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swashbucklerstanley's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
gillianw's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
A book of short stories isn't usually my jam, but this selection of creepy tales was the perfect read in the run up to spooooky Halloween. Some stories were stronger than others, but on the whole this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
A book of short stories isn't usually my jam, but this selection of creepy tales was the perfect read in the run up to spooooky Halloween. Some stories were stronger than others, but on the whole this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
utali's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
remigves's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
thage's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
quetzi's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
apollinares's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Who doesn't love a repressed, queer, nervous wreck of an academic? I sure do, and while these short stories weren't as traditionally scary as I'd hoped, they managed to instill in me an eeriness I altogether enjoyed.
Booth is a downtrodden mess, and I relate to him in some ways, especially when it comes to our social anxiety (I'm better at handling it now but I can see a glimpse of my past self in this character); maybe that's why I liked the book - for a horror protagonist, he reacts to things in an entirely appropriate fashion (a pet peeve of mine is the brushing off of extremely harrowing events for the sake of plot; Booth does the opposite. Booth dwells.)
There are some issues with the short story as a format for one protagonist's various misadventures, in my opinion - I wanted a little character growth, if anything, or a mystery that truly stumps our archivist - but there is rarely time to truly explore any of that. Had I consumed the stories as one-offs, I would not have noticed, but I engulfed this anthology in a couple of evenings, and that made my gripes with the format stand out. Which I can't even fault the book for - it's not a bad thing that I want more of this character!
Time to track down the other Booth stories! There's actually a novel that just came out (as of fall 2023) - I only picked up this book to get acquainted with the character before reading it, but now I'm extra excited to be reunited with Kyle Murchison Booth once more!
Booth is a downtrodden mess, and I relate to him in some ways, especially when it comes to our social anxiety (I'm better at handling it now but I can see a glimpse of my past self in this character); maybe that's why I liked the book - for a horror protagonist, he reacts to things in an entirely appropriate fashion (a pet peeve of mine is the brushing off of extremely harrowing events for the sake of plot; Booth does the opposite. Booth dwells.)
There are some issues with the short story as a format for one protagonist's various misadventures, in my opinion - I wanted a little character growth, if anything, or a mystery that truly stumps our archivist - but there is rarely time to truly explore any of that. Had I consumed the stories as one-offs, I would not have noticed, but I engulfed this anthology in a couple of evenings, and that made my gripes with the format stand out. Which I can't even fault the book for - it's not a bad thing that I want more of this character!
Time to track down the other Booth stories! There's actually a novel that just came out (as of fall 2023) - I only picked up this book to get acquainted with the character before reading it, but now I'm extra excited to be reunited with Kyle Murchison Booth once more!
pvbobrien's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
lenci's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0