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kotep's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
bmacenlightened's review against another edition
5.0
So as a southeast Michigander I don't get the Ohio references, but the settings are still pretty reminiscent of my area. I've been a fan of Prunty's work for a while now and on a whim picked this up after seeing enough people talk about it. It's not really terrifying horror, but unsettling and just plain weird. There are references to monsters I've never heard of, and new ways of thinking of ones that I have heard of. There's also a kind of interesting thread that pulls them together, so that the stories are happening in similar places with similar people and similar events, in some cases the same between two stories.
hsienhsien27's review against another edition
3.0
Mr. Prunty is that writer that I would be scared to meet in real life. That sounds a little mean, but it's my true feelings. (Did I write this before?) I read his The Warm Glow of Happy Homes months ago. I don't remember exactly when, but I enjoyed it. It was a novella, it was short, gory, and thrilling. Now here's a short story collection. It's completely different.
"The feeling of contentment would always be followed by the world crumbling beneath her feet."
I wonder if Prunty is a huge fan of old horror movies. Because while reading this, I played the soundtracks, did the jump scare effects whenever my eyes came across the violence, and the innocent little girl voices. "Hey? What is that?" *Gets murdered.*
But like a lot of people stated, the stories were wrapped up a bit too fast. "Oh hey! Look I killed someone! Oh no someone punched me. But I survived. And I walked home like nothing happened. The end." Just kidding that didn't actually happen. But I can probably say the longer short stories were better.
"The only mystery they had left her with was the mystery of who they were and what they were like. She didn't expect them to be anything but mystery."
And as much as I liked the first few short stories, it took a grand fall towards the end for me. I'm not sure if it was because I got tired of it or I was just getting really grossed out by it. Yeah, I said it. I got grossed out by a bizzaro book. The pedophilia, the fornication, the sacks of blood, it was just a little too much. There's horror and grossness, but this reminded me of those people who have weird fascinations with snuff films and watching people die with pleasure. I guess, I just wasn't in the mood for this one. I didn't expect this to be this gross though.
"Really, it was nothing. Just a bad dream. Just a nightmare. And everybody knows nightmares end when we open our eyes."
I guess I was too wimpy for this one. But I was reading this in the middle of the night and I cringed so bad at the last two stories. But eventually I got used to it and was like "meh," for the rest. I did get some weird dreams though.
Rating: 2.5/5
Originally posted here:https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1056108657346627928#allposts/postNum=1
"The feeling of contentment would always be followed by the world crumbling beneath her feet."
I wonder if Prunty is a huge fan of old horror movies. Because while reading this, I played the soundtracks, did the jump scare effects whenever my eyes came across the violence, and the innocent little girl voices. "Hey? What is that?" *Gets murdered.*
But like a lot of people stated, the stories were wrapped up a bit too fast. "Oh hey! Look I killed someone! Oh no someone punched me. But I survived. And I walked home like nothing happened. The end." Just kidding that didn't actually happen. But I can probably say the longer short stories were better.
"The only mystery they had left her with was the mystery of who they were and what they were like. She didn't expect them to be anything but mystery."
And as much as I liked the first few short stories, it took a grand fall towards the end for me. I'm not sure if it was because I got tired of it or I was just getting really grossed out by it. Yeah, I said it. I got grossed out by a bizzaro book. The pedophilia, the fornication, the sacks of blood, it was just a little too much. There's horror and grossness, but this reminded me of those people who have weird fascinations with snuff films and watching people die with pleasure. I guess, I just wasn't in the mood for this one. I didn't expect this to be this gross though.
"Really, it was nothing. Just a bad dream. Just a nightmare. And everybody knows nightmares end when we open our eyes."
I guess I was too wimpy for this one. But I was reading this in the middle of the night and I cringed so bad at the last two stories. But eventually I got used to it and was like "meh," for the rest. I did get some weird dreams though.
Rating: 2.5/5
Originally posted here:https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1056108657346627928#allposts/postNum=1
rock_n_reads's review
4.0
This was my first read from Prunty and I really enjoyed it. This is a collection of short fiction, and each story is linked by the fact that they take place in the same town. There were several standouts for me in this collection that I’m not going to forget any time soon. My Top 3 stories were: The Calming Wood, Candy Heart, and The Existential Dread of Complacency. I’ve got several other titles from this author lined up and I’m looking forward to it.
motherhorror's review
4.0
A collection of stories all taking place in the same, strange town known as Twin Springs, Ohio.
THE CALMING WOOD- This story is the perfect example of Andersen Prunty's A Game. Short. Compelling. Shocking. Memorable. I will never forget this story. Things just happen and there's no leading up to it or any hints of what's going to happen, Prunty drops horror bombs and keeps going. It's up to you, the reader to decide to keep running along after him or just surrender. This one was good.
MAY TO MAY- This was a nope. I felt like something hideous and nasty would happen and I was not let down. But I didn't like it.
CANDY HEART- Love this story. One of those werewolf stories I will always try to keep in my pocket for upcoming werewolf recommendations. This story and the first one are worth the price of admission.
RUNNING FROM THE ROSES- "The roses were hungry" The eventual death of a woman's granny is the catalyst for some unsettling revelations. I actually didn't quite get what happened the first time I read this story, so on a later date, I re-read it and everything clicked into place. I think there's one section of story that a reader needs to really pay attention to in order to understand what happens in the end and perhaps I missed it the first time around. I like this one.
THE MAN WHO HATED STEPHEN KING- A horror story for fans of Stephen King. *nervous laugh*
THE EXISTENTIAL DREAD OF COMPLACENCY- I have a love/hate relationship with this story. Again, now that I'm acquainted with Andersen Prunty's voice, this is the type of story I come to expect from him. It's immediately compelling and slightly unsettling. There's a growing tension. The ending is horrific and of course, it's extremely off-putting which is why it would be hard to recommend it to people. Prunty is like a personal favorite. I think readers should just come to his storytelling on their own terms and decide how they way to engage with it. Perhaps keeping in mind that not all of his story will land comfortably.
KING CREEP- Case in point: I quit reading this one. Too disturbing and gross. I didn't like what I was reading and I didn't want to find out where it was going.
THE CALMING WOOD- This story is the perfect example of Andersen Prunty's A Game. Short. Compelling. Shocking. Memorable. I will never forget this story. Things just happen and there's no leading up to it or any hints of what's going to happen, Prunty drops horror bombs and keeps going. It's up to you, the reader to decide to keep running along after him or just surrender. This one was good.
MAY TO MAY- This was a nope. I felt like something hideous and nasty would happen and I was not let down. But I didn't like it.
CANDY HEART- Love this story. One of those werewolf stories I will always try to keep in my pocket for upcoming werewolf recommendations. This story and the first one are worth the price of admission.
RUNNING FROM THE ROSES- "The roses were hungry" The eventual death of a woman's granny is the catalyst for some unsettling revelations. I actually didn't quite get what happened the first time I read this story, so on a later date, I re-read it and everything clicked into place. I think there's one section of story that a reader needs to really pay attention to in order to understand what happens in the end and perhaps I missed it the first time around. I like this one.
THE MAN WHO HATED STEPHEN KING- A horror story for fans of Stephen King. *nervous laugh*
THE EXISTENTIAL DREAD OF COMPLACENCY- I have a love/hate relationship with this story. Again, now that I'm acquainted with Andersen Prunty's voice, this is the type of story I come to expect from him. It's immediately compelling and slightly unsettling. There's a growing tension. The ending is horrific and of course, it's extremely off-putting which is why it would be hard to recommend it to people. Prunty is like a personal favorite. I think readers should just come to his storytelling on their own terms and decide how they way to engage with it. Perhaps keeping in mind that not all of his story will land comfortably.
KING CREEP- Case in point: I quit reading this one. Too disturbing and gross. I didn't like what I was reading and I didn't want to find out where it was going.
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