Book Review | Slasher Girls & Monster Boys

“Teenage girls know more than we’re given credit for. We sense danger even when everyone’s telling us it’s fine, he’s a perfectly nice man, an upstanding member of our community, have you tasted his sugar-cream pie?”

Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository
Trigger Warnings: rape, homicide, self-harm

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.

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Even though I’m done with ratings, I’m still rating each story because it looks sloppy adding all my pictures XD

#1 The Birds of Azalea Street – Nova Ren Suma \\ I really enjoyed this one. It was kind of creepy. It wasn’t scary but it was just… yikes. I’m sure it would make some people very uncomfortable. Just know, birds get revenge. 4/4

#2 In the Forest Dark and Deep – Carrie Ryan \\ I was really enjoying this one until the ending. The ending was kind of disappointing. I don’t really understand what happened. I’m sure I’m just dumb, LOL. But this was super scary. I’m a baby when it comes to scary things though. Who knew a rabbit could be deadly. 4/5

#3 Emmeline – Cat Winters: meh. What the hell even happened? The writing was pretty but everything else seemed like it was lacking. Watch out who you have sex with. You never know who or what they are. 2/5

#4 Verse Chorus Verse – Leigh Bardugo: meh. I’m not… I’m not really sure what happened. I was expecting a lot from leigh bardugo but this story felt kind of flat. I don’t understand the ending. What out, there might be something in the room with you. 3/5

#5 Hide and Seek – Megan Shepherd: I liked it. This was intense. I liked the writing. I was a little shocked by the ending. Sometimes death cheats. Will death cheat you? 4/5

#6 The Dark, Scary Parts and All – Danielle Paige: holy shit this was super good. I need to read Dorothy must die. I really like the writing style. Beware of the devil. 5/5

#7 The Flicker, The Fingers, The Beat, The Sigh – April Genevieve Tucholke: This was really dumb. What even. It’s not even creepy. It was just annoying. Be careful about who your friends are. 3/5

#8 Fat Girl With a Knife – Jonathan Maberry: I hated this. i really didn’t like the writing of this one. I didn’t like how the character was described and how certain features qualified her as unattractive over and over and over. I need to rant and rage about this short story. 1/5

#9 Sleepless – Jay Kristof: Loved. Wow, I was really not expecting this. This was freaking amazing. I didn’t think it was very spooky and then BAM everything took a fun turn. Be careful who you befriend. 4/5

#10 M – Stefan Bachmann: Liked. I was not expecting the ending. It was sort of creepy but not really? I don’t know how to explain it. Overall, I really enjoyed the writing style. I feel like it could have been done a bit differently in some parts. Make sure you watch your back, you never know who might try to kill you. 4/5

#11 The Girl Without a Face – Marie Lu: enjoyed. It was super creepy. I don’t appreciate what this was about. There was some rape involved from being too drunk. The ending was kind of confusing but overall I appreciated the story. 4/5

#12 A Girl Who Dreamed of Snow – McCormick Templeman: meh. I don’t understand this story. The writing was okay. The characters were flat compared to the other stories. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. Watch out for the girl who dreams of snow. 3/5

#13 Stitches -A.G. Howard: liked. This wasn’t scary but it was gory. It is not for those with a weak stomach. I kind of liked the ending. I love A.Gs writing style. 4/5

#14 On the I-5 – Kendare Blake: enjoyed. This was different. I kind of enjoyed it after I finally got into it. EmmaRae was a fun character. Watch out for monsters. 4/5

Final Verdict: