Reviews

I picked this up on audible and it was awesome! A perfect collection of short stories that leave your mouth hanging open and goose bumps down your arm. I loved every horrifying second and would suggest anyone who enjoys the tingle of fear to pick it uo

rayleemcv's review against another edition

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5.0

Loved this book! I have heard some of M.J. Pack's work on the No Sleep Podcast and was happy to find that the rest of her stories are as equally creepy and unsettling as the ones on the show. Highly recommend for a dark, stormy night!

Bring your own night light.

caitastrophe's review against another edition

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2.0

2.5 stars.

I'm familiar with some of M.J. Pack's writing on Creepy Catalog, which I really think is her best platform. "Message board horror" is a bit of a craft, and Pack is great at it. Her work really reads like something you could have stumbled across in an Internet rabbit hole, or heard over a campfire with friends.

In a short story setting, though, a lot of her smaller weaknesses become exacerbated. Certain turns of phrases and literary techniques are over-used, the male machismo in some of the stories feels pretty forced, and the similarity between stories becomes obvious when you're binge-reading them.

I think Pack maybe also relies too much on her favorite horror movies, books, true crime stories, etc. to form the basis for a lot of her work. She does best when she's exploring her own ideas (as in "Everything Has a Season") rather than re-telling sequences from Trick 'r Treat or reimagining the story of the Silent Twins.

I should probably also add that part of the reason for the lower score was the choice of subject matter. I guess I should have known what I was getting with a title like "Certain Dark Things," but the use of subjects like rape, spree shootings and domestic violence really turned me off. This isn't to say the stories dealing with these subjects aren't effective - they are (particularly "The Axe"), I just wonder whether including them as light entertainment is very tasteful.

scpmrt's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

minbyrnes's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

doomkittiekhan's review against another edition

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5.0

A must-read if you like horror short stories.

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