book reviews

Book reviews for horror fans; weather a sleepless night with literary accounts of hauntings, possessions, zombies, vampires and beyond.

Reed Alexander's Horror Review of 'Trigger Warning: Body Horror Anthology' (2019)
I can easily say form the first three stories, that this anthology is worth the cover price. Madness Heart Press has done it again. So far, I’m actually more impressed with this anthology than Creeping Corruption.
By Reed Alexander7 years ago in Horror
Thank You, Stephen King
“No good friends. No bad friends. Only people you want, need to be with; people who build their houses in your heart.” (KING, STEPHEN. IT. SCRIBNER, 2019.)
By Jaime Burbatt7 years ago in Horror
Why Stephen King Is the King
I am a person who really does not have a taking to horror. I have tried picking up a Stephen King book and getting through it, but it was a horrible experience where I had nightmares that were constant. I had to immediately rush to the nearest library and throw the book into the return slot and never thought about it again. Now, you might be asking me, how do I know that he is the best horror novelist out there? Well, for starters, he has sold 350 million copies of his books and he has written at least 88, and any author can tell you that is a lot of books to write. However, I was taking a class for creative writing and one of my profs, whom I admire to this day, has told me that if you are going to read any book, it must be Stephen King's On Writing:A Memoir of the Craft. So I bought it at Value Village and I started reading. He starts off with his childhood and how we grew up. There was a story of when he got an ear infection, and every little detail of the sounds of what he felt made it seem so agonizing and real, that I understood why he wrote horror. He took a simple childhood story and he turned it into a horror story of the ear infection. That's what made me realize that anyone can be a writer, anyone can be a horror writer. You take a simple story, and bit by bit, you add parts and words that make it terrifying—and there you go, you have a book.
By Ada Zuba7 years ago in Horror
Homage to Horror: A Review of 'Pumpkin Night'
In a effort to expand into other new horror manga, not just Junji Ito, I spent the last couple of months reading almost anything I came across. Some honorable mentions include Happiness (Shuzo Oshimi), Kiriko Kills' (Shingo Honda), and Killing Morph (Masaya Hokazono), but nothing entertained me more than Pumpkin Night. This manga is currently on-going and this review contains some spoilers!
By Samantha Sing7 years ago in Horror
Emily Carroll Imagines Girlhood with Teeth
Next month, horror artist Emily Carroll will be coming out with a new comic titled When I Arrived at the Castle. It's a gothic lesbian vampire comic, a sentence in which every word gets more and more exciting. In anticipation for this release, I am going to be looking back at Carroll's previous comic, Through the Woods.
By kit vaillancourt7 years ago in Horror
Reed Alexander's Horror Review of 'The First Shred' Madness Heart Press (2019)
Fucking fascinating. I’m a very story-oriented reader. Of course, a story should be well-written, but in my professional opinion, writing capacity is a second to a good story. As long as the writing isn’t total shit, the story is what keeps the reader going. This story did have many problems, however, I kept reading. For an individual with severe adult ADHD, that's a feat the author can be proud of.
By Reed Alexander7 years ago in Horror
Terrifying Paranormal Non-Fiction Books for Your Favorite Horror Fan
When I was younger, reading about true stories involving the paranormal helped me cope with all the things I didn't understand. I didn't understand why my life was falling apart, why everything sucked, and why nothing really seemed to make sense.
By Iggy Paulsen7 years ago in Horror
Reed Alexander's Horror Review of 'Creeping Corruption' (2019)
My GOD Madness Heart! Where the FUCK you been for the last 10 years? I’ve been in desperate need of strong gripping horror narrative, and frankly, I’m disappointed it took you so long to feed my cravings. THIS MONKEY DOESN’T FIX ITSELF!
By Reed Alexander7 years ago in Horror
Book Review: 'King of the Road' by R.S. Belcher
Wow, my friends. It took me a while to get this review of R.S. Belcher's second installment of the Brotherhood of the Wheel series, and I do apologize, but here it is. To paraphrase a couple of lovable hillbillies, it's a doozy of a book! So let's dive right in, shall we?
By Crysta Coburn7 years ago in Horror
10 Books About Real Hauntings Every Horror Fan Should Read
The horror genre is going through a bit of a renaissance at the moment. Between the latest Halloween reboot/sequel and the hit new Netflix adaption of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, the horror genre is absolutely thriving right now.
By Timothy Kohut7 years ago in Horror
'The Chalk Man': C.J. Tudor Review
I noticed this book as I was browsing WHSmiths at Birmingham Airport. I always like to take a gander at the books they have in their recommended, best selling, and half price sections. However, this book was harmoniously shoved with the magazines on the other side of the library section. That’s what caught my eye, the fact that it was propped in such an odd place. The front cover pulled me in further, telling my brain to reach out and grab it. Furthermore, Stephen King had read it. Stephen King. Anything recommended by him must be good, I thought. So, of course, I did pick it up, to the bemusement of my partner who was going to pay for it.
By Tiffany Purcell7 years ago in Horror
'New Orleans Vampires' by Marita Woywod Crandle - Book Review
We all know that New Orleans is a city filled with the supernatural. From The Originals on CW to Anne Rice’s novels to AHS: Coven on FX and all the books, movies, shows, museums, and stories in between, they sure showcase that. But if you're planning a trip to the Big Easy yourself, first grab a copy of New Orleans Vampires by Marita Woywod Crandle. Instead of the made-up, TV-perfect vampires we know and love, Crandle will take you into the world of real vampires in New Orleans. And while they may not always be as glamorous, or as beautiful, as our favorite vampires of TV and books, they are the real, truthful, traditional vampires of New Orleans—and it's best to know who to look out for on your nightly strolls through the French Quarter.
By Kristen Barenthaler7 years ago in Horror