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fearnerd's review
4.0
As my introduction to Michelle von Eschen's writing, Old Farmhouses of the North is quite the short story collection. I can't say that every story worked for me, but they were all creative and so well-written that they could intimidate other established authors. There are two stories here ("Nancy Gone Wild" and "Firesick") that are so good that they could be developed into stand-alone novels. I was also a fan of "Noche Oscura," a story that will make you think twice before walking into a pumpkin patch.
Michelle von Eschen uses old farmhouses as a jumping point or setting for a lot of these stories, but they expand into grander ideas than their quaint setting would seem to allow. I also loved how she didn't immediately reveal all aspects of the stories from the start; allowing them to surprise as they revealed themselves further. Another nice touch was the connecting thread between the collection's bookend stories. If you're a fan of independent horror authors, you need to check out this collection.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Michelle von Eschen uses old farmhouses as a jumping point or setting for a lot of these stories, but they expand into grander ideas than their quaint setting would seem to allow. I also loved how she didn't immediately reveal all aspects of the stories from the start; allowing them to surprise as they revealed themselves further. Another nice touch was the connecting thread between the collection's bookend stories. If you're a fan of independent horror authors, you need to check out this collection.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
stitching_ghost's review
5.0
What a delightfully bleak collection, I loved it.
Von Eschen's brand of horror is the type that instills a low hum of dread and unease and with this one she demonstrates that her skills are not limited to one particular genre of horror (what's your poison? Hauntings? serial killers? Aliens? She got you covered).
The writing is smooth and polished and there's a sense of interconnectedness to some of the stories (in some cases there's an actual connection too) but they can all stand on their own which made for a satisfying reading experience.
There's a lot of potentially triggering material in there ().
Oh and there's a pumpkin patch, who doesn't need more pumpkin patch horror?
Von Eschen's brand of horror is the type that instills a low hum of dread and unease and with this one she demonstrates that her skills are not limited to one particular genre of horror (what's your poison? Hauntings? serial killers? Aliens? She got you covered).
The writing is smooth and polished and there's a sense of interconnectedness to some of the stories (in some cases there's an actual connection too) but they can all stand on their own which made for a satisfying reading experience.
There's a lot of potentially triggering material in there (
Spoiler
necrophilia, loss of pregnancy, forced pregnancy, SA, animal death, religious themes and moreOh and there's a pumpkin patch, who doesn't need more pumpkin patch horror?
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