star rating, 5 stars: HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP OMG OMG OMG OMG.
Skin: Star rating, 3 stars: A girl gets bit by a spider and something bad is going on with her leg. I did like the whole creepy/gory part, some of the revelations along the way, and then there is how we find out more and more what is going on with the girl. But I just wasn’t a fan of how no one took Amy seriously and how much of a dick Martin was (really dude, we girls don’t want sex all the time, that doesn’t mean we are being mean or playing games). Also that dad, please. The ending, holy crap!
‘S’ Day: Star rating, 2.5 stars: This was actually had me scratching my head. I am not sure how I felt about the story, but I did get a little giggle from the fact it was raining chicken soup for 40 days and nights. And frozen chickens. This was a very strange addition to the book.
Barry’s Last Day: Star rating, 2 stars: Sorry, Barry was just an old man yelling at all the clouds. Good lord man, if you are so unhappy than find something that brings you happiness instead of being a dick towards wife and son and also that dude at your work. But the trip was kind of funny… though the ending OMG. NOPE.
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas: Star rating, 4.5 stars: Dad decides to ignore the wise advice of his sons, yes, you don’t dig up Christmas trees from the freaking graveyard, just NOPE. But OMG, this one got better with each page and, while properly inappropriate I had a giggle when the kids figured out what the tree was. Oh my goodness. I did think it was harsh that they completely forgot about two things when they figured it out. But it was a scary story and oh boy, I am glad I got a tree that is just fake and that in my country you can’t just chop trees like the way they did in this book.
———-
There were stories I really enjoyed it and that I will definitely remember. And one I read aloud to my hubby (the one with Bobby).I would rate this book Star rating, 3.5 stars in total.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I spotted this book in September over at the amazing Mediadrome blog (check it out)! And decided to buy it as soon as I could. I am happy I discovered this book because it had some great stories.
I wrote a very mini review for each of the stories, are you ready? Here we go!
Bitey Bachman: Star rating, 3.5 stars: A failed zombie apocalypse story, though given the ending, teehee. It is about a guy working in a mental prison and normally things are already pretty weird but this is a night that will stay with Brian for a long time. I did find it weird how Amy just assumed that Brian was a prisoner there, wth? Girl, I get you are new but that was just dumb. The zombie stuff was scary, but also gave me a giggle. I wasn’t a fan of the characters per se, but the story was good.
Bits and Bobs: Star rating, 2 stars: A dude who cannot do jobs because he just sucks decides to take a piss at his old job and OMG I just wasn’t a fan of this story that much. I rated it two stars because I believe I heard about that farm in one of the crime shows I used to watch, and for the title which matched the story perfectly. Oh and another reason, but I won’t say that one.
Siren: Star rating, 4.5 stars: A story that started as 5+ stars, went to 5 stars, and ended with 4.5 stars. It was good, but good lord in the end I am conflicted who I dislike more, the mom or Lucy. It was a creepy, and at the end gory, story.
So so not a fan of the mother. I get that your hubby hurt you, but talk to your kid. She is eleven, she needs to know. You cannot just rip her away from all she loves and knows without explanation and then demand her to understand it all. No just no. Though… she never deserved that.
Now You Can See Them: Star rating, 5 stars: HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP OMG OMG OMG OMG.
Skin: Star rating, 3 stars: A girl gets bit by a spider and something bad is going on with her leg. I did like the whole creepy/gory part, some of the revelations along the way, and then there is how we find out more and more what is going on with the girl. But I just wasn’t a fan of how no one took Amy seriously and how much of a dick Martin was (really dude, we girls don’t want sex all the time, that doesn’t mean we are being mean or playing games). Also that dad, please. The ending, holy crap!
‘S’ Day: Star rating, 2.5 stars: This was actually had me scratching my head. I am not sure how I felt about the story, but I did get a little giggle from the fact it was raining chicken soup for 40 days and nights. And frozen chickens. This was a very strange addition to the book.
Barry’s Last Day: Star rating, 2 stars: Sorry, Barry was just an old man yelling at all the clouds. Good lord man, if you are so unhappy than find something that brings you happiness instead of being a dick towards wife and son and also that dude at your work. But the trip was kind of funny… though the ending OMG. NOPE.
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas: Star rating, 4.5 stars: Dad decides to ignore the wise advice of his sons, yes, you don’t dig up Christmas trees from the freaking graveyard, just NOPE. But OMG, this one got better with each page and, while properly inappropriate I had a giggle when the kids figured out what the tree was. Oh my goodness. I did think it was harsh that they completely forgot about two things when they figured it out. But it was a scary story and oh boy, I am glad I got a tree that is just fake and that in my country you can’t just chop trees like the way they did in this book.
———-
There were stories I really enjoyed it and that I will definitely remember. And one I read aloud to my hubby (the one with Bobby).I would rate this book Star rating, 3.5 stars in total.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
pbanditp's review against another edition
4.0
Do you like your horror with just a slice of humor? Or your macabre with a dash of mirth? If you do then CORPSING is for you.
This has just the right amount of quirky fun without making you roll your eyes. Have no fear though if you like to have your skin crawl as there is plenty of outright tense situations such as “___’s sobs turned into audible whimpers as tiny but sharp fingertips took a hold of his eyelashes and tugged his eyelids upwards.” No spoilers so I left off the victims name.
One story, Siren, I found incredibly creepy because I read it outside next to the lake at midnight on New Years Eve. Now that’s my idea of a good time.
‘S’ Day I found very humorous as it is told from the point of view of an angel who is tired of people whining.
This was entertaining from start to finish with only one story that I wasn’t a fan of. It is near impossible to write a collection where every story is great so this is a great big win. I look forward to more from Kayleigh Marie Edwards
This has just the right amount of quirky fun without making you roll your eyes. Have no fear though if you like to have your skin crawl as there is plenty of outright tense situations such as “___’s sobs turned into audible whimpers as tiny but sharp fingertips took a hold of his eyelashes and tugged his eyelids upwards.” No spoilers so I left off the victims name.
One story, Siren, I found incredibly creepy because I read it outside next to the lake at midnight on New Years Eve. Now that’s my idea of a good time.
‘S’ Day I found very humorous as it is told from the point of view of an angel who is tired of people whining.
This was entertaining from start to finish with only one story that I wasn’t a fan of. It is near impossible to write a collection where every story is great so this is a great big win. I look forward to more from Kayleigh Marie Edwards
ladilira's review against another edition
5.0
While the cover of this short story anthology written by Edwards did not exactly pull me in, her writing certainly did.
It is rare that I am able to say that I loved every little tale that was woven throughout this short collection, but I honestly did. Each story was fresh and original.
If you are a horror fan, Edwards is a writer to watch. Each of her characters were immediately captivating and brought to life. I look forward to seeing what else she will publish in the years ahead. I am thrilled to add another author on my will read/want to read list.
It is rare that I am able to say that I loved every little tale that was woven throughout this short collection, but I honestly did. Each story was fresh and original.
If you are a horror fan, Edwards is a writer to watch. Each of her characters were immediately captivating and brought to life. I look forward to seeing what else she will publish in the years ahead. I am thrilled to add another author on my will read/want to read list.
stranger_sights's review against another edition
4.0
You can check out my full review at: https://mediadrome.wordpress.com/2020/09/11/corpsing-by-kayleigh-marie-edwards/
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads.
ericarobyn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
Corpsing by Kayleigh Marie Edwards is a superb collection of horror comedy short stories that will give you chills, even while you laugh.
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author per request of an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
I’m a huge fan of horror comedy to begin with. While this author was new to me, I was immediately in awe of their creativity and wonderful storytelling.
Choosing a favorite from this collection is impossible for me. I loved each story so much!
Per usual, here are my notes on each tale-
Bitey Bachman –
This was a hoot! What a great story to kick off this collection. When the story begins, we meet a man that seems a little overtired as he gives his boss a hard time. Working in a mental hospital, they wind up needing to give a resident a sedative. But this character unfortunately doesn’t pay attention and kicks off something worse than just having an unruly resident.
This was a hoot! What a great story to kick off this collection. When the story begins, we meet a man that seems a little overtired as he gives his boss a hard time. Working in a mental hospital, they wind up needing to give a resident a sedative. But this character unfortunately doesn’t pay attention and kicks off something worse than just having an unruly resident.
This one had a heavy hand of comedy with a sprinkle of horror. The scene right out of the shower had me laughing out loud. These poor characters!
Bits and Bobs –
When a man gets let go from The Body Farm, he drunkenly makes a plan to get one last laugh. But that laughter quickly turns to screams of pain.
When a man gets let go from The Body Farm, he drunkenly makes a plan to get one last laugh. But that laughter quickly turns to screams of pain.
I loved the set up for this one! But my goodness, this poor guy!
Siren –
When a mother and daughter move to a house by a lake, the little girl immediately senses something is wrong there. And then she meets a new friend.
When a mother and daughter move to a house by a lake, the little girl immediately senses something is wrong there. And then she meets a new friend.
This one was so unsettling right from the start! I wanted to scream at this character at each turn. This poor kid.
Now You See Them –
When a mother thinks her kid is making up excuses to stay up past bedtime, she agrees to leave a light on. But in the night, she turns it off…
When a mother thinks her kid is making up excuses to stay up past bedtime, she agrees to leave a light on. But in the night, she turns it off…
Truly a scene straight out of every kids nightmare! Who wasn’t afraid of something getting them in the dark? This one was terrifying!
Skin –
After a spider bite, this girls whole world changes very quickly.
After a spider bite, this girls whole world changes very quickly.
This was such an intense body horror tale!
‘S’ Day –
When God gets tired of an eight year olds constant prayers to get what he wants, God loses it a bit, resulting in chaos.
When God gets tired of an eight year olds constant prayers to get what he wants, God loses it a bit, resulting in chaos.
This was such a fun but blood boiling tale! We all know how frustrating it can be to be around someone unbearable, whether they’re young, or old enough to know better. While scary, I also couldn’t help but laugh.
Barry’s Last Day –
Barry is a negative and grumpy man that hates basically everything about his life. When a series of events leads him to a situation where he needs to drink up, things only go sideways from there.
Barry is a negative and grumpy man that hates basically everything about his life. When a series of events leads him to a situation where he needs to drink up, things only go sideways from there.
This guy was so negative, I almost bailed on the story. I’m glad I didn’t. The turn this one took was wild!
’Twas The Night Before Christmas –
While out looking for a replacement tree after their dog destroyed the first, they stumble across a perfect Christmas tree. The boys try to convince their father not to cut it down because it’s right where they buried their cat. But of course, cuts it down anyway.
While out looking for a replacement tree after their dog destroyed the first, they stumble across a perfect Christmas tree. The boys try to convince their father not to cut it down because it’s right where they buried their cat. But of course, cuts it down anyway.
I loved this one so much! It had the eerie vibe right from the start, but dipped right into b-movie nightmares soon enough! What a fun one!
My Favorite Passages from Corpsing
Lucy couldn’t sleep that night; she hated her new house and she hated her new bed. She hated the tree that scratched on her window like icy fingers, and she hated the wind that was moving those branches in the first place.
The boys would have argued, but that would have been unwise judging by the glowering expressions on their parents’ faces. Plus, they really had no idea how to convince two sane adults that the tree had come to life and battled a pug in the middle of the night. It was utterly ridiculous.
My Final Thoughts on Corpsing
If you’re looking for a collection to entertain you with it’s original tales that mixes the chilling with a wonderful level of humor, then you need to pick this one up!
I had an absolute blast reading this collection and I already cannot wait to dive back into the tales. And sign me up for anything Kayleigh writes in the future!
perrywolfecastle's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Corpsing is an interesting mix of short horror stories, some will make you laugh, some will make you think, but all of them are well worth a read.
bclubbetty's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars for this collection of dark and funny stories! Most had my smiling away to myself thinking this shouldn't be funny! Snappy and fun little read to start the year. Best of the bunch for me were Skin and Siren, also really liked Now You See Them!
whatmeworry's review against another edition
4.0
This review first appeared on scifiandscary.com, I was provided with a free copy of the book in return for a review
‘Corpsing’ is the debut short story collection from Kayleigh Marie Edwards. At only 150 pages it’s not exactly a mammoth tome, but the 8 stories it contains are all entertaining. I’ve read a few horror collections lately and this was the most consistent and enjoyable. The stories are relatively gentle, often comic, and typically character rather than plot driven.
Edwards is Welsh and there is a nice Britishness to the stories which never overwhelms them. Some authors, especially indie ones, have a tendency to strip local colour from their stories in order to attract an international audience. It was good to see Edwards avoid this, although I think the themes and situations she explores are sufficiently universal to have a broad appeal.
She has a strong and at times grisly imagination. ‘Corpsing’ contains such delights as a killer Christmas tree, an outbreak of zombies in a mental hospital and girl who is gradually shedding her skin. Despite the horror, Edwards never forgets she is writing about people. Her characters are believable, with convincing motivations. She does a great job of making you care about the people in her stories, even if at times they’re demise is the punchline of the tale.
The stories often reminded me of the twisted, darkly comic ones that Roald Dahl used to write for adults. That mix of horror, humour and humanity is a hard one to pull off successfully, but for the most part Edwards manages it. She never quite reaches Dahl’s heights, but ‘Corpsing’ shows a great deal of promise and I’m very much looking forward to reading more from her pen.
‘Corpsing’ is the debut short story collection from Kayleigh Marie Edwards. At only 150 pages it’s not exactly a mammoth tome, but the 8 stories it contains are all entertaining. I’ve read a few horror collections lately and this was the most consistent and enjoyable. The stories are relatively gentle, often comic, and typically character rather than plot driven.
Edwards is Welsh and there is a nice Britishness to the stories which never overwhelms them. Some authors, especially indie ones, have a tendency to strip local colour from their stories in order to attract an international audience. It was good to see Edwards avoid this, although I think the themes and situations she explores are sufficiently universal to have a broad appeal.
She has a strong and at times grisly imagination. ‘Corpsing’ contains such delights as a killer Christmas tree, an outbreak of zombies in a mental hospital and girl who is gradually shedding her skin. Despite the horror, Edwards never forgets she is writing about people. Her characters are believable, with convincing motivations. She does a great job of making you care about the people in her stories, even if at times they’re demise is the punchline of the tale.
The stories often reminded me of the twisted, darkly comic ones that Roald Dahl used to write for adults. That mix of horror, humour and humanity is a hard one to pull off successfully, but for the most part Edwards manages it. She never quite reaches Dahl’s heights, but ‘Corpsing’ shows a great deal of promise and I’m very much looking forward to reading more from her pen.
stranger_sights's review
dark
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
3.5
You can check out my full review at: https://mediadrome.wordpress.com/2020/09/11/corpsing-by-kayleigh-marie-edwards/
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