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A review by ambers
Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was one I went into with VERY high expectations, and I admit that’s likely why I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted.
The concept of a haunted Ikea is fantastic, and I loved the alternating of chapters and product descriptions (which get progressively weirder). The characters were a strong suit as well, especially Basil.
That being said, the pacing felt off for me. There’s not a whole lot of atmospheric build up - a few spooky things happen, then BOOM, it all goes to hell. That can work, but in this case the second half of the book felt pretty rushed, and it didn’t match up with the more comedic vibes in the first half.
While this is neutral for me, I will add that this book is more gory than scary. I didn’t ever feel freaked out, but I DID make many grossed out faces (but my horror comfort level is higher than my gore comfort level, so ymmv)
Overall, an enjoyable read, although I did struggle to get through it at times. I might still recommend it with some caveats, but likely won’t be rereading.
The concept of a haunted Ikea is fantastic, and I loved the alternating of chapters and product descriptions (which get progressively weirder). The characters were a strong suit as well, especially Basil.
That being said, the pacing felt off for me. There’s not a whole lot of atmospheric build up - a few spooky things happen, then BOOM, it all goes to hell. That can work, but in this case the second half of the book felt pretty rushed, and it didn’t match up with the more comedic vibes in the first half.
While this is neutral for me, I will add that this book is more gory than scary. I didn’t ever feel freaked out, but I DID make many grossed out faces (but my horror comfort level is higher than my gore comfort level, so ymmv)
Overall, an enjoyable read, although I did struggle to get through it at times. I might still recommend it with some caveats, but likely won’t be rereading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, and Self harm