Book Review #106 – Slasher Girls & Monster Boys, edited by April Genevieve Tucholke

Hello readers!

Halloween may have passed already but it’s never too late for spooky reads! Here is my review for Slasher Girls & Monster Boys, edited by April Genevieve Tucholke.

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Synopsis:

For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror 

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors:

Stefan Bachmann
Leigh Bardugo
Kendare Blake
A. G. Howard
Jay Kristoff
Marie Lu
Jonathan Maberry
Danielle Paige
Carrie Ryan
Megan Shepherd
Nova Ren Suma
McCormick Templeman
April Genevieve Tucholke
Cat Winters

 

Pros:

• spooky
• great authors from the YA scene
• awesome company

 

Cons:

• not really memorable

 

Verdict:

Ever since last year that I’ve been waiting for Halloween to come so I could finally read this book. And the time is here! I was mainly interested in the horror aspect of this anthology and the well sounding names involved. Of course there were some stories I enjoyed most than others. For example, I really liked The Birds of Azalea Street, by Nova Ren Suma and Emmeline by Cat Winters. They were spooky, suspenseful and very interesting overall. On the opposite spectrum, there was Sleepless, by Jay Kristoff. The story has such an annoying style and dialog… I was so close to skipping it but then the twist and the ending arrived and it blew my mind! It made total sense and I ended up loving it. But honestly, these three stories are the only ones that really stuck with me. The others were just ok. Some needed more dwelling for me to enjoy (like Leigh Bardugo’s) and others simply didn’t interested me that much (for example, In the Forest Dark and Deep). The stories are all inspired in some other story/film and there were a few that tried too much. I liked this book a lot more than I feel it’s transpiring in this review, though. I read it in a particularly difficult week at work and it made me calmer and definitely helped time pass easier. It will put you in Halloween mode and it will entertain you, which is definitely great.

Have any of you read this title? Please let me know!

See you guys soon,

Cat.