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A review by guarinous
Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman
4.0
Five grim tales are featured in the latest work by horror starboy Josh Malerman. Malerman, working within his fictional, interconnected geopgraphy (Goblin, Samhattan, East Kent, etc) drags his characters through some bizarre situations: a sister who repeatedly asserts to her brother that "half the house is haunted", a man beset by guilt who signs up to be dropped through the planet Jupiter for two months on a new "thrill ride", a father on his deathbed who reveals some dark urges, and a rich couple who buy the latest trendy gadget only to find themselves staring at an unwelcome mirror instead.
Pros:
- These stories are page turners! With the exception of the final one, all of them really fly by.
- Half the House is Haunted manages to be both actually scary and actually moving at the same time...very tough to pull off in a tired genre!
Cons:
- The final story deflated my sails a little bit. I probably would have given this collection five stars overall, but I thought the last one dragged a bit.
Four stars. Malerman is firing on all cylinders, and doesn't look ready to slow down any time soon.
FFO: connected universes a la THE KING or Lovecraft, writers on top of their game and supremely confident in their craft.
**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley*
Pros:
- These stories are page turners! With the exception of the final one, all of them really fly by.
- Half the House is Haunted manages to be both actually scary and actually moving at the same time...very tough to pull off in a tired genre!
Cons:
- The final story deflated my sails a little bit. I probably would have given this collection five stars overall, but I thought the last one dragged a bit.
Four stars. Malerman is firing on all cylinders, and doesn't look ready to slow down any time soon.
FFO: connected universes a la THE KING or Lovecraft, writers on top of their game and supremely confident in their craft.
**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley*