The Horrors of Childhood: The Children's Horror Has Doomed Adults Reliving Childhood Fears

 

The Children’s Horror: Cursed Episodes for Doomed Adults

Patrick Barb

Northern Republic, 2024

ISBN: ISBN-13: 979-8332956430

Ebook, 216 ppg.

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“Horror is NOT for children!” I have heard this said so many times. And while in some cases, this is true, in the case of reality, horror may not be for children, but many children definitely know horror. After all, they have to contend the monster under the bed (check!), school testing (check!) and trying to change themselves so they can fit in and be accepted by others (check!).

 

In The Children’s Horror: Cursed Episodes for Doomed Adults, author Patrick Barb covers these areas well, along with a scattered other few. The thing about the stories in this book, though, is that the children appear to be, well, so CALM while the horror is taking place.

 

Maybe it’s just the children have been so desensitized to real horror after being exposed to so much other horror going on in their lives. I mean, there’s abuse at home, homophobia in the schools, books that help them feel seen and included being banned from their libraries, peer pressure, bullying, and, oh yeah, puberty. (EEK!)

 

Seriously, though. All that is not to say that this is a book that would be okay for children to read. I mean, they can, but some of these stories are just so frightening, that maybe they’d rather not? This is definitely a book of stories for older readers, not children, and I really enjoyed reading them. My favorite stories were the title story, “The Children’s Horror” (of course), “The Dogcatcher,” “Two Rare Specimens” (a nice twist on the Boogeyman story!), “The Shark in Her Belly” and “The Big Good Boy.”

 

If you enjoy reading stories of horror and suspense, check out Patrick Barb’s new collection, The Children’s Horror. You won’t be disappointed.

 

 

Five stars.

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Time for Some Ho-Ho-Horror! We Wish You a Scary Christmas and a Bloody New Year is a Collection of Creepy Christmas Stories!

 

We Wish You a Scary Christmas and a Bloody New Year

By Steven Farkas

PsychoToxin Press, 2023

ISBN: 9798867007201

88 pages, Ebook

Buy links:

Amazon 

PsychoToxinPress 

 

If you enjoy reading holiday horror, especially horror written just for Christmas, then author Steven Farkas has got you covered. His newest book, We Wish You a Scary Christmas and a Bloody New Year, contains 10 frightfully chilling stories that are sure to put you into a different kind of holiday spirit – one that has you sleeping with the lights on!

 

There are just too many good things I have to say about this book, but let’s take a few minutes to admire that awesome cover! There’s nothing jolly and cheerful about that spooky creature on the cover! It’s just one of the things that grabbed my interest and made me want to read this book.

 

And after I started reading it, I wanted to read more!

 

All of the stories are set in the fictional town of Harkers Mill, a town that met with tragedy and loss that produced a curse of mystery, terror and overall evil. Each story captures the dark fate of the town’s residents who are guilty of nothing more than wanting to celebrate the holiday spirit. No “merry” Christmas this isn’t! It’s more of terror, murder and supernatural creatures hungry for blood!

 

It's so hard for me to choose a favorite story from this book. I enjoyed reading them all! That’s not very common when I read a book of stories. Sometimes, I will skip over a story written in a POV I don’t like to read in (like second person) or if it’s just boring. None of that happened with this book! I happily kept reading every story!

 

And each story satisfied my craving for thrills, chills, and lots of gory kills! I got that and lots more!

 

Some of the stories I really liked are the one with the cranky town resident who HATES Christmas carolers, but one year he not only stops to enjoy their caroling but also invites them in for a variety of home baked cookies! Things are not what they seem, and the carolers are in for a nasty surprise!

 

I also liked the story with the evil Christmas tree. And what would a collection of Christmas horror stories be without Krampus? I loved this story, too!

 

But I gotta say that I loved the story “A Bloody New Year” most of all. What a treat for this reader!

 

Those and other chilling enticements await anyone looking for spooky holiday reads. We Wish You a Scary Christmas and a Bloody New Year is a collection of holiday horror stories that do not disappoint. Reading these stories just may have you seeing some of the more beloved and cherished icons of Christmas in a whole new light! (Just not in Christmas lights.)

 

Five stars

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Stories with Very Special Cats in a Very Special Town: Tall Tales of Mystic Ridge is a Collection of Very Unusual Stories

 

Tall Tales of Mystic Ridge

By Shelly Gail Morris

Zumaya Publications, LLC, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-61271-359-5

212 ppg., Softcover

Buy links:

AbeBooks

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

Kobo

ThriftBooks

Zumaya

 

Lots of people have a story to tell – even fictional people. And in a small town like Mystic Ridge, which seems to contain a sort of alternate reality, so many strange, unexplained and mystical encounters happen that it’s no surprise that the residents will come away with interesting experiences.

 

That’s exactly what readers are in for when they pick up Tall Tales of Mystic Ridge by Shelly Gail Morris. This collection of stories takes place in the fictional town of Mystic Ridge. Indeed, the magical quality of this small town emphasizes the “mystic” in the town’s name!

 

You’ll get to meet Emma, Mystic Ridge’s newest resident whose brief acquaintance with her neighbor ends up changing her life.

 

Then there’s Sophie, who begins to think she’s losing her mind because of voices she hears and recurrent dreams she has. It takes a while before she realizes they all have a special meaning for her future.

 

There’s Josephine, who discovers a visitor in her backyard who turns out to be otherworldly, and Mariah, who shares a special ability with her daughter, Daisy.

 

But the star of the entire book is Sister Crystal Grace (though of course she does not wish to draw any special attention). She is a very special nun who plays a very important role in many of the stories, but what’s more special about her is that she has, shall we say, been around to see quite a lot in her unique lifetime. Readers are in for a surprise when they find out why!

 

Throughout the book is another very special kind of character: Cats! You’ll get to meet various cats who also play important roles in the stories. The biggest role of all goes to a very special cat who is in the last story.

 

Every small town has its source of gossip, and that honor falls on the town newspaper, that shares everybody’s business. There are two residents of Mystic Ridge in particular who like to hunker down in the diner to go over the latest news, and at the end of the book, their discourse wraps all of the stories’ endings up really well. So for anyone who wants to know what happens after the stories end (and do stories ever really end?), it’s a good idea to read the epilogue.

 

I really enjoyed reading the stories in Tall Tales of Mystic Ridge. I will admit that some of them were a little too cheesy for my taste and as a non-religious person, the religious references were things I overlooked. But overall, the book was enjoyable to read.

 

This book may be enjoyed by older women who like to read women's fiction, as well as stories about interesting people and places. And for anyone who enjoys reading stories with furry friends, consider buying this delightful book of stories featuring some unforgettable and lovable cats!

 

Five stars.

 

 

Disclaimer: I bought this book and my review of it is honest and voluntary.