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absorbedinbooks's review
4.0
Tales of the What the F*ck is a collection of sixteen short stories and six poems, all of which will leave you wanting for more. I definitely stepped outside of my comfort zone with this book. While it is not a book I would typically be found picking up from the store or the library, I am glad I participated in the blog tour for it and got to read it.
The stories and poems belong to a diverse range of genres and themes. But the tone remains dark and somewhat twisted throughout them all. Dark humour can also be found in nearly all the tales.
When I started this book, I had no idea what I was getting into. But the more I read of it, the more pleasantly surprised I got. The stories are beautifully woven and the characters realistically portrayed. Some of the stories really had me exclaiming WTF at the impressive plot twists at the end. When reading this book, expect the unexpected, and still find yourself wondering how on earth did the story get to where it ends.
This book will not be everyone's cup of tea, but is a must read for horror enthusiasts. Nothing is quite as enjoyable as horror stories with sly humour and brilliant twists. The book will definitely make you think with its wry observations on modern life.
My favourite story was 'Succubus', a scary and creepy story of a photography lecturer who hated having his own pictures taken, and the unexpected outcome of a photography competition he hosted.
The stories and poems belong to a diverse range of genres and themes. But the tone remains dark and somewhat twisted throughout them all. Dark humour can also be found in nearly all the tales.
When I started this book, I had no idea what I was getting into. But the more I read of it, the more pleasantly surprised I got. The stories are beautifully woven and the characters realistically portrayed. Some of the stories really had me exclaiming WTF at the impressive plot twists at the end. When reading this book, expect the unexpected, and still find yourself wondering how on earth did the story get to where it ends.
This book will not be everyone's cup of tea, but is a must read for horror enthusiasts. Nothing is quite as enjoyable as horror stories with sly humour and brilliant twists. The book will definitely make you think with its wry observations on modern life.
My favourite story was 'Succubus', a scary and creepy story of a photography lecturer who hated having his own pictures taken, and the unexpected outcome of a photography competition he hosted.
stephbookshine's review
4.0
*I received a free ARC of this book via Rachel’s Random Resources blog tour. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
This collection delivers excellent value for money for fans of the dark and macabre, featuring sixteen short stories and six poems, mostly horror-based.
D.A. Watson dabbles expertly in a bit of everything, from classic ghost story-style horror tales, to grisly serial killer gorefests; from monsters under the bed to the human monsters who we invite into our beds. Dark humour also abounds, running through many of the stories and nearly all of the poems. The poems are written in Scots dialect, so authentic that you can hear the narrator as you read and, again, they are far-ranging in content: cannibals to zombies; burglary to bins.
These stories and poems aren’t all gruesome, but there is definitely some blood and viscera involved in places, so consider yourself warned if you have a sensitive stomach!
My personal favourites were ‘Durty Diana’, in which a drunk husband faces dangerous temptation; ‘Succubus’, a classic creepy horror story in which a photography lecturer uncovers an unexpected submission; and ‘Rusalka’, which features a jilted lover and a splash of Russian mythology. There wasn’t a single story or poem here that I didn’t enjoy, though.
There are a few recurring themes across some of the entries here: temptation, revenge, despair, love-gone-wrong, and the tone is universally dark. However, each also offers something different in terms of style and content, so I can confidently say that if you like a walk on the horror side then you’ll find something to enjoy here.
Tears blinding him, Frank slowly reached towards Anna’s smiling digitized face. The picture was from her last birthday. “I miss you,” he whispered.
As his fingertips made contact with the screen, he felt a sudden current tingle up his arm as if from a static shock. Frank instinctively tried to jerk his hand away, but found he couldn’t.
– D.A. Watson, ‘Coming Home’ in Tales of What the F*ck
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2020/01/27/blog-tour-tales-of-what-the-fck-d-a-watson/
This collection delivers excellent value for money for fans of the dark and macabre, featuring sixteen short stories and six poems, mostly horror-based.
D.A. Watson dabbles expertly in a bit of everything, from classic ghost story-style horror tales, to grisly serial killer gorefests; from monsters under the bed to the human monsters who we invite into our beds. Dark humour also abounds, running through many of the stories and nearly all of the poems. The poems are written in Scots dialect, so authentic that you can hear the narrator as you read and, again, they are far-ranging in content: cannibals to zombies; burglary to bins.
These stories and poems aren’t all gruesome, but there is definitely some blood and viscera involved in places, so consider yourself warned if you have a sensitive stomach!
My personal favourites were ‘Durty Diana’, in which a drunk husband faces dangerous temptation; ‘Succubus’, a classic creepy horror story in which a photography lecturer uncovers an unexpected submission; and ‘Rusalka’, which features a jilted lover and a splash of Russian mythology. There wasn’t a single story or poem here that I didn’t enjoy, though.
There are a few recurring themes across some of the entries here: temptation, revenge, despair, love-gone-wrong, and the tone is universally dark. However, each also offers something different in terms of style and content, so I can confidently say that if you like a walk on the horror side then you’ll find something to enjoy here.
Tears blinding him, Frank slowly reached towards Anna’s smiling digitized face. The picture was from her last birthday. “I miss you,” he whispered.
As his fingertips made contact with the screen, he felt a sudden current tingle up his arm as if from a static shock. Frank instinctively tried to jerk his hand away, but found he couldn’t.
– D.A. Watson, ‘Coming Home’ in Tales of What the F*ck
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2020/01/27/blog-tour-tales-of-what-the-fck-d-a-watson/
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