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This was such an incredibly beautiful collection of stories and I am honestly a bit in awe of Fracassi's prose and his ability to weave such beauty together yet somehow create horror stories. To make horror beautiful, well that's art in itself and takes incredible skill.
This is not the sort of collection you speed through, eagerly racing towards the finish line. These are the type of stories you want and need to savour, taking time moving from each story to the next and reflecting in between. Attention to detail is needed if one is to truly appreciate this collection for what it is.
These stories are largely centred around the theme of sky but yet each is executed in a unique way. The breadth and scope within this collection is incredible. Each story pulled me in immediately and I found myself wishing the collection wouldn't end. I wanted to write about each story but I did not feel I would describe them to the true extent of what they deserved. To be honest, this is also the sort of collection that I feel the less you know the more you will appreciate each story for its true merit.
I cannot wait to read more of Fracassi's work.
This is not the sort of collection you speed through, eagerly racing towards the finish line. These are the type of stories you want and need to savour, taking time moving from each story to the next and reflecting in between. Attention to detail is needed if one is to truly appreciate this collection for what it is.
These stories are largely centred around the theme of sky but yet each is executed in a unique way. The breadth and scope within this collection is incredible. Each story pulled me in immediately and I found myself wishing the collection wouldn't end. I wanted to write about each story but I did not feel I would describe them to the true extent of what they deserved. To be honest, this is also the sort of collection that I feel the less you know the more you will appreciate each story for its true merit.
I cannot wait to read more of Fracassi's work.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
slow-paced
I am still very new to the horror genre and I received this collection of short stories in the Nightworms subscription box, so I thought I would give it a go. Here's the thing, none of these stories scared me, none of them would keep me up at night. Maybe I have a higher threshold than some? What I did like was the writing. Beautiful descriptions, striking mental images and a sense of unease and dread did keep me turning the pages on some of the stories.
Harvest - 3.5 stars (loved the characters and the ambience of this one the best)
The Wheel - 3 stars
Soda Jerk - 3 stars
Symphony - 2
Ateuchus - 2
ID - 4 (loved the setting)
Fragile Dreams - 1 (way too long!)
Death, My Old Friend - 3
Some of the individual ratings could have been higher if the ending was a bit stronger or not as ambiguous.
Harvest - 3.5 stars (loved the characters and the ambience of this one the best)
The Wheel - 3 stars
Soda Jerk - 3 stars
Symphony - 2
Ateuchus - 2
ID - 4 (loved the setting)
Fragile Dreams - 1 (way too long!)
Death, My Old Friend - 3
Some of the individual ratings could have been higher if the ending was a bit stronger or not as ambiguous.
dark
emotional
fast-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Honestly one of the best short story collections I've read in a long time. Every single story surprised and horrified me, none of them are boring.
I was hesitant to read this book because I was guilty of one of the worst Reader Sins: I judged it by the cover, which I thought was boring. The cover certainly suggests a "dreamlike" vibe for these stories, which they have... but it's the kind of dream that disturbs you upon waking. The kind you don't want to linger upon, but can't help to do.
I wasn't even sure what these stories were about, which I think enhances the reading experience. I had no idea where these paths would take me--and I found myself in the midst of madness and demons and ghosts and the devil and alien worlds. It was fantastic.
Harvest - This story is like if Carrie and The Lottery had a baby.
The Wheel - A doomed date. The ending really hit me.
Soda Jerk - Gross and creepy and nostalgic for those old scary story collections I'd read as a kid.
Symphony - I absolutely loved this one and all its occult weirdness.
Ateuchus - Probably the one story that you can kind of guess where it's going, but it takes you farther than you anticipate.
ID - This entire story is unsettling and the ending truly horrified me.
Fragile Dreams - Do you have specific horror scenarios you think you'd go insane if they happened to you? This is one of mine.
If you are a fan of horror stories I HIGHLY recommend you read this collection. I am blown away by Fracassi's ability to write and the themes and scenarios he weaves into his stories. I don't re-read a lot of books but I can honestly see myself going back to these.
Death, My Old Friend - A fitting end.
I was hesitant to read this book because I was guilty of one of the worst Reader Sins: I judged it by the cover, which I thought was boring. The cover certainly suggests a "dreamlike" vibe for these stories, which they have... but it's the kind of dream that disturbs you upon waking. The kind you don't want to linger upon, but can't help to do.
I wasn't even sure what these stories were about, which I think enhances the reading experience. I had no idea where these paths would take me--and I found myself in the midst of madness and demons and ghosts and the devil and alien worlds. It was fantastic.
Harvest - This story is like if Carrie and The Lottery had a baby.
The Wheel - A doomed date. The ending really hit me.
Soda Jerk - Gross and creepy and nostalgic for those old scary story collections I'd read as a kid.
Symphony - I absolutely loved this one and all its occult weirdness.
Ateuchus - Probably the one story that you can kind of guess where it's going, but it takes you farther than you anticipate.
ID - This entire story is unsettling and the ending truly horrified me.
Fragile Dreams - Do you have specific horror scenarios you think you'd go insane if they happened to you? This is one of mine.
If you are a fan of horror stories I HIGHLY recommend you read this collection. I am blown away by Fracassi's ability to write and the themes and scenarios he weaves into his stories. I don't re-read a lot of books but I can honestly see myself going back to these.
Death, My Old Friend - A fitting end.
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
This is an anthology. The first one started out strong, but the rest were hit or miss for me. They all tend to start out in the present day (of the character), then incorporate flashbacks that tie into the endings. The flashbacks were sometimes a little drawn out, taking away from what was happening in the present.
Most of the stories were people going about their lives, and then something crazy happens. Some of them felt like the supernatural was shoe-horned in at the end and a little over-the-top. Some stories were just flat-out confusing.
The premises are interesting, though, and worth the read if you like general supernatural content. Not many ghosts/demons, more situational supernatural. The characters in all cases were very "normal", not boring, but bland on purpose to reflect the strange happenings around them.
Most of the stories were people going about their lives, and then something crazy happens. Some of them felt like the supernatural was shoe-horned in at the end and a little over-the-top. Some stories were just flat-out confusing.
The premises are interesting, though, and worth the read if you like general supernatural content. Not many ghosts/demons, more situational supernatural. The characters in all cases were very "normal", not boring, but bland on purpose to reflect the strange happenings around them.
Moderate: Child abuse
One of the stories deals with the abuse of a child.
One has a pretty graphic beat-down + some gory deaths.
dark
emotional
medium-paced