*SOME SPOILERS AHEAD*
I binged this collection of novellas over the weekend and thought why not combine them all in one review! Overall this was pretty good, I didn’t overtly hate any of the stories but a couple of them I know for sure I’m going to forget everything that happened in a couple days.
The first book I read was Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix. This one was very memorable for sure. The way the book starts out really draws you in and even though this was one of the shorter novellas it was actually pretty haunting and horrific. I would love for this concept to expanded into a full length novel. ⭐️3-5 stars
The next one I read was Big Bad by Chandler Baker and I really enjoyed this. It was one of the longer novellas but I thought it enabled us to connect with all of the characters a lot more. I loved the multiple perspectives that we got, we got a pretty even amount of time between each of the characters and even though I thought the main was going to be the mother the daughters took up a lot of the book. A decision made by one of them being the catalyst for how the book ended I thought was very well done! ⭐️4-5 stars
In Bloom by Paul Tremblay was next and it was a bit of a snooze honestly. There was a lot of scientific talk to start the book off and that kind of stopped me from getting to invested in the plot. There was too much jargon and not enough time establishing the characters and setting. I did enjoy the flashback scene but then I couldn’t quite envision in my mind what was going on for the majority of the plot which for being such a short read isn’t ideal. The ending was disappointing as well. ⭐️2-5 stars
My first Josh Malerman read was next with It Waits in the Woods and I was pleasantly surprised. I had a feeling his writing was either going to be a hit or a miss for me and I actually really enjoyed this book. I thought the premise was solid and the execution was on point. I was invested right from the start and felt like I made a connection with the characters from the onset. It felt like a pretty well rounded story for being a novella, it didn’t feel like anything was missing or needed to be added. It isn’t the most mind blowing story I’ve even read but I was engaged throughout. The audio of the monster’s voice in the audiobook was one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever heard! ⭐️3-5 stars
The Pram by Joe Hill was one of the novellas that I’m going to forget as soon as I finish this review. The overall premise was promising but was another snooze of a story for me. The main character wasn’t likeable at all and came across quite insufferable at times. I think if this was a multiple or even just a dual perspective story with his wife we would of been able to make more of a connection with them and I might of actually cared about what was happening. The setting and atmosphere gave me the horror vibes but I couldn’t make myself care about either of them and the consequences of his actions. ⭐️2-5 stars
And to finish it off was Best of Luck by Jason Mott and this was pretty good! We start off with a bit of a bang and as the story progressed we hear about the life of these characters and the contrast between them. It felt pretty rudimentary to me though, I definitely think this is one of the stories that could of been a lot more successful if it was a full length novel. I did enjoy the twist at the end but it didn’t leave me feeling fulfilled at all. ⭐️3-5 stars
