book reviews

Book reviews for horror fans; weather a sleepless night with literary accounts of hauntings, possessions, zombies, vampires and beyond.

The Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis (German: Die Verwandlung) is an allegorical novella written by Franz Kafka which was first published in 1915. One of Kafka's best-known works, Metamorphosis tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himself inexplicably transformed into a huge insect (ungeheueres Ungeziefer, lit. "monstrous vermin") and subsequently struggles to adjust to this new condition. The novella has been widely discussed among literary critics, with differing interpretations being offered. In popular culture and adaptations of the novella, the insect is commonly depicted as a cockroach.Plot
By Rebecca Maria4 years ago in Horror
"The Housemaid" by Sarah A. Denzil
Housemaid wanted. Skills required: Discretion, and the willingness to go the extra mile. It seems like the perfect job. Great wages, accommodation provided, and all located within the walls of Highwood Hall, a stunning stately home owned by the Howard family. Not many little girls dream of becoming a maid, but this is an opportunity for me to get back on my feet. And for me to revisit my past...
By Ted Ryan4 years ago in Horror
Six Book Series to Read if You Like Goosebumps. Top Story - March 2022.
The success of Goosebumps spawned a lot of similar series when it first came out, and it’s also helped inspire a new generation of middle grade authors to write there own series. I know that it’s monster of the week style has inspired my own work even though I don’t write for young audiences. And for those of you like me that are always looking for new books to read and have been bitten by the Goosebumps bug, here are 6 series that I’m sure you’ll love.
By Jacob Peyton4 years ago in Horror
Manhunt, by Gretchen Felker-Martin
This review contains spoilers ### It normally doesn’t take me just over two weeks to read a 300 page novel. But Manhunt was a heavy, bleak read, and I found myself needing absolute focus to read it. Even though it was a heavy read, I’m glad I sat down with it.
By Varian Ross4 years ago in Horror
Frankenstein: A Timeless Tale of Horror and Suspense
Frankenstein is one of the most well-known horror novels of all time. Written by Mary Shelley, it tells the story of a scientist who creates a monster from body parts of various corpses. The novel is full of suspense and horror and has been adapted into numerous movies over the years. Frankenstein is a timeless tale that will continue to be enjoyed by readers for many years to come. Mary Shelley is one of the most important authors in the horror genre, and her novel Frankenstein is a classic that should not be missed. If you're looking for a suspenseful and horrifying read, then look no further than Frankenstein.
By Talia Meadows4 years ago in Horror
Insomnia Review
Published: 15, September 1994 Author: Stephen King Genre: American, Classic, Fiction, Horror, Literature, Media Tie-In, Supernatural, Thriller
By Namsu4 years ago in Horror
Retro Book Review
This Retro Book Review will cover the second book in R.L. Stine’s original Fear Street series: The Surprise Party. The story takes place not long after the events of the 1st book, The New Girl. When you pick up and start the 2nd book you’ll notice that the format of the book is different than the first in that we are given an epilogue. The chapter’s also contain the date and time at the top of the page. It’s a nice way to keep the events that happen in the book clear as well as making the point of view changes easy to follow. The main protagonist in this story is Meg Dalton a student at Shadyside High. We also get point of view chapters from her boyfriend Tony and the mysterious killer. This format was a delight and it kept the tension at high as I progressed through the book.
By Ashley McGuire4 years ago in Horror
Book Review: "Lapvona" by Ottessa Moshfegh
I have pretty much read all of Ottessa Moshfegh's books to date and they are all amazing. My favourite so far has to be Death in Her Hands and Lapvona is closely taking over as being either on par with Death in Her Hands or better than it. Lapvona is different to Ottessa Mosfegh's usual writing requests seeing as this one is not set in her usual modern day, but in Medieval Europe instead and this one also does not have a main character that is a woman, instead it has Marek - a deformed young boy who is pretty ostracised by his community. All in all, I found this one extremely interesting because it shows us that Ottessa Moshfegh is expanding her horizons into new and exciting areas.
By Annie Kapur4 years ago in Horror
Shadow Of That Witch
This story was told to me by my mother. My mother belongs to a small town and it is believed that some evil forces also reside in that village. My maternal grandfather had to face such an evil spirit. She was a witch, a witch with open hair and a terrible white face.It was winter time…..Dense fog covered the city. My maternal grandfather was a big officer. Like every day, when my maternal grandfather finished his work and started going home from office, he stopped to pick up some items from the market on the way. The rest of his companions went ahead and he was left behind.While taking the goods, he did not know the time and when Nanaji saw his watch, seeing the time, he felt that it would be too late to reach home today. He thought that if I go through the forest, I will reach soon, so he drove the car towards the forest. It had become quite dark. Nanaji was driving at high speed but a woman came in front of his car. He had to hit the brakes with a jerk. The woman who had come in front of the car was crying loudly.Nanaji felt that she must be the wife of a laborer who has lost her way. The road was deserted, so he thought that this woman should be helped. He asked the woman what is she doing here alone? She did not answer and started crying loudly. It seemed as if the whole forest was resonating with his voice. Nanaji asked where is her house, even then she did not say anything.Nanaji told him that you come to my house with me and I will drop you at your house in the morning. She agreed to walk with Nanaji and sat on the back seat of the car.Due to custom, he had put a veil over his head, due to which his face was hidden. Everyone on the car was waiting for Nanaji, as soon as the sound of the car came, everyone ran away and gathered.When asked about that woman in the house, Nanaji told the whole story. Nanaji said that this food will be prepared today. But my mother got suspicious of that woman. They thought that it was a thief who would steal the things of the house and run away. Mother asked her to go to the kitchen and cook, she left without giving any answer. Strange sounds were coming from the kitchen.After keeping all the things in the kitchen, my mother told her that everyone is hungry, so cook food quickly. Sent him to the kitchen but the mother's mind still did not calm down. When the mother reached the kitchen after 10 minutes, she saw that she was still taking out fish from the bag. Seeing this, the mother got angry. He told him that you have not started cooking yet, when will it be made and when will we eaThe woman's face was still covered, so no one saw her face. Mother kept trying to see his face but she did not even see a glimpse of him. Mother said if there is any need, call her but still she did not say anything. He thought that he might be afraid of unknown people. The mother left the kitchen but when she came back after 10 minutes, the mother got scared seeing the kitchen scene. His feet froze there. There was no sound coming out of his throat.He saw that woman sitting on the kitchen slap eating raw fish. Bones and pieces of meat are scattered all over the kitchen.
By PRADHUMAN4 years ago in Horror
Frankenstein's Monster was Actually VERY literate
A short while ago I had decided to take it upon myself to read the 'greats'. You know, the supposed literary giants of the modern world. My journey began with Charles Dickens, traveled across space and time with Frank Herbert's Dune, and then back again to The Brontë's. Last year I read for the first time Bram Stoker's Dracula, and gained a new appreciation for the form of horror writing. Before Stephen King became the 'king' of horror and before Guillermo del Toro was Stoker. Before Stoker was the Queen of Horror: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
By John Eva4 years ago in Horror
The Story Of Soul
It was the month of September. It was a dark dark night. Slowly the cool waves of wind were coming, lightning was shining in the sky. Mahendra uncle was sleeping in a cot in his field, away from his home.
By PRADHUMAN4 years ago in Horror
Reed Alexander's Literary Review of 'Blood and Mud' by John Baltisberger (2020)
Yeah, this was really good and I can definitely recommend it. I do have a huge gripe with horror that makes me want to root for the antagonist. One of the tropes I complain about the most is the tendency for horror to have victims that are all contemptible pricks. However, there are two important points to the first contemptible pricks of this story. First, they are white supremacists, a group called The Righteous, and I do love it when white nationalists, especially Incel white nationalists, get their comeuppance. I am a huge fan of comeuppance. As I've noted in the past, comeuppance can be cathartic.
By Reed Alexander4 years ago in Horror