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pixiejazz's review
3.0
**I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review**
First things first: I love short stories. Especially short horror stories. Growing up, I preferred Stephen King's short story collections (and novellas) over his actual novels, except for maybe Rose Madder and Misery. I've always been a big fan of horror, and I like discovering new authors to read, so I jumped at the chance to check out Busted Lip.
There are eight horrifying stories in the collection, and each one has its own unique spin. You've got zombies, demons, crazy people, and even a murderous cat. Can't go wrong there.
I have to admit, The Choking Cat was probably my favorite story in the anthology. It's so...normal, and yet so terrifying. I have two cats, and one of them was laying on me while I read the story. It made it all the more creepy, in my opinion, which is definitely a plus. Creep factor = good.
I did find myself a little disappointed by a couple of the stories. Not because they were bad, but because I tend to be a bit fussy at times about my horror, and a couple of the stories, while good, didn't give me that adrenaline rush of terror or make me feel creeped out. But everyone has their own sort of vibe, if you will, when it comes to scary things, and I suppose what didn't really thrill me might be more exciting to someone else. And the cat story that freaked me out might be meh to someone else. If there had been a story about a goat, or some sheep, or even some deer, I would have had some serious panic attacks. Giant rats and werewolves would cause that, too. I have strange fears.
Also, I did notice some editing issues. As a self-proclaimed grammar Nazi (I apologize!) and an editor for other authors, I was a bit frustrated by the fact that I had to stop to fix the errors in my head while I was reading. It sort of took away from my complete enjoyment of the stories. If they were polished up (commas used correctly, other punctuation fixes, they're/their/there properly used), they'd be amazing. Definitely worthy of five stars. I do apologize for being critical, but I just want stories with potential to shine.
I'd rate Busted Lip 3.5 stars, and I'd definitely recommend it to any horror fan looking for something new and different to read.
First things first: I love short stories. Especially short horror stories. Growing up, I preferred Stephen King's short story collections (and novellas) over his actual novels, except for maybe Rose Madder and Misery. I've always been a big fan of horror, and I like discovering new authors to read, so I jumped at the chance to check out Busted Lip.
There are eight horrifying stories in the collection, and each one has its own unique spin. You've got zombies, demons, crazy people, and even a murderous cat. Can't go wrong there.
I have to admit, The Choking Cat was probably my favorite story in the anthology. It's so...normal, and yet so terrifying. I have two cats, and one of them was laying on me while I read the story. It made it all the more creepy, in my opinion, which is definitely a plus. Creep factor = good.
I did find myself a little disappointed by a couple of the stories. Not because they were bad, but because I tend to be a bit fussy at times about my horror, and a couple of the stories, while good, didn't give me that adrenaline rush of terror or make me feel creeped out. But everyone has their own sort of vibe, if you will, when it comes to scary things, and I suppose what didn't really thrill me might be more exciting to someone else. And the cat story that freaked me out might be meh to someone else. If there had been a story about a goat, or some sheep, or even some deer, I would have had some serious panic attacks. Giant rats and werewolves would cause that, too. I have strange fears.
Also, I did notice some editing issues. As a self-proclaimed grammar Nazi (I apologize!) and an editor for other authors, I was a bit frustrated by the fact that I had to stop to fix the errors in my head while I was reading. It sort of took away from my complete enjoyment of the stories. If they were polished up (commas used correctly, other punctuation fixes, they're/their/there properly used), they'd be amazing. Definitely worthy of five stars. I do apologize for being critical, but I just want stories with potential to shine.
I'd rate Busted Lip 3.5 stars, and I'd definitely recommend it to any horror fan looking for something new and different to read.
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