*more like good 3.5 stars*

I haven't read many Anthologies - in fact I think none? I'm usually not into short stories - but this one was great! Almost all of the stories were pretty good and enjoyable! Yes, I expected them to be a bit scarier and creepier but maybe to someone else they are scary? Who knows. It's definitely something to kick off any Halloween-TBR, so be sure to check it out!

The Birds of Azalea Street by Nova Ren Suma: 3★
For the first story, I think, it was okay. So far I haven't read anything else by Nova Ren Suma and at first was a little distracted by all the and's in the story but other than that I really enjoyed it! It didn't freak me out or anything but the man was indeed kinda creepy and the birds made me a little nervous too. The teenage girls seemed realistic and all in all it was pretty good.

In the Forest Dark and Deep by Carrie Ryan: 5★
Oh my god. I love everything that has to do with Alice in Wonderland, so obviously I enjoyed this one too ... but that much? This was amazing! The March Hare looking like a grown man in size and proportion with those big white ears, always watching you ... that already sounds creepy, right? Well, let me tell you: It was! The writing style was really good, very easy to read and thrillingly written. Easily one of my favorite stories.

Emmeline by Cat Winters: 2.5★
This one wasn't scary at all, it was more like a sad story about a french girl during the First World War. The writing was quite good but I probably expected a bit more. Something a little more scary or creepy. Like that it was just an average story.

Verse Chorus Verse by Leigh Bardugo: 3.5★
I'm not sure if I really got what this story was about, hmm. Either way it was kinda creepy? It definitely gives you an unsettling feeling. Leigh Bardugo just knows how to create a great atmosphere!

Hide-and-Seek by Megan Shepherd: 5★
Another one of my favorites from this book! It immediately sucked me in and was so action-packed that I basically flew through the pages. I wouldn't have minded reading more about Crow Cullom and death itself. So interesting and very well written!

The Dark, Scary Parts and All by Danielle Paige: 3★
I think it could've been really good if not for all the clichés. There's the mean, popular girl and the absolutely handsome and mysterious love interest that suddenly pays attention to the plain outsider girl. Yeah ... well. I liked her writing though, so I might even read another book by Danielle Paige!

The Flicker, The Fingers, The Beat, The Sigh by April Genevieve Tucholke: 4★
I highly enjoyed this one! Especially the ending ... and the title is great. The writing was pretty good too, so I'm excited to read more by Tucholke. The story wasn't really that original, it's something we already know from movies and was inspired by Carrie and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Still a really good story!

Fat Girl With a Knife by Jonathan Maberry: 4★
Okay, so this one was great! I absolutely love zombie stories and even though by now they're all predictable and not new, it's still so much fun to read these. Plus, I also liked the main character, Dahlia. She's quite a complex character and an outsider in school because of her appearance - her weigth especially - but she also seemed strong to me. I just liked her. Wouldn't have minded reading a few pages more ... it ended when it got exciting and thrilling, so yeah.

Sleepless by Jay Kristoff: 3★
At first I really didn't like this ... too much of this "chat language" that I hate so much (seriously, who writes like that?!) and even though I kind of expected where this was going, there were still some things that surprised me. The only really "creepy" thing however is that it could happen in real life too. Some parts of the story at least. Average rating for an average story.

M by Stefan Bachmann: 1.5★
Not really my thing. It wasn't entirely bad but I just couldn't get into it. There was also nothing scary or creepy about it - maybe only the children and their chanting - and in general I didn't care. About anything.

The Girl Without a Face by Marie Lu: 5★
This was SO GOOD. I mean, Marie Lu wrote it, so I had quite a few expectations and she didn't disappoint! That was creepy, atmospheric, very interesting and mysterious and overall just great! Let's state it: Closets - and mirrors! - are ALWAYS scary. Always. Especially when they just open at night and you see someone standing there. Yup, scary. Definitely one of my favorites!

A Girl Who Dreamed of Snow by McCormick Templeman: 2★
The setting was good and even promising but I just didn't care. Maybe it was the character's fault or I don't know. It's not like I didn't enjoy it - the ending was better, in my opinion - I just think the author could've done better with this one.

Stitches by A.G. Howard: 4★
That was disturbing. But also kinda ... cool. I'm weird, I get it know. It intrigued me and even though it was very graphic and made me cringe a few times, I really liked the story. It was well written, had interesting characters and surprised me. Well done!

On the I-5 by Kendare Blake: 3★
I couldn't shake the feeling that I already knew this story. I've seen the movie, The Hitcher, that inspired the story but that's not it. I just don't know where I've seen or read about this ... anyway, I still enjoyed it. Actually it was kind of a sad story but had a satisfying ending, which I liked.

www.aworldbetweenfoldedpages.blogspot.com