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swampbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Overall an interesting collection of unique horror stories. While they were all different plots from one another they managed to have the same mood to them, which made for a monotone reading experience.
Green Eyes: 4 stars
Moonrise Over Water: 2 stars
Storms of the Present: 3 stars
Origin Story: 3 stars
Poppy: 2 stars
Interude: 1 star
The Stumbylum Imperative: 4 stars
Shadowman: 3 stars
Carpenters Thumb: 2.5 stars
Swallow: 1.5 stars
Ten and gone: 4
Notice: 3
A Candle for the Birthday Boy: 4
Overall an interesting collection of unique horror stories. While they were all different plots from one another they managed to have the same mood to them, which made for a monotone reading experience.
Green Eyes: 4 stars
Moonrise Over Water: 2 stars
Storms of the Present: 3 stars
Origin Story: 3 stars
Poppy: 2 stars
Interude: 1 star
The Stumbylum Imperative: 4 stars
Shadowman: 3 stars
Carpenters Thumb: 2.5 stars
Swallow: 1.5 stars
Ten and gone: 4
Notice: 3
A Candle for the Birthday Boy: 4
menastarr's review
1.0
thank you netgalley for sending me an ARC of christopher hawkin's "suburban monsters" anthology. as a horror lover, when i came across this on NG i had to give it a try!! however, at 64% i decided to DNF. despite me really wanting to enjoy this short story collection, i couldn't. i'm not sure if it was hawkins' writing style or the very lackluster and unoriginal plots for the stories, but it was very unenjoyable for me to read. i was hoping that it would get better or that there would be a story i would truly click with but alas, that was not the case. HOWEVER! i did write mini reviews for the stories that i did read.
green eyes: 2.5/5 - well that was just outright depressing. it kind of reminded me of the movie "antlers" with the whole neglected child, single parent with supernatural issue vibe. i noticed "leaves" was consistently spelled as "leafs", and i'm curious if that was deliberate or not due to the narrator being a young girl. everything else was spelled correctly though, so i'm not sure.
moonrise over water: 3/5 - honestly was unsure how i wanted to rate this one. i took a liking to the artistic elements, though i felt like there was no passion in the story, if that makes sense. it felt like a filler in-between other stories in this collection (little did i know... the ENTIRE collection was going to feel like filler)
storms of the present: DNF - i had to skip through this one because it truly did not sit well with me. MAJOR trigger warning for self harm, eating disorders. and body dysmorphia. definitely not a fan of this story by any means.
origin story: 1/5 - wasn't impressed. very predictable, with boring and unlikable characters.
poppy: 4/5 - this was a step up from the other stories in the collection!! it was honestly really interesting and kept me entertained.
interude: 1/5 - talk about corny... the concept as a story was not executed effectively; however, it may have been better if it were in the form of a short film!
the stumblybums: 2/5 - idk i feel like this concept has been used and recycled so many times before that it didn't have an effect on me. maybe i'm just overly critical... who knows
green eyes: 2.5/5 - well that was just outright depressing. it kind of reminded me of the movie "antlers" with the whole neglected child, single parent with supernatural issue vibe. i noticed "leaves" was consistently spelled as "leafs", and i'm curious if that was deliberate or not due to the narrator being a young girl. everything else was spelled correctly though, so i'm not sure.
moonrise over water: 3/5 - honestly was unsure how i wanted to rate this one. i took a liking to the artistic elements, though i felt like there was no passion in the story, if that makes sense. it felt like a filler in-between other stories in this collection (little did i know... the ENTIRE collection was going to feel like filler)
storms of the present: DNF - i had to skip through this one because it truly did not sit well with me. MAJOR trigger warning for self harm, eating disorders. and body dysmorphia. definitely not a fan of this story by any means.
origin story: 1/5 - wasn't impressed. very predictable, with boring and unlikable characters.
poppy: 4/5 - this was a step up from the other stories in the collection!! it was honestly really interesting and kept me entertained.
interude: 1/5 - talk about corny... the concept as a story was not executed effectively; however, it may have been better if it were in the form of a short film!
the stumblybums: 2/5 - idk i feel like this concept has been used and recycled so many times before that it didn't have an effect on me. maybe i'm just overly critical... who knows
madmooney's review against another edition
5.0
[b:Suburban Monsters|63267244|Suburban Monsters|Christopher Hawkins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1668039001l/63267244._SY75_.jpg|99171745] features a collection of short stories ranging from 2007 to 2023. This is a 5-star collection of stories – each one feels different from the rest (which is how I normally score short story collections). I also would like to put each entry into specific categories on whether or not there is potential for these short stories to bloom into something bigger.
Perfectly fine in its current format
“Moonrise Over Water With Sargassum, 2022, Oil on Canvas" (3/5) - This one reminded specifically about a story from Creepshow (I think it starred Leslie Nielsen)
“Interlude” (1/5) - Coulrophilia. Boy runs away with the Carnival. I would say it was my least favourite of the collection.
“The Stumblybum Imperative” (5/5) – I can see a subreddit opening on this story alone. Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared meets Babadook.
“Shadowman” (2/5) - Peter Pan and hid shadow’s hijinks in the real world.
“Carpenter’s Thumb” (4/5) - This one really harkened me back to reading Clive Barker’s Body Politic so many years ago.
“Notice” (3/5) - An epistolary, where someone slowly relates why they are resigning.
Would love to see developed into a movie
“A Candle for the Birthday Boy" (5/5) - This one was quite a ride as well! Expect a gut punch in the final pages of this one.
“Ten and Gone” (5/5) - Cat Burglar finds a pitchet plant of a target. A mimic meeting the end of Poltergeist. WOW what a ride this one was!
Would love to see developed visually as a Graphic novel (or an entry in Heavy Metal magazine)
“Origin Story” – (4/5) At first, this entry felt very out of place of this collection, but it quickly twists its way back into belonging.
“Swallow” (5/5) - It has long since been proven that a blinking of the eyes suppresses visual cortical activity with each blink. It is because of this that the world does not go noticeably dark 80 tmes a minute. What about gustation? How do we turn off tasting ourselves when we are not eating? Are we blocked from developing a craving for ourselves?
Has true novella potential
“Poppy” - (3/5) More of a sad story rather than a creepy one. Not the only one in the run that deals with mannequins
“Storms of the Present” – (5/5) OH MAN. This one had me grimacing, clutching my ethereal pearls and holding my face in empathetic pain. But it was a form of dread/disgust/horror that I had to immediately share. (Self-harm and Mental Health warnings in this one). It was very hard for me to get through this one – but for all the good reasons.
Single Season as a Mike Flanagan series
"Green Eyes” (5/5) - Latchkey kid spending time at home with convalescing mother. Sweet scenes overlain with gruesome.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of the book.
Perfectly fine in its current format
“Moonrise Over Water With Sargassum, 2022, Oil on Canvas" (3/5) - This one reminded specifically about a story from Creepshow (I think it starred Leslie Nielsen)
“Interlude” (1/5) - Coulrophilia. Boy runs away with the Carnival. I would say it was my least favourite of the collection.
“The Stumblybum Imperative” (5/5) – I can see a subreddit opening on this story alone. Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared meets Babadook.
“Shadowman” (2/5) - Peter Pan and hid shadow’s hijinks in the real world.
“Carpenter’s Thumb” (4/5) - This one really harkened me back to reading Clive Barker’s Body Politic so many years ago.
“Notice” (3/5) - An epistolary, where someone slowly relates why they are resigning.
Would love to see developed into a movie
“A Candle for the Birthday Boy" (5/5) - This one was quite a ride as well! Expect a gut punch in the final pages of this one.
“Ten and Gone” (5/5) - Cat Burglar finds a pitchet plant of a target. A mimic meeting the end of Poltergeist. WOW what a ride this one was!
Would love to see developed visually as a Graphic novel (or an entry in Heavy Metal magazine)
“Origin Story” – (4/5) At first, this entry felt very out of place of this collection, but it quickly twists its way back into belonging.
“Swallow” (5/5) - It has long since been proven that a blinking of the eyes suppresses visual cortical activity with each blink. It is because of this that the world does not go noticeably dark 80 tmes a minute. What about gustation? How do we turn off tasting ourselves when we are not eating? Are we blocked from developing a craving for ourselves?
Has true novella potential
“Poppy” - (3/5) More of a sad story rather than a creepy one. Not the only one in the run that deals with mannequins
“Storms of the Present” – (5/5) OH MAN. This one had me grimacing, clutching my ethereal pearls and holding my face in empathetic pain. But it was a form of dread/disgust/horror that I had to immediately share. (Self-harm and Mental Health warnings in this one). It was very hard for me to get through this one – but for all the good reasons.
Single Season as a Mike Flanagan series
"Green Eyes” (5/5) - Latchkey kid spending time at home with convalescing mother. Sweet scenes overlain with gruesome.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of the book.
kalesaladd's review against another edition
5.0
I've never heard of this author, but wow. These are VERY well written and incredibly frightening. I don't get nauseous from horror very easily, especially horror literature, but wow, does this guy have a knack for descriptions. Despite the nausea, this is a wonderfully terrifying short story collection.
blatdriver's review against another edition
5.0
I’d never read this author before, but the description sounded interesting and it’s only 228 pages, so I thought I give it a go.
I’m so glad I did, I loved it!
My Favourite was A Candle for the Birthday Boy, about a missing birthday boy, this story has a 'that can't be good' feelings about it.
The writing is smooth and easy to read, and the stories were so compelling I found it hard to put down, there is a good mix of creepy and unsettling stories.
I’ve already pick up more of Christopher Hawkins short stories.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.*
I’m so glad I did, I loved it!
My Favourite was A Candle for the Birthday Boy, about a missing birthday boy, this story has a 'that can't be good' feelings about it.
The writing is smooth and easy to read, and the stories were so compelling I found it hard to put down, there is a good mix of creepy and unsettling stories.
I’ve already pick up more of Christopher Hawkins short stories.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.*
theduchess93's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't realize that this anthology was all written by the same person until about halfway through -- all of the tones and themes were so wildly different while still remaining within that "suburban" sphere of tense, restrained, horror-of-everyday-things. My favorite story was the one about the cursed kids' show, and scenes from that story now haunt my dreams.
costumeparty's review against another edition
4.0
These stories are the perfect collection of related topics but different narrative voices, so that each one feels refreshing but also each one wears the reader down into a deeper sense of dread. Certain stories, like Storms of the Present are so graphic in description while still leaving many questions unanswered in the best addicting short story manner.
Hawkins writes differently for each story to capture the perspective clearly, and does this well, but has a story telling style that's very subtle and delightful. In each story, the events sort of unfold without a clear outline, and I was left usually figuring out what was happening in the same time as the narrator, seeing things unravel and realizing the horrific implications along with them. It's hard to describe, but he gives details in a way that keeps the reader anxious, kind of as if he's not showing the whole scene in one shot, and we're left to wonder what's hiding. If that makes sense. It's brilliant and I noticed it in almost every story.
I especially enjoyed
Hawkins writes differently for each story to capture the perspective clearly, and does this well, but has a story telling style that's very subtle and delightful. In each story, the events sort of unfold without a clear outline, and I was left usually figuring out what was happening in the same time as the narrator, seeing things unravel and realizing the horrific implications along with them. It's hard to describe, but he gives details in a way that keeps the reader anxious, kind of as if he's not showing the whole scene in one shot, and we're left to wonder what's hiding. If that makes sense. It's brilliant and I noticed it in almost every story.
I especially enjoyed
kittennpawzz's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this book was beautifully written!
I really enjoyed it but I felt like certain parts droned on for far too long and personally felt like a chore to read.
I'm also not a huge fan of supernatural stories which is what a large majority of stories in the book are.
My favourite stories were 'Poppy' and 'A Candle For The Birthday Boy' which I would say are the least supernatural out of the stories.
Overall, I really liked the book and liked Hawkins' writing, I just dont see myself picking it up again unless it's to go back to read certain stories.
I really enjoyed it but I felt like certain parts droned on for far too long and personally felt like a chore to read.
I'm also not a huge fan of supernatural stories which is what a large majority of stories in the book are.
My favourite stories were 'Poppy' and 'A Candle For The Birthday Boy' which I would say are the least supernatural out of the stories.
Overall, I really liked the book and liked Hawkins' writing, I just dont see myself picking it up again unless it's to go back to read certain stories.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
3.0
This is a nice little mix of horror stories. For the most part, they are pretty short. There are some definite stand-outs to me - Origin Story, Green Eyes, The Stumblybum Imperative. There were a few that I would have loved more of a story as I'd been left a little confused. Many were dark, a few were brutal, and they were all gross or gory in fabulous and unique ways. I really liked this mix of stories. I'll look for more from this author.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.