A review by kelsbookzone1
The Poorly Made and Other Things by Sam Rebelein

dark

3.75

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for access to an early release copy.

In a collection of short stories with a cover I really didn’t like, and like with most short stories, there are some I like and some not as much. I did love the authors inclusion with reference to Edenville, one of his previous novels Between each theme, are interconnected emails between siblings, the only repeat characters, and their discussions of the Renfield family. This was creepy.

The written imagery is overall fantastic but not for the light of heart. And some of the horror could leave a reader squeamish. So many of the sections started with the most outlandish sentences and it left me almost in a good disbelief. For the most part, the individual stories had small hints at being interconnect or really little goose eggs to feel part of the same world. The story in the point of view of the 10 year old felt the most random, the writing was almost excruciating to get through. Did it really need every sentence starting with which? 

As a horror anthology, this was fine. A few will stick with me, like Allison’s face and Old Wag. Probably more blatant body horror than I’ve read in awhile.