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monstermedic's review
5.0
Fun!
Quick, easy read of some short horror stories. I wouldn’t say urban legends, so much, if you’re looking for the classic ones that you grew up hearing as a kid, but these are haunting (in a fun way) enough that you should breeze through the collection in no time.
Quick, easy read of some short horror stories. I wouldn’t say urban legends, so much, if you’re looking for the classic ones that you grew up hearing as a kid, but these are haunting (in a fun way) enough that you should breeze through the collection in no time.
furythephoenix's review
4.0
Great collection of horror stories, but not the best example of creepypasta form
With the exception of maybe one story that went on for far too long, I loved this collection. The very best stories read as confessionals or warnings to the reader, much like the earliest creepypastas online where the anonymous delivery vector of online forums, making "legend" origins hard to trace, was actually what made the stories terrifying.
Unfortunately, this collection evokes the form and mood of true creepypastas only half the time in my opinion. That being said, the stories are excellent examples of horror from across the spectrum.
Perhaps it's a testament of an involuntary evolution of the creepypasta form that resulted in an apparent necessity to remind readers of the fictional nature of the stories (as history shows at least two people, inspired by Slenderman, have taken the flight into fantasy and horror too far, and probably a lot more), which is noble, but it has resulted in stories that feel contrived, losing the edge that creepypasta as an offshoot had over its parent genre.
Overall however I enjoyed the book and recommend it to horror fans. It just loses the 1 star on account of what I'd lightly call false advertising.
With the exception of maybe one story that went on for far too long, I loved this collection. The very best stories read as confessionals or warnings to the reader, much like the earliest creepypastas online where the anonymous delivery vector of online forums, making "legend" origins hard to trace, was actually what made the stories terrifying.
Unfortunately, this collection evokes the form and mood of true creepypastas only half the time in my opinion. That being said, the stories are excellent examples of horror from across the spectrum.
Perhaps it's a testament of an involuntary evolution of the creepypasta form that resulted in an apparent necessity to remind readers of the fictional nature of the stories (as history shows at least two people, inspired by Slenderman, have taken the flight into fantasy and horror too far, and probably a lot more), which is noble, but it has resulted in stories that feel contrived, losing the edge that creepypasta as an offshoot had over its parent genre.
Overall however I enjoyed the book and recommend it to horror fans. It just loses the 1 star on account of what I'd lightly call false advertising.
zombiecupcake29's review
5.0
I’ve listened to MrCreepyPasta since he started his YouTube channel and don’t know how I never knew he came out with short story collections! I have been absolutely engrossed in this book since starting it to the point that I was so into it I jumped when my phone went off alerting me to a text. This collection compiles a wonderful selection of stories that make you wonder which are true and which are make believe. Like with all short story collections there were a few I didn’t really enjoy as much but all in all this was still a 5 star read for me. Now on to Volume 2.
jamessabata's review
4.0
One story, in particular, dragged too much for me with what I felt was a really lackluster payoff. The upside is that it was surrounded by several other really good stories. And you know what? That's how anthologies often work.
With that said, I like that most of the stories involved do NOT require a lot of knowledge of creepypastas or the history of certain characters to enjoy the stories.
As a hockey fan, my three stars of the night are:
DOWN IN THE LIBRARY BASEMENT was probably my favorite. THEY DIE NAMELESS was a fun concept with pretty good execution. A TRICK OF PERSPECTIVE came through in a way I was not expecting.
(Cava's PICTURE THIS gets an honorable mention, but I didn't read it here, as I'd read/heard it many times before).
Recommended.
With that said, I like that most of the stories involved do NOT require a lot of knowledge of creepypastas or the history of certain characters to enjoy the stories.
As a hockey fan, my three stars of the night are:
DOWN IN THE LIBRARY BASEMENT was probably my favorite. THEY DIE NAMELESS was a fun concept with pretty good execution. A TRICK OF PERSPECTIVE came through in a way I was not expecting.
(Cava's PICTURE THIS gets an honorable mention, but I didn't read it here, as I'd read/heard it many times before).
Recommended.
simbareadss's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
ofmiceandmenudo's review
4.0
This collection was a fun read! The stories were quite creepy and very original. My personal favorites were "Down in the library basement", "Bedtime", and "Creeping Crimson". If you are a fan of Creepypasta you will definitely enjoy.
catgirl_luna's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
tristansearle's review
5.0
Even scarier and more well-written than I anticipated. I expected this book to be a series of B-type horror stories, a fun read to lighten my load between longer works of fiction, but these tales drew me in strongly and were just as enthralling (if not more so) than any other horror collection out there. The authors definitely know the ins and outs of psychological horror and display incredible originality. I find myself unconsciously reflecting on some of the stories to this day, the ideas are strangely entrancing and get deep into your head. A definite to-read for any fan of the horror genre.
captainflint's review
2.0
Something is lost when these stories are converted to book form. My favorite part of websites like Creepypasta and reddit nosleep is the atmosphere- not of the stories, but of the location itself. No matter how popular it gets, they feel like dark corners of the internet, something covert, hidden, where people tell stories of the unknown. The fact that they're in forum form make them even better- like it's just another conversation you'd have with someone you don't know on the internet. It makes it personal. It adds a feeling of legitimacy, of intimacy, like sharing urban legends around a campfire. When you put these in a book, it puts more of a separation between the storyteller and the reader. A book emphasizes the fact that this is, indeed, a story, while on online forums, where one might have a completely real conversation, you feel like the stories could be real, even though you know they're not. A couple of these I had read already, and I thought they were much creepier when I had read them online. I understand the appeal of a collection. It's annoying to wade through crappy story upon crappy story to find the ones you like- after all, anyone can publish online. In a book, you're guaranteed some level of quality without having to hunt it down. But it's not worth it, not by far. This is the wrong format for this kind of shortform horror.
There's also the fact that horror fiction is just such a personal thing, and one of the great things about creepypasta and reddit nosleep is that you can search by category, or find authors you like, or whatnot. A lot of the stories in this collection were fine, just not to my taste. I personally prefer psychological stuff, and there was a disproportionate amount of stories that got their scariness from straight up gore. I prefer being able to pick and choose what I'm going to read.
There's also the fact that horror fiction is just such a personal thing, and one of the great things about creepypasta and reddit nosleep is that you can search by category, or find authors you like, or whatnot. A lot of the stories in this collection were fine, just not to my taste. I personally prefer psychological stuff, and there was a disproportionate amount of stories that got their scariness from straight up gore. I prefer being able to pick and choose what I'm going to read.
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