Here are a few reviews of some short scary stories I read for Halloween. They’re also all currently free (at least at the time I posted this) if you’d like to check them out for yourself.
Title: The End of the World
Author: A.A. McGowan
Rating: 4/5 stars
“It’s autumn and the leaves aren’t the only thing changing. Chuck gathers his thoughts as the end of the world comes to meet him.” (description from Goodreads)
The End of the World is a quick story of just over 1k words. This doesn’t allow for much world building, but McGowan was able to develop Chuck, his main character, well and get a feel for the way the world is for Chuck.
There’s something going around killing everyone. Chuck calls them Jackals. Not sure exactly where they came from, but they seem vicious and unstoppable. The impending doom Chuck feels made for a great story, even though it telegraphed the ultimate outcome.
As always for me, when there’s little of the “bigger picture”, I’m left wanting that part of the story. But this didn’t take away from my enjoyment. It just adds to my curiosity for more from this author in the same world he introduces in this story.
You can grab this story from:
Amazon | Smashwords | Kobo | B&N
Title: Looking the Other WayAuthor: Matthew Keville
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Every time you go down into the New York subway, you take a chance that you won’t come out again. That’s just the way it is. Usually, the only thing to fear is your fellow passengers. But there are other things waiting down there in the dark below the City, and sometimes the only way to stay alive is to look the other way.” (description from Goodreads)
This story was great. It had two levels to the eeriness that really made it stand out for me. The author built up a great mood from the beginning, then throws a curveball once the reader’s in the subway with the main character. That alone gave the story a great horror factor. What added to that was the nonchalance of the other people on the subway platform with the main character, and the attitude that comes over the MC at the end of the story. It could make you wonder just how fictional a story like this could be, and what else is out there.
You can grab this story from:
Title: Faceless
Author: Crystal Coons
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Maria, Larry, and Joey go into Maria’s grandmother’s attic in search of a recipe book. While searching, Larry finds an old Venetian mask and puts it on. After being scolded by Maria and Joey, Larry is the first to discover the secret of the mask, and this secret changes all of their lives.” (description from Goodreads)
For such a short story, the author packed in a heavy punch. There’s no time wasted to terrify the reader with what this mysterious mask has in store for these teenagers. I’d have liked a little more of a lead-up, if only to understand the mask and how the grandmother obtained it (and why she’d have such a dangerous object), but aside from that I think this was a great read. It’s a very strong flash piece.
You can grab this story from:
A Life Among The Pages 