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A review by justinkhchen
At Home With the Horrors by Sammy Scott, Sammy Scott
3.25
Extreme highs and lows, I'll admit I did go into At Home With the Horrors with some expectation, as it came highly recommended. After reading, while there are definitely some unarguable hits (the story Theresa takes the crown in that category), being indie-published, one can tell the lack of vigorous editing does hinder the collection—aside from spelling and grammatical errors (noticeable but not distracting), the book would've rated higher if it is a more curated collection of 10 instead of 14.
Sammy Scott seems to be a stronger scenario writer rather than character, as many of my least favorites in the collection are the lengthier ones (Nancy, People You May Know, Emil Bones), where the tension and horror is diluted by uninteresting scenes of bland characters conversing in expected dialogs (with one instance of cringey attempt at writing romantic banter). The stories are at their strongest when they are told efficiently, setting up an unusual circumstance, and turning it on its head with otherworldly development (Theresa, Re-birth, Katherine).
Despite it being greatly uneven, if you have Kindle Unlimited access, I still think this is worth checking out for a selection of its stories (I like more than half of them), especially if you're craving classic horror tales akin to Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone.
- - -
What We Have Here: 4.25 stars
An excellent opener, a well-rounded glimpse of domestic incidents that is both horrifying and thematically clear.
Theresa: 5 stars
Both bone-chilling and heartbreaking, this one features some harrowing sequences (I couldn't put it down), and the closing line really solidifies it as an obvious standout entry.
Blackbird: 4 stars
Very engaging plot progression (reminiscent of the movie Inception), with a decent 'twist', but some of the details feel a bit first draft and less resolved.
The Sisters: 2.5 stars
A little bit of a filler story, goes in a particular direction as expected—at least it's really short.
Peeping Tommy: 3 stars
Great horror imagery, but the story is a little cliche (very Goosebumps), and the ending feels rushed as way more could've been done with the setting (a fabricated, staged model home).
Becca: 3.5 stars
I'm starting to notice a 'template' these stories go through (protagonist turning out to be connected to the entity that is disrupting them)—this one is still decent at delivering creepy imagery, but it's starting to feel predictable and indistinguishable from other stories in the collection.
Sleeptalker: 3.75 stars
Another solid one. Sammy Scott is really good at creating a believable suburban husband and wife dynamic/scene.
Re-birth: 4.5 stars
Extremely provocative with a slight sci-fi undertone; the concept brings up really compelling societal commentary (though not as fleshed out as what I would've liked), and I love the emotional buildup to the payoff!
Katherine: 4.25 stars
A really neat spin on the reliable haunted house story, really enjoy how the mystery unravels.
Scared Mary: 3.25 stars
Contains a bit too much info dump regarding the origin of a viral Youtube channel (though I do appreciate its overall sarcastic tone). Highlight being the unexpected, but perfectly tension-filled closing moment.
Something Else Entirely: 2 stars
Flat-lined plot with no build up and vague on detail.
Nancy: 2 stars
While I like the concept (being haunted by past mistake), the overall progression is disjointed, with inconsistent logic and odd character reaction. Even though the misdirect provided by the name 'Nancy' is effective, this one feels like the story is spinning its wheels to get to the point.
People You May Know: 2 stars
A weak drama with a tacked on 'twist' ending that comes out of nowhere. I don't think the characters are interesting enough to warrant the extended length.
Emil Bones: 2.5 stars
The longest story in this collection (taking 1/3 of the book's overall length), it is frustratingly long and padded, drowning out some excellent ideas (the final spin on reader/writer relationship is clever) and elements (there's a plot critical poem that is bone-chilling in its naivete). Clearly inspired by the film The Babadook, the story beats feel too familiar, and could've easily been condensed to half of its current length (simply by removing the romance side plot—the banters are trying way too hard to be cute to the point of cringe).
Sammy Scott seems to be a stronger scenario writer rather than character, as many of my least favorites in the collection are the lengthier ones (Nancy, People You May Know, Emil Bones), where the tension and horror is diluted by uninteresting scenes of bland characters conversing in expected dialogs (with one instance of cringey attempt at writing romantic banter). The stories are at their strongest when they are told efficiently, setting up an unusual circumstance, and turning it on its head with otherworldly development (Theresa, Re-birth, Katherine).
Despite it being greatly uneven, if you have Kindle Unlimited access, I still think this is worth checking out for a selection of its stories (I like more than half of them), especially if you're craving classic horror tales akin to Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone.
- - -
What We Have Here: 4.25 stars
An excellent opener, a well-rounded glimpse of domestic incidents that is both horrifying and thematically clear.
Theresa: 5 stars
Both bone-chilling and heartbreaking, this one features some harrowing sequences (I couldn't put it down), and the closing line really solidifies it as an obvious standout entry.
Blackbird: 4 stars
Very engaging plot progression (reminiscent of the movie Inception), with a decent 'twist', but some of the details feel a bit first draft and less resolved.
The Sisters: 2.5 stars
A little bit of a filler story, goes in a particular direction as expected—at least it's really short.
Peeping Tommy: 3 stars
Great horror imagery, but the story is a little cliche (very Goosebumps), and the ending feels rushed as way more could've been done with the setting (a fabricated, staged model home).
Becca: 3.5 stars
I'm starting to notice a 'template' these stories go through (protagonist turning out to be connected to the entity that is disrupting them)—this one is still decent at delivering creepy imagery, but it's starting to feel predictable and indistinguishable from other stories in the collection.
Sleeptalker: 3.75 stars
Another solid one. Sammy Scott is really good at creating a believable suburban husband and wife dynamic/scene.
Re-birth: 4.5 stars
Extremely provocative with a slight sci-fi undertone; the concept brings up really compelling societal commentary (though not as fleshed out as what I would've liked), and I love the emotional buildup to the payoff!
Katherine: 4.25 stars
A really neat spin on the reliable haunted house story, really enjoy how the mystery unravels.
Scared Mary: 3.25 stars
Contains a bit too much info dump regarding the origin of a viral Youtube channel (though I do appreciate its overall sarcastic tone). Highlight being the unexpected, but perfectly tension-filled closing moment.
Something Else Entirely: 2 stars
Flat-lined plot with no build up and vague on detail.
Nancy: 2 stars
While I like the concept (being haunted by past mistake), the overall progression is disjointed, with inconsistent logic and odd character reaction. Even though the misdirect provided by the name 'Nancy' is effective, this one feels like the story is spinning its wheels to get to the point.
People You May Know: 2 stars
A weak drama with a tacked on 'twist' ending that comes out of nowhere. I don't think the characters are interesting enough to warrant the extended length.
Emil Bones: 2.5 stars
The longest story in this collection (taking 1/3 of the book's overall length), it is frustratingly long and padded, drowning out some excellent ideas (the final spin on reader/writer relationship is clever) and elements (there's a plot critical poem that is bone-chilling in its naivete). Clearly inspired by the film The Babadook, the story beats feel too familiar, and could've easily been condensed to half of its current length (simply by removing the romance side plot—the banters are trying way too hard to be cute to the point of cringe).