Scary Out There

May 23, 2016
“Being alone, being ignored, not fitting in, peer pressure... man, there are so many kinds of fear out there,” writes editor Maberry in his introduction to this horror anthology, featuring short fiction and verse offerings from more than 20 members of the Horror Writers of America, including Cherie Priest, R.L. Stine, Ilsa J. Bick, and Kendare Blake. Ghost stories and brushes with Death mingle with modern terrors like addictive video games and cyber-stalkers to provide a wide range of unsettling, chilling tales. Some stories are easy to relate to, such as Carrie Ryan’s “What Happens to Girls Who Disappear,” about a girl who just wants to be special, or Zac Brewer’s “Death and Twinkies,” about a boy contemplating suicide on a bridge. Others pump up the adrenaline, like Christopher Golden’s “What Happens When the Heart Just Stops,” set in a dystopian future where nighttime belongs to flying terrors. While most of the stories are solid, several end abruptly or ambiguously, making for a few too many unfulfilling moments. As a whole, though, this collection hits the mark. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger.

June 1, 2016
"What scares you?" So begins Maberry's introduction to this anthology of poetry and short stories by 22 authors, all members of the Horror Writers Association.To answer this question, the anthology addresses a wide range of fears. Almost every story features a female protagonist, and Brenna Yovanoff's "The Doomsday Glass," Rachel Tafoya's "The Invisible Girl," and Kendare Blake's "Chlorine-Damaged Hair, and Other Pool Hazards" speak to current fears about the vulnerability of young women and the sometimes-horrific repercussions of body shaming in a patriarchal society. For readers seeking more traditional ghost stories with a hint of melancholy, Rachel Caine's "Corazon Oscuro," Ilsa J. Bick's "Bearwalker," and Josh Malerman's "Danny"--a few highlights of the anthology--employ restless, malevolent spirits. And for old-school horror fans, Steve Rasnic's "The Boyfriend" and Christopher Golden's "What Happens When the Heart Just Stops" contain nightmarish monsters, both literal and figurative, while R.L. Stine's "The Old Radio" and Tim Waggoner's "The Whisper-Whisper Men" are reminiscent of Twilight Zone episodes. The relevancy and scope of the themes presented are noteworthy and give the anthology broad appeal. However, the relative lack of diversity among main characters is both discouraging and outdated, depressingly representative of the current state of horror writing. Not every story is good, or even scary, but the ones that are scary good will haunt readers long after closing the book, and at a whopping 498 pages, most readers will surely find something grisly to enjoy. (Anthology/horror. 13 & up)

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July 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Some of the finest horror YA writers have chimed in to create a collection that showcases a variety of repressed fears that are prominent during adolescence. This anthology draws upon themes such as loneliness, death, and lack of control. Protagonists have realistic motives and concerns while engaging with evil forces. All of the characters have troubled pasts or unforgiving circumstances that infect their daily lives, such as bullying, neglect, and suicidal thoughts. The pacing is steady in most of these entries, but some of the stories are a little slow to start. The selections are not frightening in a spine-tingling way but are thought provoking and conclude with obscure resolutions and cliff-hangers-leaving readers wanting more. The stronger vignettes come from renowned authors in the genre, such as Madeleine Roux, Neal and Brandon Shusterman, Kendare Blake, and R.L. Stine. There are some graphic and violent descriptions of death but nothing too gory. VERDICT Recommended for all YA horror collections and a perfect choice for teens who just want a taste of the genre.-Briana Moore, School Library Journal

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2016
Grades 9-12 Despite the title, very few of the stories in this collection are overtly frightening; instead, they focus on what's scary in there, as each of 21 authors mine concepts of fear and the strange ways it can manifest. A surprising number of the stories deal with technology: Neal and Brendan Shusterman pen a tale of a boy who effectively loses his parents to a video game, while Brenna Yovanoff explores the experiences of a girl harassed in an online role-playing game who finds this sort of attack isn't limited to the cyberworld. Antiheroes abound, and many of the other stories are intensely tied to familyRachel Caine's Corazon Oscuro, Ilsa J. Bick's Bearwalker, Christopher Golden's What Happens When the Heart Just Stops and several others, including Lucy A. Snyder's evocative Shadowtown Blues, are in verse. Not every story succeedsthis is a particularly large collection, after allbut the ones that do will surely leave readers with, if not quite fear, certainly a deep, lingering sense of unease.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)