As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m bringing Magic Monday back from the dead (again!), just in time for the spookiest month of the year.
The book I’m reviewing today is a horror anthology by Matthew Dewar, a theme I thought fitting given that 1) it is October and 2) my writer’s group is releasing a horror anthology in just a few days (read more about that here).
First, let’s take a look at the cover!
Spooky? Terrifying? Chill-inducing? Pick your adjective…all I know is that if I saw a spider that big on my bookshelf, I’d turn and run screaming in the other direction. Given that Matthew lives Down Under, however, he’s probably dealt with spiders that big. Maybe. They certainly grow them that size in Australia, at any rate. (Probably in the States as well, but not where I live!)
Now for the blurb…
Twelve young teens learn that happily ever afters only exist in fairy tales.
Jessica has heard the rumours about drop bears, but are they real?
What will Connor see on the prison tour?
Whose old boot did Jack catch while fishing with his dad?
Will Jane end up with a lump of coal in her Christmas stocking?
Find out in these twelve creepy Nightmare Stories.
I know the answers to all of these questions now, but I’m not spoiling anything! The blurb is brief, but drew me in. I wanted to know what a drop bear was (now I wish I didn’t know! One more reason to avoid Australia!), and I wanted to see if Connor would be scared by a ghost, or something else, and I wanted to find out why Jane would deserve a lump of coal… Not to mention the nine other teens who were being subjected to their own versions of horror.
The blurb, of course, said nothing about spiders. The cover should have been warning enough, but I dove into the anthology rather innocently. And I handled the scares pretty well, if I do say so myself.
Right up until the point where I was reading the short story titled Arachnophobia…and looked down to find a little spider had started spinning a web from my arm. Apparently, when I read, I’m so buried in the story I barely move.
I’m proud to say I didn’t shriek, but I did jump. A lot.
If you enjoy creepy horror with unexpected twists, definitely check this out. You can find it on Amazon as well as at other retailers.
To connect with Matthew Dewar, visit him on Twitter, Facebook, or his website.
